Bobi Klintman chooses Australian NBL over Wake Forest: HC Steve Forbes unleashes on agent

Players will often look for alternative ways to get to the NBA, and Bobi Klintman is not an exception. Except, his way of entering the NBA has been unorthodox and left behind an angry college basketball coach who feels cheated by the player's agent.

Klintman is a four-star prospect who declared for this year's draft in late March and was projected to be a mid to late first-round pick. But ten days before the NBA draft, it emerged that he had signed for the Cairns Taipans of Australia's NBL.

His Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes knew that Klintman would attempt to get to the NBA via the 2023 draft since he did not withdraw his name from consideration past the 31st May deadline. Except, it seems like Klintman's agent had other ideas.

Late on Friday, Forbes did not hold back when talking about Klintman's agent, Michael Tellem's conduct during their professional relationship. So, what is the controversy surrounding the Swedish-born power forward, his agent Tellem and coach Steve Forbes?

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The Bobi Klintman - Steve Forbes - Michael Tellem controversy

Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes expected Klintman to either be drafted in this year's class or come back for another year with the Demon Deacons. The player's agent though insisted that he be allowed to train in Los Angeles instead of on-campus as suggested by his coaches.

After the decision was made, Forbes did not hold back in his press conference lambasting Michael Tellem as 'conniving' and 'deceitful'. Forbes feels betrayed because neither the player nor his agent ever mentioned transferring or training alone in Los Angeles directly to him.

Assistant coach Jason Shay got a threatening call from Klintman's agent, saying that his client would leave if he wasn't allowed to go to Los Angeles. A call to the agency representing Klintman by assistant coach Matt Woodley did not reveal Klintman's intention to leave either.

"During that phone conversation, coach Woodley was told that Bobi was either going to be a first round draft pick or come back to Wake Forest," Forbes said. "Coach Woodley was told that Bobi was not going to transfer, this was out of the question. Coach Woodley was told that Wake Forest was a very good place for Bobi to play and that Bobi really liked Wake Forest and his teammates."

Klintman averaged 5.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists during his time as a Deacon. He will now declare for next year's draft class, but it seems he will have left behind a coach with a bitter taste.