USMI Founder Torrel Harris' Journey to Becoming a Sports Agent is One of Perseverance and Resilience

USA Today

14-02-2025

Chris Gallagher
Contributor
Hear this story
Before Torrel Harris became a pioneering force in sports management, securing one of the largest NBA contracts in history, he was a young man defying expectation. In 1981, he became one of the first African American basketball players in 14 years to graduate from Murray State University in Business Administration. The road wasn't easy. Torrel recalls, 'They told me to switch my major to PE. My coach even had a meeting with me, telling me they didn't think I could do it.'
Rather than backing down, Torrel doubled his efforts, sitting at the front of every class, knocking on professors' doors for extra help, and treating his education like a full-time job. His professors, initially skeptical, soon became his mentors—coaches in the game of business. That perseverance would define his career and ultimately earn him induction into the New York Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
Torrel's life took many turns before he became an industry pioneer in athlete representation. After college, he entered the corporate world, working as a buyer in New York's high-end retail industry. But long hours and low pay soon pushed him toward a more lucrative path. A friend introduced him to financial planning. Within a month of working part-time in the industry, he made nearly as much as his year's full-time salary. That was all the confirmation he needed. He left his corporate job and immersed himself in financial and estate planning, advising high-net-worth individuals on how to protect and grow their wealth. One of his major clients was George 'Iceman' Gervin. Representing this NBA Hall of Famer, he asked himself a bigger life-changing question: 'How do I give back?'
That moment set Torrel on a new path. Determined to master the craft of athlete representation, he trained under a top sports agency for four years, working with some of the biggest names in basketball, football, and baseball. By 1988, he was ready to launch his own firm—Unique Sports Management, now Unique Sports Management International (USMI).
Torrel's influence extends far beyond traditional athlete representation. From 1994 to 2005, he secured exclusive licensing rights with both NBA and NFL Properties Divisions, making his firm the only privately held, minority-owned company for overseeing management, manufacturing processes, designs, and major corporate decisions. His entrepreneurial spirit also led him to invent the reversible nylon warm-up suit, which evolved into a successful sportswear manufacturing company.
Today, as the Chairman of USMI, he continues to redefine sports management, overseeing contract negotiations, financial planning, investment strategies, brand endorsements, charity initiatives, and marketing strategies—all with a focus on holistic athlete development.
Torrel has represented a host of elite athletes, but one of his most defining career moments came when he secured one of the largest contracts in NBA history for one of his sons - Tobias. At the time, it was the highest contract in the history of the Philadelphia 76ers and the 5th highest contract in the history of the NBA. In 2019, it was the highest contract that a father has secured in the history of professional sports.
His success as a negotiator stems from a simple philosophy: securing wealth is just the beginning—protecting it is the real challenge. Torrel himself saw firsthand how many athletes made millions during their careers only to end up struggling financially after retirement. 'The worst advice any person can give an athlete is: You just play, and I'll handle your money,' he says. 'Young men need to be their own businessmen.'
That philosophy became USMI's core mission: developing sportsmen who are also savvy businessmen. Torrel calls himself a Lifestyle Manager, not just an agent, because his work extends far beyond contracts. He educates players on wealth preservation, investment strategies, real estate, and estate planning. His goal? To ensure that when their playing days are over, they're financially set for life. He states, 'If I negotiate a big contract for you but you don't know how to save or invest that money, I've failed you.'
At the heart of everything Torrel does is ensuring his players use their talent wisely—not just for themselves, but for their families and communities. He instills in them the importance of giving back, building businesses, and creating generational wealth that will benefit their children and grandchildren. 'We come into this world with nothing, and we leave with nothing,' Torrel Harris reflects.
Unlike many agents who aggressively recruit clients, Torrel takes a different approach. He once represented a long list of athletes but ultimately scaled back to focus on quality over quantity. 'I realized I could be more effective if I worked closely with just a few players at a time,' he explains. 'It's not about how many contracts I sign—it's about the impact I make on the lives of the athletes I work with.'
That impact is undeniable. From negotiating one of the biggest NBA contracts of all time for his son to mentoring young players on financial literacy, Torrel Harris has redefined what it means to be a sports agent. He isn't just helping athletes make millions—he's helping them build legacies. And that, he believes, is the true measure of success.