Money makes the world go around , but in the NBA world it does help , just as much as it hinders …..
No amount of pontificating can hide the fact the NBA off-season was of no real surprise to fans around the league . Certainly, the expectation around this environment was that there would be a great deal of player movement with contracts being bought out, as well as new deals being negotiated after a flurry of free agent movement and their being some rather rewarding deals for a number of players in question . Teams said to be showing a great deal of interest in a number of the premiere free agents , were either able to get their man or they were not . The fact of the matter is, , many of these franchises simply had to make do with what was at their disposal. The biggest misnomer at present , it appears that from all of the reading I have done within this forum is the very fact that fans are of the belief the general managers and team owners can simply go out this off-season and spend capriciously on players as they hope to bolster their team rosters .
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Slideshow .
One of the biggest falsehoods does appear to be , and certainly was overlooked by a patron, who seemed to be under the impression that teams simply exceeding the NBA`s soft salary cap could simply go about bypassing that edict without any real fear of any major repercussions . As true as that may well seem , at the end of the day , it does go a great deal further than simply affecting the economic landscape of the league . The Los Angeles Lakers this off-season will have to pay the league hierarchy in excess of $31 million in luxury taxes , having gone over the soft cap by the aforementioned figure. Bear in mind that the cap was set at a figure of $58.044 million . It is all well and good to make assumptions about what teams are able to do , but if you are not prepared to delve deeper and make a case as to the pros and cons for your argument . Then, it simply does not make sense to proceed with that premise . To merely suggest that because a team as a billionaire owner and that they can afford to throw money at an issue, simply states nothing by way of making one`s case .
Of the three highest spending teams of this past season , the Miami Heat , Los Angeles Lakers , Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks were amongst the top ten franchises with the largest team payrolls . Granted , those franchises do reside in the top twenty-five largest ad-markets in the nation , thereby by realizing advertising revenue not often gleaned by their much smaller counterparts . Yet, herein, lies the caveat and misnomer that has been repeatedly sold to the fans and press in general by David Stern . The NBA commissioner has said , that the league as a whole, is on a sound economical footing by way of its revenues , but he has shown no proof of that in terms of his teams` profitability , or the fact that the league`s finances have never been opened up to public scrutiny . Are we to take David Stern at his word, when he makes such pronouncements or would you rather see the evidence for yourself ?
One of the things I do not believe that fans are genuinely are aware of , is how the salary cap actually works and what is actually allowed by way of its structuring . Teams seeking to exceed the cap, are penalized, a dollar for dollar amount for each dollar they go over the soft cap and the likelihood of any changes, are now a certainty. Now one should now bear in mind, that the league will be increasing that figure for the upcoming season, from $1-00 (one dollar) to $1-50 for every dollar over the cap , and that is most certainly based on whether or not that salary cap figure is raised . So for a team , now with a payroll of $ 85 million , the luxury tax that would be paid for this past season would be $27 million . If coming into the 2013-14 season , a team`s payroll still exceeded that cap figure , and was in line with last season`s payroll , then their upcoming luxury tax liability (burden) would be raised by an additional 50% over their previous season`s figure. Therefore, for a team, with a prospective payroll of $105 million , the tax burden would be just over $70 million. For a number of the larger franchises that figure may not seem a great deal to be worried about , but for a mid to small-market team whose revenues are at best minimal , it can eat into their bottom line (profits) .
The assumption that teams are able to manager their finances and be profitable can be built around certain premises . Personally , I would like to believe that the owners and general managers are indeed business men with actual acumen . Yet, that is by no means true, and that a case can be made that the league has allowed many of its franchises to actually skirt many of the basic rules of accounting to meet their own financial goals . Rules, that were they applied in a proper business environment , within the public sector would have the IRS , SEC (Securities & Exchange Commission) and US Justice Department subpoenaing those very same corporate entities .
