Dollars & Sense - Stevens Making the Leap from College to the NBA

With the sports news in an afternoon lull, it looked as if we were all going to be heading into the evening wondering what A-Rod will do in his couple of at-bats at Single-A Charleston.  And then... BOOM!

thesportsbank.net

Out of nowhere, the Boston Celtics plucked the 36-year-old coaching prodigy, Brad Stevens, from the tight grasp of the Butler Bulldogs.  Stevens, who led Butler to two NCAA Championship games in his six seasons at the helm, has reportedly agreed on a six-year deal worth $22 million.  Having turned down the UCLA head coaching job earlier in the offseason, the Celtics must have been one of Stevens' dream jobs that he said would be the only way that he would leave Butler.

The opening on the Celtics bench was created when previous head coach Doc Rivers was traded (yes, the coach was traded) to the Los Angeles Clippers for a 2015 first round pick.  The Rivers trade was one of two major deals that the Celtics have made in their rebuilding offseason; the other was sending superstars Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett as well as Jason Terry to the Brooklyn Nets for Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Kris Joseph (wait two Kris's with a "K"?) and three future first round picks.

With all of the movement at the head coaching position in the NBA this offseason, the Celtics' move to hire Stevens now joins the Nets and newly retired-player-turned-head-coach Jason Kidd as the two major coaching stories to watch going into next year.

Stevens' situation is particularly interesting for two reasons: 1) Stevens is making the leap from college to the NBA, and 2) the Celtics are rebuilding.  Stevens is certainly not the first coach to make the leap, but given his status and accomplishments at Butler, he is one of the most intriguing.

The Celtics are no stranger to hiring college coaches.  Prior to Doc Rivers, the last three Celtics coaches had a wealth of college head coaching experience.  John Carroll took over after Jim O'Brien's resignation.  Carroll was a one-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year at Duquense.  Before Carroll, it was O'Brien, who won the 1996 NCAA title as an assistant at Kentucky.  And of course, how could we forget Rick Pitino, who bolted from Kentucky after the 1996 NCAA title.  In hindsight, maybe it wasn't the best idea to give Pitino all of the keys to the organization.

Last time the Celts hired a successful college coach, he kicked things off by stealing Red Auerbach's presidency. This can't go worse.
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) July 3, 2013

Of the three coaches before Rivers, O'Brien had the best record going 139-119 for a .539 winning percentage.  The three combined to go 255-287 over seven seasons.  At Butler, Stevens went 166-49 in six seasons.

Stevens though offers great hope.  Although the Celtics may struggle this coming year, the franchise is clearly building for the future and are willing to ride it out with Stevens as indicated by the six-year deal.  It will be interesting to see how Stevens handles the NBA-size egos, although many have already made the joke that he coached better talent at Butler than he will this year with the Celtics.


Follow Kevin Rossi on Twitter @kevin_rossi.

So Much Talk About Taxes!

It may not be a new trend, but every time I hear of a high profile athlete signing with a new team I always hear about taxes. It makes sense that we only hear about the high profile players because they have the most to lose in taxes by signing big value contracts.

The latest example is Dwight Howard. Howard is currently a free agent and exploring different teams that he could play for next season. The only thing that is a near certainty for Dwight is that he will receive a max contract or something close.

Currently Dwight is being rumored with many teams across the league. Two of particular interest for tax reasons are the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets. Both of these Texas state teams have an added advantage when signing free agents because they operate in a state without income tax via the state. Florida professional sport teams also enjoy this added incentives to acquire free agents.

If Dwight resigns with the Lakers, he might be subjected to the 13.3% state income tax in California for individuals earning more than $1 million. The reason why Dwight would not automatically be subjected to this tax is because of his residency. State income tax is assessed by where someone is considered to have primary residency. Dwight has a home in Florida that he could attempt to use as his primary residency.

The tax factor for Dwight Howard is significant because if he has to declare residency in California, he could be accepting a lower value contract with the Lakers. Although the contract with the Lakers would be a max deal, a four year deal from a Texas team could result in higher net dollars.

Final Thought
It will be tough for Dwight to declare residency in Florida because the state of California has more aggressive policies in tracking information related to taxes. Dwight would also be an easy target because of the high gross value he would receive per season. I would be curious to know how big of a factor taxes play in Dwight's decision. Although I do not think taxes alone will decide where Howard plays next season, it is understandable that taxes will weigh into the decision.

For teams who have the benefit of playing in a state with low or no state income tax, they should take advantage of it. These teams have the ability to add an incentive that another team could not match no matter what they do. Taxes are one of the rare things that teams do not have the ability to control.

