2017 Offseason Thread

[The 24th Letter]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

It depends on what we're talking about...as far as growing your brand- LA is LA...that doesn't change- it'd be crazy to think there arent more opportunities out there. Kevin Durant is already out there knee deep on Silicon valley amongst other things- there was just an Undefeated article about all the ventures hes now getting into...its not always the stuff you see commercials for...

That doesn't mean he was out there in OKC only able to get an A1 steak sauce endorsement, like any other megastar- that stuff will find them. In his case its icing on the cake...for him it was a basketball decision first.

I think thats the case for most top tier guys- I cant it see it being THE determining factor in a destination...maybe for your 2nd/3rd tier guys- but its most definitely a factor in some cases..

[Boltman]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

That big market/small market thing isn't as big of a factor like it used to be.

It seems like every few months we address this on OS. I'm positive we've all read this here before.

Your statement is correct and hasn't changed since the last few times it's come up.

It's not even that someone keeps bringing it up on OS. It's usually an article that states to the contrary that gets everyone here worked up. This recent one was Woj regarding CP3.

Apparently even guys like Woj aren't up to speed on this small market / big market thing nowadays.

[dsallupinyaarea]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

I don't wanna be "that guy" but I'm gonna be "that guy"....

Y'all really think y'all know NBA markets and their impacts on endorsements/business opportunities better than Woj? Seems like a tad bit of hubris.

[NYJets]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

Those guys are big and all, but doesn't part of you think if they were in a bigger market, they'd actually be bigger than they currently are? In this superstar league, the superstars can transcend their market. But it doesn't mean they can't be bigger than they already are.

I agree. Just look at how Porzingis got so popular immediately. Meanwhile a guy like Jokic who has probably surpassed him at this point you barely hear of. Anthony Davis? I mean he's well known, people know he's a star, but I don't think of him as a guy with this huge "brand." He absolutely would have that in a big market.

For me, Lebron is an exception. He was being talked about as the next Jordan when he was in high school, so he was going to grow a huge brand anywhere. Nobody else really has that, even the elite guys.

I think maybe the media within the big markets as sometimes overrated its impact. Writers for the local papers writing that every free agent is going to come there because "OMG itz New York!!!" But I don't think a guy like Woj is overrating it at all.

[King_B_Mack]

2017 Offseason Thread

For lower tier free agents sure it can help you as far as local endorsements (it's better to be JJ Redick playing in LA than Matthew Dellavedova playing in Milwaukee) and being available more readily for business meetings and the like but if you're a star player in the league choosing a new team, what exactly don't you have access to? Karl Anthony Towns is trotting out Jack Links commercials left and right out of Minnesota. Westbrook has no shortage of business opportunities in Oklahoma City. If this were 1990 where every cell phone/tablet in the league weren't capable of video conferencing calls, etc. then you might have a point for dudes that are in the 25 million dollar+ a year club needing to be in LA or NY to build their brand but in 2017 that simply isn't a necessity any more. Especially when guys just head on out to LA and New York in the offseason any way.


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[Fresh Tendrils]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

And the local business ventures shouldn't be that much different either. As much as these guys travel creating business contacts in other cities around the country should be fairly easy.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

There's a difference between saying 'Gordon Hayward is definitely willing to join the rebuilding Lakers in his prime because of marketing opportunities in Los Angeles.', which is clearly nonsense, and what Woj said...the maximum salary amount and the additional opportunities LA provides is a legitimate reason CP3 could be comfortable staying in LA. Woj has been around the league and players a long time...its not crap being thrown against the wall here. This is how 'Swaggy P' gets an Adidas deal in his 11th year in the league averaging 7 points...

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

I don't wanna be "that guy" but I'm gonna be "that guy"....

Y'all really think y'all know NBA markets and their impacts on endorsements/business opportunities better than Woj? Seems like a tad bit of hubris.

Meh, it's no different than folks playing Armchair GM/Coach and acting like they know more than the actual Coaches/GMs.