Now a great deal was made of the fact that Dwight Howard left the Los Angeles Lakers to sign with the Houston Rockets , taking far less money than what would have been likely offered by his former team (six-years ___ $120 million) . Well, given the fact that Howard`s performances with the Lakers throughout much of their season was certainly nondescript in nature , and the very fact that he and Kobe Bryant were never once on the same page . It should not really come as a great surprise concerning the player`s abrupt departure . Lakers` fans may well be lamenting the departure of a player who in essence, never really fit into the team`s system of play , or that head coach , Mike D`Antoni was never really sure of the role he wanted of the center .
Overtures from the Lakers` front office led by Mitch Kupchak and team President Jim Buss , pretty much showed how desperate the franchise was said to in seeking to retain an unhappy player , in Dwight Howard. Personally , I believe that if the executives within the front office were not intelligent to see that for themselves at first glance , then it simply indicated the naiveté shown by both Kupchak and Jim Buss ! Where the Lakers now go from here is anyone`s guess at this juncture .
Money may well be of no object to a Lakers` organization rich in its history and still beloved by fans across the NBA panacea. That being said, the future remains uncertain, especially when one bears in mind that Kobe Bryant`s presence with this franchise is at best no more than two years at the most. This somewhat asinine talk, especially amongst NBA analysts who seem to be insisting that in 2014 the Los Angeles Lakers will make a serious bid to lure one of the marquee free agents to the city of Angels.
Cap friendly or not, it seems highly unlikely that LeBron James would seek to leave Miami to make for the lure of the West Coast . Image is everything and then again it can mean absolutely nothing, but James` legacy is already set, given his astonishing career so far. Of the other upper echelon free agents, the only other player that would perhaps fit the parameters sought for the franchise , might well be Carmelo Anthony . Yet, here again, we have a player who seems to fit in with the New York lifestyle and seemingly, the fans there, have made the player feel welcomed . Never mind the fact that he remains the cornerstone of what Mike Woodson and GM Glen Grunwald seek to achieve in bring the New York Knicks their first NBA title since 1973 .
The New York Knicks for their part have made the moves that team owner , James Dolan must believe will make the franchise a force to be reckoned with this upcoming season . To my mind, I believe that the team under-achieved last season , as a great deal more was expected of the players . As to the idiocy of observers, who felt that the Knicks were simply great . Then my question for them would be, explain to me the team’s lackluster and downright insipid performances in the postseason ? The fans and media within New York City expected a great deal more than they observed from the team .
Coming into the 2013-14 season , it remains to be seen whether or not this team in its current guise will be able to surpass the efforts of last year . Mike Woodson knows that a great deal is expected of the franchise in spite of the disappointments of last season. . The additions of Metta World Peace and Andrea Bargnani may well add some stability of what can be best be described as uneven defensive unit from last year. With the core of the roster primarily built around Carmelo Antony , Tyson Chandler , J R Smith , Chris Copeland and Iman Shumpert . It should be very interesting to see whether or not the team will be able to get the better of Eastern Conference titlist and reigning NBA champions the Miami Heat .
Call me naïve, but whatever is now said to be going on inside of the head of Brooklyn Nets owner` , Mikhail Prokhorov . It now seems to becoming abundantly clear that he is prepared to win by almost any means necessary . It would appear that last season`s Brooklyn Nets payroll of $89 million , and the team`s failing during the postseason was not enough to subside his yearning taste to win . With the acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce , along with a rookie head coach in Jason Kidd and entirely new coaching staff . It would appear that this time around, Prokhorov will be intent on breaking the bank , as the franchise seeks to win their first NBA title . A luxury tax payment of $31 million for the past season alone , may well seem like a drop in the bucket for the Russian billionaire , whose estimated fortune comes in at around $13 billion , placing him in the upper echelons of the world`s 200 wealthiest individuals .
Courtesy of Forbes Magazine
Can Brooklyn Nets Wrestle New York From Knicks With Record $180 Million Team ?
By Kurt Badenhausen , Forbes Staff
The Brooklyn Nets shocked the NBA last month when the team swung a trade with the Boston Celtics to acquire Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry. The trio arrives in New York with championship rings, 25 combined All-Star game appearances, MVP and Sixth Man of the Year awards, as well as countless other accolades. The group was introduced Thursday at a press conference at the Barclays BCS +2.11% Center. Nets’ owner Mikhail Prokhorov made a surprise appearance after jetting in from Moscow and he made it clear what his expectations are. “I will [only] be proud when we win the championship,” Prokhorov said. “For me there is only one place: First place.”
