|
NBA News
|
|
Written by Maury Brown
|
|
Thursday, 02 July 2009 21:16 |
|
 The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Taco Bell Corp. (“Taco Bell”), today announced that Taco Bell has become the Official Quick Service Restaurant of the NBA, thus suppalnating Burger King as theOfficial Quick Service Restaurant for the league.
As part of this comprehensive, multiyear marketing partnership Taco Bell will reach the broad and avid fan bases of the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association and NBA Development League through a wide array of assets, including marquee league events, television and online exposure, and NBA–themed promotions in its nearly 5,600 restaurants nationwide.
“The NBA represents an incredible opportunity for Taco Bell, one that fits perfectly with our ‘Think Outside the Bun®’ marketing strategy and whose fans are a natural fit with our core customer,” said David Ovens, Chief Marketing Officer, Taco Bell Corp. “As with our other sports partners, we respect the fabric of the game and look to integrate ourselves in a natural and respectful way. We want to create a marketing partnership that is elevating and one the NBA, Taco Bell and basketball fans everywhere can be proud of.”
“We’re thrilled to enter into this partnership with Taco Bell, an industry leader that has a history of success in using sports to build its brand and drive its business,” said Heidi Ueberroth, President, Global Marketing Partnerships and International Business Operations, NBA. “Taco Bell excels at engaging its consumers and we share the same enthusiasm for connecting with our fans. We look forward to collaborating on creative initiatives that celebrate the game.”
Throughout the partnership, Taco Bell will conduct national NBA-themed promotions and will have a significant presence on NBA national game telecasts on ABC, ESPN and TNT. Taco Bell will receive comprehensive television and online advertising exposure through NBA, WNBA, and NBA D-League media platforms, and will also launch NBA-themed creative advertising. Taco Bell will also continue to activate with the NBA on a local level through its nine team partnerships, which include relationships with the Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers, and Utah Jazz.
Beginning at NBA All-Star 2010, Taco Bell will be the title partner of the Taco Bell Skills Challenge, an NBA All-Star Saturday Night competition featuring top guards working against the clock to complete a series of basketball drills. The title partnership of the event will include extensive in-arena presence, commercial time, and integration into the worldwide telecast of the event. In addition, Taco Bell will become an associate partner of NBA Jam Session presented by adidas, the NBA All-Star attraction which features more than 500,000 square feet of non-stop basketball action for fans of all ages, and the NBA Draft presented by EA SPORTS. Taco Bell will also give fans special opportunities to sample select menu items during all of these marquee NBA events.
This partnership is an expansion of the current international relationship between the NBA and Yum! Brands, Inc. through an international partnership with KFC. The partnership began in 2006 in France surrounding NBA Europe Live presented by EA SPORTS, and has since grown to become a large-scale international partnership that includes NBA-themed activities in 16 countries and territories in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Source: Taco Bell Corp
MORE NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK
(THE BIZ OF BASEBALL)
(THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL)
(THE BIZ OF HOCKEY)
(BUSINESSOFSPORTSNETWORK.COM)
 Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.
Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see.
Follow Maury Brown and the Business of Sports Network on Twitter  |
|
Trades & Signings
|
|
Written by Evan Nuckles
|
|
Thursday, 02 July 2009 03:55 |
Pistons Land Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva  Free-agent guard Ben Gordon and forward Charlie Villanueva have agreed to terms with the Detroit Pistons, ESPN.com reports.
