Friday Roundtable: The Next Former NBA Player Turned Owner

Which of these guys deserves to own an NBA franchise? Probably not Damon Stoudamire. Sorry. (Tsugufumi Matsumoto/AP)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: Shaquille O'Neal recently became an owner of the Sacramento Kings. What retired player do you want buy an ownership stake in an NBA team next?

Alex:

I'm 100 percent sure this is okay within NBA guidelines: Jason Kidd should buy a piece of the New York Knicks. Not only does Kidd have recent history with the 'Bockers, but, if for some reason David Stern and Adam Silver were to look down upon such a purchase, they're overlooking the fact that it would virtually ensure Kidd doesn't become the first NBA player-coach in decades. What we lose in the potential player-coach situation and Kidd backing up Deron Williams while logging minutes with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, we gain in one of the greatest point guards ever becoming the King of New York. Barclay's Center, where Kidd's Brooklyn Nets play, is the House that Jay-Z Built, but could Hova - now without an ownership stake in the BK franchise - really rival the owner of both New York basketball teams, one who happens to hold multiple assist and three-point records in a professional tenure that includes stints with both the Knicks and Nets? I can't decide, and I'm betting you're likely split, too, since no one has been able to agree who rap's King of New York is since the Notorious B.I.G. passed away. Hip-Hop can't agree that Jay is the top dog in its own community; how would they be able to present a united front against Kidd, whose presence would be felt in more than the two boroughs in which his NBA franchises would reside?

Exactly.

Kyle:
Guys, there's plenty of good answers out there. Shawn's is a fine example. I would very much enjoy Barkley as an owner. Kareem could become an owner and have the power to make himself the coach so he can finally get a coaching job. I can't say this one, because the question says retired player, but who wouldn't want to see LeBron James buy the Cavs once his playing days are over to have the Cleveland sports fans who ridiculed him so much in the palm of his hand. Not to mention keeping Dan Gilbert on but in a new role as one of the boys who wipes down the court during timeouts. Then LeBron could trade for and subsequently trade away Andrew Wiggins to New York, where he then buys the Knicks with Jay-Z and sells the Cavs to Chris Bosh.

But again, LeBron isn't retired yet, so that answer will have to wait. So my answer is ... Brian Scalabrine. Why not? I imagine he got the money when challenging and beating all of those civilians to 1-on-1 games in Boston. And that's exactly why he should be an owner. Everyone will doubt him. He will be the butt of jokes. He's a guy who was the butt of jokes throughout his career, yet played 11 years in the league. Scalabrine will compile a team of underdogs who no one will take seriously, Moneyball style, because how could they compete with Miami and then oh my god they are up by 14 already how is that possible? A movie will be made where Scalabrine will be played by Louie C.K. and he will be one of the most praised owners of his generation.

Shawn:

When I first began racking my brain for a suitable candidate to answer this question, I found myself continuously drawn to players who I thought would make good NBA coaches, rather than owners. There are some prominent names who could potentially be very good coaches, but I struggled to find one I thought would be a good owner. However, when it comes down to it, I was able to settle on one former player I desperately want to see become an NBA owner above all others. And it’s really not even close.

It has to be Charles Barkley. 

Think about it. Barkley has the personality to rival even the most flamboyant and impassioned owners, like a Mark Cuban. His personality is infectious and he would be a fantastic interview for journalists and broadcasters who cover his team. Having worked on the other side of the sport as an analyst and broadcaster, I feel Barkley would be very open with any person who is fortunate enough to earn the assignment of interviewing him. His personality lends itself to being very forthright anyway, so having the experience on the other side would only encourage him to be open and honest, with the frankness that only Barkley can provide.

Barkley also has the well-deserved reputation of being a big spender, so opening up the checkbook to bring in high-priced free agents won’t be a problem. His history of gambling could potentially drive fans crazy if Barkley has a hunch on an unproven player. But overall, the willingness to spend money is a plus for an organization. I think you could potentially see another “Dream Team” similar to the one in Miami, because I think Barkley is more than willing to spend what it takes to bring the best to his team. 

