Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Leagues and Governing Bodies

Stern Talks Euro Expansion, TV And More In State Of League

Stern Will Talk To Bodenheimer About Getting
Some Conference Championship Games On ABC

NBA Commissioner David Stern and Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik last night delivered the annual State of the league address, where Stern said of expansion into Europe: "The reality is becoming clear to us that the infrastructure — meaning buildings, world-class arenas — are simply not there outside the (U.S.) yet. When the Nets' new facility gets built, we will have 30 new or totally remodeled buildings since 1987. ... I think there will be some announcements coming soon about projects for buildings in London and in Berlin by the Anschutz Entertainment Group actually. But really, without initiatives like that, there will not be any real prospects for NBA franchises in Europe." ESPN's David Aldridge said later, "The commissioner has backed off of the whole idea of European expansion. ... The world has changed the last three years with terrorist concerns, and I would think (that with) insurance being prohibitively expensive to try to put an NBA team in Europe ... that idea has been tabled for awhile" (ESPNews, 6/8).

TV LAND: Stern, on the conference finals being exclusively on cable: "We have begun discussions with the Walt Disney Company about (putting) a conference final game or two (on network TV) based upon its ability to deliver ratings for ABC" (ESPNews, 6/8). NEWSDAY's Ken Berger reports Granik "acknowledged that the playoffs dragged on too long," and he indicated that there will be fewer off days between games in the first round next year. Granik: "We really stretched to try and get every game on national TV unopposed. I think we kind of all accept that maybe we stretched too far" (NEWSDAY, 6/9).

LABOR TALKS: Granik, on current CBA negotiations: "We have made some progress. We've had a number of meetings in which a large number of players and owners have been present, and we've had some very good dialogue and discussion on a variety of issues." Stern: "The relationship [with the players' union] has improved. We're much more comfortable with each other and our goals. Whether that ultimately leads to an agreement or not depends on the bargaining process" (ESPNews, 6/8).

POINT TAKEN: Granik said that at a meeting of the NBA Rules Committee in Chicago Monday, the league decided that no adjustments were needed to increase scoring. Granik: "The view was that if the trend continued and scores kept dropping, then it's something we'd have to take a look at and see whether anything needs to be done in our rules" (DETROIT NEWS, 6/9).

VEGAS: As the Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith wrote Monday that speculation has Stern keeping the Las Vegas market open as an expansion market for a team to be owned by Michael Jordan, Stern said on FSN's "Best Damn Sports Show Period" last night, "Las Vegas is a great city; and gambling, per se, we don't have a problem with at all. ... What we've said is they would have to take the basketball book off the betting, and if that happens they'll be a candidate just like every other city." Stern, on Jordan becoming an owner in the NBA: "I don't want to put a time on it, but I do think that he is up to considering options of ownership" (FSN, 6/8). Chicago Sun-Times columnist Jay Mariotti said the rumors of Jordan owning a team in Vegas "is absurd, and it won't happen because David Stern does not want it to happen." Mariotti added Jordan purchasing the Heat "makes sense, and David Stern is going to shepherd this deal. He wants Jordan to own a team in the NBA, just not in Las Vegas." But Boston Globe columnist Michael Smith said Stern "wants Jordan in the game more than he doesn't want a team in Las Vegas ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 6/8).

BLACK, WHITE & GRAY: USA TODAY's Rudy Martzke reports that ESPN tomorrow night at 7:00pm ET will air a one-hour interview with Jim Gray and LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, called "Two On Two." In the interview, Gray asks Bird, "Does the NBA lack enough white superstars in your opinion?" Bird: "I think so. You know when I played you had me and Kevin (McHale) and some others throughout the league. I think it's good for a fan base because as we all know the majority of the fans are white America." Johnson adds, "We need some more LB's, Larry Birds. I mean, you know, you want that" (USA TODAY, 6/9).

ATTENDANCE: The NBA announced that it will set the all-time season total attendance record at Lakers-Pistons Game Three Thursday. Attendance for regular and postseason games will surpass the previous record of 21,797,222 set in '95-96 (NBA).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2004/06/09/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/Stern-Talks-Euro-Expansion-TV-And-More-In-State-Of-League.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2004/06/09/Leagues-Governing-Bodies/Stern-Talks-Euro-Expansion-TV-And-More-In-State-Of-League.aspx

CLOSE