Date: 01/26/2015

Wilkins connects with ex-Hawks exec, signs with Tandem

Tandem Sports & Entertainment has signed NBA hall of famer Dominique Wilkins, who is the Atlanta Hawks’ vice president of basketball, for marketing, personal appearances, public relations services, corporate partnerships and business opportunities.

Wilkins will be represented by a team of agents including Jim Tanner, the firm’s president;Terése Whitehead, senior vice president of marketing; and Meredith Geisler, senior vice president of communications. Wilkins has not been represented by an agent in recent years.

Wilkins knows Whitehead well, as she served as senior manager of marketing, advertising and branding for the Hawks from 2001 to 2006. He reached out to Whitehead recently because he has a lot of projects and opportunities coming up and needed help with marketing and media, Whitehead said.

The Hawks are scheduled to unveil a bronze statue of Wilkins outside Philips Arena in March. Then, sometime this spring, Wilkins will be featured in an ESPN “30 for 30” documentary. “It’s all about him,” Whitehead said.

Wilkins, a small forward, was drafted No. 3 overall in 1982 and was a nine-time NBA All-Star before retiring from playing basketball in 1999. His high-flying dunks earned him the nickname “The Human Highlight Film.”

Additionally, Wilkins, who suffers from diabetes, is active in fighting that disease, as well as in other causes. In May, he is scheduled to be honored at the American Diabetes Association’s Atlanta Father of the Year event. Tandem will help him set up a foundation, Whitehead said.

He also is looking to expand his endorsement portfolio, as Reebok and Novo Nordisk are Wilkins’ only sponsors now. “We feel there are plenty of opportunities for him in several categories,” Whitehead said. “We will focus on exploring marketing opportunities in both the endemic and non-endemic areas.”

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