LA 2024 Chair CASEY WASSERMAN’s “experiences as a leader in the sports industry coupled with the influence” his grandfather, legendary agent and studio exec LEW WASSERMAN, and the ‘84 Olympics had on him, have “made him well-suited for the endeavor” of landing the Games, according to a profile by Rachel Axon of USA TODAY. There is “perhaps no one better for the job.” L.A. Mayor ERIC GARCETTI said, “I just saw in Casey that rare leader who could bring that experience, that down-to-earth feel and a willingness to go for it.” For Wasserman, landing the Games “would be the next step in an effort that has combined his love of Los Angeles, of sports and of business.” NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL said, “The Olympics are a special achievement for him, and really a labor of love for him.” Axon notes friends and colleagues “credit Wasserman’s management style for his success.” He “builds a good team and supports it.” He “builds relationships and sees the ways to align the interests of his clients.” USOC CEO SCOTT BLACKMUN said Wasserman is “a very thoughtful, long-term thinker.” NBA Commissioner ADAM SILVER: “That sense that when you’re dealing with Casey, you know there’s a certain permanence to him." Axon notes throughout the bidding process, Wasserman and LA 2024 have “embraced” the legacy of the ’84 L.A. Games, but “avoided the notion that Los Angeles would again save the IOC in a time of crisis.” Wasserman said that LA 2024 “wanted to put forth a ‘different kind of American bid.’” Former USOC Chair PETER UEBERROTH, who led L.A.’s efforts for the ’84 Games, said, “Casey’s shown a sincere humility both by himself and as a leader and with his group. I think they’re very competitive, but they’ve been humble” (USA TODAY, 7/6). SportsBusiness Journal in May did an extensive profile on Wasserman.