@dmrosen7

Dollars & Sense - Top 3 Brands to Watch in the NBA Finals

I would ask who all of you think will win the 2013 edition of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs, but the clear favorite seems to be the Heat.  I already asked about where the NBA Finals will stand in terms of television ratings, but I did that at another time in another place.  Taking things in a bit of a different direction here are my top three brands to watch during the NBA Finals.

We have already seen guys like Golden State's Stephen Curry and Memphis' Mike Conley and Indiana's Roy Hibbert (before his distasteful comments) vault their way into the next level of stardom.  Curry, doing things that are not even possible in video games, looked dangerously close to putting all of Golden State - well, San Francisco - on his back to the Western Conference Finals.  Conley's Western Conference Finals performance may have fallen short of the show he put on in the previous round against Curry's Warriors, but he finally looked like a player deserving of a 5-year, $45 million contract.  Hibbert sky-hooked the Pacers within one game of the NBA Finals and is looking to be reviving the dying bread of old school centers.

With the playoffs now down to two teams, which three players have the most to gain in the NBA Finals?

Chris Andersen (Miami Heat, Forward)
NBA followers have known about "Birdman" for years, and at 34 years old, it's tough to tell whether they know him for his on-court doings or his ever-growing collection of colorful tattoos.  Either way, for a brand's sake, truthfully it doesn't matter where the positive attention is coming from.

But is enough of the attention paid to Andersen positive?  His public image is, well, what is the opposite of clean-cut?  There are jokes about the evolution of his tattoos and jokes about cocaine.  No matter how you look at it though, he has been an important role player for the Heat bringing hustle and intensity off of the bench.


Of course, he is not going to garner much attention, if any, from the major national brands.  But what about niche brands?  I can see Andersen possibly reaching teenage audiences like the X Games and extreme sports, it's just a matter of a company putting themselves out there and taking a big chance.  At the very least, people should know that it's Andersen not Anderson by the end of the series.

Kawhi Leonard (San Antonio Spurs, Forward/Guard)
Leonard may not be a name that has made it into the households of the NBA's casual fans, but he's certainly knocking.  Only 21 years old, Leonard is a burgeoning star in the league and making quite the case to take over the reins from the Spurs' trio of thirty-somethings in Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili.

Only two years into his young career, the one thing we know for sure about the forward from San Diego State University is that he's a physical freak.  Standing at 6-foot-7, Leonard has a wingspan of almost 7-foot-2.  Check out this recent episode of ESPN's Sports Science on him.

Leonard has not had his major breakout performance or series yet, but it is on the horizon and approaching quickly.  He plays the game with intensity and heart along with his athleticism.  As the Duncans, and Parkers, and Ginobilis in San Antonio slowly ride into the sunset, look for Leonard to become a team leader and spokesman for the other players.  His marketability has a chance to boom.

LeBron James (Miami Heat, Forward)
I know, I know.  How could the 2013 NBA Finals really impact LeBron James?  James is going for rare territory here.  For his entire career, he has stared comparisons to Michael Jordan straight in the face and done a pretty good job keeping up.  The media may have expected LeBron to have broken the all-time scoring record and have eight rings already, but in reality, he has done a fine job handling the expectations.

He is 28 years old now, still with a nice chunk of his career ahead of him.  If the Heat win this year, then LeBron has two career rings.  Each ring from here is one big step closer to Jordan, and one big step ahead for his brand.


LeBron is a mega-brand of our era.  His Q-Score was 17 as of January this year which is near the top of the NBA.  Also, he has the wins and statistics to back everything up.  He has endorsements with some of the largest national brands in the US like Nike, Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and Samsung.  Another championship ring will just further cement his place in the sports business realm and take one step closer to Jordan.

Honorable mention: Chris Bosh (Miami Heat forward that may find himself on the trading block) and Tiago Splitter (San Antonio Spurs forward from Brazil that has a chance to continue growing the game in his home country)

At least one player will come out of these NBA Finals with the chance to see their marketability and popularity boom.  Who will it be?  We find out when the NBA Finals tip off tonight on ABC.


Follow Kevin Rossi on Twitter @kevin_rossi.

