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Rob Pelinka bio, age, height, weight, net worth, salary, nationality, ethnicity

Basketball – Manager – NBA


Rob Pelinka

Facts of Robert Todd Pelinka, Jr.

Full Name: Robert Todd Pelinka, Jr.
Birth Date: December 23, 1969
Age: 54 years
Gender: Male
Profession: Vice President of Basketball Operations General Manager Sports Agent (former)
Country: USA
Horoscope: Capricorn
Height: 6 feet 6 inches (1.98m)
WifeKristin Brett Schwarz
MarriedYes
Net Worth$25 million
Salary$5 million
Eye ColorDark Brown
Hair ColorBlack
Birth PlaceChicago, Illinois, United States
StatusMarried
NationalityAmerican
EthnicityWhite
ReligionChristian
EducationLake Forest High School, Illinois University of Michigan
FatherRobert Todd Pelinka, Sr.
KidsOne son & One daughter Son Durham Pelinka Daughter Emery Pelinka
Twitter Robert Todd Pelinka, Jr. Twitter
View more / View less Facts of Robert Todd Pelinka, Jr.

Rob Pelinka’s name should have come up at least once in the last decade among basketball fans.

Rob is a basketball executive, lawyer, and sports agent from the United States. Besides, he was a point guard for the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team during his school career.

He is currently the NBA’s Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Pelinka has also represented a number of well-known basketball players for a long period. He has worked as an agent for NBA talents such as Kobe Bryant, Derrick Williams, Dion Waiters, and Kevin Durant.

Furthermore, being a former player, he has extensive knowledge and experience with the game. He won the Division I Men’s Basketball Championships of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 1989.

Rob Pelinka as LA Lakers General Manager.
Rob Pelinka as LA Lakers General Manager.

Without ever playing a game of basketball, the 1993 NCAA Male Walter Byers Scholar-Athlete of the Year has made a name for himself in the sport.

Instead, he works off the field to expose a number of talented players to the highest flight of the game.

He was previously the President and CEO of The Landmark Sports Agency, LLC. Those who are interested in athletics but want to pursue a profession off the field might find plenty of motivation in the man. Let’s have a look at this article to learn more about his success.

Rob Pelinka’s childhood, family, and education

Robert Todd Pelinka Sr., Pelinka’s father, was born in Chicago, Illinois. Pelinka Sr. used to be a high school basketball coach.

His father taught him the fundamentals of the game. He later transferred to Lake Forest High School, where he was a member of the basketball team.

Later, he joined the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. He studied in business administration and graduated with a 3.9/4.0 grade point average.

He also enrolled at the University of Michigan Law School in 1993. Rob was the school’s highest graduate, receiving his Juris Doctor cum laude in 1996.

He was also an intern at Winston & Strawn LLP throughout his collegiate years.

Rob Pelinka’s career as a player

Senior High School

Pelinka began his career as a shooting guard in high school. He later moved to the point guard position. His high school’s finest shooter led them to their first conference championship.

Rob used to play in pro-amateur leagues in Chicago with Tim Hardaway, Kevin Duckworth, and Kendall Gill.

Rob Pelinka at the Court trying to guard.
Rob Pelinka at the Court trying to guard.

Rob later joined the Wisconsin Badgers as a point guard to play in the Big Ten. Rob, meantime, won the MVP award at a tournament in Elgin in 1987 after scoring 139 points.

He was ranked in the top ten Class AA basketball players by Illinois High School Basketball Magazine.

He averaged 30 points and 10 rebounds per game, according to scouts from several institutions. The Chicago Sun-Times named him one of the best 20 players in the Chicago area.

Career in College

He had attracted the attention of numerous universities due to his outstanding performance, which was recognized throughout the Chicago area. Rob ultimately chose Michigan University for its outstanding law school and business school.

He was a four-year member of the Michigan Wolverines. He reached the 1988-89 national finals with teammates Mark Huges, Glen Rice, and Terry Milles.

Rob Pelinka watches an NBA game from the seats.
Rob Pelinka watches an NBA game from the seats.

The Wolverines defeated Seton Hall University in the 1989 NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. When Steve Fisher was a member of the team, he was the head coach.

However, the Wolverines lost in the final game of the 1992 NCAA Tournament after Robert was redshirted for two consecutive seasons. Pelinka scored 16 points in a 72-62 win over the Ohio States the following season.

In his senior season, Pelinka had the most charges on the team, indicating that he was the squad’s most important player. Pelinka also appeared as a substitute in the 81-78 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats in the national semifinal.

He received offers from European basketball organizations during his attendance at an NBA Summer Camp in California. He had other plans, though, than to improve as a player on the court.