Finally, there is one major reason I feel Barkley would be a fantastic owner: He’s never won an NBA championship. Ever. I remember an instance on TNT where everyone on the panel had been to and won an NBA championship, except Barkley. It was brought up extensively, and you could tell it ate at Barkley. He wants that ring. He wants to hoist that trophy in the air, and this is his best chance to do it. His competitive fire would be fantastic to see on the sideline, and a real asset in the locker room. All of these elements combined culminate to why I believe Barkley should absolutely make the investment and become an NBA owner.

Friday Roudtable: Who Is The Best NBA Analyst on TV

Is one of the guys from TNT's NBA broadcast the best NBA analyst on TV? (inquisitr.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: We move away from the play on the court and look to the broadcast booth with the question of who is the best NBA analyst on TV?

Kyle Davis:
A friend and I have discussed a theory in regards to NBA analysts that the better player the analyst was, the more likely you are to think they are right. A hypothetical example: Jalen Rose makes a comment about how Derrick Rose will react to coming back from a knee injury and Magic Johnson argues, taking a different approach saying he will be fine and back to All-Star status. Nothing against Jalen Rose, because he was a very good player, but because Magic is one of the greatest of all time, we automatically value his word and opinion more than others. He's a hall of famer, he knows what he's talking about, right? It's the same reason why if doctors and health experts come out and say red meat will kill you, people panic. If anyone knows, it's them. The problem with this is sometimes the weight of the opinion can overlook whether the opinion actually makes sense.

My point is several factors are in play when considering the "best" NBA analyst. Obviously the analyst, usually a former player, must be knowledgeable, so that's already a given. The NBA really doesn't have any Bob Knights who are clearly too old and just ramble nonsense on air.

Having your opinion garner respect is clearly a large factor because if viewers don't trust the analyst's opinion, there's no reason to watch. Humor and likeability are nearly has important because in 2013, just the facts isn't quite good enough. You want to laugh and be entertained while you soak up the knowledge on your couch at halftime during your game. This is where Sir Charles Barkley clearly steals the show. Whether you agree with what he is saying or not, it's difficult to not find the banter entertaining. He's my clear choice for "most entertaining analyst" but I have trouble listing him as the "best" because part of what people love about him is his humor and him saying ridiculous statements. I've always thought Kenny Smith was very good at his job, but I wonder how much of his success is due to his partnership with Barkley. That's why I would have to give the title to Magic. He garners respect, knows the game from both the player and front office perspective and while his personality isn't over the top like Barkley, that seems to allow him to be more universally liked because he is never too out-there. 

Alex Skov:
You know him, you love him: he's Hubie Brown. Former players benefit from the name recognition that Brown mostly lacks. He never played in the NBA and he last coached an Association team in 2004-05, when he resigned as Memphis Grizzlies HC before the season's halfway mark. Brown's credentials aren't obvious, but look a little further and his biggest accomplishment(s) sneak up on you. He inherited the coaching reins of three losing franchises — the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks plus the Grizz — and turned them all into playoff teams. None of this inherently translates to being a good broadcaster. However, it is indicative of his knowledge of basketball. Brown has made basketball tutorial videos, maybe even on Beta tapes given his ripe age of 79. He knows the game better than most if not all commentators and can tell the audience preemptively how a coach will direct his team on any particular play because he intuitively knows the flow of the game. His age also causes the occasional mishap — calling players by their teammates' names, for example — and, gosh darn it, that just makes Hubie loveable.

Champ:
There are a lot of good commentators in the world of basketball (many of whom I don’t know by name but just by their voice), so instead of just narrowing it down to one I’ll choose the duo of Mike Breen and Jeff Van Gundy. Breen has been around for years and always brings a professional atmosphere to the games he announces while still being exciting. Van Gundy is a great addition because he has a lot of insights as a former head coach so he not only knows how the business works, but he also know a lot of the players playing.  Van Gundy has also never been afraid to voice an opinion on something which, for right or wrong, is still refreshing.


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