THE SPORT COUNT

Cuban totally gets Europe.

That whole ‘bloggers out of the locker room‘ thing was clearly ridiculous, but Mark Cuban is capable of absolutely nailing it when it comes to the business of sport. Right now, Europe looks more enemy (‘no LeBron in the NBA? What?! I’ll kill you mothe –’) than friend, but Cuban can see the bigger picture*:

Let’s say for the sake of example a couple players got 25mm, 50mm or whatever a year pay and they play on teams that just dominate. They rip apart every team they face. What happens next? People wonder who the best teams in the world are. When that discussion becomes serious, the NBA and those winning overseas teams get paid. European Soccer has done a phenomenal job of inventing tournaments that drive huge revenues and TV dollars.

This would allow the NBA to do the same thing. Take a Christmas break, or do it in the summer, where the top 6 records in the league play the top 6 teams over there, with the revenues from the event being split primarily among the participant teams rather than equally among all NBA teams. Not only would that be a great revenue source for all the teams involved, but it would create a huge economic incentive for the other 24NBA teams and all overseas team to become top tier teams.

Then of course we could create our own World Cup type tournament every 4 years. ALL of this could open the door to create more NBA owned competition. I’m not saying it would be easy or automatic. Quite a few parties that dont always see eye to eye would have to come to agreement, But the timing for all of that is right and its an amazing opportunity for players, leagues and teams alike.

You can see that panning out, right? It’s totally possible. And if more quality basketball tournaments around the world could potentially lead to less bloody Euro soccer (not football) on ESPN Asia (‘That’s Smyth with a ‘Y’? I get it!!‘), I’m all for it.

The Hawks re-signed Josh Smith: It was always going to happen. For all his odd mistakes and occasionally unfocused play, Smith fits in perfectly at the young Hawks (Horford and Smith after a year playing together? That’s a good frontcourt). Atlanta did well on the financial front by letting the free agency bear market set the price. I’m just a little bummed that the Grizzlies couldn’t get him; imagine Conley, Mayo, Gay, Josh Smith, and Hakim Warrick as a smallball starting line-up. I’d lose hundreds betting on Memphis wins that never come, just because I’d love watching them play.

I’m a fan of the Sports Illustrated vaults: 1997, before the rings came, and a young rookie from the Virgin Islands met the Admiral, and they discussed Einstein’s theory of relativity. One year earlier and Utah’s pick-and-roll show is having troubles against the young Reign Man and his sidekick, The Glove.

Quick reads: Kwame Brown on his move to the Pistons: ‘You don’t know me! Shuuut up! You don’t know me! You don’t know me!!’ … I hope you saw Andrei Kirilenko at the Olympic opening ceremony, because he was dressed like an inmate in a criminal rehabilitation centre owned and operated by Willy Wonka. Here he is on Ball Don’t Lie … It’s not that new, but the latest Funston Big Board is worth a read. Also, I really like saying ‘Funston Big Board.’

Posted By: Anton

*Homes, trust he done seen it, from Frankfurt to Cologne, Oslo to Sweden.