Prokhorov has his sights set on the championship trophy, but he still has to get by the New York Knicks on and off the court. The Nets closed the gap in both areas with their NYC rivals last season. The Knicks, owned by Madison Square Garden Co., finished first in the Atlantic Division and the Nets were only five games behind. The Nets were 14 games back during the 2011-12 lockout season.
The move to Brooklyn dramatically improved the team’s financial fortunes. Attendance jumped 53% last season at ticket prices 50% higher than the Nets’ last year in New Jersey. The Nets moved from last in the league in attendance to 16th. TV ratings increased an NBA-best 210% last season for Brooklyn game on the YES Network.
Despite the huge improvement on financial metrics, the Nets still lag the Knicks in terms of their fan base. Ratings for Knicks’ games on MSG–up 71% as the team captured its first division crown in 19 years–were more than triple those of the Nets. Despite the hoopla surrounding the opening of the Barclays Center, the Nets still had empty seats during games and played to a 95% 97% capacity for the year. Most elite teams in big markets, like the Knicks, sell-out every game. The Knicks are riding a three-year sell-out streak at prices twice as high as Brooklyn. The Knicks led the NBA’s ranking of merchandise sales last season and forward Carmelo Anthony had the top jersey. The Nets ranked fourth with their new black and white color scheme (the rankings are skewed towards NYC teams since they are based on sales at the NBA Store on Fifth Ave and NBAStore.com).
The Nets already have topped the Knicks in one area for next season. Las Vegas has the Nets odds to win the 2014 NBA Championship at 12/1 after the Boston trade and addition of free agent Andrei Kirilenko, versus 22/1 for the Knicks.
Prokhorov is taking unprecedented steps with his payroll this year to reach his championship goal. The team’s payroll will likely clock in around $103 million, including Travis Outlaw who was amnestied (the Nets must pay Outlaw’s $4 million salary, but he does not count for luxury tax purposes). The payroll is not a record, but the league’s new, more punitive luxury tax will result in a tax bill of close to $80 million. The $180 million team breaks the record set by the Knicks in 2005-06 when they had a $126 million payroll and $37.2 million in luxury taxes (the final payroll cost was reduced when the Knicks received $16 million in insurance money for Allan Houston who retired due to injury).
Prokhorov’s spending is reminiscent of Paul Allen’s run 10 years ago with the Portland Trail Blazers. Allen racked up $81 million in luxury tax bills over two seasons between 2002 and 2004. His 2002-2003 team had a payroll and tax cost of $157 million as he chased a championship (the Blazers lost in the first round of the playoffs). The Trail Blazers did not have the revenues to meet the huge payrolls. Allen racked up massive losses and the team’s arena entered bankruptcy in 2004. The team lost $85 million during the 2002-03 season by Forbes’ count in our annual look at the business of basketball.
The Nets are potentially headed for similar losses for the 2013-14 season. On top of the $180 payroll/tax cost, the Nets will spend in the ballpark of $65 million to run the team and operate the Barclays Center, and that does not include the interest on the debt to build the arena. Only the Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers had revenues of more than $200 million last season. The Nets say they have sold $3 million in season tickets since the announcement of the Boston trade, but even with an extended playoff run, they are unlikely to hit $200 million in revenue. Prokhorov’s losses will likely top $50 million this year. Prokhorov, like Allen before him, can certainly afford it. They are the two richest owners in the NBA worth $15 billion (Allen) and $13 billion (Prokhorov).
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The Nets` inaugural move last season into their new , the palatial Barclays Center in Brooklyn , New York does add luster to the franchise`s image . As to the on-court product , well that is built upon the premise and predication that fans are willing to see the skill-set of Deron Williams , Joe Johnson , Brook Lopez , Gerald Wallace and Marshon Brooks to go alongside the seasoned veterans Garnett and Pierce .
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Picture gallery .