Broken News - Sports Media Rights Bubble

The sports media business is a lucrative one.  We know that.  Of course over the years, especially via sports, we have become desensitized the incredibly large dollar figures (read: Alex Rodriguez's contract).  Media, namely TV rights deals, have had the same effect of late.  Look no further than ESPN's vast portfolio:

Property - Annual Payment From ESPN

NFL Monday Night Football -  $1.9 Billion

MLB - $700 Million

NBA - $930 Million (TNT shares some of the cost)

US Open (Tennis) - $75 Million

Big East - $18 Million 

ACC - $100 Million  

Big Ten - $260 Million  

Mountain West - $18 Million

Big 12/PAC 12 - $450 Million (split with FOX) 

Orange Bowl - $55 Million      

Sugar Bowl - $80 Million

Rose Bowl - $80 Million

If you cannot do math, I assure you that it is a ton of money.  And with a reported $125 million new studio in the works, money in Bristol, Conn. seems to be, well, endless.  ESPN is also in the process of creating an entire network for the SEC, so even though there are no numbers on cost floating around the Internet, we can be sure that ESPN will be going all in on the project (their recent hire of Paul Finebaum is an indication of this). 

The expenses are adding up, and that's not to say that ESPN is becoming financially unstable.  Earlier this month, Disney's (ESPN's parent company) stock hit an all-time high.  And with the television ratings for sporting events the closest thing to a sure thing in media right now, advertising will likely see a steady increase as well.

But you have to wonder, how long can this go on?  The sports media rights bubble will eventually burst.  It's inevitable.  But when?

Last week, ESPN announced that they would be laying off between 300 and 400 employees.  Certainly not a great sign of things to come.  The pressure is certainly felt in Bristol.  Whether it is from the Disney stakeholders, the competition of NBC Sports and the upcoming Fox Sports 1, cable subscribers pushing back against rising costs, advertisers becoming increasingly cash strapped, or what have you, the pressure is unquestionably there.  Nothing is forever.

The point is not to say that the pin is within an inch of the balloon, just that it is coming.  As more viewing options become available and crowds further disperse to different viewing experiences, the days of rights fees reaching nearly $2 billion annually may be closing in on us. 

The question is, "when?"

Follow Kevin Rossi on Twitter @kevin_rossi.

East vs West: A Look at TV Ratings for NBA Conference Championships

The conference championships for the NBA have been two completely different stories regarding television viewership. Many factors can be looked at when assessing viewership. The size of the television markets in the area surrounding the teams is a big factor. Another significant factor is the time that the games are played. Many east coast viewers prefer a start time of 8:00 or 8:30 rather than after 9:00. Although significant factors can be looked at when assessing viewership, the factor that is most telling is fan interest in the game.

San Antonio Spurs vs. Memphis Grizzlies
Game one of this series was a Sunday afternoon game. This game was far from successful in strength of television viewers. This game was the lowest rated conference final opener since 2007. The game drew a 3.9 overnight rating on ABC. A popular game one of the conference finals last year was the Heat vs. Celtics. This game as a comparison was viewed by 41% more people.

Game two was not much better for the series. Although the game went to overtime, only 4.6 million viewers watched the action. As a comparison, game two of the Heat vs. Celtics series last year drew 8.8 million viewers.

Not clear enough information is available for game three or four, but it can be expected that ratings were not strong as the series ended in a sweep.

Miami Heat vs. Indiana Pacers
Game one of this series started on a Wednesday night. Although the time of week was not ideal, this game drew a 5.3 rating with 8.2 million viewers tuning in. Game one ended up being a great game that Miami edged out in overtime. The large difference in game one viewership between the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference represented the biggest gap since 2004.

Game two and three do not have information posted yet. You can expect game two viewership to be high because it was a great game that Indiana was able to win. Game three may have less of a viewership because the result was decisive.

Final Thought
A clear interest has been shown in the Heat and Pacers series. The same can not be said for the Western Conference Finals. The presence of the big three in Miami certainly attribute to the ratings. Although the Western Conference Finals ended in San Antonio sweeping Memphis, the series was closer than it may appear. If Miami goes on to play in the NBA Finals, I expect television ratings to be about average compared to other seasons. If the Pacers can upset the Heat in the east, I expect television ratings to be down for the Finals.

@dmrosen7 

Dollars & Sense: NBA Rebranding in New Orleans and Charlotte

This week marks the beginning of the conference finals in the NBA playoffs – Memphis Grizzlies against the San Antonio Spurs (Spurs lead 2-0) in the west and the Miami Heat against the Indiana Pacers (Heat lead 1-0) in the east.  However, this week has been the week for the losers.  Between the NBA Draft lottery on Tuesday and the current rebranding efforts in New Orleans and Charlotte, the losers are becoming just a little bit more lovable.  Or at least they are trying to be anyway.

