Arn Tellem’s bold voice didn’t miraculously appear overnight. It took a path all his own, from aspiring sports announcer to a successful sports agent, Tellem took his big ideas to the Detroit Pistons where he is the team’s Vice Chair and a key player in shaping Detroit’s future. In this episode, you’ll learn why Tellem shows his emotions, the depth of his commitment to community service in building a better Detroit, and how three key partnerships are shaping his world: on the court, in the community, and in his own home.
Arn Tellem’s bold voice didn’t miraculously appear overnight. It took a path all his own, from aspiring sports announcer to a successful sports agent, Tellem took his big ideas to the Detroit Pistons where he is the team’s Vice Chair and a key player in shaping Detroit’s future. In this episode, you’ll learn why Tellem shows his emotions, the depth of his commitment to community service in building a better Detroit, and how three key partnerships are shaping his world: on the court, in the community, and in his own home.
1:34 - Arn talks about how he initially thought he could have a career as a sports announcer.
2:03 - An article by Jerry Kapstein first inspires Arn to think about a potential career in sports management.
2:55 - Arn discusses the impact of the movie Jerry McGuire, which was inspired by his success story as a sports agent.
5:19 - At the end of 1988, Arn decides to leave the law firm he's been with for nine years to set up a sports management firm.
7:27 - Arn talks about being inspired by the Pistons commitment to the revitalization of Detroit, and how that factored into his decision to relocate, despite having no historical connections to the city.
8:08 - Arn expresses his admiration for Detroit's sense of community: how people of different backgrounds and beliefs share a desire to make the city a better place.
9:07 - Bob Riney points out the two characteristics of Arn's he most admires: Arn’s willingness to show his emotions, and his confidence in letting people know where he stands politically.
10:32 - Arn tells Bob how he looks out for his clients’ interests 24/7, a principle that he believes has led to his success as an agent.
12:31 - Bob and Arn talk about their marriages to strong, independent women, and how those partnerships have helped both their careers.
14:22 - Arn outlines the Pistons partnership with Henry Ford Health, and how both organizations share a commitment to Detroit's continued revitalization.
18:16 - Arn talks about some of the up-and-coming star athletes in the Pistons’ lineup, and his optimism about the team's future success.
Arn Tellem 00:00
As far as the emotion, I'm probably a repressed individual, and it comes out when I'm speaking sometimes, if I'm trying to analyze myself with you.
Bob Riney 00:10
This is great, but you know, my rate is about 1000 bucks an hour. Welcome to The BOBcast. I'm your host, Bob Riney, President and CEO of Henry Ford Health, and I am thrilled to have you joining us today. The BOBcast is where Detroit's future comes into view. It is where you'll hear the big ideas, bold voices and crucial conversations that are shaping our city, our region, and beyond...real and unapologetically focused on creating a stronger, more vibrant future with grit and grace. This podcast introduces you to the relentless visionaries who are driving change and tackling some of the biggest challenges we face today. I am so excited to be here with my friend, my colleague, and one of the greatest innovators in our city right now, and that's the Vice Chair of the Detroit Pistons, Arn Tellem. Arn, welcome to The BOBcast.
Arn Tellem 01:09
I'm so excited to be here. This may be the highlight of my professional life.
Bob Riney 01:13
You have just taken the city by storm since you arrived, and you've taken such a holistic view to what an NBA basketball team can mean for a city. We're going to come to that. But I want to start off by a question I have no idea the answer to, and that's: What did 18 year old Arn Tellem think he was going to do with his life?
Arn Tellem 01:35
At 18, I was thinking I was going to be the next Howard Cosell. I wanted to be a sports announcer. I was writing sports for a local paper, for a Philadelphia paper. And my dream was to be a sports announcer, and it was really right when I was in high school, I used to read Sports Illustrated every Friday night alone. I wasn't going out on dates. Sports Illustrated was my, my big, my big, I read a cover to cover every Friday night when I went to bed. There was an article that came out on Jerry Kapstein. He was at the baseball winter meetings, and he was maneuvering baseball players as far as free agents. And it sort of captivated my interest to think, 'Oh, my God, you could actually, someone's making a career out of signing baseball players and maneuvering, controlling the winter meetings. And that was pivotal. I still think of that article, and it started to make me think that maybe that could be a career down the road. I was at Michigan for law school. Rick Leach was a football player there, and he also played baseball. And my first taste of recruiting athletes was recruiting Rick Leach. Someone introduced me, and I went to every one of his college baseball games and sat with his parents, and I didn't get him as a client, but I had a good chance, and that was my first taste, actually, of recruiting an athlete.
