Tag: Adam Silver

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver revisits the idea of expanding the league

The NBA has become a global game, with players from around the world and growing global viewership, making the possibility of expansion in the league into markets in Mexico and Canada a real possibility.

The NBA has become a global game with players from around the world and growing global viewership, making the possibility of the expansion of the league into new markets in Mexico and Canada a real possibility for the medium-term future of the Association

NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently sat down with the folks from TNT’s “Inside the NBA” to talk about the status quo of the Association at present and how new teams might be added to the league once more pressing issues like the full adoption of the new collective bargaining agreement and the looming media rights deal negotiations have been settled.

A combination of international players bringing talent and attracting global audiences and greater accessibility to the league via the new media rights deal could prime the NBA for expansion sooner than many of us may think.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what Silver had to say about the league adding teams in the future.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Commanders’ fans should be excited about Josh Harris

“So if I’m a fan of the Commanders, I’m pretty excited.”

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Josh Harris will be the next owner of the Washington Commanders. We know that much, as he and Daniel Snyder finalized a deal on May 12 for the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils owner to take over. For now, it’s only a matter of when.

Washington fans are excited. The once-proud franchise will finally be rid of Snyder. This isn’t another time to comment on all of Snyder’s transgressions over the years and how he singlehandedly destroyed a fan base, but instead an opportunity to say Washington fans have found the right guy in Harris.

OK, sure, you’ve heard that before. Harris grew up in the DMV and loved the team as a kid — like Snyder — but that’s where the comparisons should end.

We’ve detailed some of Harris’ accomplishments in the business world, and they are impressive. Harris has carried that success into professional sports with the NBA’s 76ers and NHL’s Devils. Now, it’s time for the Chevy Chase, Md. native to bring that success to his hometown team.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated ran a profile piece on Harris this week, and it’s outstanding. Breer spoke with those who know Harris, including Jonathan Kraft, president of the New England Patriots, who attended Harvard Business School with Harris.

Others, such as Fanatics CEO — and former Sixers & Devils minority owner — Michael Rubin, Greg Reaves, founder of Mosaic Development Partners, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, all spoke to Breer.

Each spoke of Harris’ business acumen, his philanthropic efforts, and how he was focused on helping others, including the community.

The following quote from Bettman stood out as it pertains to the Commanders:

“He is amazing at identifying great properties that are underperforming,” Bettman said. “He takes a property that’s fundamentally good, but isn’t firing on all cylinders—look at the 76ers, and how much better they’ve done; look at the Devils and how much better they’ve done—and improves it. So if I’m a fan of the Commanders, I’m pretty excited.”

Are you still skeptical?

Here’s the following from Silver:

It was just that, as a native of Chevy Chase, Md., Harris’s connection to Washington’s NFL franchise carried far heavier weight than anything that pushed him to buy the Devils or the Sixers. So he confided in Silver months ago: This isn’t just about acquiring an NFL team, this is my hometown team, and this is very unique to me, a very unique opportunity to give back to my community, and be part of a team I rooted for when I was growing up.

Harris knows success. He knows personal success, business success, and success in professional sports. And he also grew up in a time when the then-Redskins were the biggest show in town and one of the NFL’s flagship franchises.

Harris knows what the NFL team means to the local community.

We’ll leave you with one last quote from Silver on Harris:

Ownership of that team is as personal to him as it is to any hardcore fan. I want to assure [Commanders fans], this is not a professional investor coming in to create a portfolio of sports assets. And this team is very unique to him, in terms of the intensity of his fandom.

Harris should be Washington’s new owner for Week 1 when the Commanders host the Arizona Cardinals. It will be interesting to see how FedEx Field responds on a monumental day for the franchise.

League Commissioner Adam Silver on his four favorite players in NBA history

Operating with his usual concern for decorum, Silver chose to limit his reply to former players.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver tries to remain as impartial as possible in the conduct of his job, but it’s pretty hard to be the public face of a sport one is not at least a little bit of a fan of.