New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans franchise has been marred by weak performances over the years and even weaker stability.  Making their debut in the league as the Charlotte Hornets in 1988 alongside the Miami Heat, the Hornets were constantly struggling in their first three years.  Names like Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, and Glen Rice helped build the franchise to the point where Rice led them to their first back-to-back NBA playoff appearances in the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

Rice, Bogues, and Mourning (Soletron.com)

However, attendance and fan base found themselves in rapid decline after the 1997-98 season.  Dropping from their peak in the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons where they averaged 24,042 fans per game, the Hornets found themselves averaging only 11,286 in 2001-02.  That was the final straw for the franchise in Charlotte.

The Hornets relocated their franchise to New Orleans searching for greener pastures and greener wallets.  What they found was a relatively small increase in attendance though.  In the 2003-04 season, the Hornets ranked 28^th in the NBA in attendance. 

When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, the New Orleans franchise split their time in Oklahoma City due to the destruction in their home city.  Though the Hornets played in Oklahoma City to wonderful attendance success – proven success that later aided the Seattle Super Sonics in their controversial relocation to Oklahoma City in 2008 – it was not their home town.

Now settled back into their home in New Orleans with a couple of high profile talents on their roster in Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis, the franchise is beginning to feel like they have an identity again.  One problem… The Hornets name is still from their Charlotte days.  They want their own.

Enter the New Orleans Pelicans.  Currently undergoing the transformation, the Pelicans are now official and awaiting game one of the 2013-14 regular season to show it off.  After walking away with the sixth pick in this summer’s NBA Draft after Tuesday’s draft lottery, the Pelicans will look to add some more fire power to their young squad.

ESPN.com

The early stages of the transition from the menacing Hornets to the seemingly friendly Pelicans has been met with its fair share of criticism.  Is the criticism warranted?  It is tough to say because anybody can sit back and criticize when they have not been in the driver’s seat on this type of decision.   Let’s just give them their credit in that the logo designers made the most intimidating pelican possible.  And let’s be honest, the New Orleans franchise was doomed for a unfitting name when the Utah Jazz – Utah! – took the Jazz nickname.

Charlotte Hornets

After the Hornets left Charlotte for New Orleans in 2002, the city was left without an NBA franchise.  However, despite the declining attendance numbers that pushed the Hornets to New Orleans in the first place, the NBA saw potential. 

NBA.com

The city was not without an NBA franchise for long as the Bobcats were born in 2004, two years after the Hornets left.  Expansion had been on the mind of the NBA for a little while, and Charlotte had supported a franchise in the past.  Had the NBA known the potential in Oklahoma City – potential that was not realized until after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 – maybe Charlotte would still be waiting for the NBA’s return. 

Problem was that bobcats are not really synonymous with the Charlotte areas, or many areas in the world, so the nickname seemed a little bit out of left field.  Sure it sounds fierce, but that is not the point.  In the NBA where there are so many classic team names - think Lakers, Celtics, Knicks, 76ers -  few people could envision the Bobcats (or the Pelicans for that matter) becoming a name of that stature.

But now, with the Hornets becoming the Pelicans in New Orleans, the window is now open for the Bobcats to return to their roots by switching back to the Hornets.  Basically, now instead of having two cities with confused nicknames, we have one wrong righted and one team still trying to figure it out and create their own identity.

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Regardless of how you feel about the Pelicans or the Hornets or the Bobcats, one thing will always ring true: winning cures everything.  Look at the opposite end of the spectrum in Major League Baseball last season with the Miami Marlins.  Known as the Florida Marlins since their first season in 1993, ownership decided to rebrand the team with new colors, a new ballpark, a new roster, and a more geographically narrowed home in Miami prior to the beginning of last season. 

Of course, we all know that the Marlins went on to completely implode last year finishing in last place in the National League East and resulting in the fire sale of players this past offseason, and now they are terrible again.  Oh, and attendance is back to its pre-Marlins Park numbers.  If the Marlins would have kept winning, then maybe they could have build on the momentum of the new park and the infusion of talent.  Now that would have been a rebranding success.

What has become a relatively quiet rebranding success is the Winnipeg Jets in the NHL.  With a rich history in the WHA and then the NHL from 1972-1996, the Jets were a relatively successful franchise before being moved to Phoenix to become the Coyotes in 1996.  Never missing the playoffs in more than two seasons in a row in their NHL days, the Jets were always in it.  In 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers relocated to Winnipeg and brought the tradition back to life.

