THE VERTICAL's Shams Charania cited sources as saying that the Bucks have asked the NBA and NBPA to investigate a scam that "compromised private information," including players' financial documents. Sources said the franchise in an email "took responsibility for an employee distributing 2015 IRS W-2 documents in an email scam" in which Bucks President Peter Feigin "was impersonated." The W-2 information "included names, addresses, Social Security numbers, compensation information and dates of birth" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 5/19).
DIMINISHED STATURE? In N.Y., Stefan Bondy noted advantages the Knicks previously had in free agency related to market and money "have diminished ... as the world settles into the digital age." The NBA is "nearing a free agency that could include 2/3 of the teams" with at least $25M in cap space. Meanwhile, the two largest sneaker deals in the NBA "belong to players in the smallest of markets" -- Cavaliers F LeBron James and Thunder F Kevin Durant. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver "reasoned that the combination" of the new CBA in '11 and the "invasion of digital and social media has created a system that rewards better basketball teams, where traditional marquee franchises such as the Lakers, Knicks and Bulls can’t rely on the allure of greater exposure and endorsement dollars" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/19).
LERNER CURVE: The FINANCIAL TIMES' Odell & Massoudi noted Recon Group and Owner Tony Jiantong Xia "has agreed to buy" English soccer club Aston Villa, which "has just been relegated" from the EPL. Recon Group "had agreed to acquire" 100% of the club, ending Randy Lerner's "two-year sale process." The former Browns Owner "has sunk tens of millions of pounds into Aston Villa since taking control" in '06, only to see the club’s "fortunes plummet." His experience is a "vivid reminder of the risks associated with owning a sports franchise in a league where teams can be relegated to lower divisions" (FINANCIAL TIMES, 5/19).