Bob Riney 02:56
As you went on, and ultimately became a very, very well-known agent, there was a movie that was made that really followed very closely your experience. What did that movie leave out?
Arn Tellem 03:18
Jerry Maguire captured it from both perspectives - there's the young upstart agent in a big company leaving to go out on his own. So I was in a law firm, and I went through that experience. So I decided to go out on my own and become that, to start out as a sports agent. I ended up being the big company at the end, representing a lot of players. That spirit of going out on your own, it really captured it. How you pour your life into a player, and what it means, that relationship you have with that player. I thought it really captured it very well.
Bob Riney 03:53
How did they get Tom Cruise to play you?
Arn Tellem 03:59
Better looking than me. The funny side of that is that there was a TV show on HBO called Arliss. The producer, who was from Philadelphia, who I knew, Mike Tollin, they came and spent probably four or five months in my office, and they got our office down and how it worked very well. They also did a great job of capturing what it's like to be an agent and the crazy relationships you have, not only with the player, but also with the families and everyone around the athlete and trying to get them paid and with the owner and with the teams. And I thought that was also a pretty well-done show.
Bob Riney 04:55
So most people would have taken a wildly successful career as an agent and maybe said, 'All right, it's time for me to go do something totally different.' And you end up running the Detroit Pistons and relocating to a city that, other than going to school at Michigan, you really had no historical connection. Tell me about that.
Arn Tellem 05:18
I was in a law firm for nine years and decided to go out on my own at the end of 1988 I left the law firm. My parents thought I was crazy to give up partnership and security. I had one basketball client, Reggie Miller, who had been, was my first client. And I had a few baseball players, and was a dream to try it, and I had no idea where it would go, and I did pretty well. And I was on my own for 10 years, and then sold my business and ended up running a very big sports company. I had been approached along the way to run a team, and it was never the right time. My kids were in school. My wife had her career, and she was very successful. And it was in the back of my mind, maybe that would be something I'd have interest in. Two years before the Pistons happened, Steve Cohen, who owns the Mets now, approached me about looking at the Dodgers, and we went through a bidding process for the Dodgers, which we didn't get. And I realized if I did it again, I would never go through a bidding process. And sure enough, a year later, Tom Gores reached out to me about possibly coming in as head of basketball operations for the Pistons. And I said I really wasn't looking to do that, and I was looking if I came in, I wanted to really oversee the basketball and business and see it from the entire perspective. So we ended up talking for a year. And finally, I remember I was chatting for Tom Watson at the Masters, and I was flying home, and I got a text from Tom: 'Are you ready to do this?' And I typed in: 'Yes.' And I think what motivated me was I really wanted to have another chapter in my life. When I started out with Reggie Miller, I was like his big brother, and then with Kobe Bryant, I was like his father. And when I got to Joel Embiid, I was like his grandfather. I had great success, better than I ever dreamed of. I just wanted to do something else. And what attracted me about Detroit and the opportunity was in my conversations with Tom, he had a big vision to make an impact. To me, it was more than just the basketball part that excited me. It was what a team could mean to a community. And I knew Dan Gilbert a little bit. I'd read about all that he was doing in Detroit, and that was inspiring. And Tom was trying to find his path and how he could make an impact like Dan was making here and help Detroit's comeback and revitalization. And that really was the pivotal thing that made me want to do it, seeing that here in this town, I could make a difference.
Bob Riney 08:02
What has surprised you the most about this community that has made it feel home?
Arn Tellem 08:08
It's a real community. There is a sense of caring about one another's well-being and the community's well-being. And everyone may have different causes, but it's all about the all these causes add up to contributing to the well-being of Detroit and the metropolitan area. I was just amazed. First off, how many philanthropic organizations, how many good foundations there are that are doing amazing things in this community. And while there may be different paths, everyone is still sort of in the same boat, trying to make Detroit better, our community better, healthier, stronger, and whether it's helping young people, whether it's bringing jobs to Detroit, supporting businesses, giving our children a better education or after school activities. There are so many good things that are happening here. It's inspiring to me, and it only motivates us even more to be engaged and to be active in this community.