This past season, the Jets found themselves four points behind the New York Islanders for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, but they were certainly in it.  Also, and probably more importantly, the Jets averaged 100-percent attendance with just over 15,000 fans per game (remember that basketball attendance capacities in arenas are higher than hockey).  It is hard to ask for more from a team that just wrapped up their second season in a new city.

By now, it should be clear that the key to rebranding success for the Pelicans and the Hornets is to do exactly the opposite that the Marlins did.  Winning is a major player in building a loyal fan base, and winning is something that the Marlins are not doing but the Jets are.  Whether it is the NBA or the MLB or the NHL or any other professional sports league in the world, the formula is simple.  Just win, baby. 


Follow Kevin Rossi on Twitter @kevin_rossi.

What Kings Deal Means for the NBA

After much talk about the Kings future. A decision was finally made. After an apparent deal was done to move the team to Seattle, residents of Sacramento were not happy. The Maloofs brothers were being pressured to keep the team in Sacramento. The situation was tense because Seattle lost an NBA franchise and was hungry for a return team. Sacramento has been home to a loyal fan base that was supportive of its team.

The bid for the team to move to Seattle was in place, as I wrote about previously. Later Sacramento made a push to keep the Kings, an argument they ultimately won. The NBA owners officially voted to reject the bid to move the team to Seattle and keep the team in Sacramento. This decision was able to be made after billionaire Vivek Ranadive came to an agreement to purchase 65 percent of the Kings and keep them in Sacramento.

Dollars Behind the Deal
Ranadive will pay $348 million for his 65 percent stake in the team. Ranadive already put $200 million in an escrow account before the deal in anticipation of the deal getting done. The total valuation of the sale will be $535 million.

The team owed money to the city of Sacramento and the NBA, a total of $60 million. After taking that debt into account, the Maloff brothers were able to make about $200 million for their share of the team.

Ranadive secured about $250 million from Sacramento public officials toward a potential new Kings arena.

Vivek Ranadive

What it Means for the League
The sale of the Kings for $535 million set a record for the National Basketball Association. From the year 2012 to 2013, the average value of an NBA team rose 30%. A lot of the reason for the increase in value has to do with new stadiums and a television contract worth more money.

At the end of the 2011 calendar year, Joshua Harris and his group purchased the Philadelphia 76ers. It is diffiuclt to imagine that they paid only $280 million for the team. Looks like a pretty good investment right now.

Final Thought
With the rapid growth of the league, expansion has to be looked upon seriously. Although Sacramento was ultimately successful in winning the team, Seattle put up a good fight. The bid for the team to move to Seattle was more than respectable. The obvious interest in having a team in Seattle must be looked at seriously by the NBA. The NBA in the past has avoided talk of expansion but now is the time where it should be looked at because of the increasing revenue value of each team.

@dmrosen7

Dollars & Sense - Kobe's Twitter is a Fan's Dream

When it comes to sports and their superstar athletes, Twitter is the perfect invention.  Twitter offers real-time, unfiltered, and genuine access into the minds of our favorite sports personalities.  However, Twitter only offers those things.  The latter two - unfiltered and genuine - are all too often cleansed by the heavy duty sponge of public relations.  Every once in a while fans may get a rogue genuine thought that shines through the encrypted public relations branding and obligatory endorsement tweets.

YAHOO! SPORTS

Kobe Bryant is different, though.  He always has been.  One of the best players to ever play in the National Basketball Association, Kobe exploded on the Twitter scene.  As if he could have done it any other way, right?  Of course, this is largely due to his immense super stardom, but it also has to do with his personality.  He is (or at least used to be) antisocial, guarded, and arrogant.  He has gone through a high profile rape trial.  He has dropped the homophobic slur caught on the mic during a game.

The other night after the Los Angeles Lakers' season-long collapse was finally put to its miserable end thanks to the San Antonio Spurs, Kobe said something that I think is fascinating, especially coming from him.  It was along the lines of if you are going to call some a d**k, at least let them be a d**k first.  It was great in equal parts that it is mind-numbingly true about the way we judge people these days and that the world let Kobe be a d**k and now the world is letting him redeem himself.

(Listen to Kobe's comments on Jason Collins and being yourself beginning at the 19:20 mark.)

His Twitter has been at the forefront of Kobe's recent coming-out and redeeming.  You are refreshed by looking at Kobe's timeline, not a whiff of public relations marking and spinning.  There are a few Nike related tweets, but even those look natural from the Mamba himself.  Before he launched his Twitter account, it was anybody's best guest at how connected Kobe really was with the world.  Maybe he lived in his own, superstar world.  Then again, maybe not.