Gordon, who rejected $50+ million deals from the Chicago Bulls in each of the past two seasons, will receive a $55 million deal over 5 years. The 24-year-old Villanueva is getting a five-year deal for $40 million after playing the past three seasons in Milwaukee. The Bucks were unwilling to move near the luxury tax limit to retain Villanueva. Gordon was the 3rd overall pick in the 2004 draft out of UConn by the Bulls, and was the team’s leading scorer four years running. He has a career average of 21.3 points per game. Villanueva, the seventh overall pick by the Toronto Raptors in 2006, is also a former Connecticut Huskie who averaged 16.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game last season. The deals will be finalized on July 8th, the first day that free agents can sign with new teams. Clippers Deal Randolph The Los Angeles Clippers have reportedly agreed to trade power forward Zach Randolph to the Memphis Grizzlies for swing man Quentin Richardson, whom Memphis acquired on draft night from the New York Knicks, according to ESPN.com's Chad Ford. The trade will be finalized when the NBA sets the new salary cap limit on July 8 and lifts the moratorium on player movement. The Clippers acquired Randolph from the Knicks last winter, and he averaged 20.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game last year. He was limited to just 39 games due to a knee injury, and the move opens up a starting spot for No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin. The Knicks traded Richardson to the Grizzlies for Darko Milicic, and the nine-year veteran averaged 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds last season. Memphis originally selected him in the first round of the 2000 draft. Kidd to Receive 3-Year Offer from Mavs ESPN.com reports that the Dallas Mavericks are prepared to offer Jason Kidd a three-year contract. The deal is believed to be in the $25 million range for the 36-year-old veteran point guard, and Kidd is said to be seeking more. Kidd met with New York Knicks president Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D'Antoni at Madison Square Garden, and is thought to be interested in the team after playing over seven years in the area with the New Jersey Nets. He is also familiar with D’Antoni from his experience with Team USA, for whom the Knicks heads coach was an assistant. The Knicks are likely to offer a one-year deal at the projected mid-level exception figure of $5.6 million. Additional years would lessen cap space for a potential offer to coveted 2010 free-agent LeBron James. "The Knicks can't give Jason more than one year," one rival executive said this week, "unless they think that signing him gets them LeBron." Dallas is in position to offer significantly more for Kidd, who averaged 9.0 points and 8.7 assists last season while earning roughly $21 million for a Mavericks team that won 50 games before being ousted from the playoffs by the Denver Nuggets. He's currently third in league history for assists after 15 seasons.
MORE NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK (THE BIZ OF BASEBALL) (THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL)
(THE BIZ OF HOCKEY) (BUSINESSOFSPORTSNETWORK.COM) |
|
Shoes and Apparel
|
|
Written by Maury Brown
|
|
Wednesday, 01 July 2009 22:59 |
 Select image to see in larger view |
NIKE, Inc. (NYSE:NKE) today announced a limited edition set of three performance basketball shoes commemorating the worldwide premiere of the Transformers film sequel. The collaboration includes the Nike Zoom Flight Club, Nike Zoom FP and Nike Sharkalaid complete with special packaging, retro graphics and vibrant color combinations. Nike worked closely with Hasbro on this special project. The Transformers franchise, spanning a range of media over the past 25 years, is based on transforming robots representing good and evil. No detail went unnoticed when Nike began the design process. The shoe packaging mimics the nostalgic toy boxes complete with original Hasbro graphics, J-hooks for hanging display and decoder profiles on the back of the boxes that highlight each robot’s powers. Transformers fans around the globe are abuzz over the sequel full-length film that debuted internationally last week and the momentum continues. Each of the three Nike designs can be purchased individually and include special colorways honoring the Transformers characters Megatron (Nike Zoom Flight Club), Soundwave (Nike Sharkalaid) and Bumblebee (Nike Zoom FP). Nike Zoom Flight Club - Megatron The Nike Zoom Flight Club includes a distinctive shroud, a supportive upper covering that creates an aerodynamic look. A Phylon midsole, supportive ankle strap and Zoom Air unit provide ultimate performance. The purple, red and black coloring, neon grid lining and Decepticon logo on the strap pay homage to Megatron, the ultimate villain in the Transformers franchise. Nike Zoom FP - Bumblebee The Nike Zoom FP (“FP” for Fun Police) has a modern style and lightweight durability. The Fun Police included a small group of elite Nike basketball players that appeared in a 1990’s Nike commercial and who were committed to keeping basketball fun. The Transformers hero Bumblebee was bestowed with the Nike Zoom FP honor. A leather upper with reinforced stitched quilting, an injected Phylon midsole, visible Zoom Air unit and forefoot support pillars provide lateral rollover protection without sacrificing flexibility. The Bumblebee character transforms into a yellow car, which is reflected in the sheen of the shoe’s vibrant yellow upper and splashes of silver that mimic chrome. Nike Sharkalaid - Soundwave The Nike Sharkalaid is the hybrid between the Nike Air Shark and the Nike Air Raid, two of Nike’s most popular outdoor basketball shoes. The Sharkalaid includes a rubber outsole and two straps which provide basketball players with the traction and flexibility needed to play on outdoor courts. Soundwave was a Decepticon and transformed into a tape recorder. Graphics in this shoe pay tribute to a tape recorder with the original Decepticon logo on the tongue top and sock liner. The Nike Transformer shoes will be available in limited quantities in China, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Taiwan and the U.S. at House of Hoops beginning July 1. The Nike Zoom FP and Nike Sharkalaid will cost $100 USD and the Nike Zoom Flight Club will be $120 USD. Source: Nike
MORE NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK (THE BIZ OF BASEBALL) (THE BIZ OF BASKETBALL)
(THE BIZ OF HOCKEY) (BUSINESSOFSPORTSNETWORK.COM) |
|
Trades & Signings
|
|
Written by Evan Nuckles
|
|
Saturday, 27 June 2009 16:42 |
|
Magic Obtain Vince Carter  The New Jersey Nets dealt Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson to the Orlando Magic for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee, ESPN.com reports.
