WT: Heisley - "I know very little."

[AdamIsSoBaked]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/21 ... ave_Season

Michael Heisley, owner of the Grizzlies, spoke publicly on Wednesday about the NBA lockout.

"I know very little. I'm not on the negotiating committee so I can only tell you that I think on both sides -- all of us -- hope we have a season," Heisley told a crowd in the Holiday Inn at the University of Memphis. "The players want to play. The owners want to play. It's a difficult negotiation. But they are all working very hard."

The NBA prohibits owners, and team and league personnel from commenting on the lockout.

"I've been through a number of negotiations (in business)," Heisley said. "It's a tough process."
Via Memphis Commercial Appeal

Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/21 ... z1cqPoVA4a

I found this funny so I thought I'd share.. How involved with the team do you think Heisley is? I think he watches the games not too closely and lets his subordinates handle everything, aside from the occasional situation where he feels he has to step in (like Xavier Henry's contract negotiation) due to his lack of Basketball knowledge.

[vanjulio]

Heisley watches every single game and probably is one of the actual biggest true Grizzlies fans there are in the world from what I read. This actually has hurt us in the past because of his huge fanaticism, he kind of has stepped in at times, or at least it is rumored on all basketball decisions. We all believed that the Thabeet pick was Heisley's call and he does take credit for it although he places some blame on the advice that other "great basketball minds" gave him on the pick.

Jerry West wasn't going to be bossed around but Chris Wallace is Heisley's man. If interested check out the Heisley interviews on Chris Vernon's show last season where he goes into details about his involvement and how he runs the organization. There is a very funny segment where Vernon berates him for having never read the CBA before. It's interesting to hear Heisley's take on it. You have to realize it is his team and the GM, the scouts, the coaches are all his employees and he is the "CEO" - he makes the final call based on their input mixed in with his business sense and his own gut instincts. Of course their input is going to be valued greatly but ultimately it's his decision on extending Zach Randolph, maxing out Rudy Gay, or signing Conley before he gets to free agency, etc.

He's kind of an old school guy but apparently has been a huge basketball fan for longer than the NBA even has been around. He's not a dummy though he sounds like one sometimes!
As far as managing the team itself I think Heisley has given more control to Hollins than previous coaches. Hollins has said it's his way or the highway before.

[GrizzledGrizzFan]

vanjulio pretty much sums it up. Heisley isn't a dummy, he only plays one sometimes running his franchise, although he was definitely ahead of the curb on dumping high dollar contracts preemptively to rebuild. The Pau trade still sucked for the Grizz, but in retrospect, it worked out really well. Marc, Z'bo and OJ wouldn't be here without the deal.

Anyway, I think Heisley's answer was mostly truthful and a way to escape getting put in the Sterno dog house for saying too much.