He had Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on last night, had Magic on tonight, and will have Sir Charles tomorrow night (10 pm central). Say what you may about Steven A. Smith, but he's a great interviewer and he brings out the best in those whom he interviews...he seems to get them to open up more than they likely would otherwise, may be they're just more comfortable with him. The Magic interview was great tonight, I love Magic because he's just such a nice guy, never wishes ill on anyone, no bitterness in him.
just watched magic on quite frankly. he has 90 starbucks, 30 burger kings, 10 fitness gyms, a few t.g.i. fridays, his theaters, 5% of the lakers....and all of that has him worth $500M.
Man, i read somewhere or I think I probably heard on the radio that Magic wanted to open up a few Starbucks in low income areas. Think about that Magic. Starbucks is like four bucks for a shot of coffee.
Well he's already doing it. Most of his businesses are already in low-income "black" neighborhoods. A lot of people figured it wouldn't work, but Magic had the vision of "if you build it they will come". And they did. He's providing services to under-served areas (regardless of the fact that they're under-served in populist schlock like TGI Fridays), and laughing all the way to the bank.
you hear him open the show by talking about how he was going to be on the knicks in 94 but buss wouldnt let him out of his contract? he said there is no way the rockets would have beaten them with him. we can't get any damn respect for our championships.
I'm glad you came out and said it, and not me. You know how PC people can get. How much is MJ worth? I remember reading somewhere, I can't remember. I think it may have been a David Halberstam book, but it said that he was worth ten billion to the US Economy. I think he also has 500 Million and change.
I don't mean laughing all the way to the bank in a bad way. I just mean that he's becoming quite the business mogul. And he's bringing mainstream businesses into low-income areas, so it's a good deal all the way around. Even if TGI Friday's and Starbucks are souless mass-marketed, cookie-cutter crap, it's souless crap that everybody should be entitled to.
The question is still this: Is he trying to serve the low-imcome people, or is he trying to make money out of them?
that's what I was thinking. I come from a middle class home but as time went on my parent's neighborhood went from middle class to low-income and its frustrating having to drive half way across town for a starbucks. I think the closest starbucks to my parents house is a least a fifteen minute drive in no houston traffic. but its not just things like starbucks which is a bit pricey, its no decent grocery store choices, no movie theaters, no good cleaner's, etc. stuff you take for granted.
It can be both. Instead of people having to drive across the town to get a cup of Starbucks coffee, Magic's getting that in front of your home. Is that bad? If no one else's willing to provide service to certain people, and Magic is, I'd call that great service. You know, he could have opened a store somewhere else where it's more profitable.
Like I said, I'm not trying to say anything negative about what Magic is doing. Quite the opposite. Because regardless of what his motivations are, the fact remains that the 'hood didn't have movie theaters until Magic put them there (in Southern California at least. I'm not familiar with the rest of the country).
Stephen A Smith is a idiot. He thinks he is some kind of "insider" but he doesn't know squat. He thinks he is one of the players but he never play ball ever. ESPN made a big mistake IMO by replacing DA with him.