It seems ridiculous that anyone would be of the impression , simply because a franchise has a billionaire owner who is willing to spend money , it creates the perception that the owner is quite prepared to carry on losing come what may . The Brooklyn Nets in the past three seasons have paid in excess of $120 million to the league hierarchy in luxury tax fees , without even having a sniff of the NBA title within their proximity . And when one bears in mind the franchise’s profitability is comes into question , because of the wayward spending because of a burgeoning payroll . It does beg the question, if teams are not prepared to grow organically by way the talent they draft or by prudent acquisition via trades. In reality, are the only means left ________ is it to simply to go out and spend tens of millions of dollars , with no apparent guarantee of success ? Your thoughts on this and anything else you believe pertinent . Simply chime in with a comment as you see fit.
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Picture and slideshow gallery details below .
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(1) HOUSTON, TX – JULY 13, 2013: Dwight Howard (12) is introduced as the newest Rocket by Rockets Owner Leslie Alexander and coach Kevin McHale . Dwight Howard smiles while he speaks with the media on July 13, 2013 at The Toyota Center Houston, Texas. The center left the Los Angeles Lakers as an unrestricted free agent to sign a five-year $ 88 million deal with the Rockets` franchise . A deal engineered by GM Daryl Morey with the seal of approval coming from team owner Leslie Alexander . Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images …
(2) LOS ANGELES, CA – APRIL 28: Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers, sidelined due to an injury, looks on from the bench as his teammates play the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2013 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center on April 28, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images …
(3) NBA Commissioner David Stern , left is seen here with Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver , as they answer questions posed from the convened press . Silver is due to succeed Stern as the next NBA Commissioner in February 2014 . The succession will put an end to Stern`s almost tree-decade long reign , during which the NBA`s presence has become a global phenomenon and a multi-billion dollar enterprise with offices in Europe , Latin America , the Far East and Sub-Saharan Africa . The league`s largest growth areas in the past decade have been in China and Southern Africa . Zimbio & Getty Images North America / Bryce Mitchell …
(4)New York Knicks` Tim Hardaway Jr ., left, looks to drive against New Orleans Pelicans’ Brian Roberts in the third quarter of an NBA Summer League game , Friday, July 12, 2013, in Las Vegas. Hardaway was the Knicks` first round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft , and also the son of former NBA star Tim Hardaway . AP Photo/Julie Jacobson ..
(5) New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony (7) tries to drive past Indiana Pacers’ Paul George (24) during the first half of Game 6 of an Eastern Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff series Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Indianapolis. AP Photo/Darron Cummings …
(6) Brooklyn Nets players, from left, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry , pose for photographers with their new jerseys during an NBA basketball news conference, Thursday, July 18, 2013 at Barlcays Center in New York. The Nets introduced the trio they acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer ….
(7) Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd, left, Kevin Garnett, second from left, Paul Pierce, second from right, and Jason Terry, right greet team owner Mikhail Prokhorov, center, as he arrives at an NBA basketball news conference, Thursday, July 18, 2013, at Barlcays Center in New York. The Nets introduced their newest players, Garnett, Pierce and Terry, whom they acquired in a trade with the Boston Celtics. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer ….
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tophatal …………….
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NBA divisional standings and conference standings (2012-13)
NBA team payrolls for this past season
NBA free agents (2013) and free agents in 2014
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Tophatal's Blog 
The Brooklyn Nets` owner and his front office are now like the US Federal government . They actually believe that they can spend their way out of trouble . I guess that`s why Barack Obama and Mikhail Prokhorov could very well have a great deal in common ? Their alleged head for business , is somewhere up in the clouds .
Russia`s economy is not based on free markets , but on an oligarchical system . And people should remember that when they begin to talk about the Nets` owner as a self made billionaire or businessman .
There`s no debt ceiling with the Nets , but they are now and will remain a money losing concern for the next two to three years .
Really Lakers` fans , explain to me how Mitch Kupchak will be able to lure a marquee free agent to that franchise in 2014 ? Let`s be practical , do you honestly believe that either Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James are likely to leave their current teams ?
