Nets Ticket Deal: Inappropriate or Innovative?

The Nets set off a buzz around NBA and sports marketing circles last week when they released the Match-Up ticket plan – 10 games against the NBA’s biggest attractions and 5 reversible jerseys with Nets player on one side and opposing superstar on the other side. Traditionalists didn’t know where to start, with promoting opposing [...]

NBA Warning Signals Premature

The NBA fired off the first Class of 2010 free agent salvo, one year before the festivities begin, with a warning about a lower salary cap. It’s SOP to issue a forecast in the annual league memo, and it’s obvious where the warning stems from, but these projections seem premature.
Flash back to last year, same [...]

NBA Proves Impact in China with Jersey Sales

It’s amazing to see the in-roads the NBA has made in China in the past generation. The league has a perennial All-Star from the world’s biggest country, is part of a deal with AEG to open basketball arena’s across the country, and operates an immensely successful business unit in NBA China. However, the list of [...]

NBA Superstars Talk Euroleague, Send Message To Stern

Josh Childress is one thing, LeBron James is a completely different story. Following Childress’ unprecedented move for an American player in his prime years signing to play in Europe, James and fellow current NBA royalty Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony openly welcomed the possibility of playing in Europe when they become free agents.
All three players [...]

Lebron Needs Help

Classic sudden death playoff games break one of two ways, the game creates a legend or a legend makes the game. Sunday, one legend and one superstar made the game. Forget Bird vs. Wilkins from ‘88, go back to Oscar Robertson and Sam Jones in 1963 to find the only other time two players scored [...]

Why Cavs Can Beat Boston

Two or three losses makes you think, at four its a steak, now Boston’s road problems are a troubling trend, following its fifth straight post-season road loss in Cleveland, evening up the Eastern Semifinal at two games apiece. Home-road dichotomy aside, the Celtics find themselves in trouble because they wilt under pressure.
Boston trailed by 3 [...]

For the Record: NBA Playoff Picks

This year’s NBA playoffs has it all – except the Knicks. Los Angeles and Boston at the forefront, All-Stars galore, to go along with the most competitive conference in league history. Lakers-Celtics is the NBA’s dream matchup, David Stern TV ratings and dollar signs float through his head just thinking about it. Unfortunately for the [...]