When browsing through his account, you see the superstar connect.  The initial people that he chose to follow were Alex Morgan (USWNT), Usain Bolt, and Serena Williams.  You can also see a bit of a business side too, following Darren Rovell (ESPN), Forbes, and The Economist in his initial wave.  Browse a little further and you will see that he followed Louisville basketball player Kevin Ware after Ware suffered a gruesome broken leg in the NCAA Tournament.

This is all well before Kobe took to in-game tweeting about his Lakers' performance in game one of the Western Conference playoffs against the Spurs.  Although the insight was maybe not exactly what Lakers' management would want to see coming from Kobe's feed, it was brutally honest.  And that is what the fans want.  It added value to the broadcast and to the media coverage (before some media outlets blew Kobe's in-game tweets a bit, um, out of proportion).

(Want to hear more about Kobe Bryant's Twitter usage and branding?  Listen to Kevin Rossi interview social media expert Caleb Mezzy in The Sports Biz Report podcast from the Drexel SMTSU.)

The most recent person that he has followed (as of 2 p.m. on Wednesday) may be the most telling to what Kobe has learned through the years.  The person also has to do with a Monday tweet from Kobe that has well over 41-thousand retweets.

The person: Jason Collins

The Tweet:

Proud of @jasoncollins34. Don't suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others #courage #support #mambaarmystandup #BYOU
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 29, 2013

Kobe's tweet is in support of Jason Collins, the 34-year-old free agent center that on Monday came out publicly as the first active openly gay athlete in the major four North American sports.  And it is not the first time that Kobe has tweeted in support of the LGBT or against LGBT discrimination.  A few months back, Kobe went back and forth with a few followers telling them not to use homophobic slurs.

It is obvious that Kobe has learned from his past, and is that not the only thing that we can ask from people when they mess up?  There is a realness to his Twitter account that we rarely see, especially among the superstar athletes.  In an age where we are hypersensitive to our brand, we often times become robots - slaves to the corporate message.  But with open honesty and intelligence, Kobe is building a brand that is as strong, if not stronger, than it has ever been.  This type of honest branding is not for everybody, in fact, only a select few really have it.

He is certainly one of them as the window into Kobe Bryant's mind has proved to be an NBA fan's dream.

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Regarding Jason Collins' announcement, the NBA was spot on in its handling on Twitter.  In addition to retweeting various NBA superstars (guys like Steve Nash, LeBron James, Shaq, Kobe,etc.) coming out in support of Collins, here are some of the best of how they handled it.

NBA Commissioner David Stern statement re: Washington Wizards center Jason Collins announcement today: (1/4)
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2013

“As Adam Silver and I said to Jason, we have known the Collins family since Jason and Jarron joined the NBA in 2001 (2/4)
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2013

and they have been exemplary members of the NBA family. Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout (3/4)
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2013

his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue.” #NBAFamily (4/4)
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2013

#NBAFamily RT @billclinton: I'm proud to call Jason Collins a friend. wjcf.co/154piCi
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2013

This was not the first time the NBA has used the #NBAFamily, but in my opinion, this is the time that it stood out the most.  I thought it was a great way to aggregate support of Jason Collins.  Also, I thought that retweeting Jason Collins' thank you tweet was a great cap off of the news as the they started with their statement and ended with Collins' thank you.


Follow Kevin Rossi on Twitter @kevin_rossi.

Sacramento Attempting to Keep the Kings

About two months ago, it was reported that the Sacramento Kings were sold to a group headed by hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer a Microsoft executive. This group planned to take the team to Seattle. I wrote about the impact that the move would have on both cities and the National Basketball Association.

The NBA Board of Governors have the final decision in whether or not the deal goes through. This decision is expected in mid-April. The city of Sacramento have recently made this decision more complicated.

Sacramento Mayor, Kevin Johnson, has strongly opposed any move that would take the Sacramento Kings to another city. Mayor Johnson and other Sacramento city officials have put together a preliminary deal to build an arena in Sacramento. The purposed plan would cost a total of $447 million.

Kevin Johnson

The $447 million cost would be paid for by the city and by a new investment group. The city of Sacramento would contribute $258 million to the project. The new investment group made up of Vivek Ranadive (Silicon Valley software), Mark Mastrov (24 Hour Fitness founder), and Ron Burkle (billionaire) would contribute the remaining $189 million.

The next step in moving forward with this plan is to get approval from the city council. This vote will happen TODAY.