Brooklyn Nets news
Los Angeles Lakers news
tophatal ……………..
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I think the only thing that’s going to stop Prokhorov from over spending is if he realizes that throwing money at the problem won’t win him a championship. The same thing happened with Daniel Snyder in the NFL.
However, Snyder did find ways to make the Redskins more profitable off the field, even though they weren’t winning championships on it.
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Maurice
Mikhail Prokhorov will continue down this asinine path , simply because of his ego and not wanting to play second-fiddle to Knicks` owner , Jame James Dolan .
The Brooklyn Nets as a sports` franchise are so far down the pecking order of the sports` franchises in the tri-state area that even the New York Rangers and New York Islanders are ahead of them in terms of the fans` attention and that is in spite of their palatial venue , the Barclays Center .
tophatal ………..
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Maurice
Joe Gibbs` second stint with the Washington Redskins brought back sense of respectability for the franchise , along wit going about doing things right, in terms of the NFL Draft and not overpaying for talent . After Gibbs` departure , it was back to that stupidity once again . For a guy with Snyder`s alleged business acumen , he just does not come across as being extremely bright . Just my opinion ! Your thoughts on that ?
tophatal ……………
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Ther will be a finanical melt down the likes the world has ever seen. These ca will big bucks will loses it all. this is in the wind. Detriot is the warning shot fired across the bow.
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bobby gee
Apparently , the governor of Michigan Rick Snyder is also hoping that the federal government might intervene with either a loan package to assist the city of Detroit or some sort mixture of grants and other aid. If the US government can`t sort out its own fiscal mess, then why should the governor and state legislature in Michigan believe that the federal taxpayers should now come to their aid ? ow damn capricious and and ambivalent must te city and its commissioners be to rack up well over $6.5 billion in debt ?
Former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrkick was such a corrupt individual that is behavior ran throughout his entire administration .
Former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick seated at his trial for corruption , perjury and obstruction of justice .
Kilpatrick was at the center and heart of much of the corruption that has bedeviled the city of Detroit .
Detroit natives Dan Gilbert and Magic Johnson have personally plowed over $200 million of their own money into the downtown metro area of Detroit . After this debacle , I am not so sure it was a prudent idea . Services will be cut ,while increases will be seen in the rates that residents and businesses will have to pay .
As to the state of the NBA and its own financial footing . Well , let`s just say David Stern can keep on smoking what he is smoking , because much of that smoke is also coming out of his own @ss as well as his mouth. Stern insists that the financial health of the league is fine, but the figures simply do not reflect that fact .
tophatal …….
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bobby gee
Detroit`s creditors will be lucky if they are able to negotiate a return of 10 -30 cents on the dollar for their multi-billion debt in the US Federal Bankruptcy Courts (Chapter9) . The main losers in this all are likely to be the city employees whose pension benefits are overseen by the city . What a way to go , eh ?
tophatal ……………….
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thanks to the years of raiding the city coffers by the democrat mayors. Here is a heads up for you Malcolm Gladwell has compared the NFL to dog fighting He is looking to ban College football and the NFL. This will be a hot story.
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Haven`t successive Presidential administrations been raiding the coffers over the last two decades , when there has not been enough revenues coming in ? That is one of the primary reasons that the federal government is in such a mess in terms of a fiscal policy , budget deficit and the national debt . It is not solely a Liberal , Conservative or Democratic nuance , because as if memory serves me correctly , Bush II initiated the TARP Plan , which was subsequently further entrenched under Obama with Tim Geithner in hot pursuit as then Treasury Secretary .
How soon we forget .
So called fiscal hawks, such as Grover Norquist and Paul Ryan would not know the meaning of sound fiscal policy, if it were written on a damn napkin and handed to them as a thesis . They are both one-trick ponies who do not even know how to ride .
tophatal …………
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Bush did and I was and am againts it. i am against crony capitalism, statism, and we are broke. This liberals are in charge- the reupbilcan wing of the demo-republican party think they can do it better. Study history this never worked and never will Marxism- It is an abject failure. The problem The Demo-Republican Party are driving us into the abyss of hell. The entire finanical system will collaspe. It is later than you think. Ryan is a fool. Norquest tambem, McCain, McConnell, Boehner, Canto and 99% of the Republican wing of the Demo-republican party. The only difference between the two-Demo wing 100 MPH over the cliff. Repu wing 60 MPH one is instant death the other death on the installment plan. we are engaged in Suicide on the installment plan. Death is for sure.
