I t was easy lifting for leaders of the NBA during its All-Star Weekend in New Orleans. Being around some of the events in the early part of the weekend, there was a sense of calm euphoria. Calm in that there were few pressing issues that demanded attention and euphoria because there was outward enthusiasm for the business and the league’s prospects for global growth. It’s not matching the success or story lines of the last couple of years, but it’s still heady days for the league. In fact, a group at dinner had difficulty coming up with current issues -- outside of player violence/image -- that could trip up the league’s current run.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver offers a disarming, likable position of command, league partners warmly welcomed and praised him at the annual Tech Summit, and his biggest issue (outside of the Jim Dolan/Charles Oakley distraction) was the league’s position on any future legislation that it views as discriminatory — like North Carolina’s HB2 and any action in Texas, where its governor has sparred with the NFL over the issue.
Few leagues — few organizations — are so transparent about their social value system, and Silver was clear during his state-of-the-league address that while he wasn’t imposing any strict litmus test on future event sites, he said emphatically: “What we’ve stated is that our values, our leaguewide values in terms of equality and inclusion, are paramount to this league and all the members of the NBA family, and I think those jurisdictions that are considering legislation similar to [North Carolina’s HB2] are on notice that that is an important factor for us. Those values are an important factor for us in deciding where we take a special event like an All-Star Game.”
Not a deep line in the sand, but worth following in this unsettled political and social environment.
> TED TALKS: The NBA Tech Summit is one of the best mornings of the year for me, with five hours of thoughtful discussion and unparalleled networking.
Because of his vast understanding of new media and community building, I could listen to Monumental Sports Chair Ted Leonsis all day long. There are a number of things he’s doing that I’m following closely, including his OTT network, Monumental Sports Network, his investment in esports (he said he and Peter Guber spent an hour talking — not about the the business of basketball — but about esports), his investment in two AFL teams, and his vision of sports teams as big data companies of the future.
Leonsis talks about sports teams — not distributors — making up the future “bundle” of programming and experiences. His teams are big data companies that have touch points with millions of people a year, and they must be seen as a software, data and commerce company because they have direct access to and information on their customers and can track behavior in a large international city. It’s an engrossing and convincing position on the power of sports organizations.
> NEW FEATURE: To study the growth and spiraling economics around amateur and youth sports, we begin a bimonthly feature called Pro Am: The Profession of Amateur Sports (see our first story). This will explore youth and amateur sports, with an emphasis on the events that drive millions in economic impact for cities and communities each year. We’ll track emerging trends, share successful practices and highlight the people and places to watch in this rapidly growing sector of the sports industry. Questions, thoughts or comments on Pro Am? Please let us know.
Abraham D. Madkour can be reached at amadkour@sportsbusinessjournal.com.
