The marketing of the NBA was examined by ESPN's Bob
Stevens on "SportsCenter." As the NBA "continues to soar in
popularity," its players are "among the most marketable
athletes in the business." Stevens: "Since [NBA
Commissioner David] Stern took over the league in '84, the
NBA has expanded by six teams, it currently generates over a
billion dollars in television revenues, clearly its players
have benefitted from this kind of exposure." Stevens:
"Michael Jordan earns $40 million a year in endorsements
alone. That's more than every NHL team payroll, more than
15 Major League Baseball team payrolls. Shaquille O'Neal
makes more money in endorsements, a cool $17 million, than
three NHL teams and two baseball teams." The Rangers' Wayne
Gretzky, who earns $5.5M a year in endorsements: "It really
doesn't make a whole lot of sense to sign a Wayne Gretzky or
a Mark Messier to endorse a shoe, when you can go out and
get a basketball player who is wearing the shoe, [and] is on
TV every Sunday" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 4/9).
SHOOT AROUND: In Detroit, columnist Mitch Albom writes
on the hype around the book "Money Players: Days and Nights
in the new NBA." Albom: "Everyone should look at the facts.
Read the book, then decide. It's a dangerous society when
you believe everything you're told. But it's just as
dangerous when you put your hands over your eyes and ears"
(DETROIT FREE PRESS, 4/11)....SI's Jackie MacMullan writes
that a "source close to the situation" says that of the 27
NBA refs still under investigation for "allegedly changing
first-class airline tickets for coach tickets and pocketing
the difference without paying taxes on it," only 15 face the
possibility of being indicted for tax fraud, with the other
12 under investigation only for civil complaints, which
involve fines, but no trial or sentencing (SI, 4/14 issue).
