CA attorney John Younesi said that he recently
"received seven-figure offers" for his CA-based Summer Pro
(basketball) League, according to Doug Krikorian of the LONG
BEACH PRESS-TELEGRAM. Younesi, whose league has 35 teams, 12
affiliated with the NBA: "I'm not interested in selling."
Younesi, on his "dealings" with the NBA: "You have to cater
to the people in the NBA. You have to go along with their
every wish and whim." Younesi said he had a $1M TV contract
with local TV two years ago, but NBA Commissioner David
Stern "nixed" the deal. Younesi: "They felt that televising
the summer league games nightly around the country would
take exposure away from the WNBA games." Younesi, who
purchased the league in '93 for $80,000, said that last
weekend's opening games "grossed in the $60,000 vicinity."
The league earns income from gate receipts and sponsors
Fila, Coca-Cola and Marriott, but "also from the $4,000 he
charges to those agents who put together independent teams."
Younesi charges players between $275-$315 at the pre-Summer
Pro League tryouts "held in major cities around the
country." Younesi "plans to keep" the league in Long Beach
and said, "We've got something good going here ... and I
think it's only going to get bigger" (PRESS-TELEGRAM, 7/18).
HOOP NOTES: Raptors VP/GM Glen Grunwald, on Isiah
Thomas possibly acquiring the CBA: "If it can be formalized
so that NBA teams have greater input and control of the CBA,
this will be great. If you have interest in a player, you
can send him to the CBA and let him develop" (Toronto GLOBE
& MAIL, 7/20)....CBS SportsLine's Marcus Carmouche, on the
NBA's decision to test players for marijuana next season:
"The NBA is doing the right thing by testing for marijuana,
but now it must prepare for the face-first fall that will
accompany positive drug tests -- assuming the large number
of players allegedly smoking marijuana are correct." Heat F
P.J. Brown: "I'd be shocked if one test came back positive."
Carmouche: "Brace yourself, P.J." (CBS SportsLine, 7/19).