His interest in an off-court career evolved after meeting Arn Tellem, the vice-chairman of the Detroit Pistons.

Rob Pelinka works as a sports agent.

Pelinka currently represents 24 NBA draft picks. After getting his law license, he joined Mayer Brown. He became an agent four years later, thanks to Tellem’s influence.

NBA agents, according to sources, earn about 4% of the salary and bonus that they may negotiate for their clients. He has also established his own Landmark Sports Agency.

Agent for Kobe Bryant

Pelinka is best known in the NBA for his work as a representative for late superstar Kobe Bryant.

Pelinka had earned Kobe’s trust by uniting and supporting him amid the sexual assault accusation against Bryant in 2003.

In 2004, Pelinka arranged a seven-year, $136.4 million contract for Kobe with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Rob Pelinka with late Kobe Bryant.
Rob Pelinka with late Kobe Bryant.

Rob was the godfather of Kobe Bryant’s daughter, Gianna Bryant. Rob later arranged for Kobe’s three-year contract extension in 2009-10, which lasted until the 2013-14 season.

Similarly, Pelinka extended the contract for another two years in 2013 with a $48.5 million deal.

Agent Sasha Vujacic

In July 2008, Pelinka became the agent for NBA player Sasha Vujacic, a Slovenian-American. Bill Duffy, Sasha’s former agent, had let him go, and he was now a free agent.

Sasha’s return to the LA Lakers was secured by Rob with a three-year, $15 million contract.

In 2011, Vujacic signed a one-year contract with the Anadolu Efes to play in the Turkish Basketball League.

Representing Corey Maggette and Keyon Dooling

Pelinka knew Corey Maggette, a Chicago-based player. As a result, he was Corey’s lawyer throughout his $50 million contract with the Golden State Warriors.

Since July 2008, Corey has been required to play for the Warriors for five years under the terms of the contract.

Rob Pelinka’s client Keyon Dooling.
Rob Pelinka’s client Keyon Dooling.

Rob assisted Keyon Dooling’s signing to the New Jersey Nets on unknown deal terms in the same year, 2008.

Keyon had previously been a member of the Orlando Magic. In addition, Keyon was given a $7.2 million salary cap as part of the arrangement. At the end of the 2011-12 NBA season, though, no team had signed Dooling.

Andre Iguodala’s agent and Derrick Williams’ agent

Derrick Williams was the second overall pick in the NBA draft in 2011. Williams was managed by Rob while he was with the Minnesota Timberwolves in December of 2011.

Williams joined with the New York Knicks in July 2015.

Rob Pelinka signing Michael Beasley for LA Lakers.
Rob Pelinka signing Michael Beasley for LA Lakers.

Andre Iguodala was a high school basketball player in Illinois who had heard of Rob because of his celebrity. Iguodala signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in August 2008, with Rob as his agent.

Rob might reach an agreement with the 76ers for a six-year deal worth $80 million after rejecting contract extensions costing $3.8 million per year and $57 million.

Representing Eric Gordon and Derek Fisher

Eric Gordon was selected seventh overall in the NBA draft in 2008. Gordon signed a three-year, $8.4 million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in July 2008, with Pelinka as his agent. However, due to an injury, he had to withdraw from the NBA Summer League.

In 2012, Rob agreed to a four-year, $58 million contract with Gordon’s New Orleans Hornets.

Rob Pelinka’s client Derek Fisher.
Rob Pelinka’s client Derek Fisher.

In 2010, Derek Fisher was about to become a free agent. Pelinka eventually reached an agreement with the Lakers for a three-year, $10.5 million contract extension.

In 2014, Pelinka had a task to accomplish for an unsigned Fisher.

Derek chose to become a coach instead of continuing as a player because he received no offers and had no plans to do so. As a result, Pelinka agreed to a five-year, $25 million coaching contract with the New York Knicks.

NBA Executive Rob Pelinka

In February 2017, several rumors circulated in the sports media that the Los Angeles Lakers were set to appoint Rob Pelinka as general manager.

Mitch Kupchak, who had previously held the position, had been fired. As a result, the news became official, and Pelinka was assigned to the position in March 2017.

Rob Pelinka with Magic Johnson.
Rob Pelinka with Magic Johnson.

Pelinka was set to sign a five-year deal with the Lakers. Magic Johnson, the club’s vice executive president of basketball operations, was his colleague. Pelinka, according to Johnson, had his eye on the club’s presidency at the moment.

Rob Pelinka: Achievements

Rob Pelinka had a successful high school and college career as a player. His participation in the High School All-American team was a great distinction for him. He also won the NCAA Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in 1993.

