Further reading
Posted March 21st, 2007 by bwindhorst
LeBron James is back, which means so am I writing about No. 23 on ESPN.com.
Also, I’m honored so share some space on the site today with Henry Abbott, the creator of Truehoop who has moved over to ESPN. The launch was today. I became aware of Truehoop in January of 2006 and quickly became a fan and recommended it on this blog many times. Hopefully some of you became fans, too, and got in on the ground floor. If not, check it out, it is great stuff on the NBA.
As long as I’m recommending things, today there was an interesting piece on Michael Jordan on Yahoo!. It explores potential evaluation advantages Jordan has because he conducts various camps for high school and college players. I think there’s another issue that isn’t explored in this piece, too. Jordan has his own brand with Nike that pays high-profile NBA stars to market the product. That is complex, especially when it comes to signing free agents who have or want shoe deals. The NBA has all sorts of rules on this — Dan Gilbert paid Rip Hamilton to endorse Rock Financial in Detroit after all — but it is still a unique set of circumstances.
March 21st, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Mr. Windhorst,
Great article and keep up the good work. You did not, however, mention me nearly enough. Will you be writing a follow up article for espn about my switch to point guard? The world hopes so…
- Larry H.
March 21st, 2007 at 8:54 pm
Yeah, I noticed a few weeks ago that Abbott had sold his soul to Disney. A guy’s gotta make a living, I guess. Even if it eventually compromises his journalistic intergrity. Oh, well. I liked his old site while it lasted, anyway.
March 21st, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Whoops. I meant integrity. I’m not sure what intergrity is.
March 23rd, 2007 at 5:45 am
I didn’t see any footnotes at the end of your espn article referencing me, given that I started writing/ripping on LBJ months ago, when it was unfashionable. Must have been omitted in the editing process. I don’t mind having my thoughts ripped off by our local b-ball writer, it provides a vehicle for my insightful comments to be broadcast to the rest of the world. Intellectual property is a tricky issue.
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:26 am
Who gives a damn if Jordan has access to communicate with players, and other front offices don’t? Precisely what competitive advantage does he actually receive? Are the Bobcats going to get extra high draft picks because a sharp-dressed has-been that Abe Pollin dumped like a turd is now running the player personnel show in Charlotte? Jordan will get absolutely nothing that a simple ping-pong ball isn’t going to deliver. It’s a lot to do about nothing.