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One can spend but not beyond one`s means and that is something that today`s economists simply do not get , especially someone like Paul Krugman and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich .
tophatal ……………..
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Well said.
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bobby gee
Fundamentally the country is a damn mess and all three federal era legislative chambers have simply ran amok and could give a s#it what the electorate thinks . They are all a bunch inconsiderate and un-compassionate ba$tards !
tophatal ………….
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and thus we have statists- dictators. It is all about power and control. We are viewed as the serfs, peasants, and subjects by the ruling class. We have come full circle. King George to Obama in 236 years. Welcome to Ameritopia Mark Levin’s book The President is to be as powerful as he can , the courts are rewrite the constitution at will, and the congress is to rule over state legislatures without limits pp 198 Ameritopia
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here is the link I told you about http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2013/07/20/gladwell-why-college-football-is-like-dog-fighting/
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bobby gee
Malcolm Gladwell may be unto something , but I can tell you this , there is no way in hell that the NFL and College Football will disappear from our sporting landscape. The author obviously, has not taken into account the billions of dollars wagered on the games on an annual basis and what it means to the odds-makers in Vegas and Atlantic City , much less the gaming industry as a whole .
Gladwell & Fareed Zakaria
Gladwell is angered over dog fighting ? Why no anger towards players who commit violent crimes against women or those who choose assault other humans merely for the sake of it ? The author is simply cherry picking one issue , when there are others which are just as important and just as relevant .
Does Malcolm Gladwell even show this much passion when crimes are committed against women or the sexual assault of young children ? Just wondering that`s all !
Malcolm Gladwell
tophatal …………….
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I thought I would give you the heads up. This may well happen. The train has left the station
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bobby gee
The train left the station , years ago ! Those on-board , are the ones who seek to make the money by any means necessary .
tophatal …………
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I hope the luxury tax penalties bring about more parity throughout the NBA. And I’m sure for some owners the penalties will cause them to watch their spending. But I don’t think Prokhorov will be one of those who will care too much.
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Maurice
Nothing will be done unless a compromise is reached between the league hierarchy , owners and the union . At present , the Players Union is in complete disarray as former Executive Director Billy Hunter is in the process of suing the union leadership , headed by union President Derek Fisher , for wrongful dismissal , termination of his contract , libel , slander and defamation of character .
tophatal ………….
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Look, Al, I get that they’re the Lakers but come on, for them to make it known they’re going to go after Melo and LeBron when they become free agents?
What would lead anyone to believe that LeBron would want to play in L.A.?
I know next year’s draft class is going to have some gems but if the Lakers swing and miss on those two superstars, what does it say about the leverage and pulling power of one of the league’s most successful and storied franchises?
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Chris
The Lakers can have all the money in te world , but they need a major talent and draw to make the franchise remain relevant . At best , Kobe Bryant has no more than two years left in him to play. Guys like Bleed, simply don`t understand or comprehend the business side of the game . Lakers` fans are like Raiders` fans , they tend to too often , simply live in the past . And that is to be expected , when it comes to fans on the West Coast .
It`s not supposition about LBJ and `melo as far as the Lakers are concerned . It will be a hard and fast fact . . Name the last Lakers` player drafted in the past eight years that was named to a Western Conference All Star roster , while at the same time being a consistent contributor to the franchise ?
It will be left to the idiot NBA analysts and many die-hard Lakers fans wanting wishing for that premise to happen . As far as they are concerned the 2014 , 2015 and 2016 free agency period cannot come around fast enough .
What gems are going to be in next year`s NBA Draft ? Really ? Based on potential alone , that draft may not be , all it is cracked to be . As the old adage goes ……… “ buyer beware “
Other than Andre Wiggins , name me on sure-fire contender to a Lottery and first round draft pick ?
tophatal ………….
