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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is set to leave his post later this year. Bezos said he will stay engaged in important Amazon projects but will also have more time to focus on his other business ventures.
With Bezos set to enter a new chapter, it would be nice if the business mogul stepped into the sports world– particularly the NBA. Here are five NBA Bezos needs to look into buying.
5. Detroit Pistons
A criminal justice group called on the league to force Tom Gores to sell the Pistons and step down from the NBA board because of his financial interest in Securus Technologies Inc.– a controversial prison phone company back in late December.
The NBA has pledged to donate $300 million over the next decade to support economic empowerment in Black communities through the creation of the NBA Foundation. Its first grant under the program was announced this month. Having ties with Gores contradicts those pledges, at least according to Detroit activists urging for Adam Silver to force Gores to sell.
With fans and activists positioned against current ownership, it may be best for Gores to sell. Who better to take over a public relations crisis than the man who avoided those same crises for over a decade?
Jeff Bezos would not only rejuvenate the fan base, but he would also serve as a supreme decision-maker when it comes to business dealings.
4. Phoenix Suns
It’s no secret that Suns fans are tired of owner Robert Sarver.
The franchise has made the playoffs once in the past decade and it came after missing the playoffs in 2009 when Sarver inexplicably pushed for the trade of Shawn Marion for Shaquille O’Neal– against general manager Steve Kerr‘s wishes. To add to the mishap, Sarver then allowed for the release of Mike D’Antoni.
Aside from one surprising season in 2013-14, the franchise has had eight losing seasons and one season where they finished at .500 during Sarver's tenure. The team has floundered in the basement of the league and struggle to even remain relevant in the NBA.
Sarver is the common denominator over this long disappointing stretch of Phoenix basketball. He is the only person who’s made suspect hires and allowed — or encouraged– some of the worst trades and draft selections in that same span.
Suns fans deserve hope. And it appears that that hope isn’t coming under Sarver.
While we aren’t sure of Jeff Bezos’s sports knowledge, we do know that he is a business god. Bezos understands the value of the content, especially in a society where Gen Z consumers are running rampant. He knows how to survive the trend of consumers continually ditching linear TV and finding other ways to view live sports — he partially funded the trend.
Most importantly, he knows how to create a good product. The product in this case would be the Phoenix Suns.
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are actually for sale. This transaction would not be reliant on what-ifs. It’s purely on whether Bezos is interested.
Longtime owner Glen Taylor acknowledged he put the franchise on the market and Kevin Garnett became the most beloved and popular potential buyer the moment word got out he was interested.
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Yes, Garnett would be a fun owner, but wouldn’t it be even better if Garnett and Bezos team up?
Think about the duo of Steve Ballmer and Jerry West, an energetic funder with a basketball Hall of Famer running the team from behind the scenes. That duo has created one of the best rosters in the league. Imagine what Bezos, a business guru, and Garnett would be able to do.
And they would have some work to do. The Timberwolves are still trying to build a championship roster even after getting the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. They currently have the worst record in the Western Conference and do not appear to be treading uphill.
Their draft picks seem to do better once they are gone, Andrew Wiggins is the latest example. And they don’t even seem to be doing a fine job of marketing their players. Instead, they have shifted the franchise to a warm, socially aware, “family” atmosphere.
Yes, the duo of Jeff Bezos and Garnett would have to roll up their sleeves but the climb to the top could be imminent should the two link up.
2. Jeff Bezos as owner of the New York Knicks
At this point, it feels as though the entire NBA community is out for James Dolan’s head. And it’s pretty reasonable. Dolan is widely regarded as one of the worst team owners not only in the NBA but in all sports. Knicks fans have been longing for another owner to take over the storied franchise, as Dolan keeps on failing the fanbase for a variety of reasons.
I think it is safe to say the NBA community would have a sigh of relief if anyone was to buy the Knicks, especially if that person was Jeff Bezos.
Jeff Bezos has the money to do it, and he has the business knowledge to create a good product, though that might not matter at all. Knicks fans are among the most loyal in the NBA and if they can survive Dolan's regime, what's there to stop them from being even more attached to their beloved team? Bezos stepping in would be celebrated harder than the Yankees winning the World Series.
1. Jeff Bezos as owner of an Expansion Team
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has hinted at a possible expansion sooner than later. Once the league expands, Bezos owning one of the new teams would make sense, no matter the location.
He is one of the key figures in pushing the digital age. Bezos could easily unveil an Amazon-themed arena with the local broadcast featured on Amazon Prime Video and team gear sold at discounted rates with a Prime subscription. The sky would be the limit.
More importantly, he would bring new blood into the NBA ownership rings. He understands how the younger generation consumes their products. Not only would he help usher in a new team, but he would also start trends around the league that would help push the NBA further into the digital age.
