Good afternoon, here’s what we’re following at SBJ today:
- NBA biomechanics evaluation confirms: One reporter’s hoop dreams are over
- College sports giant Learfield finalizing sale to private equity firm
- NBA completes best three-year attendance stretch, topping 22.1 million fans
- Plus: WNBA Commissioner Cathy EWings sign deal with Geico, mega-sports development proposed in Vegas and more
Start your morning with Buzzcast with Josh Carpenter: A look at a potential shift coming to horse racing’s Triple Crown; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks out; and TPG closes in on Learfield. Listen >>
THE BIG STORY
The NBA recently invited SBJ’s Joe Lemire to participate in the same quarterly biomechanics screening that all its athletes started doing this season — the first league-wide program in pro sports. It’s a series of jumps and lateral moves, with some closed-eye, one-legged balancing mixed in.
The video may double as his audition for Blue Man Group — the cyan skeleton is part of the Theia software processing to evaluate joint angles and motion. But it also shows his diminished explosiveness as he moves along the aging curve, a far cry from when he dunked a basketball in a JV game on his 16th birthday.
One note the league makes clear is that biomechanics usually can’t answer questions in isolation — rather, it’s a notable piece of a larger performance puzzle.
Read the full story >>
5 STORIES WE’RE WATCHING
1. College sports giant Learfield finalizing sale to private equity firm: Private equity firm TPG is finalizing the purchase of Learfield to make it the majority owner of one of the most prominent multimedia rights and tech providers in college athletics, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy reports.
2. NBA completes best three-year attendance stretch, topping 22.1 million fans: NBA teams collectively drew more than 22.18 million fans and averaged 18,108 in attendance at their home arenas this past season, reports SBJ’s David Broughton.
3. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert says WNBA in ‘a good spot’ after contentious labor negotiations: WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said she “feels really good” about her relationship with the players as the league looks to move forward after a contentious labor negotiation, reports SBJ’s Mike Mazzeo.
4. Wings sign deal with Geico after drafting Azzi Fudd: A little over a month after Geico signed UConn G Azzi Fudd to its first female athlete endorsement deal, the insurance company aligned Monday night with Fudd’s newest team — the Wings in a multiyear sponsorship, reports SBJ’s Tom Friend.
5. Starr Vegas Development proposes $10 billion sports and entertainment district on the Strip: A newly announced $10-billion, 63-acre development planned directly on the Las Vegas Strip is being pitched as a year-round sports and entertainment hub and a potential contender for an NBA arena.
ON THE MOVE
- The Galaxy hired Jessica Jacobi from ski resort and lifestyle brand Aspen One to serve as their new CMO. Jacobi’s CMO role replaces the Chief brand and creative officer position (Alex Silverman, SBJ).
- The Team (formerly Wasserman) is launching an executive search/leadership advisory practice, and industry veteran Amy Segal will head the new unit as managing director (Terry Lefton, SBJ).
- LOVB Houston named Lisa Walker as chief business officer. Walker previously served as EVP/business development at Eventellect (Texans).
- Box to Box Films named Matteo Perale as president and Matt Moore as CFO. Perale previously co-founded studio Wiip and has held senior roles including head of strategy and corporate development at CAA. Moore most recently served as group CFO at Vice Media Group. Box to Box founders James Gay-Rees and Paul Martin will now serve as its co-CEOs (Box to Box Films).
NAMES IN THE NEWS
- Phillies 3B Alec Bohm’s lawyers “requested a preliminary injunction” last week, seeking the “return of $528,618” that his parents withdrew from an account as part of his lawsuit allegedly they mismanaged his funds. Amid the legal dispute, Bohm fired his agent Scott Boras and hired The Team agent Nick Chanock, who previously represented Bohm (THE ATHLETIC, 4/13).
- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will become the first-ever sports executive to receive the Edison Achievement Award on Thursday (Edison Awards).
- A group of former athletes who are part of the “Pro Athlete Community” held its first national, all-sports conference in Phoenix. Guests included former NFLers Drew Bledsoe, Justin Forsett and Reggie Bush and Basketball HOFer Candace Parker (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/12).
- A documentary series following Rafael Nadal’s final season and “reflecting on his career” in tennis debuts May 29 on Netflix. The four-part series, “Rafa,” is directed by Zach Heinzerling and produced by Skydance Sports (THE ATHLETIC, 4/13).
HOT READS
SOCCER AMERICA went with the header, “Dan Helfrich: U.S. Soccer’s COO focuses on access, alignment and ambition.” Four months in as U.S. Soccer’s COO, Helfrich has turned his attention to three goals: to “win on the world’s highest stages; make soccer the most played sport in the nation, and create a sense of community among players, coaches, parents, referees and fans.”
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