I first became familiar with the name Rick Horrow when Brian Finkel (a good friend from the University of Florida and Creative Director at Horrow Sports Ventures) sent me an email in 2009 regarding a new show on Versus titled, The $ports Take.  It sounded like a great show, but one that I would never end up watching, as DirecTV was in the middle of a dispute with Versus at the time, and scrapped the cable network from its offering.  Roughly a year later, Finkel told me about a new show in the West Palm Beach television market (38th largest market in the United States) that was to be run by Horrow Sports Ventures, with Rick Horrow as host and two panelists per week.  Upon invitation, I agreed to serve as a panelist alongside former Pro Bowl runningback Keith Byars on the new show titled, Beyond the Game.

From the moment I stepped foot on the set at the CBS 12 studios in West Palm Beach, Rick Horrow has been nothing less than kind, courteous, and sometimes humorous (I’ll save his jokes for the set).  I knew that Horrow was a “mover” in the world of sports, but until I read his book, When the Game is on the Line, I really had no clue just how influential he has been in the shaping of today’s professional sports landscape.  His résumé will not change my responses on Beyond the Game, but it does give me a much greater appreciation for having the opportunity to wake up at 8 a.m. on Saturdays to join Horrow to discuss the business of sports.

Horrow gave me a copy of When the Game is on the Line at the conclusion of one of our Saturday morning sessions at CBS.  The book is an updated release of a book with the same title and much of the same content, written by Horrow in 2003.  The material is outdated in only a few areas; much of the book’s content is still extremely relevant even though a lot of the pages were untouched since the 2003 release.

Horrow takes the reader from his experience at Harvard Law School, where he was responsible for crafting a Sports Law discipline, to his unhappiness working at a law firm, and then eventually setting off to do what he cared most about – bring professional sports franchises to South Florida.  A lot of the discussion revolves around his battles with owners and politicians, but he also provides the tools that he used to gather support amongst his supporters and rivals.  Sometimes he failed, but he also won a lot.  Horrow was largely responsible for the creation of the Miami Arena and the formation of the Miami Heat, along with many other stadiums, arenas, and other publicly financed projects around the United States.  His stories throughout the book are rich in detail.  Even though I grew up and currently live in South Florida, I think Horrow’s stories of working with politicians in Oklahoma City were the most interesting parts of the book.  Reading it during the Oklahoma City Thunder’s run in the 2011 Playoffs added to my interest while turning the pages.

There is even some talk about sports agency, which Horrow states he never wanted to get involved in.  However, how was he going to say no to Jack Nicklaus, who wanted to build out his own agency and put Horrow in charge?  It did not end up working out for Nicklaus or Horrow, but it is rather fun to read about the escapades as an outsider.

The most important thing that I took away from When the Game is on the Line is that anything is possible with proper planning, determination, and a hatred (not fear) of failure.  This is a great read for anyone interested in the business of sports, but is also for people who want to find out a little bit about the behind-the-scenes work of politicians.  Whether you are in favor of the new wave of stadiums and arenas built through a partnership of public and private funds or you cannot stand the idea, When the Game is on the Line is a book to pick up so that you can learn more about the person largely behind the movement and acquire knowledge about how such deals are structured and approved.  And at a minimum, it proves that you do not have to use your law degree to actually practice law.

Book Review: When The Game Is On The Line from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

According to the money, our money should be on the Celtics.  And in the Finals, our money should be on the Lakers.  But more importantly than that, it is necessary to realize that three out of the four teams left in the playoffs are in the top 6 in payroll.  The Phoenix Suns are sitting at #9 (payroll $74.9 million).  And last round, 7 of the 8 teams left in the playoffs were in the top 10 in payroll, with only the Atlanta Hawks as the major surprise with the #22 payroll of $65.9 million.

What does this tell us other than the fact that Al Horford is a miracle worker?  That if you want to win in the NBA, you better put your money where your mouth is.  This should quiet everyone who complains that the MLB isn’t fair due to the lack of a salary cap.  The NBA has a cap (albeit a soft one), yet does the playoff landscape say anything of competitive balance?  What it says is that teams that want to win better be willing to pay talented players what they are worth.

Out of the top 10 spenders in the NBA, 9 of the teams made the playoffs (the New York Knicks being the odd team out).  16 out of 30 teams make the playoffs.  Out of the bottom 10 spenders, 7 of them were left out of the playoffs (the Portland Trailblazers, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the aforementioned Hawks being the exceptions).

The NBA: You Have To Pay To Play from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

The Northwest Division is a little tougher to pick than the Central Division.  The Nuggets showed their strength last season, but the Jazz always are in contention, and I like the Trail Blazers to make some noise as well.  Thus, I’ll run with LaMarcus Aldridge’s picture up top, who just scored a 5-year, $65 million extension.

