Les Alexander's sale of the Rockets to Tilman Fertitta was a "very clean deal," and part of why it "got done so quickly" was because Fertitta was the sole owner and not part of a group, according to NBA TV's David Aldridge. The NBA "likes one guy or one woman who can write a check, and this guy can do it." When the team was initially put on the market, Fertitta was "one of a handful of people that stepped to the plate" and expressed real interest. Fertitta is paying an NBA-record $2.2B for the team and he may be paying a "little bit more than he might have" if he had waited longer, but he "wanted to get this transaction done” ("NBA Gametime," NBA TV, 9/5). ESPN's Darren Rovell noted the deal was completed in 50 days because Fertitta was "willing to pay a premium to close the process faster" (ESPN.com, 9/5). In DC, Tim Bontemps writes the past several teams to go on the open market "all needed, at minimum, several months to find new owners, and in some cases even longer than that." The Rockets found one in less than two months, a "ridiculously fast time for such a process to be completed, particularly when there were multiple bidders involved." This only "underscores the interest in the franchise and the desire of Fertitta, who lost out in the bidding" to Alexander in '93 and who owned a stake in the team before that, to "purchase his hometown team" (WASHINGTON POST, 9/6).
RISING VALUE: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Ben Cohen writes the Rockets' sale "reflects the ascending cultural status of the NBA, a league that has seen the value of its franchise skyrocket in the last five years." The "eye-popping price might convince other longtime NBA owners to feel out the market for their teams, but it's unlikely that many would be worth more than Houston, a huge city with attractive demographics and international appeal." As the team that drafted Basketball HOFer Yao Ming, the Rockets are "one of the NBA's most popular teams in China." They are "also one of the league's most successful teams" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 9/6). ESPN’s Rachel Nichols said, “When you talk about franchise value, a rising tide lifts all boats. Whether it is for the players or for the league in general, the value of these franchises going up helps the league." She noted the price of the team also "speaks to the popularity of basketball." Nichols: "We are always looking for which sport waxing and waning. We’ve seen horse racing and boxing going in different directions. ... It’s pretty inarguable that the NBA is extremely healthy and basketball is continuing to spread globally” (“The Jump,” ESPN2, 9/5). In Charlotte, Rick Bonnell writes the "qualifier in all this is prosperity for some NBA franchises won't necessarily raise others as much as it would in the NFL." So it is "not automatic" the Rockets selling for $2.2B "means a bump" for Hornets Owner Michael Jordan and his minority partners (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/6).
LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT? In Houston, Jonathan Feigen writes Fertitta "likely will have to establish the balance between running his business, the Rockets and the basketball decision-making as he goes." Alexander was "involved in almost all basketball decisions and was kept informed on even the small moves." He generally "sought the information that went into each decision." Fertitta, however, has "far more businesses to run." Fertitta's involvement with Univ. of Houston athletics decision-making would "seem to indicate that he will be an involved owner." But he does not have a "history of influencing or interfering with coaching decisions" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/6). Also in Houston, Brian Smith writes Fertitta is "part of the reality-TV generation of billionaires." He "commands the spotlight, doesn't shrink when cameras zoom in and has hands-on written all over him." Smith: "How much Mark Cuban does Fertitta have in him? Steve Ballmer? Paul Allen? Only Cuban has won an NBA title and all three have made major mistakes with their basketball toys." Or does Fertitta have "just enough Alexander in him while truly being his own man?" Fertitta will be "very different from Alexander, who was more hands on than most believed but always preferred to remain in the background" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/6).
LEGACY LEFT BEHIND: ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton wrote it is "worth considering the legacy Alexander leaves." For Rockets fans, that "surely begins with the pair of championships the Rockets won during the first two years" Alexander owned the team in '94 and '95. While the Rockets have "yet to return to the heights of Alexander's first two years of ownership, the team has been consistently successful." More than anything, however, Alexander may "ultimately be remembered for his instrumental role in accelerating the acceptance of statistical analysis in the NBA." His decision in '06 to hire GM Daryl Morey was "far ahead of the curve." At a time when the majority of NBA teams "employed no full-time statistical analysts, the Rockets under Morey had a team of them and have continued to remain at the leading edge." Alexander's "bold decision to hire Morey -- and the success the franchise subsequently enjoyed -- made it easier for other franchises to follow in Houston's footsteps." Pelton: "And that legacy could outshine any number of wins" (ESPN.com, 9/5).