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bobby
This belief that the US democratic system in existence, is the best form of democracy on the planet , is actually a joke . People`s rights are being trodden upon daily and a justice system as we know it , is now filled with judges who are and live in a bygone age . The Justices now seated on the Supreme Court are now proof of that fact, without delving into the incompetency shown by the House and Senate . As to the current Presidential . administration , well, that simply speaks for itself , by way of the lack of any real achievements of note or legislative successes .
tophatal …….
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The fact that Andrei Kirelinko went with the Nets at $3 million instead of the Wolves at $10 million is very suspicious…great post, Alan!
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Sam Brief
The fact that the Nets` front office were prepared to circumvent league rules , shows the depths that the franchise was prepared to go to . That being said , the very fact that they (Nets ) were unpunished by the league hierarchy , only goes to show the complete stupidity of the salary cap system ($58.044 million) .that is now in place and the very fact so many teams simply ignore it . And it further enhances the fact , that David Stern is nowhere as bright as he believes himself to be .
Some team owners and general managers were calling for a higher threshold on the salary cap , but instread David Stern simply raised the rate at which the luxury tax applicable rates would be rendered . Instead of $1-00 for very dollar above the soft salary cap of $58 million .
For the upcoming season, the rate applicable will be $1-50 for every dollar above the cap . And there are idiots out there who believe because a team has a billionaire owner , money is of no object . Obviously, these fans simply have no damn idea as to how a business is ran , be it a public , private enterprise or a sports` franchise .
tophatal
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I agree with everything you said. What good is a rule if no one follows it? Nonsense.
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Sam
Fans don`t seem to realize that governing bodies such as the NHL , NFL , NBA and MLB are set up as not for profit business concerns . Whereas, the teams they preside over are actually taxable concerns . And therein lies the idiocy of fans, who believe owners like Mikhail Prokhorov (Nets) , because of his amassed fortune can withstand to plow millions annually into a team`s payroll without guaranteeing anything by way of a championship .
Mark Cuban is now certainly learning that to his cost , with the Dallas Maveriks before and after their title win .
In the preceding years between the Miami Heat`s first and second NBA title wins , the franchise lost in excess of $125 million . Albeit , that owner , Micky Arison , whose company Carnival Cruise Lines is a multi billion dollar concern , and with Arison`s own estimated wealth being in the region of $2.5 to $3 billion . You either become a prudent individual , or you become wayward and ostentatious such as Mark Cuban and Mikhail Prokhorov , by flaunting one`s wealth , while looking like a complete buffoon when things simply do not work out right .
David Stern repeatedly emphasizes the financial health of the NBA , but the league`s finances have never been thoroughly opened up for public scrutiny and that is even when taxpayers` monies are being used to build venues a for a number of the league`s teams . To my mind that is simply wrong , when in large part many of the ticket prices are not within the means of the general public ! .
NBA team values and their profitability .
tophatal ……………….
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Prok has the $80 million tax $ laying around his New York penthouse apartment. He’ll probably just stuff it into a couple duffel bags and drop it off a the NBA office.
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Drew
Eighty million dollars is a drop in the ocean for Mikhail Prokhorov , but it is I said in a comment I left on your site . It is by no means a guarantee of the Nets winning an NBA title . Look at the team in its current guise and tell me what you believe their strengths are said to be beyond their offense ? . Defensively , they are not that good a team .
Garnett , Pierce and Terry , combined will not give the Nets more than sixty minutes per game . So again , I ask you , tell me what you believe this team`s strengths will be and how they will be able to contend with the likes of Miami , Indiana , Chicago and New York . Teams to my mind , who are better balanced .
And by the way , how long do you believe that the Nets` owner and team executives would be willing to tolerate tens of millions of dollars in losses on an annual basis ? Do you believe that the fans will tolerate an on-court product that legitimately , will be nothing more than a dog-and-pony show .
I assume you do remember that Lakers` team from 2004 that had their ass handed to them on a silver platter in the NBA Finals from that season ?
tophatal …………
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