Denver Nuggets - Denver Stiffs | The Nugg Doctor

Minnesota Timberwolves – Canis Hoopus | Empty the Bench | TWolvesBlog

Oklahoma City Thunder – Blue Blitz | Daily Thunder

Portland Trail Blazers - Blazersedge | A Stern Warning | The Rip City Project | Blaze of Love | BustaBucket | Trail Post

Utah Jazz – SLC Dunk | True Blue Jazz

Bonus Links: See full schedule here | Also see SBNation preview storystream

NBA: Northwest Division Previews from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

When you think about royal families in the history of the NBA, several names might come to mind. How about Kobe Bryant and his father Joe “Jelly Bean” Bryant? What about Jimmy Walker and son Jalen Rose? Then there’s Brent Barry and his father Rick Barry, who both won NBA Championships. These families all stick out, among others. It’s not hard to find great players from the same breed. As they say, the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

It’s easy to think of a father-son combo, but what about the greatest pair of brothers in NBA history? I’m talking about Dominique and Gerald Wilkins. On one hand, Dominique Wilkins is considered one of the greatest dunkers and most prolific scorers of all time. On the other hand, Dominique’s younger brother Gerald was a defensive specialist and one of the more underrated players of his time. Throw in Gerald’s son Damien – who currently plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder – and you’ve got the 2^nd generation of true “NBA Royalty.”

Let’s start with Dominique. His nickname speaks for itself. “The Human Highlight Film,” as he would come to be known, is the Atlanta Hawks all-time leading scorer. Dominique is a 9 time NBA All-Star and a 2 time NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion. During his career he registered 26,668 points while grabbing 7,169 boards. His career points total ranks him ninth all-time. Dominique is one of just 14 players to total 25,000 points or more for a career. In addition, Dominique was the NBA Scoring Champion in 1986, averaging 30.3 points per game on the season. He gained his nickname “The Human Highlight Film” for his incredible athletic ability and high-flying dunks. He trademarked the windmill dunk, using it to capture Slam Dunk titles in 1985 and 1990. Dominique is remembered as an acrobatic scorer, a great finisher, and one of most creative dunkers in history. His #21 jersey was retired by the Hawks on January 13, 2001. He is one of four players to have had their jerseys retired by the Hawks. Put simply, Dominique Wilkins is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Gerald Wilkins, three years younger than brother Dominique, was a key player on the successful New York Knicks teams of the late 1980s. Gerald was a crafty guard known for his defensive skills, but he was also consistently the 2^nd leading scorer on those Knicks teams, behind none other than NBA legend Patrick Ewing. Following in his brother Dominique’s footsteps, Gerald participated in the 1986 and 1987 Slam Dunk Contests. After Gerald became a free agent in 1992, he was picked up by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers signed Gerald as the final piece of the puzzle, hoping his notorious defense would help them beat Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Wilkins was even labeled as “the Jordan stopper.” After his stint with the Cavaliers ended in 1995, Gerald was continually hampered by injuries the rest of his career. Despite this, Gerald was considered a reliable sixth man for the remaining four years of his career with the Orlando Magic (1996-1999). In 1999, what turned out to be the final year of both Gerald’s and Dominique’s careers, the two brothers were finally united on the same team with the Orlando Magic.

If “NBA royalty” does exist, Damien Wilkins is the heir to the throne. And so the legacy begins. The son of a 14 year NBA mainstay and nephew of an NBA legend, Damien Wilkins comes from a noble line. After a quick and promising start to his NCAA career at North Carolina State, Damien entered the 2001 NBA Draft but decided to withdraw and transfer to Georgia. Damien had two solid seasons at Georgia but went undrafted in 2004. Damien took this personal. With a renewed diligence in the weight room, Wilkins put up strong numbers in the summer league and shined in the preseason with the Sonics. He made the team and the rest is history. Wilkins finally cracked the starting lineup midway through his rookie season. He came through in a big way, scoring a career-high 21 points, including the game-winning basket. Wilkins would start seven games throughout the remainder of the season. With the departure of Rashard Lewis and Ray Allen in 2007, Damien became a mainstay starter on the Sonics. On November 16, 2007 he scored a career high 41 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. Damien now plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Headlined by a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in Dominique, the Wilkins family represents legitimate “NBA royalty.” Dominique was a high-flyer and Gerald could do it all. Now Damien represents the next prince in the Wilkins line of hardwood royalty.

Gerald Wilkins is a client of Dynasty Athlete Representation.

NBA Royalty from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules

Since announcing the new team name and colors, the Thunder officially announced that the new stadium has sold out of season tickets in only five days, something which would have never been possible in Seattle the past several years.  This begs to question whether Bennett was right when he moved the franchise from Seattle for financial and other reasons.

You can check out the team’s new website to see Oklahoma Cities new jersey’s, team colors (light blue, orange and black) and mascot.

SportsAgentBlog.com has been updating our readers from the beginning of the trial all the way to where we are now. This is just another piece of the puzzle, as former owner Howard Schultz STILL has a lawsuit pending against Bennett to take back over the team.  This lawsuit is backed up in the courts until sometime in 2009, although Schultz is looking to expedite the process anyway possible.

Oklahoma City Thunder from Sports Agent Blog - Sports Business, Sports Law, Sports Negotiations, NCAA Rules