It depends on what we're talking about...as far as growing your brand- LA is LA...that doesn't change- it'd be crazy to think there arent more opportunities out there. Kevin Durant is already out there knee deep on Silicon valley amongst other things- there was just an Undefeated article about all the ventures hes now getting into...its not always the stuff you see commercials for...

That's true but for the bolded part, that goes with what I was saying about the Big Market/Small Market not really being a factor/advantage.

If guys are still going to these places like LA/NY/Miami(this might be an exception since no state tax)and living there for the offseason, then that's one less advatange those cities have as far as the bolded point goes.

There's a difference between saying 'Gordon Hayward is definitely willing to join the rebuilding Lakers in his prime because of marketing opportunities in Los Angeles.', which is clearly nonsense, and what Woj said...the maximum salary amount and the additional opportunities LA provides is a legitimate reason CP3 could be comfortable staying in LA. Woj has been around the league and players a long time...its not crap being thrown against the wall here. This is how 'Swaggy P' gets an Adidas deal in his 11th year in the league averaging 7 points...

I think it's been known that it would always come down to money, as it would with MOST FAs. But as we've also seen over the last 5-6 years(at least since the last lockout), players aren't afraid to turn down that extra money.

I think in Paul's case, he'll stay because of the money but will also seriously consider leaving. I never got the impression that marketing/advertising is big to him like it is to Blake. Matter of fact, Blake will probably be first test to this theory since he's a FA as well and if the LA allure is still as strong like we think it is, then that should be enough to keep him there.

[King_B_Mack]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

There's a difference between saying 'Gordon Hayward is definitely willing to join the rebuilding Lakers in his prime because of marketing opportunities in Los Angeles.', which is clearly nonsense, and what Woj said...the maximum salary amount and the additional opportunities LA provides is a legitimate reason CP3 could be comfortable staying in LA. Woj has been around the league and players a long time...its not crap being thrown against the wall here. This is how 'Swaggy P' gets an Adidas deal in his 11th year in the league averaging 7 points...

Believe me I know Woj and love him like everyone else, I'm always singing his praises so this isn't calling him out or ****ting on him or anything but I don't really agree with advertising being the factor he's making it out to be and I'm speaking in general on people's obsession with this marketing point. The facts are there. If it was as important as it's always stated then the last major free agent signing between the two most important marketing/business spots in the league wouldn't be Shaq all the way back in 1996.

As for Swaggy P, dude doesn't even have a signature deal, he didn't need to be in LA to sign on to Adidas man. Brandon Knight and Tony Snell of the top of my head have Adidas deals.


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[wco81]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

There's a difference between saying 'Gordon Hayward is definitely willing to join the rebuilding Lakers in his prime because of marketing opportunities in Los Angeles.', which is clearly nonsense, and what Woj said...the maximum salary amount and the additional opportunities LA provides is a legitimate reason CP3 could be comfortable staying in LA. Woj has been around the league and players a long time...its not crap being thrown against the wall here. This is how 'Swaggy P' gets an Adidas deal in his 11th year in the league averaging 7 points...

If Hayward was on the Lakers and was the leading scorer of a team that won 50 games, maybe he would have a higher media profile than if he remains in Utah.

That could have led to some national endorsements.

But KP doesn't have a national endorsement does he?

[wwharton]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

If Hayward was on the Lakers and was the leading scorer of a team that won 50 games, maybe he would have a higher media profile than if he remains in Utah.

That could have led to some national endorsements.

But KP doesn't have a national endorsement does he?

I think the key here TODAY (this was different 20 years ago as mentioned by a few) is the team winning 50 games.

Honestly, the only remaining advantage I see for teams like the Lakers and Knicks is the air time they get despite under-performing. But that's not a location thing because the Nets don't enjoy that, and even though they've been consistently "good" for years now, the Clippers really don't either.

