Brooklyn Nets’ Joe Johnson, On Moving to the Big City
Of course, the purchasing power of an NBA max salary is not without its charms. A pocket industry of firms offering “V.I.P. lifestyle management” has sprung up to relieve the day-to-day decision fatigue of the modern athlete, celebrity, or high-powered business executive. For a healthy fee they’ll gladly take on your cross-country move, your vacation itinerary, or even your weekly grocery run. Outsource a list of logistical time-sucks to them, and watch the focused headspace available for the team’s upcoming road trip rapidly expand.
The Los Angeles-based Etc. Agency helped Johnson find his partially furnished new home, finished furnishing it, and generally comfied the place up to his particular taste. To get a pro athlete fully settled in a new city—to transfer luxury cars, high-end jewelry, and vintage sneaker collections across the country—takes them approximately two weeks. Post-move, they transferred his driver’s license to his new state, made sure his dogs got walked, and are prepared to handle an overstuffed iPhone contact list’s worth of Christmas shopping. They remove any and every task that’s even minimally bothersome or unexpected from a ballplayer’s daily life. Post Hurricane Sandy, they got cold water out of the basement of Johnson’s building and hot water back on in his shower.
Agency founder Shannon McCauley has been working with athletes for a couple of decades, and is paid to think ahead. “Most athletes are taller than six feet, so we take that into consideration when helping them select a place to live, and might need to adjust certain items in the home to make them more comfortable. For example; raising the showerheads, selecting specific furniture, or making sure the doorframes are tall enough.”