"Every player hopes for an opportunity like this, to just once compete for an NBA championship," Carter said. "This is a dream come true for me. Now I have a chance to win a championship." Carter grew up in Daytona Beach and lives in Orlando. The eight time All-Star Carter, 32, gives the Magic a perimeter scoring presence who can create his own shot, a skill which the Magic lacked in losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals. Carter averaged 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists last year. For the Nets, the expiring contracts of Alston and Battie can shed $16.5 in payroll and put the team well below the salary cap in 2010. Over the life of the contracts, the Nets save $40 million in the deal. In addition, New Jersey gets a promising young shooting guard in Lee. Lee, a late first-round pick from Western Kentucky in 2008, started 42 games last year. Anderson, a 6-foot-10 forward who was the 21st pick overall in last year's draft out of Cal, started 30 games and averaged 7.4 points and 4.7 rebounds. A few hours after trading Carter, the Nets used the 11th pick in the draft to select Terrence Williams, a versatile 6-foot-6 small forward from Louisville. Hawks Acquire Crawford  The Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors completed a deal sending guard Jamal Crawford to Atlanta for Acie Law and Speedy Claxton, ESPN.com reports.
The deal was finalized after Crawford signed paperwork stating that he won't opt out of his contract and become a free agent, as he is set to earn nearly $20 million the next two years. According to the NBA collective bargaining agreement a player who has the ability to opt out of his contract cannot be traded until July 1, when the next calendar year in the NBA starts, unless such an amendment stating Crawford won't opt out is signed. Crawford averaged 19.7 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds last season, and Golden State gains payroll relief by unloading his contract. The 31-year-old Claxton was a bust in Atlanta after signing a four-year, $25.5 million contract in 2006, going more than two years without playing due to multiple injuries. The following is a round-up of some other trades from the past week, as reported on ESPN.com: Knicks Land Darko The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed to send forward Darko Milicic to the New York Knicks for forward Quentin Richardson and cash considerations. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni feels he can turn the disappointing Milicic into the promising prospect the Detroit Pistons thought they were drafting with the No. 2 pick in 2002. The Knicks will ask Milicic to run the floor, shoot jumpers and handle the ball. The Grizzlies get an athletic wing with Richardson, who can provide shooting and scoring off the bench. Lawson Dealt to Nuggets The Denver Nuggets traded a future first-round draft pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the rights to North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson. The Nuggets landed Lawson in exchange for a first-round pick they had acquired from the Charlotte Bobcats last year. Denver needed a reserve point guard to spell the soon to be 33-year-old Chauncey Billups, who tired toward the end of the Nuggets' run to the Western Conference finals last month. Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder Swap 24th and 25th Picks The Dallas Mavericks drafted freshman Ohio State center B.J. Mullens for the Oklahoma City Thunder and received the 25th pick, which Dallas used on Rodrigue Beaubois of France. Dallas also received a future second-round draft pick in the deal. |
|
|
Articles & Opinion
|
|
Written by Maury Brown
|
|
Friday, 26 June 2009 14:48 |
|
 The NBA Draft is normally all about the players – who’s going to be the big star, and difference maker for a franchise’s roster. Beyond Blake Griffin at No.1, and possibly Hasheem Thabeet for Memphis at No. 2 impact players were thin this year.
