Does Stern's NBA have a problem?

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

A couple of guys in another thread posted great replies on a subject that got me thinking (uh-oh).

Not too long ago the NBA had major image problems involving violence (malice in the palace) & convicted referees accusing them of fixing games.

At the present time Isiah Thomas is allowed to coach a college team while being a NBA "consultant", Lebron James is allowed to play for one NBA team while creating problems for other NBA teams (CP3 & New Orleans) through his "marketing/ NBA player agent" business, and even though I appreciate what Jordan did for the Bulls he is allowed to own a NBA team while some college teams have endorsement deals with his Jordan brand (uniforms, shoes, etc...).

Throw in the opinion of a lot of ppl who believe there was a pre-planned agreement between the Miami Heat, D-Wade, LBJ, & Bosh.

Do the combination of these events show David Stern looking the other way while the NBA suffers a question of their integrity?

[GloriaJames]

A couple of guys in another thread posted great replies on a subject that got me thinking (uh-oh).

Not too long ago the NBA had major image problems involving violence (malice in the palace) & convicted referees accusing them of fixing games.

At the present time Isiah Thomas is allowed to coach a college team while being a NBA "consultant", Lebron James is allowed to play for one NBA team while creating problems for other NBA teams (CP3 & New Orleans) through his "marketing/ NBA player agent" business, and even though I appreciate what Jordan did for the Bulls he is allowed to own a NBA team while some college teams have endorsement deals with his Jordan brand (uniforms, shoes, etc...).

Throw in the opinion of a lot of ppl who believe there was a pre-planned agreement between the Miami Heat, D-Wade, LBJ, & Bosh.

Do the combination of these events show David Stern looking the other way while the NBA suffers a question of their integrity?

I don't see why either of these things matter

[boogydown]

I'm sure there are lot of problems. Some problems we never hear about. Things started to go down when Jordan retired.

Adding a league of superstar teams maybe able to bring that back the building blocks of the NBA in due time. While I dislike it, the direction the NBA is going is better than it was 10 years ago. Once the new contract changes are in, it will be even better.

[emperorjones]

IMO yes. I worked for a mega agent as an attorney for 3 years and ever since I've said that the league has moved closer to the WWF than the NFL when it comes to open and fair competition. I do not think games are fixed but i do believe the league is structured to an extent to insure certain teams always get the talent they need. Now throw in the Lebron/Wade summer fiasco and its going to be hard to believe that every team actually has a honest chance to compete.

[kyrv]

I think he does yes. Don't forget we had Donaghy for a league that for decades many people have routinely felt was fixed.

The blatant tampering and conflict of interest, well he doesn't appear to be in a rush to nip it in the bud.

I'm guessing some of this stuff will be covered in the upcoming CBA, which would explain a bit why Stern is just waiting and doing nothing. Well not really. Sorry Stern, tried to give you a pass but no, can't do it.

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

I think he does yes. Don't forget we had Donaghy for a league that for decades many people have routinely felt was fixed.

The blatant tampering and conflict of interest, well he doesn't appear to be in a rush to nip it in the bud.

I'm guessing some of this stuff will be covered in the upcoming CBA, which would explain a bit why Stern is just waiting and doing nothing. Well not really. Sorry Stern, tried to give you a pass but no, can't do it.

Exactly. It was you & transplant's great replies in the Isiah thread that made me really look at these issues & start this thread.

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

IMO yes. I worked for a mega agent as an attorney for 3 years and ever since I've said that the league has moved closer to the WWF than the NFL when it comes to open and fair competition. I do not think games are fixed but i do believe the league is structured to an extent to insure certain teams always get the talent they need. Now throw in the Lebron/Wade summer fiasco and its going to be hard to believe that every team actually has a honest chance to compete.

I agree

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

I'm sure there are lot of problems. Some problems we never hear about. Things started to go down when Jordan retired.

Adding a league of superstar teams maybe able to bring that back the building blocks of the NBA in due time. While I dislike it, the direction the NBA is going is better than it was 10 years ago. Once the new contract changes are in, it will be even better.

I hope so but IMO things look a lil bit shady with the un-fairness.

[CarMalone]

I still think the NBA has the best marketing in all of professional sports. How many MLB or NFL ads do most people recall? Those sports rely on sponsors such as TV networks to market their respective sports.

I travel overseas especially to China a lot and the NBA is by far the most popular North American sport there even before Yao Ming entered the league in 2002. Race is not seen as an issue there as evident by the fact that LeBron and Kobe jerseys far outsell Yao, Yi in China. In a country of 1.3 billion and the world's fastest growing economy, the NBA has a tremendous financial advantage over MLB, NHL, and the NFL.