Silver was asked who his four favorite players were in an interview with New Orleans Pelicans star and occasional media member CJ McCollum.

Operating with his usual concern for decorum, Silver chose to limit his reply to former players, and those he actually has worked with. “So No. 1, Bill Russell, who I (was) fortunate to spend a lot of time with,” the commissioner said.

“No. 2, Michael Jordan, of course, (as) one of the owners in our league,” continued Silver. “No. 3, Magic Johnson, who’s a licensee of the league and currently an owner of the WNBA Sparks.”

“And No. 4, Larry Bird, president of basketball with the Indiana Pacers.”

The league’s head honcho balanced his choices across the Boston Celtics, the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers , the three greatest dynasties of his lifetime. Given the current distribution of titles in league history (17 titles each for Boston and LA plus MJ’s GOAT career) and the parameters Silver set for himself in answering the question, that’s about as diplomatic as it can get.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Adam Silver on how Bill Russell helped make the NBA a more socially-aware league

“He’s sort of the founding father of the modern NBA,” said Silver.

If you have ever wondered why the NBA has been a leader among pro sports leagues in fighting racism in recent years, it is the long imprint of Boston Celtics Hall of Fame big man Bill Russell on the league he helped make the global entity it is today, according to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

A longtime friend of the Celtics legend, Silver leaned on their friendship over the last three decades in his work with the league before and after he was elevated to the role once held by David Stern.

“I’ll just say to you that on important issues involving the league, particularly about race, I generally consulted with Bill,” Silver said in an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Howard Beck.

“He’s sort of the founding father of the modern NBA,” added the Commissioner. “And with that, I think he became the league’s DNA for our players to feel comfortable speaking out on societal issues.”

“I would say a lot of the courage of the modern-day players, there’s a direct through line to Bill, against the whole shut up-and-dribble crowd,” Silver related.

“He recognized the value of the platform that was afforded him by being an MVP, NBA champion player.”

Be sure to check out the full interview here.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Adam Silver had an awful explanation for Miles Bridges’ shortened suspension for domestic violence

There is no reason to call this a 30-game suspension.

The NBA earlier this month suspended Miles Bridges for 30 games without pay for a domestic violence incident that led to his arrest in June 2022.

The league, though, credited the 25-year-old forward with 20 games served after he missed the whole 2022-23 season without a contract as a restricted free agent. That credit means Bridges will only serve a 10-game suspension if and when he signs a new contract and returns to the NBA.

It makes no sense why the league would call this a 30-game suspension if Bridges is only missing 10 games. It just feels performative so they can say it was the most significant punishment for a domestic violence case in league history, exceeding the 24-game suspension for Jeffrey Taylor in 2014.

But adding the 20-game credit just softens the actual discipline. Why should he get credit for 20 games served of a suspension from when he wasn’t even on an NBA roster?

During an interview with the Associated Press Sports Editors on Tuesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver tried to explain why the league made this unusual decision. Via CBS Sports:

“The process (with Bridges) was that we worked with his representatives and the players association that he sat out the entire season,” Silver said. “And so we felt, on the balance, that because he had sat out an entire season and not been paid for an entire season, that we thought in fairness that would give him partial credit, I think, for having sat out that season.”

Bridges pled no contest to a felony domestic violence charge in November 2022. Silver added that Bridges and the league reached a “mutual agreement” to not play during the 2022-23 season.

According to the commissioner, Bridges already “lost out on millions of dollars” by missing the entire campaign. But he wasn’t officially suspended for the 2022-23 season, so this is nothing more than a thinly-veiled 10-game suspension.

That is the bare minimum punishment from the league, as noted by veteran NBA reporter David Aldridge (via The Athletic):

And, keep in mind: 10 games is the absolute minimum the league can suspend a player for what it deems “Unlawful Violence,” as enumerated in Section 7 of Article VI of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The language is clear: “When a player is convicted of (including a plea of guilty, no contest, or nolo contendere to) a violent felony, he shall immediately be suspended by the NBA for a minimum of ten (10) games.”

