Sports Talk

#18 Sports Talk ― Basketball Agent Debora Zoli Carves Out A Niche In A Crowded Landscape

For more than a decade, Debora Zoli has worked with players, coaches and pro teams around the world. Japan is her agency's biggest market.

Published

1 year ago

December 20, 2022

Ed Odeven

Listen in as Debora Zoli, a FIBA-certified agent since 2007, discusses her career journey in a conversation with sports editor Ed Odeven, including finding opportunities for her clients in the expansive global basketball landscape.

The Italian-born Zoli shares insights about working with numerous teams in Japan's B.League and many other countries, while stressing the importance of maintaining contact with clients throughout the year. She also analyzes how the establishment of the B.League in 2016 solidified the overall structure of the sport in Japan.

Zoli, who is based in Southern California, currently has more than 50 clients. She expresses pride in working with veteran Japan pro basketball star Michael Parker (Gunma Crane Thunders) and coach Don Beck (Kumamoto Volters), who has guided several teams in the Land of the Rising Sun, for many years. And Zoli notes that she's not trying to compete with monolithic sports agencies, but instead reveals that her agency, DG Sport, is focused on carving out its own niche.

Join the conversation as SportsLook goes live with Twitter Spaces every month. The announcement will be made on our Twitter account. Feel free to share any suggestions in our comment section below.

Author: Ed Odeven

Follow Ed on [Japan Sports Notebook] here on Sundays, in [Odds and Evens] here during the week, Twitter ＠ed_odeven, and find him on JAPAN Forward’s dedicated sports website, SportsLook.