NEW YORK, NY — Ten-year NBA veteran and 2014 Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams is officially stepping into a major executive role as the new Head of Basketball at Brunswick Sports Management.
Founded two and a half years ago by sports executive Julian Aiken, Brunswick Sports Management operates as a business management and marketing firm designed to guide athletes through brand development, financial strategy and long-term career planning. While Brunswick has rapidly expanded its footprint in football—currently managing over 30 players in the sport—Carter-Williams has been brought on specifically to spearhead and scale the agency’s basketball division.
“We want to make sure that we’re still making a really large impact and focusing on growing the basketball side of things,” Aiken tells ScoopB.com. “So Michael will be heading up our entire basketball division, continuing to help manage guys there and mentor guys there.”
Brunswick currently represents nearly 10 basketball clients across the NBA and the college NIL landscape. In his new capacity, Carter-Williams will oversee client relations, assist in routine-building, provide mental and professional mentorship, and help young athletes navigate the modern complexities of professional sports.
A Firsthand Approach to the NIL Era
For Carter-Williams, who spent a decade in the league after being selected 11th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, the transition to management is rooted in personal experience and a desire to give back.
“It just falls in line with kind of everything that I believe in,” Carter-Williams tells ScoopB.com.
“I’ve seen teammates, I’ve seen friends in the NBA deal with all types of issues with different people… I feel like I just have a lot to give back to a lot of the young guys, whether it’s building systems in their lives [or] helping them develop good habits.”
With the rise of NIL deals and the transfer portal changing the landscape for young players, Carter-Williams emphasized the necessity of helping modern athletes navigate adversity when quick exits aren’t an option at the professional level.
“They’re getting to the money a lot earlier,” Carter-Williams noted. “When they get into the league and you’re not able to [just transfer], it’s like, how do we handle struggle? How do we handle things not going your way when you can’t just up and leave? We’ve got to be ready to give good, sound advice for guys that go through some adversity.”
Reflecting on Philadelphia & the 76ers Era
The former NBA Rookie of the Year also reflected on his time in Philadelphia, where he launched his professional career with a memorable 22-point, 12-assist, 9-steal, 7-rebound debut for the 76ers in 2013. When asked about high-profile roster moves like LeBron James and Jaylen Brown coming to the Sixers, Carter-Williams expressed excitement for the fanbase.
“Obviously they got a great team built together,” Carter-Williams said. “It’s going to be interesting to see how well they gel together. They obviously have the talent, but I think it’s all about just putting it together for them.”
He recalled his fondness for the city and the local culture that embraced him during his tenure in Philly.
“Philly, for me, I loved Philly,” he shared. “When I was there, it was nothing but love whether I was playing or I was walking around the city. I always felt the love and the support of the fans, so I know they’re going to be excited for what their team brings, and they’re going for that championship.”
When asked how long it took him to adjust to unique Philadelphia slang such as “jawn” and “drawlin’,” Carter-Williams revealed that his Syracuse college teammates gave him a head start.
“It’s funny—I was teammates with Dion Waiters and Scoop Jardine in college,” Carter-Williams laughed. “So I already knew all the Philly slang: ‘jawn’ and ‘drawlin” and all that. I was already familiar, so it was easy for me. But it takes a second to figure out the language. I feel like my homies talk all in one word—like one word is the whole sentence. So there ain’t no breaks in between, and it takes a little bit to get used to.”
Bridging the Locker Room Gap
Aiken highlighted that Carter-Williams’ background brings a missing, essential element to Brunswick’s executive suite: real locker room experience at the highest level.
“I’ve been around it enough now for 10 years, but that’s the one piece that no matter what I’ve done, I’ve never been in an NBA locker room,” Aiken said. “That was the one piece that I felt like could really help athletes get over the hump to say, ‘You know what? I’m going to buy into this plan.’ Integrating Mike has been seamless.”
Rather than positioning itself as a standard agency, Brunswick focuses heavily on four foundational pillars—business management, brand alignment, media strategy and long-term financial health—to prepare athletes for a life beyond their playing days.
“The main goal here is to take care of these athletes and to really have them be successful long after they’re on the field and long after they’re on the court,” Carter-Williams said. “They can take those good habits that we’ve helped implement with them into their next endeavor.”
