Post by DiamondThief on Jun 26, 2015 12:39:00 GMT -8
June 26 -- In what has become an annual event, Blazers guard CJ McCollum sat down prior to the draft for an interview with NBA commissioner Adam Silver for the Players' Tribune.
McCollum majored in journalism at Lehigh University.
The following are some takes on the interview.
McCollum: "This is your first full-time season running the show. What were your biggest takeaways from this year?"
Silver: "My biggest takeaways were, number one, that the game is in great shape. The fans are really enjoying the style of basketball. It’s a return to a team game, and I’d say therefore that the number two takeaway has been the commitment and dedication I see from our players around the league. I think that while I’ve been involved with the league for a long time, in my role as commissioner, I’m spending more time around players, having the opportunity to talk directly to more players and coaches. I think it’s one thing I wish our fans had a better understanding of, and you can speak to it, just how much hard work goes into being an NBA player day-in, day-out. My third takeaway is that as I’ve become better known, I end up talking to a lot more fans. I would say I would love to find a way to bottle up the passion the fans bring to our games. They are not a shy group and they make their views known through cheering or jeering, as I’m sure I will find out at the Draft tonight. But they are incredibly knowledgeable, and the game is part of their lives. It makes me realize that this is far more than a business. We’re an institution and we’re part of our society."
McCollum: "In European soccer, teams make millions of dollars in sponsorships, and this is something I’ve talked about with my brother, who plays basketball overseas. They have sponsor logos all over their jerseys. We’ve talked about the possibility of the NBA maybe one day having jersey sponsors. Is it OK to have a beer company on a jersey? Overseas, those are the types of companies that sponsor teams. Will we be seeing the Budweiser Blazers?"
Silver: "That’s a good question. We, of course, allow beer advertising in our league right now. It’s on the courtside signage. We haven’t gotten to the point yet where we’ve looked at what the guidelines will be for when we do have logos on jerseys. So the answer is I don’t know. That’s something that requires further discussions with the teams and with our sponsors."
Rapid Fire:
McCollum: "Will the NBA ever raise the basket?"
Silver: "Nah."
McCollum: "Shortened preseason?"
Silver: "On the table."
McCollum: "A team returning to Seattle?"
Silver: "No plans to expand right now, maybe down the road."
McCollum: "All-Star game in Portland?"
Silver: "On the table."
That is just a sampling. Click for the entire interview.
- ANM
Above photo courtesy Jed Jacobsohn/The Players' Tribune.
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