[dougthonus]

IMO yes. I worked for a mega agent as an attorney for 3 years and ever since I've said that the league has moved closer to the WWF than the NFL when it comes to open and fair competition. I do not think games are fixed but i do believe the league is structured to an extent to insure certain teams always get the talent they need. Now throw in the Lebron/Wade summer fiasco and its going to be hard to believe that every team actually has a honest chance to compete.

Really?

The best markets for the NBA are probably LA, New York, Boston, and Chicago. Of the top 10 players in the NBA, how many play in those markets? Kobe in LA, and that was set up in the draft 15 years or so ago?

[The 6ft Hurdle]

Not too long ago the NBA had major image problems involving violence (malice in the palace) & convicted referees accusing them of fixing games.

At the present time Isiah Thomas is allowed to coach a college team while being a NBA "consultant", Lebron James is allowed to play for one NBA team while creating problems for other NBA teams (CP3 & New Orleans) through his "marketing/ NBA player agent" business, and even though I appreciate what Jordan did for the Bulls he is allowed to own a NBA team while some college teams have endorsement deals with his Jordan brand (uniforms, shoes, etc...).

Throw in the opinion of a lot of ppl who believe there was a pre-planned agreement between the Miami Heat, D-Wade, LBJ, & Bosh.

Do the combination of these events show David Stern looking the other way while the NBA suffers a question of their integrity?

[chadrucf]

Are we going to pretend Boston's big 3 weren't all top players a couple years ago, Doug?

(I'm not saying collusion had anything to do with that)

[emperorjones]

IMO yes. I worked for a mega agent as an attorney for 3 years and ever since I've said that the league has moved closer to the WWF than the NFL when it comes to open and fair competition. I do not think games are fixed but i do believe the league is structured to an extent to insure certain teams always get the talent they need. Now throw in the Lebron/Wade summer fiasco and its going to be hard to believe that every team actually has a honest chance to compete.

Really?

The best markets for the NBA are probably LA, New York, Boston, and Chicago. Of the top 10 players in the NBA, how many play in those markets? Kobe in LA, and that was set up in the draft 15 years or so ago?

Yes. I'm speaking specifically of the backroom (not arms length) planned/structured deals that were put in place to 1) make sure Kobe got to the Lakers, 2) Moved Shaq to the Lakers 3) Moved Allan Houston to NY when he wanted to stay in Detroit, 3) kept Mutumbo out of Detroit when he wanted to team up with G. Hill & Houston (done to protect the Bulls) 4) the attempt to move Morning Payton & J. Howard together to Miami until Abe Polin threated Stern that he would go on NBC live and expose the whole plan - the real reason Howard's contract was determined invalid. 5) Made sure Rex Chapman got paid under the table after he got screwed over in the Miami deal. This was done in an attempt to build 1 dominant team in the west (Lakers) one in the Florida/South (Miami), one in the east (NY), and maintain the Bulls dominance in the midwest. I was an NBA fanatic before this - meh after.

While I no longer work in that capacity, after seeing what I saw, its funny to me (in a sad WWF type of way) that Lebron ended up in Cleveland and Rose in Chicago - hometown heroes revitalize their local franchises. That the Lakers needed a big man & were GIVEN an All-Star when other teams offered more. That Boston got Allen & Garnett just like that *poof* its magic. That the league finally has its Super Team in Miami....etc. Maybe some of the more recent stuff is legit or coincidence, but I saw enough in the past to believe that I'm watching a script more than a league. But I don't think the league fixes games - I do think they change the refs in playoff games from game to game to influence outcome though.

[transplant]

I don't know about Stern, but I have a problem with 2 of the 3...I don't have a problem with Jordan's Nike endorsement deal.

I don't think any player or NBA team owner or management employee should be allowed to own a controlling interest in a sports representation firm. An agent needs to be completely client-focused. To do this, the agent's firm should have no other possible agenda that gets in the way of that focus.

On the Thomas thing, I hope I made myself clear in the other thread. A college head coach's allegiance needs to be to his university and his players. Receiving compensation from a NBA team is a clear conflict IMO. One example I gave in the other thread is the possibility that a college coach can "manage" the playing time of a NBA prospect to increase the likelihood that the NBA team can draft that player. As with all conflicts of interest, it's not a matter of whether a given person would actually act against the best interests of those to whom he owes his principal allegiance, but only that the opportunity to do so is there.

I can't remember any other college coach being a paid consultant of a NBA team. The fact that the first such case is Isiah freakin' Thomas, makes it doubly scary.

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

I don't know about Stern, but I have a problem with 2 of the 3...I don't have a problem with Jordan's Nike endorsement deal.

