Expansion and making money is on the job description.
National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver’s world view seems to be this. I have a governor of a state, Washington, groveling and begging me to get NBA owners to say yes to putting an expansion team in Seattle. Mexico City, we love your pesos and we are using you as leverage in trying to pry more money out of Seattle backers to buy an NBA expansion franchise. And in Europe, we are going to be a predator and attempt with the governing body of basketball, FIBA, to steamroll the local basketball circuit, the EuroLeague, and start a better league and extract more money from customers, marketing partners, governments and television or video platforms. We will make more money than you could ever have imagined. Oh yes, the EuroLeague you can be part of this if you agree to our terms and thanks for all you have done.
Silver can act as the leader of a monopoly because no one is challenging the NBA’s role in the basketball industry. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson wants to see the NBA back in Seattle, a market that was abandoned in 2008 because the arena wasn’t up to NBA standards. The governor’s office released a statement following a meeting between Ferguson and Silver. “The Governor had another good conversation with Commissioner Adam Silver, and appreciates the ongoing dialogue about the potential for NBA expansion in Seattle. As the governor has made clear many times, he’s a diehard Sonics fan from childhood. He grew up attending Sonics games and the Lenny Wilkens Basketball Camp. He’s committed to bringing the Sonics home.” Silver dangled the possibility of granting Mexico City an expansion team then backtracked. Mexico City is not ready for an NBA franchise. The EuroLeague is planning an expansion in the battle over money.
Evan Weiner’s books are available at iTunes – https://books.apple.
Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
https://evanweiner1.substack.com
