<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">We're starting to get warmer... <a href="http://t.co/oataIEn6YV">http://t.co/oataIEn6YV</a></p>— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/640956267884711937">September 7, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Big part of Clippers' behind-the-scenes issues: all the longtime/loyal employees who were fired or quit because of the new Prez. Over 10.</p>— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/status/640956723402964992">September 7, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It's pathetic TMZ put this out instead of the LA Times. Maybe now some of the Times writers will feel they have enough cover to jump on the bandwagon.
Wow. Surprised the owner would allow a lady with zero basketball experience make basketball decisions away from the business side.
Please media. Tell me more about how much better the Clippers will be than the Rockets this year. Please.
It's frustrating I had to click on that tmz link to read the story. What is the legitimate media doing?? Should we have to rely now on tmz to do the investigating sport journalism??? It's always alarming when there is a divide in an organisation. Who was that player who decided not to resign with the Clippers because of the frustration that the article is referring to? He's the most likely source for this. Btw that's business lady isn't doing even a fine job in her own field. What about those god awful uniforms and the horrendous new logo? Maybe if she devoted more time in her own job they would be better?
Not sure if serious. The article itself sounds more like he said she said gossipy thing that TMZ is good at so that's probably why its on there instead of in the legitimate media. Stuff like this is just everyday workplace drama. It's not scandalous or breaking any laws. It's not morally outrageous. Just bad management which is something that takes place everywhere.
....not surprising that successful business culture clashes with traditional basketball culture. The NBA is a business first - not a sport and successful businesses don't operate in the same way basketball traditionally has. Owners aren't spending record amounts on these franchises because they are just wealthy fans - they are looking to turn a decent profit every year and then flip the team years down the road at a premium. All this "owners are sports fans", "the teams are breaking even every year" is just part of the owner's narrative to necessitate bargaining the CBA so they can make even more money. These guys whole lives are out about making more money - Ballmer included. So it's silly to think that modern NBA owners would run these franchises in any other way than the cutthroat way successful businesses are run.
Bill Simmons hates Doc Rivers and is up to his sneaky little ways again. Won't this douche just go away? ESPN fired you and now you're somewhere else stirring up more drama
You do realize TMZ breaks stories before "legitimate media" on a regular basis, right? It also isn't suprising in this case because (as Simmons alluded to initially) local newspapers don't want to offend the teams they cover and risk losing "access". This does not appear at all to be run-of-the-mill stuff. hakeemthagreat, because Simmons started the whole thing, you know there is some dirt on Doc involved. He will make sure it comes out eventually. Because of their past conflicts, this may be why he doesn't want to be the one who reveals everything. I actually love the drama when it involves other teams, especially ones I dislike.
And yet for other teams stuff about conflicts leaks and legitimate sport media reports on it. Even if the source is not known. But now when it comes to the Clippers it's TMZ who only carries it? Why noone dares to report on it? Bucher, MR Sauces and all these clowns make stories and reportages on what Lebron eats for dinner. A conflict in the management in a championship contender team isn't report worthy now?
Thats what I'm talking about. It's not a minor issue a conflict between the managment heads of a team! And the local media are cowards not to report anything on it. I don't WANT to click on TMZ to hear about NBA news. I don't want to click on tmz and give them clicks for anything if possible. So please sport journalists instead of making a boring disgusting story on what kind of dog Riley Curry chose for birthday present maybe start doing your jobs and not be cowards and cronies ?
Breaking? That article didn't have any information in it. Tension between two presidents? That would only be news if there wasn't any. I don't see any reason why anything would explode or come to a head. It's very normal for leaders of different parts of an organization to vie with one another for power. It's especially normal with new ownership. I don't think there's anything here. They'll go through some growing pains as a company. On the court, they're still contenders. What does it really matter to us either way?
Considering what Doc has pulled over the years including trying to push out Pop in SA in the late 90s... I think Simmons is justified in his hate.
Doc may know his Xs and Os, but lately he has been a terrible executive. He didn't understand that one of his 3 best players was about to be poached until after the media announced it. He signed and gave minutes to his son, despite him being one of the worst players in the league. It would be foolish if Ballmer did not have someone to keep Rivers in check.
I hate Rivers as much as the next tuned in NBA fan but it doesn't help matters if Ballmer brings in someone that doesn't have NBA knowledge/experience to police a guy that has questionable NBA knowledge/coaching skills
That might have been true for older owners like the Donald Sterlings, but not the newer ones. We see them bumbling through basketball operations and think it's just a big joke, but what you don't see is all the things they are doing to make their franchises highly valuable. Mikhail Prokhorov & Vivek Ranadive are two great examples of relatively new owners who seem to be doing everything wrong with their basketball teams but each of those guys would make a huge amount of money on the sale of their franchises.
Those teams are increasing in value because they're part of the NBA, not because their owners are shrewd.