Daniel Poneman

I never thought that day in the Evanston High School computer lab, starting my little website, that 20 years later I’d be here. Thank you @ben_vogel for surprising me with this video from our WEAVE NIL Summit in the Desert, commemorating my 20th anniversary in basketball. Thank you to everyone I encountered on this ride. I love you all. Here’s to 20 more 🥂 🧶

I started in this business 18 years ago, at age 14. I didn’t make enough money to support myself until I was 24. I never did it for the money. I did it because I love this game with every fiber of my being. For the past 18 years, I’ve been living a fairytale. I was in high school taking calls from college coaches during chemistry class. And now, the players I helped get to college back then are D1 coaches, NBA executives, family men, pillars of our community. Money still doesn’t matter much to me. I could make a billion dollars today, and tomorrow I would wake up and do this job with as much passion as I had when I was 14 years old. They say it takes 10 years to become an overnight success. Well hey, it took me 18. Follow your heart. Follow your curiosity. Do whatever it is that makes you feel alive every day. It’s so worth it, words can’t begin to explain. For 18 years I’ve helped young men achieve their dreams; play college and pro basketball, meet their wives at the schools we picked together (hey Ashley 👋🏼 hi Jess 🫶🏼), and most importantly - become great men. And now, thanks to the Supreme Court rulings, allowing college players to make money on their Name Image and Likeness, I get to help these guys make the life changing money they’ve always deserved to make. Life isn’t always fair. But in college sports, justice has prevailed. Thank you to Ryan Silver and @silverwavesmedia for including me on this list with so many titans of our community. I’m honored and humbled. Here’s to 18 more, and 18 more. SwagAir, out ✌🏼

ETHS alum @danielponeman didn’t graduate with his class. Fifteen years later, he finally walked the stage. We were proud to welcome him back as our commencement speaker for the Class of 2024. Hear his inspiring address! Full remarks available on YouTube. 🎓

A Mother’s Day gift from Deb Sue to all of you: her inside analysis of her favorite team and player in the WNBA. Let’s get my mom on inside the WNBA on TNT, the world needs more of her takes.

The Undiscovered concept started 17 years ago in the American suburb of Evanston, Illinois. Back then it was just for Chicago, now @danielponeman ‘s vision has expanded globally. The goal is simple. We are creating an opportunity that supports the next wave of elite international athletes, and in turn their communities, for decades to come. Check out @weave.agency & @danielponeman page for more on the founding partners

College sports is operating without a stable system that works for all parties involved, this much is obvious. No unified rules. No shared framework. No collective voice for the players. That’s why there’s constant confusion around eligibility, compensation, and what’s actually allowed. People say the answer is a players union + collective bargaining. They’re right. But we’re still a long way from that reality — and there are real reasons why. This is Part 2 of 2 of my conversation with @therealandykatz & @sdavishoops on @hhqsports : breaking down the obstacles to a players union and collective bargaining agreement… and the path forward.

College sports is operating without a stable system that works for all parties involved, this much is obvious. No unified rules. No shared framework. No collective voice for the players. That’s why there’s constant confusion around eligibility, compensation, and what’s actually allowed. People say the answer is a players union + collective bargaining. They’re right. But we’re still a long way from that reality — and there are real reasons why. This is Part 1 of 2 of my conversation with @therealandykatz & @sdavishoops on @hhqsports : breaking down the obstacles to a players union and collective bargaining agreement… and the path forward.

Everyone keeps saying the portal chaos could be fixed if schools could offer multi-year deals with buyouts. They already can. We’ve @weave.agency executed many of them. The real issue isn’t rules — it’s fear, creativity, inexperience and understanding leverage. Too many schools are hesitant to commit long-term, and too many decision-makers don’t know how to structure deals that protect both sides. Same with complaints about “huge contracts” not working out. Incentives, triggers, protections, and performance-based structures exist too. This cycle, we used more creative dealmaking than ever. We closed a deal the week for $200,000 in base pay with $200,000 in performance based incentives. Rules matter. But the art of the deal matters too. Let’s keep innovating. Watch my conversation with Andy Katz & Seth Davis at Hoops HQ. 🎥🏀

State of the Union (there isn’t one). Thank you @sdavishoops @therealandykatz @hhqsports for having me on.

☄️🎒Undiscovered 2026 @undiscoveredchicago48 @weave.agency 📸: @ben_vogel

17 years of Undiscovered Showcases, and counting. Over 2500 participants since 2009, over 800 scholarship offers accepted — always free for the kids and the community. Thank you to all the volunteers and community members that continue to make this event possible year after year. #ChiTown @undiscoveredchicago48

Fresh off the post-pesach redeye, right to Fox studios to discuss this Sunday’s 18th annual @undiscoveredchicago48 !! Thank you @jakestakes and @gabriellapremus for having me on today! And thanks to @alanbuk91 my friend of 20+ years for coordinating.