Posts by Ed Odeven
Former agent: Zion Williamson received illegal benefits from Duke
Prime Sports Marketing President Gina Ford alleges that former client Zion Williamson and his parents received “money, benefits, favors or other things of value” to steer him to Duke University and to lace up Nike and/or Adidas shoes and wear the sports apparel giants’ gear, according to published reports. Attorney Daniel Wallach, a legal analyst…
Read MoreNBA Board of Governors mulls December start for 2020-21 season
While the current NBA season is suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league’s Board of Governors is mulling the possibility of moving the start of the 2020-21 campaign to December. The big reason? League officials and NBA owners are concerned about attendance. And, clearly, finding a way to boost attendance is a priority. According…
Read MoreHow Michael Jordan was convinced to pursue a deal with Nike
Sometimes a mother knows best, and the story of Michael Jordan agreeing to entertain Nike’s endorsement deal offer falls in that category. In short, all the stars aligned. For Nike, the Jordan Brand quickly became a magnificent money-making machine. Led by its high-flying pitch man, Nike also became a global status symbol. So what happened…
Read MoreTaiwan SBL finals heads to Game 6 clincher
Yulon Dinos star Marcus Keene sparked his team with 46 points, including seven 3-pointers, in a sink-or-swim Game 5 of the Taiwan SBL finals on Tuesday in New Taipei City. With a 99-81 victory, the Dinos forced a decisive Game 6 in the Super Basketball League finals. (Taiwan Beer entered the championship series with an…
Read MoreLos Angeles Lakers get, return $4.6M small business loan
The Los Angeles Lakers are worth $3.7 billion. Even so, they applied for and received a $4.6 million loan from the U.S. government’s newly implemented Paycheck Protection Program. The government implemented the program to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. But that’s not the end of this bizarre story. The Lakers have returned the…
Read MoreSome NBA teams to reopen training facilities on Friday
With states and local governments beginning to loosen lockdown restrictions in the United States, the NBA authorized the reopening of some team training facilities starting Friday. However, The Washington Post noted that different states’ timelines for reopening sectors of the economy would affect the NBA’s plans. Case in point: Georgia “reopened gyms and other nonessential…
Read MoreTulane’s Teshaun Hightower charged with murder
Tulane junior guard Teshaun Hightower, who declared for the NBA Draft earlier this month, was arrested and charged with murder over the weekend. Hightower, 22, is being held without bail at Henry County Jail in McDonough, Georgia. Teshaun Hightower was scheduled to appear in court on Sunday. The alleged murder happened on April 8 in…
Read MoreYulon Dinos win Game 1 of Taiwan’s SBL finals
Pro basketball fans tune in to the NBA playoffs every April, May, and June, but this isn’t a typical year, and the league’s shutdown puts Taiwan’s SBL (Super Basketball League) in the spotlight. The SBL championship series began on Tuesday at the Hao Yu Sports Center in New Taipei City. But due to the COVID-19…
Read More‘The Last Dance’ makes big splash with opening episodes
The ESPN documentary series “The Last Dance” chronicles the final season of the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s. Episodes 1 and 2 of the 10-part series aired on Sunday night. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shutdown of the NBA and most global sports, now is a unique opportunity to highlight…
Read MoreAustralian NBL to slash salaries by up to 50%
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause widespread disruption to the global economy, forcing the Australian NBL and other leagues to cut costs. In a business decision announced on Sunday, the Australian NBL, the circuit’s nine teams and the Australian Basketball Players’ Association finalized a salary plan for the 2020-21 campaign. Player contracts for less than…
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