The draft was none the less compelling last night if for no reason than to watch what David Kahn and the Minnesota Timberwolves were up to. For the past week, Kahn, had been working deals in an attempt to move up the Draft board, by first sending Mike Miller and Randy Foye to the Wizards for the No. 5 pick and reserves Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov. From there, they looked to package picks and possibly a player to try and get Memphis’ No. 2 pick where Thabeet would be available. As ESPN reported, the Timberwolves weren't prepared to part with both the Nos. 5 and 6 picks or toss in Kevin Love in another scenario with just the No. 6 pick. With the Kahn and the T’Wolves unable to move up the board, eyes focused on the back-to-back slots the club would make. The big question mark leading up to the Draft was where Ricky Rubio might land. The 18-year-old Spaniard had been a YouTube sensation for his dazzling passing ability and flashy moves in transition. When the Thunder selected James Harden with No. 3 and the Kings taking Tyreke Evans at No. 4, the Timberwolves were suddenly left with a compelling player dropping into their sights. At this point, Kahn has decided to move into a game of high-stakes poker. There had been little to no buzz surrounding the T’Wolves having interest in Rubio, while conventional thinking had them focusing on either Flynn, Evans, and possibly Harden. With two of the three off the board, Kahn was left with options. In selecting Rubio at No. 5 and Jonny Flynn at No. 6, Kahn suddenly has two point guards on his hands, sending at least one member of the Minnesota media into head scratching. After all, Al Jefferson is coming off a serious knee injury placing the front court in a fragile state. The obvious is that Kahn and the Timberwolves aren’t done yet and are looking to move Rubio. Selecting Rubio as a value pick is daring and certainly fraught with some challenges. Rubio seems to have little interest in Minnesota based upon the chilly climate. His father, through the Spanish newspaper Marca said that he could stay in Europe this year, or possibly longer. Translated, he said, "He might go now or he might remain [in Europe] one more year ... or even two. It's all open, although the most likely scenario is that he stays in Europe more time. We have to talk with the folks in Minnesota... and see what happens, because, at this point, we can go to Minnesota or otherwise." Kahn, interviewed by ESPN after the Draft was asked whether both Rubio and Flynn would work together. "Absolutely!" he said. "Otherwise we wouldn't have done it." Kahn, although barely wet behind the ears in Minnesota, is hardly playing the part of a rookie GM. Saying that the selection of Rubio and Flynn was done as part of further moves would remove the leveraging capacity – lessen Rubio’s value on the market by making it known that they’re interested in moving him. Here’s where the deal takes a six-degrees-of-Pacers tinge. Reportedly, the Knicks’ Donnie Walsh, Kahn’s former boss with the Pacers, wants Rubio, but for the moment Kahn is resisting the advances, possibly looking to get more for the Spaniard. Kahn will have to move quickly, however, as the longer Rubio and Flynn are under draft control by the T’Wolves, the less leverage they have. Kahn has moved the pieces on the Timberwolves board in dramatic fashion early on, now it may be the final moves that will set his first year in Minnesota as daring success or possibly plans dashed. (see The Biz of Basketball interview with David Kahn)
MORE NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK (THE BIZ OF BASEBALL) (THE BIZ OF HOCKEY) (THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL) |
|
NBA News
|
|
Written by Maury Brown
|
|
Thursday, 25 June 2009 23:24 |
|
(7:30 PM ET) - Well, here we are. The 2009 NBA Draft, or as it has been renamed, The House of Thin. Beyond Griffin at #1, mock drafts have been a hodgepodge. Here's the latest we're hearing before the action starts. Memphis is sticking to Hasheem Thabeet at #2. While the Timberwolves were pushing to package a deal to move up the board, the Grizzles wanted Kevin Love in the mix. New President of Basketball Ops, David Kahn (see The Biz of Basketball interview with Kahn) did not want to let Love go. More updates as the board starts to move
(7:30 PM ET) - Watching ESPN from the Blazers headquarters, and I'm watching the agony that is the past Clippers selections. On the clock now. They show the Clippers war room and Dunleavy smiling. Gee, I wonder who they will pick?