Bob Riney 09:08
One thing that I have not only admired about you, but actually, role modeled from you is two things. One is you're not afraid to show your emotions. A lot of leaders, particularly male leaders, are really buttoned up about their emotions, but I've watched you move rooms of one to rooms of thousands with showing your emotions on topics that are emotion-worthy. The second is you're unabashedly confident at letting people know where you sit politically and why. Both those things come with some risks. So talk to me about, you know, how your thinking has evolved and why you have put aside the risks, especially on the political side, to be true to who you are, 'cause I think we all need to do that, and you're one of the best role models I've ever seen.
Arn Tellem 10:06
Well, thank you for saying that, but maybe it's my age and not caring as much about what people think of me, I've always had strong feelings about certain issues and taking a stand. And obviously, when you're leading a business, you have to be somewhat careful, but I think there are certain issues that one can speak out on, and I think when you're in a position of leadership, you need to I was very outspoken as an agent on player rights, and I think that's just carried over when I was an advocate for players, or now an advocate for the Pistons or for the city of Detroit. I'm going to stand up and speak my mind and hopefully come from the right place. And as far as the emotion, I'm probably a repressed individual, and it comes out when I'm speaking sometimes, but there's things that I really do care about, and if it does come out, it's...I don't want it to but sometimes I just can't help it.
Bob Riney 11:03
I think you're selling yourself short, though, I mean, when it comes out, you can watch a crowd just get totally silent and feel the deep conviction you have on an issue, and I think that's how we move mountains.
Arn Tellem 11:18
I've always believed, I think this was part of my success as an agent, when I went into a recruiting meeting, they knew how passionate I was about what I did, that I would fight for them, and I would say it. Believe me, I'm gonna care more about the result of the contract or protecting you than you will. I'm going to live and die on this and I went to battle for them, 24/7, and I was there to protect them. And I think it's that sort of ethos that I've always had, that I'm going to go all out, that's always been there for me. Why? I don't know. There's a lot of pent-up feelings, I guess, that are repressed, that come out in my work. And I think a lot of it is my career gave me the chance to express myself, where, probably, on a personal level, I kept a lot of things in and that I wanted to say. And if I'm trying to analyze myself with you...
Bob Riney 12:13
This is great, but you know my rate is about a $1,000 an hour for this.
Arn Tellem 12:18
So you're bringing it out. But I think that's probably what a lot of it is, is being able to overcome in a public setting or in a work setting what I may not say privately.
Bob Riney 12:31
We have a lot in common, but one thing that we have in common is that we both have been married for over four decades to very strong women, strong partners that are a force in their own right, both of whom have no problem putting us in our place on a regular basis. What does that say about us?
Arn Tellem 12:55
We like to be abused. But, you know, it's funny, they're both very strong, and that's maybe another reason why I express my emotions, because I can't at home. I think it's for me. We've had an incredible partnership and relationship where Nancy, also for me, has been incredibly supportive, strong, and what we've achieved hasn't been one or the other. We've done it together.
Bob Riney 13:26
One plus one equals three. Yeah, I've watched that.
Arn Tellem 13:29
And she's pushed me, just like Sandy's pushed, and she's more protective of me than I am. I'm a great negotiator for others, but not for myself, and she's been there to help guide me, to support me, to protect me, and I wouldn't be here without her.
Bob Riney 13:43
Well, you know, I think it goes back to your emotions, because rumor has it that she said yes because you wouldn't stop crying.
Arn Tellem 13:51
That was the best recruiting job I've ever done.
Bob Riney 13:53
There you go.
Arn Tellem 12:52
It was like Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate. I pursued her. She did not pursue me. She wanted nothing to do with me in the beginning, and that we ended up together that may be my greatest achievement.
Bob Riney 14:23
Tell me about the partnership that we have together between the Pistons and Henry Ford, and what you think it means to both organizations, and what you think it means to the city of Detroit.