But teams start putting out winners they'll get more air time, and with more air time comes more endorsements. We can talk up Silicon Valley now but before Curry was drafted no one would suggest the Bay Area is a place to play to benefit from endorsement deals.

[The 24th Letter]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

We can talk up Silicon Valley now but before Curry was drafted no one would suggest the Bay Area is a place to play to benefit from endorsement deals.

I would.The Bay Area has been a top market city in many different designations for quite some time quite some time now, right after LA...nothing new...we just talk about this kind of thing now.

Like I said before though, I highly doubt any top tier athelete is heading west for that fact alone.....but its most definitelty a perk.

[ProfessaPackMan]

2017 Offseason Thread

I would.The Bay Area has been a top market city in many different designations for quite some time quite some time now, right after LA...nothing new...we just talk about this kind of thing now.

I know for IT, Silicon Valley has always been THE spot to go, along with Houston and the DMV. If you had money and wanted to get into that, it'd be there or Houston.

But NY, Chicago, LA, Philly, Boston and DC have pretty much always been the pecking order for top sports markets for years. After that, you'd have the Texas Markets(Houston/Dallas)followed by San Francisco

But even before YouTube, Google, Tech Start ups, etc blowing up(which happened right around mid 2000s)very few athletes weren't flocking to San Fran and that's mainly because they weren't taking an interest in IT and Silicon Valley like they are now. With it blowing up now and seeing the money people have made from there over the last few years, it's definitely a perk that's good to have now.

Also gotta remember that back then, it still had the stigma of being known as a city where Homosexuality was a VERY big deal(nowadays, it's not even as big of an issue as it used to be)and it used to be hard to convince young, black athletes to come there because they didn't be around it. Now that it's pretty much been accepted, it plays a very little factor, as it should.

[wwharton]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

I would.The Bay Area has been a top market city in many different designations for quite some time quite some time now, right after LA...nothing new...we just talk about this kind of thing now.

Like I said before though, I highly doubt any top tier athelete is heading west for that fact alone.....but its most definitelty a perk.

I think you're missing what I'm saying (and I think we're basically on the same page... as is Pack, so his last post is a sidebar to what I'm saying too).

The argument of players going to teams because of their location (in 2017) holds little weight. When we talk of "exposure" the only thing that matters these days is game exposure which, outside of the Lakers, Celtics and Knicks, is tied to teams winning. I bring up SF because before the Warriors got on their current run, they weren't considered a top destination by up and coming free agents (or established stars). They didn't become a hot location for tech savvy entrepreneurs in the NBA. Like you said, it's a perk to add to the other more relevant reasons free agents would go there now.

As mentioned before (and especially when it comes to tech), players don't need to be in SF to network, have meetings, take pitches, pitch ideas, etc.

[King_B_Mack]

Re: 2017 Offseason Thread

I think you're missing what I'm saying (and I think we're basically on the same page... as is Pack, so his last post is a sidebar to what I'm saying too).



The argument of players going to teams because of their location (in 2017) holds little weight. When we talk of "exposure" the only thing that matters these days is game exposure which, outside of the Lakers, Celtics and Knicks, is tied to teams winning. I bring up SF because before the Warriors got on their current run, they weren't considered a top destination by up and coming free agents (or established stars). They didn't become a hot location for tech savvy entrepreneurs in the NBA. Like you said, it's a perk to add to the other more relevant reasons free agents would go there now.



As mentioned before (and especially when it comes to tech), players don't need to be in SF to network, have meetings, take pitches, pitch ideas, etc.

Pretty much what I was saying. All that stuff doesn't require guys to need to live in LA or NY to accomplish. For starters pretty much none of them are doing this alone so they have their agents or business manager/partners who are in LA or NY or wherever handling the brunt of the day to day stuff and they just link up through phone calls, text, email, video conferencing etc.

I get what 24 is saying and I'm not saying it isn't a perk to if you're signing somewhere I just don't think guys are putting much weight into that train of thought when making the decision.


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