Shiocker, they select Blake Griffin
UPDATE: The Trailblazers have traded Sergio Rodriguez to the Kings (7:45 PM ET) Memphis on the clock and select Hasheem Thabeet
(7:50 PM) Harden goes to the Thunder. Surprised not Rubio
(7:50 PM) Kings on the clock. With Harden going to Thunder, does Rubio land in Sacramento?
(7:55 PM) The Kings select, Tyreke Evans. Once again, amazed Rubio slips. On Evans, he's someone used to having the ball. Will be interesting to see how coachable he is.
(8:00 PM) TWolves get this pick after trade with Wizards. DeRozen? Rubio? Have to think they take the latter.
(8:05 PM) TWolves luck out and get Rubio at #5 after he dropped down the board.
(8:10 PM) Jonny Flynn goes to TWolves at #6. Great, great kid. Watching the TWolves this year is going to be flashy, to say the least! Would expect a trade. Possibly Rubio due to slot money? We'll see
(8:10 PM) Curry goes to Warriors and every Knick fan just spit their beer.
(8:20 PM) Knicks select Jordan Hill @ #8. Walsh seems high on him, but you have to wonder if they're looking beyond to 2010. Van Gundy, "I don't know what the fans are booing about."
(8:30 PM) DeRozan goes to the Raptors. A good finisher, but questionable shooter.
(8:35 PM) Jennings goes to Bucks. First player to get around eligibility by going to Europe. Hard to get excited about the pick. But then, the rest of the Draft is flat.
UPDATE: Kevin Love just Tweets: "I'm on the treadmill as we speak...gotta start running with these 2 point gods"
(8:40 PM) Nets select at #11, select Terrence Williams. And the crowd has all the excitement of an insurance convention.
(8:50 PM) Henderson at 12 to Charlotte
DUE TO TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, CHAT SUSPENDED. LOOK FOR UPDATE SHORTLY.
|
|
Trades & Signings
|
|
Written by Evan Nuckles
|
|
Thursday, 25 June 2009 05:36 |
 The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns have reached an agreement in principle on a deal that sends Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland, ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard reports. Cleveland will send Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, $500,000 cash, and the 46th pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft to the Suns for the future Hall of Fame center.The deal is awaiting league approval and should be finalized on Thursday. Shaq is expected to bolster the front line of the Cavs, and he gives Cleveland an inside threat to help free up room for Lebron James to operate. Dwight Howard exposed Cleveland's interior during their Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Orlando Magic this year. O'Neal averaged 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last season, and made the All-Star team for the 15th time in his career. With only one year left on Shaq's contract, the Cavs will still be able to pursue players such as Chris Bosh in next year’s loaded free agent class. Phoenix gains some financial flexibility from unloading O’Neal. Pavlovic's $5 million dollar contract next season has just $1.5 million guaranteed, and the team will save roughly $4.5 million next year. In addition, when luxury tax savings are factored in, the figure should reach $10 million in savings. That savings can be amplified if Wallace retires and Phoenix buys him out of his contract for less than the $14 million he's owed next year. The deal is a strong indication by the Suns that the trade of Shawn Marion to the Miami Heat for Shaq in February of 2008 was a mistake (read Maury Brown's analysis on that transaction By the Numbers: The Shaq for Marion/Banks Deal). Marion was a free agent this summer, and their savings would've been $21 million as opposed to the $5.5 million they're saving in this trade.