He was then awarded the Walter Byers Postgraduate Scholarship for the year. Similarly, he is considered as one of the best sports agents in the world.

In 2010, Business Insider named him fifth among the greatest active sports agents.

Rob Pelinka’s Salary and Net Worth

Rob Pelinka has acted as a representative for a number of NBA stars. Agents often get 4% of the salary and deal money of the players they represent.

As a result, Pelinka is thought to have amassed a sizable fortune during his career.

As of 2022, Rob Pelinka has a net worth of $25 million.

He is currently the General Manager of the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the best teams in the NBA. As a result, he earns roughly $5 million each year in salary alone.

As a result, he might expect a significant improvement in his fortunes in the following years.

Rob Pelinka: Children and Relationships

Rob Pelinka is a husband and father. In August of 2005, he married Kristin Brett Schwarz. On September 22, 1976, the lovely lady was born in California.

Duke University awarded the Corona del Mar High School alumnus a bachelor’s degree in biology.

She also holds a medical degree from UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.

Rob Pelinka with his wife, Kristin Brett Schwarz.
Rob Pelinka with his wife, Kristin Brett Schwarz.

Kristin is a pediatrician who has worked for Coastal Kids and Pacific Ocean Pediatrics. As of now, the couple has two children, a daughter and a son.

Their son is Durham, and their daughter is Emery. So far, nothing has been heard concerning their exterior affairs. As a result, we can presume that the two are having a wonderful marriage.

Rob Lowe and Rob Pelinka

Rob Pelinka has a doppelganger who is a legend in his own right. Most NBA fans are aware that Rob Pelinka is merely an actor, Rob Lowe.

After signing LeBron James, there was a lot of confusion among fans who couldn’t tell the difference between Pelinka and Lowe.

Furthermore, we are unable to deny it. Take a look at him and tell me if he doesn’t remind you of Chris Traeger from Parks and Recreation or Sodapop Curtis from The Outsiders.

Indeed, the two appear to be identical, and their similar names add to the intrigue.

Pelinka had already spoken about his striking similarity to the star. Furthermore, he urged that fans view both of them at the same time, and only then will they notice any similarities.

So, who knows? They will appear more intriguing in every manner.

Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka

Pelinka and Johnson have gotten along swimmingly. They used to work together with the Los Angeles Lakers back in the day; nevertheless, they did suffer a low point in 2019.

During his time as president of the Lakers, Magic Johnson claimed that general manager Rob Pelinka had deceived him.

On fact, he mentioned this in an episode of ‘First Take,’ when he said they experienced problems in the first season.

He used the example of Pelinka smearing his name behind the scenes for not spending enough time at Lakers facilities.

As a result, Johnson had considered resigning from his position. Today, though, their mysterious air is clean.

Internal conflicts have been resolved thanks to Johnson’s acquisition of LeBron James to the squad.

Overall, they weren’t sure what the internal fight was about or what had sparked it. But for the time being, their unity is all that matters.

Rob Pelinka: The Importance of Having a Social Media Presence

Rob, it appears, has a substantially lower social media presence. He is a low-key individual who keeps his life in a small group. It’s possible that he doesn’t use social media.

As a result, you can look at his hashtag pages.

Twitter hashtag (#robpelinka)
Instagram hashtag (#robpelinka)

Frequently Asked Questions about Rob Pelinka

Rob Pelinka, Kevin Durant’s agent, was he?

Since March 2012, Rob Pelinka has been Kevin Durant’s agent for roughly a year. Durant had split ways with his long-time agent Aaron Goodwin a month prior.

Was Rob Pelinka Kobe Bryant’s best friend?

Rob Pelinka was Kobe Bryant’s agent for more than a decade. It all began in 2003, when Pelinka gained Kobe’s trust while battling the sexual assault lawsuit.

Arn Tellem, Kobe’s first agent, left him soon after.

Kobe Bryant with his former agent Rob Pelinka.
Kobe Bryant with his former agent Rob Pelinka.

Pelinka is the godfather of Gianna, Kobe’s daughter. Even after Kobe retired from professional basketball, he and Pelinka maintained a positive friendship.

Why do so many people despise Rob Pelinka?

Rob Pelinka has been doing wonderfully, yet he was recently awarded a Grade B for his efforts. Leaving that aside, he is not universally disliked, although he has been embroiled in controversy.

Pelinka was caught in a fabrication about Heath Ledger and Kobe Bryant in 2019. The public, it appears, was quick to react to the falsehood, which was eventually clarified by Kobe as a jumbled account.