Final Thought
The result of the city council's decision could be impactful on the NBA Board of Governors decision. If the arena deal is approved, the city of Sacramento may seem more fit to continue to host the NBA franchise. At the end of this deal, either the city of Sacramento or the city of Seattle will be devastated. The city of Sacramento could lose the franchise that they have been cheering for years. The city of Seattle thought they were finally getting an NBA franchise back to the city, that dream could be destroyed.

@dmrosen7 

Dollars & Sense - Dennis Rodman: American Diplomat

The bizarre-o scale has officially peaked.  I mean, come on, what is more bizarre on a scale of one to Dennis Rodman watching a basketball game with Kim Jong-un in North Korea?  

Nothing.  Nothing even comes close.

You all know Rodman's story.  One of the all-time greatest rebounders in NBA history.  One of the crazy human beings in the history of planet Earth.  One of the most public and obvious battles with addiction for a professional athlete.  But now, add foreign diplomat to that diverse resume.

Travelling to North Korea to meet with the controversial leader Kim Jong-un along with members of the Harlem Globetrotters, Rodman took in a basketball game with Jong-un.  The sight was about as odd as you could imagine it to be, and the incident created just about as much parody coverage as it did real news coverage.  

(Sports on Earth's Leigh Montville gave us a look at what he imagined the conversation between the two to be like.)

The phenomena even trickled down to Seth Meyers' deck on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update": 

Amazingly, Jay Pharoah's interpretation in the parody skit may have been less ridiculous than Rodman's actual interview conducted by ABC's George Stephanopoulos upon his return to the United States.  The one thing that was bothersome was Rodman's lack of desire to talk about the inhumane practices of Jong-un and North Korea's elite.  Of course, the news coverage naturally covered the topic, but Rodman's comments made it seem like he was looking to make a friend rather than aid any social crises.  The trip put the practices in the spotlight, but it could have been more.  Realistically though, maybe we should just be happy with the outcome.  

See Rodman's comments for yourself:

(Think Progress pulled the top quotes for your convenience.)

As crazy as Rodman is, let's be serious, you have to be pretty crazy to go to North Korea especially as an American.  Sure, the operation was insanely risky with Rodman being such a volatile character, but by the sounds of it everything went well.  

I tend to agree with The Nation's Dave Zirin on this issue.  Zirin was on ESPN's "Outside the Lines" on Monday afternoon and said that regardless of Rodman's motives (there was a documentary film crew following the events), this is a good thing.  Rodman's presence - for whatever reason - created not only a significant bit of buzz around North Korea's inhumane practices, but it seems to have yielded positive results in terms of country to country relations.

Believe it or not, Rodman now joins the likes of Muhammad Ali and Arthur Ashe among others who have visited foreign countries in the midst of political turmoil.  As much as this entire situation may or may not resemble one big long headline on the front page of The Onion, it was so crazy that it just actually worked.

Could this be a blueprint for the future?  Using high profile athletes for foreign diplomacy is a very touchy proposition.  It requires a certain level of desire from the athletes themselves.  An athlete certainly cannot be forced into such a role just as not all athletes are cut out for such a role.

(Not sure if Rick Reilly is advocating for Rodman to do more of this or is mocking Rodman.)

Whether you agree with it or not, Rodman's trip to North Korea and meeting with Kim Jong-un was a success.  Yes, he had some delusional comments about Jong-un being a great guy, but Rodman is an inherently delusional kind of guy.  What we can take from this is the light that it has shined on social and human welfare issues in the country of North Korea.  Rodman's trip has certainly done that whether he is willing to talk about it or not.

Follow Kevin Rossi on Twitter @kevin_rossi.

Update: Early Thursday, news came out that North Korea vowed to preemptively bomb the United States.  Though it's probably unrelated to Rodman's visit, who knows.  If North Korea were to bomb us (and I don't think they will) and Rodman was safely housed in North Korea at the time, then please completely ignore all of the nice things that I said in above blogumn.

NBA All-Star Game TV Ratings

On Sunday night the NBA had very solid TV ratings for the 2013 All-Star Game. The game followed a traditional format of NBA All-Star games. The first three quarters were centered around putting on a show for the fans. This includes big time dunks, no defense, a lot of three point jump shots and an emphasis on keeping everyone healthy. The last quarter picks up in intensity. Although players may not be going "all out", they seem to start trying to win the basketball game.