MORE NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK (THE BIZ OF BASEBALL) (THE BIZ OF HOCKEY) (THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL) |
|
NBA News
|
|
Written by Evan Nuckles
|
|
Wednesday, 24 June 2009 05:56 |
 Spurs Land Jefferson
The San Antonio Spurs acquired forward Richard Jefferson from the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday in exchange for Bruce Bowen and Kurt Thomas, ESPN.com reports. The Spurs also also traded Fabricio Oberto to the Detroit Pistons for forward Amir Johnson, who was then sent to the Bucks. Spurs G.M. R.C. Buford said Jefferson adds youth, health, and a scoring presence on the wing to the oldest team in the NBA. Jefferson hasn't missed a game in two years. Jefferson averaged 19.6 points and a career-high 39.7 percent from 3-point range while starting all 82 games last year. He and Kobe Bryant were the only two players in the league to average at least 20.0 PPG while playing in every game. Bowen and Thomas have expiring contracts that will clear $15 million in salary for the Bucks in 2010-11, giving them more flexibility for the 2009-10 season. The Bucks will save $4.35 million next year after releasing Bowen since he has just $2.5 million guaranteed, and they are looking to avoid paying the NBA luxury tax. The Pistons will also clear some cap room if they waive Oberto, since he has only $1.8 million guaranteed on his deal. Waiving him would save Detroit $1.7 million this year, as they try to clear cap space for the much anticipated free agent class of 2010 which includes the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh, among others. Minnesota Reportedly Acquires No. 5 Overall Pick Wolves Trying To Trade For Second Pick ESPN.com’s Ric Bucher is reporting that the Washington Wizards are nearing a deal that would send the No. 5 pick in Thursday's draft, Oleksiy Pecherov, Etan Thomas and Darius Songaila to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Randy Foye and Mike Miller. With four 1st round picks (5, 6, 18 and 28), the T'Wolves are also attempting to move up further to land the second pick in the draft by offering the Memphis Grizzlies the No. 5 and No. 18 picks, according to ESPN's Andy Katz. Memphis guard Tyreke Evans appears to be the player they are targeting. The trade won’t be completed until Wednesday when Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor meets with G.M. David Kahn (read The Biz of Basketball interview with David Kahn), and Etan Thomas signs an agreement that he won't opt out of his deal on July 1 and become a free agent. Thomas is set to receive $1.2 million by agreeing to the trade.
MORE NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK (THE BIZ OF BASEBALL) (THE BIZ OF HOCKEY) (THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL) |
|
Computer Gaming News
|
|
Written by Maury Brown
|
|
Tuesday, 23 June 2009 17:15 |
|
 Clippers fans, rejoice!
Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) announced today that Blake Griffin, former Oklahoma Sooner and the projected top pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, will be the new face of EA SPORTS NCAA Basketball 10. Griffin has an explosive presence, exciting college stadiums with massive dunks, huge blocks, and aggressive rebounds, and was a natural choice to represent the college game as cover athlete for NCAA Basketball 10. Griffin is the consensus national Player of the Year, winning the Big 12, Associated Press, Naismith, Sporting News, and John Wooden Player of the Year awards, and led his team to an Elite Eight appearance in the 2009 March Madness Tournament, where they lost to eventual champions, UNC. The 2009 NBA Draft is presented by EA SPORTS. “Seeing myself on the cover of NCAA Basketball 10 is such a great tribute to my time at Oklahoma,” said Griffin. “I loved playing in front of passionate fans and competing against some of the best schools in the country. Now I am looking forward to competing at the next level against the best players in the world.” Source: EA Sports
MORE NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK (THE BIZ OF BASEBALL) (THE BIZ OF HOCKEY) (THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL) |
|
NBA News
|
|
Written by the Staff
|
|
Monday, 22 June 2009 13:08 |
|
Washington Times sports business reporter Tim Lemke and Maury Brown, the president of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Hockey, have gotten together to discuss a variety of sports biz topics for a far reaching conversation being co-published on the Washington Times, and across the Business of Sports Network. Lemke and Brown discussed a number of NBA related topics including a Finals without a Kobe and LeBron match-up, and Bryant's marketability climbing out from the 2004 rape alligations. Finally, all or parts of this exchange are being published in a variety of locations. Here’s a break down of the different locations that will have all or portions of the interview online: - The Biz of Baseball – Entire interview
- The Washington Times – Entire interview (online at 12pm ET)
- The Biz of Hockey – NHL related exchange, only
- The Biz of Basketball – NBA related exchange, only.