The 20-game credit would have made more sound logic if Bridges were signed with a team last season. He would have gone on administrative leave as the league investigated the incident, and the time he missed would have counted toward his suspension.

That happened earlier this season when Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant was suspended for eight games due to conduct detrimental to the league, which included the five games he missed while the league investigated the matter.

But that scenario was impossible for Bridges, who was not employed by an NBA team. So providing him with a 20-game credit makes the 30-game suspension just an arbitrary number if the actual time missed while actually in the league is only 10 games.

Silver and the NBA could have done much more to discipline Bridges’ misconduct. But instead, they took a route that was the least harsh measure possible.

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NBA players will receive $500K if they will in-season tournament, but will they care?

This will mean a lot more to players on minimum deals and two-way contracts.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our basketball newsletter where we’ll prep you for the tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox.

The NBA In-Season Tournament is expected to tip off for the first time next season with a winner crowned in early December 2023.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks, each player on the winning team will receive $500K. Meanwhile, those who are rostered on the second-place team will collect $200K. Players who finished in third place will receive $100K and those in fourth will receive $50K.

Of course, the average salary in the NBA is quite a bit more than $500K.

The money could mean something different for players on two-way deals, though. Two-way players can earn up to half the rookie minimum, which is projected at $1.1 million next season.

So that means the max amount a two-way player can earn is $551K for their annual deal, but that rate would basically double if their team took home the trophy during the in-season tournament.

Maybe players on max contracts or even most standard contracts won’t go crazy for this cash prize, but those on the fringes who could potentially make appearances in this tournament might.

Professional athletes are naturally wildly competitive people. If it’s mostly those on minimum deals and two-way deals getting on the floor, we might see some relatively interesting basketball.

Otherwise, because these games count toward the regular-season standings anyway, it’s no less interesting than your typical NBA game in November or December.

The Tip-Off

(Wang Xiang/Xinhua via AP)

NBA content from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

A Chinese basketball team with Eric Bledsoe and Michael Beasley was disqualified from the postseason for “fixing” multiple playoff games:

“Two basketball teams in the Chinese Basketball Association, the Shanghai Sharks and the Jiangsu Dragons, were thrown out of the ongoing playoffs for match-fixing.

The Sharks have several players with NBA experience including Michael Beasley, Eric Bledsoe, Johnny O’Bryant, and Jamaal Franklin. Antonio Blakeney is the only player with NBA experience on the Dragons, although a few other players on the roster have played NBA Summer League.

Findings from an investigation from the CBA Disciplinary and Ethics Commission concluded that Shangai showed “negative contention” during the second game of a three-game series, which Jiangsu won.

Bledsoe was serving a four-game suspension for the Sharks, and he served all three during the three-game series against the Dragons. But the team was accused of “giving up” during the second game, forcing a third game, so that he could return for the second game if his team advanced to the semifinals.

Jiangsu then demonstrated a “lack of competitive effort” in the third and final game of the series, in which Shanghai won 108-104.

Jiangsu had several “unexpected errors” in the final few minutes of the game and coach Li Nan failed to call a timeout that could have at least kept them in contention.”

Yikes!

One to Watch

Stephen Curry looks on after hoisting a 3-pointer against the Kings.
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

(All odds via Tipico.)

Warriors (-1.5, -130) @ Kings (+1.5, -110), O/U 239.5, 10:00 PM ET

Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr have never trailed 0-2 during a playoff series. Could that change tonight?

Shootaround

(AP Photo/Matt York)

— Russell Westbrook video shows him confronting Suns fan: ‘Watch your mouth, [expletive]’

— LeBron James trolled Dillon Brooks, Grizzlies by pretending to eavesdrop on a coaching conversation

— A Kings fan tried to taunt Steph Curry after a foul, but it didn’t really work

— NBA fans want the charge rules changed after scary Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant injuries

Ja Morant’s 8-game suspension is harsh but fair discipline by Adam Silver and the NBA

This is a longer suspension than what Stephen Jackson received for firing a gun in 2007.

