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Champions

Movers and shakers, builders and makers

With a definite bent toward hoops, this year’s class of The Champions: Pioneers & Innovators in Sports Business is a diverse group that has pushed movements and properties for decades.

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SBJ Podcast:
Executive Editor Abraham Madkour and Champions editor Tom Stinson discuss this year's class of The Champions.

From an Olympic gold-medalist who became an icon on TV and a voice for women everywhere, to the heart and soul of the NCAA tournament; from arguably the most powerful sports agent of all time, to an executive who helped shape sports television; to one of the architects of today’s NBA, to an icon in all corners of basketball, this year’s list comprises people who have seen success come in all forms and across many decades.
In its sixth year, the award recognizes the architects and builders of sports. This year’s recipients are:

Donna de Varona

An Olympic gold-medal swimmer, Donna de Varona became, at age 17, one of the first, and most famous, female sportscasters on network television in the 1960s, going on to cover 17 winter and summer Olympic Games as well as win an Emmy and two Gracies. Along the way she also became a longtime passionate advocate for women’s issues and physical fitness in the U.S., joining Billie Jean King to establish the Women’s Sports Foundation and serve as its first president from 1979 to 1984, and being appointed to Presidential Commissions on physical fitness under five administrations — Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush. Later, she chaired the organizing committee for the 1999 Women’s World Cup, and was a recipient of the Olympic Order, the highest honor presented by the International Olympic Committee.

Len Elmore

What area of basketball has Len Elmore not seen? The Harvard Law School graduate was an All-American at the University of Maryland, a first-round draft pick who played professionally for 10 years in the ABA and NBA, founded an agency in the 1990s that represented several NBA players, was president of the National Basketball Retired Players Association, CEO of the youth basketball initiative iHoops, and has served as an analyst for both NBA and college games on ABC, CBS and ESPN for the last 25 years. It’s safe to say that Elmore knows his way around the hardwood, and every aspect of the business behind it.

David Falk

Through the 1990s, David Falk was frequently cited as the second-most-powerful person in the NBA behind only David Stern. Considering he represented Michael Jordan as well as Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Alonzo Mourning and dozens of other top NBA players, it could be argued at the time that he was the most powerful. The signing and marketing of Jordan alone, including aligning him with Nike in 1984, changed not just the perception of NBA players as endorsers but the sports industry as a whole, from marketing to advertising to product development. Whether aligning his players with brand opportunities or on more than one occasion negotiating the largest contract in NBA history, Falk routinely set the standard for sports agents everywhere.

Russ Granik

David Stern would not be mentioned among the Mount Rushmore of sports commissioners without Russ Granik, his longtime right-hand man. The two developed a working relationship at the NBA that would influence basketball around the world, and even alter the balance of power not just among the game globally but also among sports leagues in the U.S. Serving as deputy commissioner for two decades, Granik was a master negotiator, working on everything from collective-bargaining negotiations to media contracts to even league expansion. The NBA, and the game of basketball itself, would not be in such a position of strength today if not for Russ Granik, as illustrated by his recent enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Tom Jernstedt

Tom Jernstedt’s friends describe him as the NCAA tournament’s heart and soul. From 1973 into this decade, Jernstedt guided the immense growth and popularity of March Madness, lifting it into elite status among the country’s most celebrated sporting events. Along the way, he also served as president of USA Basketball, has been enshrined in the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame and, currently, is on the College Football Playoff selection committee. But his 40 years at the NCAA will forever be marked by his stewardship of the Final Four.


Mike Trager

A pivotal figure in the development of sports television, Mike Trager is one of the most knowledgeable and well-traveled executives in the space. He’s enjoyed stints at NBC Sports, D’Arcy-McManus & Masius Advertising, The Baseball Network, The Marquee Group, SFX Sports Group, Clear Channel Entertainment Television, SMTI and, most recently, as chairman of The Trager Group, which utilizes his deep reservoir of skills, experience and contacts to specialize in television consulting, rights negotiations and production.

SportsBusiness Journal/Daily will tell the stories of each honoree in separate issues, beginning Feb. 16 and running through March 23. In addition, the Champions will be honored April 8 at the IMG World Congress of Sports in Los Angeles.

Champions: Past Honorees

2010 Class: Tony Ponturo, Jim Host, Donna Lopiano, Jerry Colangelo, Neal Pilson, Ron Labinski
Photo by: MICHAEL GOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

2011 Class: Marvin Miller, Deane Beman, Alan Rothenberg, Val Ackerman, Bill Rasmussen, Barry Frank
Photos by: PATRICK E. MCCARTHY (inset); GORT PRODUCTIONS


2012 Class: Steve Sabol, Humpy Wheeler, Bill Battle, Judy Sweet, Don Ohlmeyer, Ed Snider
Photos by: PATRICK E. MCCARTHY (inset); TONY FLOREZ PHOTOGRAPHY


2013 Class: Ron Shapiro, Donald Dell, Pat Williams, Rosa Gatti, Roy Kramer, Harvey Schiller
Photos by: NICK GRINER (inset); GORT PRODUCTIONS

2014 Class: Verne Lundquist, Wayne Embry, Mike Ilitch (represented by son Chris Ilitch), Joan Cronan, Bill Schmidt and Rick Hendrick
Photos by: ICON SMI (inset); TONY FLOREZ PHOTOGRAPHY; AP IMAGES (inset);

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