- BusinessOfSportsNetwork.com – Key quotes
 The following is the NBA related conversation:
TL: The news of the Coyotes is certainly taking some luster off what turned out to be a very compelling NHL playoffs. And the NBA playoffs were pretty memorable, too, even if the Lakers-Magic series didn't match the excitement of the rest. How much of the NBA playoffs did you watch? I must admit to being a somewhat casual NBA fan, but did find myself watching a lot of basketball in May and June. I always leaned toward college basketball because of the intensity factor, but some of these NBA games were amazingly tense and the effort level by some of the players was ridiculous. Can Stern and Co. capitalize on this? Did he lose out by not having a LeBron and Kobe finale? MB: I watched all the NBA playoffs, or if I was out and about, listened via radio. The only time I wasn’t able to catch a whole game was when the NHL and NBA went head-to-head with the Finals (Game 3 for the NBA and Game 6 for the NHL) this past Tuesday. In word, it was maddening. I was a TV clicking freak sitting with the laptop doing Gamecasts to fill the void. There’s probably an explanation, but I would love to hear what NBC and the NHL were thinking by matching up with the NBA. Did the NBA lose a little luster by not having LeBron in the Finals? Yeah, I’m sure they did. It would have arguably been the best star pairing in the Finals since Bird and Johnson. It also didn’t help to have the series not go the distance; ending in five games never helps interest. Game 5 averaged 13,992,000 viewers (P2+), down 19 percent from last year’s Game 5 between the Lakers and Celtics. All that said, the league can capitalize on the compelling story lines that were the Lakers: Kobe winning his fourth title, but this time without Shaq, and Phil Jackson winning his tenth title, thus surpassing Red Auerbach. Plus, it’s the Lakers, the league’s most marketable brand. I would guess that the NBA was looking at it from a “glass is half-full” perspective. It would have been something entirely different if the Finals would have been the Nuggets and Magic, agreed?  TL: My sense is that leagues look at the broad picture when it comes to TV ratings. Yes, the NBA missed out on the Kobe-LeBron bonanza but they did get a very highly rated playoffs overall and should enter next season with some momentum. Given the economy, that all has to be positive.
Kobe Bryant fascinates me. Remember when everyone was saying that his chances for big endorsements were shot? There he was, sitting accused of rape, and companies either dropped him or stopped using him. Now, he's back to being the #1 most marketable guy in the NBA. It's amazing how quickly things turn. I've always been a huge believer that America loves a reclamation project, and the reclamation of his image has been remarkable. Winning has the tendency to change everything, of course. Funny that you mention watching two games at once while following Gamecasts. I find myself doing the same thing nearly every night. Here in D.C. we have the Nats and Orioles playing simultaneously, and then I'm switching to the MLB Network to watch their studio show with all the highlights and live look-ins, plus I've got at least one game going on MLB.TV on my laptop. It got really crazy recently when I did that while also flipping to the NBA or NHL Playoffs. I watch a ton of sports, but I'm always amazed at how little I watch of certain things. I watch very little NASCAR. The NBA and NHL kinda get moved to the back-burner during the regular season. I catch a good amount of college football, but realized this past winter than I watched maybe one bowl game and only part of the BCS title game. But I still feel like I watch a lot of sports. They're on all the time. Which is why I am amazed at the people who have like 10 premium sports packages. Like people who have the MLB, NHL and NBA out-of-market packages, as if anyone has enough time for all three. The ESPN College Basketball package is the one that kills me because there are already thousands of games on regular cable. Thousands. What packages, if any, do you subscribe to?  MB: Yeah, I’m in the same position. I have a hard time keeping up with everything – at least in terms of watching complete games. I’ll admit that I don’t catch every NCAA football game that goes down, and ditto for NCAA basketball. I’m an auto racing junkie from my days as a kid watching SCCA races at Sears Point in the Bay Area, and I used to race motocross, so when it comes to motor sports, I try to catch as much as possible. I guess the sports I watch the least are tennis and golf, unless there is a compelling story line. I’m so engrossed in following the business side of things I just don’t have time for all of it.
As for packages, I have MLB Extra Innings, NFL Network NHL Center Ice and MLB Network. I could very easily see me going to NBA League Pass this season. After that, I’m going to have to clone myself to allow me to catch all the action. As for Kobe, it has been a slow climb out of the darkness that happened in Colorado back in 2004. Think of where he'd be if he hadn't been wrapped up in the ordeal. Prosecutors dropped the charges, but something appears to happened there, it just wasn't rape.
MORE NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK (THE BIZ OF BASEBALL) (THE BIZ OF HOCKEY)(THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL) |
|
|
|
| |