This years game in Huston was won by the western conference. The west can thank the MVP, Chris Paul, for putting a performance together that helped them win the game. Paul scored 20 points while dishing out 15 assists. Some other highlights of the game included Kobe blocking LeBron a couple times at the end of the game.

The television viewership for the All-Star game was a 4.6. This means that 4.6% of U.S. households were watching the game. This number represents a 13% increase from last year's game. Although this number seems rather impressive, it is important to note that last years game was played during the Academy Awards. Obvious viewership was lost due to this fact. This years rating is impressive though compared to recent history. Since 2005, this years All-Star game was the second highest rated game. 

The television markets that most viewed the game shouldn't come as a surprise to most NBA fans. The number one television market was Miami with a 12.6 rating. This is no surprise consider the Heat had the big three (James, Wade, and Bosh) as starters in the game and their coach leading the east. Following Miami in television ratings was San Antonio (9.9 rating), Memphis (9.7 rating), Los Angeles (9.4) and Oklahoma City (8.9 rating). All of these cities saw players from their home team in the All-Star game.

Final Thought

Although I would like to see the NBA All-Star game more competitive throughout the entire game, I enjoyed watching. The fourth quarter seemed like mostly genuine basketball. It is obvious that avoiding injury is a key component to the game, as it should be. 

After Major League Baseball made the change in their All-Star game allowing the winning league to have home field advantage in the world series, I became much more interested in watching. Baseball also has an advantage in the nature of the game. It is more difficult to give less than full effort playing baseball than basketball. In basketball, players can do creative dunks with the defense allowing them to do so. In a baseball game, the pitchers are not going to lob the baseball so a player can hit it out of the park. As far as implementing a rule that the winning conference of the NBA All-Star game could have home court in the NBA Finals, I think it would be interesting. This would force players to give 100% effort during the game. I wouldn't mind seeing that.

@dmrosen7

Kings Sold!

Kevin reported a couple weeks ago of the breaking story that the Sacramento Kings were being sold. It has now become official. The current owners of the Sacramento Kings, the Maloof family, will sell the 53 percent ownership of the team. Minority owner, Bob Hernreich, will also be selling his 12 percent stake in the team. Hedge fund manager, Chris Hansen, and Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, will be heading the Seattle based group in the purchase of the team.

The Seattle based group plans to move the franchise to Seattle. In order to do so for the 2013-2014 NBA season, the new ownership must apply for relocation by the March 1st deadline set by the NBA. If this timeline is followed, the board of govenors for the NBA will be able to vote on the relocation at the annual April meetings. Seattle is not new to relocation in the NBA. The city of Seattle had an NBA franchise taken away from them when the Clay Bennett moved the Sonics to Oklahoma City. In this move Bennett left the logo and name of the team in Seattle. Many loyal Seattle basketball fans were devastated to lose the team they grew to love.

Unfortunately that devastation is about to hit Sacramento. Former NBA point guard and mayor of Sacramento, Kevin Johnson, is not going to let the team go without a fight. Johnson got permission from NBA commissioner, David Stern, to purpose a counteroffer to the league owners. This counteroffer would allow the Kings to be bought by a group that would keep the team in Sacramento. Johnson gives legitimate reasons to why the franchise should stay in Seattle. He said, "Sacramento has proven that it is a strong NBA market with a fan base that year in and year out has demonstrated a commitment to the Kings by selling out 19 of 27 seasons in a top-20 market and owning two of the longest sellout streaks in NBA history."

The valuation of the team is more than some may have expected at $525 million dollars. This figure does include relocation fees. As many know, stadiums are a large part of NBA deals. Seattle approved in October plans to build a $500 million stadium. NBA superstar, Lebron James, had plenty to say on twitter regarding the valuation of the Kings. He first commented on the valuation saying, "So the Kings getting sold for 525M!! And the owners ain't making no money huh? What the hell we have a (lockout) for. Get the hell out of here." Later he tweeted about Mayor Kevin Johnson's effort to keep the Kings in Sacramento by saying, "I do know Mayor Johnson and the city/fans of Sacramento will do whatever it takes to keep the team put. We'll see what happens #NBAfiles."

Final Thought
This move is good news for the NBA. This move is terrible news for Sacramento. This move is conflicting for Seattle. The NBA is pleased to hear that a franchise like Sacramento is worth a great amount of money. It goes to show how strong the league is. The city of Sacramento will obviously be devastated. Losing a team that you have rooted for must be extremely difficult for the fans of the city. Seattle is finally getting a team back, and they deserve it. They do understand the feeling of losing a team and must feel some sympathy for the city of Sacramento.

@dmrosen7