Arn Tellem 14:37
We were thinking about moving downtown, and there was all these unanswered questions, how do we do it? And should we do it? It was going to be with the spirit of partnership. We had to find the right partners. We couldn't do this alone. This was not going to be us coming here and making a difference alone. We would have a much greater impact. And really, when you think about a sports team you think about who are our stakeholders? Obviously, it's the players and the employees that work for the Pistons organization. There's the fans, there's our partners, and there's ultimately the community. All of them are part of this, of our success, and we have to answer to everyone, and to me, moving downtown, we were going to do this with partners, the right partners for us. I realized the most important partner for the Pistons was going to be the medical partner. As I started negotiating the potential move with Olympia, we weren't going to move downtown just to play games downtown. It had to be we were going to be all in on Detroit. I just didn't want to play our games downtown and still practice up in Auburn Hills. That wasn't going to work. So I spent over a year in conversations with everyone, real estate partners, different businesses, and all the potential medical organizations in the city and in the state. And from the outset, the one meeting that was different was the meeting with Henry Ford. We shared the same vision. We both wanted to grow. We both wanted to make a difference. We both had a sense of giving back to the community. And when you have a partner, where the visions align and you both see it from the same perspective, you know you can make a deal. You know that we're going to have a good relationship, and it's not just a transaction. Again, I go back to this is a partnership. This is something that's going to live and we're going to breathe and we're going to be there for each other. We're going to have each other's back. I felt that from you and from everyone at Henry Ford, from the minute we met. We wouldn't have been downtown without this partnership. To me having a great medical institution like Henry Ford in Detroit, making it a national and international destination for medical care, to me to help support that? We're all in. I believe it. I think it's going to make Detroit a great city. And what you're doing with Michigan State, now coming in as another partner, I think, is not only transforming this area, it's going to retain talent. It's going to attract talent, doctors, engineers, people in all kinds of tech services. To me, it's going to be one of the most important developments that the city has ever had. And for us to play a small part of it is huge. And what I wanted to do here is try to make it a campus. I wanted it at a campus where you could walk, and that's what we're doing. There's going to be the density that this city needs. This is sort of a microcosm, and I think the ripple effects of this development will be so significant.
Bob Riney 17:29
This partnership is a delight from the Henry Ford perspective as well. It's personal, and it's just so relevant. I tell our team all the time, and I mean this for the city. This is our moment. This is our time to take that next big elevation and to have the Detroit Pistons, Henry Ford, Michigan State, the Gilbert Family Foundation and so many others, all be part of this next evolution. Is really cool. But I got to end on one note. I'm excited about the talent that I'm starting to see with the Pistons and the winning attitude that's forming, kind of stay in focus for those last few minutes and pulling out some wins that in certainly last year wouldn't have resulted that way. Tell us where they're at from your perspective.
Arn Tellem 18:17
We're playing a lot better, we're improving. We're a better team. We're more fun to watch. I think it's a sign of better things to come. In the NBA, unlike any other sport, you need star players, and for Detroit, we made a decision. The only way you can really get them is through the draft, and it's a hard process, building through the draft.
Bob Riney 18:39
The lotto has not been kind to us.
Arn Tellem 18:41
The Lottery has not been kind. Nevertheless, we have, I think, a good group of young players that are developing. We have one star, I believe, in Cade Cunningham. I think we have some potential stars and Jalen Duren, Jaden Ivey. Jaden Ivey is really, you know, I think is right now maybe one of the leading candidates for most improved player in the NBA. We have Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, two young, great athletes that have great futures. You can see it's starting to come together, and I really do believe we're going to be a very good team in a couple years and a consistent playoff team. It's so much fun to see how they're starting to gel and come together as a team. It's not just about making the playoffs. It's about building a contending team, and we're gonna get there.
Bob Riney 19:30
I'm gonna end with what I said at the beginning. I admire someone who, in any audience, is not hesitant to show their true self, to show their beliefs, their values and why they feel so strongly about something, and you do it in a thoughtful way. You don't leave the room hating people, even if others have a different view. You've been a role model in encouraging for others.
Arn Tellem 19:57
If you could say your feelings, hopefully the other side will respect you, and hopefully you, by doing that, will also respect what they have to say, and that's what we do need. We can disagree, but hopefully we can do it respectfully, and that's what hopefully you're inviting, is having that honest relationship.
Bob Riney 20:17
This is a wrap. It's been a great session. Arn, I really appreciate you. Got a lot going. Let's go Pistons, get out there and go to Little Caesars Arena for Piston games. It's not just watching the team, but the whole experience is absolutely incredible, and it's a great family event. Thanks so much.
Arn Tellem 20:36
Thank you.
Bob Riney 20:44
You know the many things I love about Arn Tellem is his just self-awareness. He knows who he is, he knows why he's who he is, and he's just going out there and working every day to move forward on his vision. And he's found a way to be so mission-oriented, so community-driven, so motivated by just the basic good in people and have the discipline to make the tough calls when they need to be made and to be wildly successful. He's another example of it's a both/and, it's not an either/or. And I love that about him.
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