I don't think any player or NBA team owner or management employee should be allowed to own a controlling interest in a sports representation firm. An agent needs to be completely client-focused. To do this, the agent's firm should have no other possible agenda that gets in the way of that focus.

On the Thomas thing, I hope I made myself clear in the other thread. A college head coach's allegiance needs to be to his university and his players. Receiving compensation from a NBA team is a clear conflict IMO. One example I gave in the other thread is the possibility that a college coach can "manage" the playing time of a NBA prospect to increase the likelihood that the NBA team can draft that player. As with all conflicts of interest, it's not a matter of whether a given person would actually act against the best interests of those to whom he owes his principal allegiance, but only that the opportunity to do so is there.

I can't remember any other college coach being a paid consultant of a NBA team. The fact that the first such case is Isiah freakin' Thomas, makes it doubly scary.

Good point on the Isiah thing but I will take it a step further hypothetically.
That franchise will have a better chance than others to land that prospect one way or another. If they somehow don't line things up correctly in the draft & miss him, then 3yrs later guess which franchise has the best shot at signing him?

I know it sounds like a "conspiracy", but this is what happens when there is such a clear conflict of interest.

[transplant]

I don't know about Stern, but I have a problem with 2 of the 3...I don't have a problem with Jordan's Nike endorsement deal.

I don't think any player or NBA team owner or management employee should be allowed to own a controlling interest in a sports representation firm. An agent needs to be completely client-focused. To do this, the agent's firm should have no other possible agenda that gets in the way of that focus.

On the Thomas thing, I hope I made myself clear in the other thread. A college head coach's allegiance needs to be to his university and his players. Receiving compensation from a NBA team is a clear conflict IMO. One example I gave in the other thread is the possibility that a college coach can "manage" the playing time of a NBA prospect to increase the likelihood that the NBA team can draft that player. As with all conflicts of interest, it's not a matter of whether a given person would actually act against the best interests of those to whom he owes his principal allegiance, but only that the opportunity to do so is there.

I can't remember any other college coach being a paid consultant of a NBA team. The fact that the first such case is Isiah freakin' Thomas, makes it doubly scary.

Good point on the Isiah thing but I will take it a step further hypothetically.
That franchise will have a better chance than others to land that prospect one way or another. If they somehow don't line things up correctly in the draft & miss him, then 3yrs later guess which franchise has the best shot at signing him?

I know it sounds like a "conspiracy", but this is what happens when there is such a clear conflict of interest.

Can't support you on that theory.

In order to engineer where a player goes in the draft, a college HC must act in a manner contrary to the player's best interests (probably by limiting playing time). Once that player is drafted by another team, he's likely to hate his former coach for costing him money (as he should). Actually, in this case, the LAST team he'd want to sign with is the one his college HC whores (sorry, consults) for.

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

I don't know about Stern, but I have a problem with 2 of the 3...I don't have a problem with Jordan's Nike endorsement deal.

I don't think any player or NBA team owner or management employee should be allowed to own a controlling interest in a sports representation firm. An agent needs to be completely client-focused. To do this, the agent's firm should have no other possible agenda that gets in the way of that focus.

On the Thomas thing, I hope I made myself clear in the other thread. A college head coach's allegiance needs to be to his university and his players. Receiving compensation from a NBA team is a clear conflict IMO. One example I gave in the other thread is the possibility that a college coach can "manage" the playing time of a NBA prospect to increase the likelihood that the NBA team can draft that player. As with all conflicts of interest, it's not a matter of whether a given person would actually act against the best interests of those to whom he owes his principal allegiance, but only that the opportunity to do so is there.

I can't remember any other college coach being a paid consultant of a NBA team. The fact that the first such case is Isiah freakin' Thomas, makes it doubly scary.

Good point on the Isiah thing but I will take it a step further hypothetically.
That franchise will have a better chance than others to land that prospect one way or another. If they somehow don't line things up correctly in the draft & miss him, then 3yrs later guess which franchise has the best shot at signing him?

I know it sounds like a "conspiracy", but this is what happens when there is such a clear conflict of interest.

Can't support you on that theory.

In order to engineer where a player goes in the draft, a college HC must act in a manner contrary to the player's best interests (probably by limiting playing time). Once that player is drafted by another team, he's likely to hate his former coach for costing him money (as he should). Actually, in this case, the LAST team he'd want to sign with is the one his college HC whores (sorry, consults) for.

I knew that you couldn't and wouldn't. That's why I used the word "conspiracy".
It just blows my mind how Isiah & the Knicks are able to get away with it without ppl (excluding you & a couple others on this site) questioning the conflict of interest.