Following a formal investigation of his off-court controversies, the NBA issued an eight-game suspension for Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant.

After meeting with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, the Grizzlies guard was subsequently suspended without pay for conduct considered detrimental to the league.

Morant is currently in the midst of a leave of absence from his team and entered a counseling program to address recent concerns surrounding the All-Star. The suspension includes the games Morant has already missed following an incident in which he possessed a firearm at a nightclub earlier this month.

The league office was not able to conclude that the firearm belonged to Morant or that he transported it with him on a team plane. Additionally, he will not be charged with a crime by Colorado authorities.

 

This is a longer suspension than what former NBA player Stephen Jackson received for actually firing a gun during an altercation in 2007.

Although he is eligible to play on March 20, the guard was not playing basketball while at his counseling program in Florida. It may take a bit longer for him to actually return to the starting lineup.

While the eight-game suspension is nowhere near the 50-game suspension some initially expected, such harsh disciplinary action was never realistic.

That being said, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, this is the second-longest league-issued non-drug suspension since 2021. This suspension will cost Morant nearly $700,000 in missed paychecks.

Morant’s suspension would have presumably been for a lot longer if the league concluded that he transported a gun on the team plane. Instead, he can rejoin his team as they gear up for the final stretch of the season and the playoffs.

The Grizzlies currently have the second-best record in the Western Conference, holding a one-game advantage over the Kings and a five-game lead over the Suns.

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Adam Silver shares the NBA believes the Boston Celtics dealt with the Ime Udoka scandal well

Speaking to the media ahead of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game that was held at Salt Lake City, the home of the Utah Jazz, Silver touched on the complicated situation that collided with the Celtics in the offseason.

The Boston Celtics dealt with the transgressions that created the Ime Udoka scandal appropriately, according to a recent interview with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

Speaking to the media ahead of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, the home of the Utah Jazz, Silver touched on the complicated situation that emerged with the Celtics in the offseason. The Celtics, who suspended Udoka for the season and replaced him with Joe Mazzulla, did what the league deemed appropriate, according to Silver.

To hear his words on this salient topic to Celtics fans as well as several other important concerns in front of the NBA, take a look at the clip embedded above of Silver’s interview, courtesy of the CLNS Media Boston Sports Network YouTube Channel.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Adam Silver talks load management, officiating in the NBA’s future

Among some of the things Silver mentioned to help re-balance things in favor of a higher quality product for the fans was a minimum number of games played for certain annual awards

The balance the NBA needs to maintain between keeping the profitable 82-game season, player health and the rest program that have become known as load management is complex but important for the overall state of the league.

So it should come as no surprise league commissioner Adam Silver had plenty to say about all of the above ahead of the 2023 All-Star Game in Salt Lake City, Utah. Among the things Silver mentioned to help the league produce a higher quality product for the fans was a minimum number of games played for certain annual awards. The officiating in the Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers debacle also came up.

Appearing on ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” Silver broke down how he sees the future of the league with respect to resting players.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what he had to say.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Commissioner Adam Silver speaks on how the NBA hopes to prevent future Ime Udoka scandals

Speaking at the 2022 NBA Mexico City Game, the commissioner opened up about how the league is responding to misconduct moving forward.

While fans of the Boston Celtics have for the most part moved on from the Ime Udoka scandal that nearly upended the start of a much-anticipated season, the team itself has yet to resolve the suspended Celtics head coach’s situation. During this process, the NBA has largely remained in the background, monitoring the situation with minimal public discussion.

But on Saturday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver fielded questions about team player and staff misconduct from the Celtics Wire, including that of Udoka with Boston, Detroit Pistons Assistant GM Rob Murphy, and former San Antonio Spurs guard Josh Primo.

Regarding the Primo incident in which the player allegedly exposed himself repeatedly to a team psychologist in therapy, Silver hinted the league had worked more closely with the team than with Boston or Detroit.