Unlike most 16-year-olds, Zac Benalloul has already begun not only his career, but also a company: Benalloul Sports Management. He recently spoke with ClutchPoints about why he chose this career path, how he broke into the business, his current clients, and much more.

How did you end up here?

The way I ended up here, only being four months in, is by staying closely connected with God and staying prayed up, with where my work ethic has gotten up to this point, the sleepless nights, the struggle, going through all of those moments is ultimately what has gotten me here. Really proving people wrong is what gives me the drive of doing this, this is what I live for and no one can take that away from me, this is what makes us legit, our management is family and faith orientated, and that will ultimately make us the management to watch. The staff members and I know that we are new and hungry, that is what makes us work harder. We aren’t here to be the next Klutch Sports, Wasserman, or Excel, we are here to be the best and be Benalloul Sports Management. We believe if we continue this growth, which we will, we will put ourselves on the map as a top three management company in the nation in the next five years.

How did you get your first player client?

We got our first player by reaching out on Instagram. We looked at players that played in pro-am leagues, like the Miami Pro league, the Drew League, and Venice Beach, these leagues were the main leagues we got our players from to start up our management.

What players are on your roster?

Some players on our roster are Big Baby Glen Davis, Sampson Carter, Jermaine Taylor, Mamadou Ndiaye, Devon Baulkman, Myck Kabongo, Akeem Springs, JR Giddens and Charlie Westbrook.

How did it grow from there?

Once we acquired guys like Todd Mayo, Quinton Doggett, and Torin Washington, people started to notice and say, “Wow, these guys are legit.” After that we brought in the consultant agreement with Ten Ten Sports and Entertainment, and from that point on everything started moving faster, we started to boom. Then coronavirus happened and leagues shut down, but I didn’t take the time for granted. I recruited, recruited so much to add in seven former NBA guys in the span of a month.

Why did you start this at age 15?

I decided to start at 15 years of age because it’s always been something I've been into since a young age, and being told off by people ultimately is why I decided to start early and revolutionize the game. This is what I knew I wanted to do for the rest of my life, so being able to start at 15 will also give me the ability to be one of the best when I'm 25. Starting early is the best way to start, as I'm learning the business more and more just by being in the business with two of the best agents in the game in Byron and Dean.

What types of services do you offer players?

The services we over for our players vary from marketing to having them play professionally at the highest level they possibly can, ultimately having the players in the best situation on and off the court. We have 12 staff members, from trainers/consultants, to lifestyle consultants, to barbers, to automobile services; we have all the decks filled out to make sure our players are in the best situation to play at the highest level possible overseas.

What’s your favorite part of the job?

My favorite part of the job is when people reach out to me and admire me for the work I've done to tell me that I've inspired them. That makes me sleep a whole lot better at night and ultimately is what makes me work harder each and every day.

What certified agents do you work with?

Benalloul Sports Management is on a consultant agreement with another great management named Ten Ten Sports & Entertainment. Dean Hadley is the founder of Ten Ten Sports and Entertainment and works really closely With Benalloul Sports, same for Zac with Ten Ten, Dean is the NBPA certified agent for the players in Benalloul Sports Management. Byron Bundy is Benalloul Sports Management's FIBA and NBPA certified agent, he works with Benalloul Sports on the overseas work with Zac.

What are your personal experiences with the players?

I constantly am in communication with our players. Getting to know them on a personal level is really great, as I've gotten many clients with that as we get recommended to other players through our clients. They are happy with the services we give them, communication is huge for me and it’s what puts us ahead of other managements as some managements hardly even speak to their players. I myself am extremely close with my clients, to the point where they want to come and meet me in person. I had a dinner on a Saturday night with one of my first clients in Khalil Brown.

What is the weirdest way you got connected with a player?

The weirdest way I had gotten connected to a player was with my good friend Trevor Simon, as he worked with the team in NBL Canada named St. Johns Edge. He connected me to our very own Big Baby Glen Davis, as he was the one who brought him in to play with the Edge. Glen had been a guy we were targeting at the time and it was crazy how we got connected to him.