Daniel Hazan is probably the most ambitious 22 year old you’ll ever meet. After founding Java Ads Inc., a successful company which puts advertisements on coffee cups around New York City, Daniel turned his mind towards becoming a basketball agent. During a class at Yeshiva University, Daniel met Efraim Wakschlag, a native of Silver Spring, Maryland, and a renowned and respected NBA analyst in Yeshiva’s hallways. Efraim administrates three different Facebook pages that have over one million ‘likes’ and is also planning on publishing an analytical book about the NBA. Once Efraim was on board with Daniel, Daniel recruited Josh Wildes, an old friend from Englewood, New Jersey, who currently attends the School of Management at Boston University. Josh’s interest in the sports industry began following his internship at MetLife Stadium and Omri Casspi’s basketball camp. The three co-founded Hazan Sports Management Group Inc., in December 2013.

Currently, Hazan Sports Management is working very hard to prepare their client Aquille Carr, the No. 50 overall player in the 2013 college recruiting class (according to ESPN), for the upcoming NBA draft. “When Aquille was in high school two years ago (Patterson High in Baltimore), he was one of the most exciting players to watch in the entire nation,” Vice President, Josh Wildes, said. “Aquille is easy for us to relate to because he is our age and just 5’6”. He’s our first client that I am able to speak to face to face without having to look into the clouds,” Josh jokingly remarked. This past week, Hazan Sports Management brought Aquille to New York to work out with trainers, conduct interviews, and give back to the community. When Aquille wasn’t working out in the gym, he was contributing at soup kitchens, food drives, and local hospitals. Daniel commented, “Watching Aquille distribute food to the needy at the JCC in Pelham Parkway was beyond words. I think it was the first time in Aquille’s life that he thought beyond himself and basketball to help out others less fortunate than him.” Aquille also visited local day schools including MDS (Manhattan Day School) and HAFTR (Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaway) and ran clinics and drills for the kids. “It meant the world for these kids to see such a short guy with serious NBA potential. Aquille taught the kids that they shouldn’t let a lack of height discourage them from chasing their dreams, Daniel said.”

Each member of the Hazan Sports Management team has their unique strengths which they use in order to maximize the potential of their agency. The challenges of running a sports agency go way beyond just trying to balance shiur and adequate time to manage the agency. There are many complicated issues which arise related to loans, non-kosher restaurants, and not working on Shabbos. “Being an observant Jew makes it so much harder to run a sports agency,” General Manager, Efraim Wakschlag, commented. “There are so many times on Shabbos that I feel like I have to follow up with a player, coach, or trainer, but must refrain from doing so. I try my best not to think about the sports agency over Shabbos, and as a result, the second Shabbos is over my phone and computer turn on and stay on until about 3 AM.” No matter what, Daniel, Efraim, and Josh always follow halacha and keep to Jewish standards and ethics, and are willing to sacrifice the company before they have to sacrifice their Jewish beliefs. Hazan Sports Management is in fact a true Kiddus Hashem.

(YWN – Shulamis Levine)