From Hang Time to Prime Time

Starred review from September 7, 2020
Croatto, a sports and culture writer and reviewer for PW, debuts with a stellar reconstruction of how the NBA transformed from a struggling league into the multibillion-dollar behemoth it is today. It may be hard to believe, given the contemporary prominence and wealth of the NBA, but 40 years ago, the sports organization was on hard times, an era Croatto calls the league’s “interminable and frequently painful puberty,” which was hampered in part by the discomfort felt by white Americans at rosters “dominated by black men.” Finances were so bad that even the storied Boston Celtics contemplated a move to Long island, and one All-Star Game reception was “held in the Suns’ team doctor’s backyard.” The rebound was the product of innovative commissioners Larry O’Brien (named in 1975) and his successor David Stern, who came on in 1984. Between them, they pursued marketing opportunities, struck TV deals, and expanded the league’s visibility with licensed merchandise and brand partnerships. Croatto’s diligent research, which included more than 300 interviews, pulls back the curtain on all that went on off-court. Any fan of the game would do well to pick this up—it’s a slam dunk. Agent: Louise Fury, the Bent Agency.

November 1, 2020

Moving beyond a simple explanation that Larry Bird, Erving Johnson, and Michael Jordan saved the NBA, writer Croatto details how a systematic shift in business, marketing, and organizational decisions in the late 1970s and 1980s contributed to the league's global domination. NBA teams faced financial difficulties during the 1970s and 1980s; the league remained solvent by acquiring a new TV contract, restructuring the collective bargain agreement, and creating revenue sharing between teams. Commissioner David Stern understood that the NBA was in the entertainment business as well as the basketball business. As a result, the league concentrated marketing strategy on promoting players over teams. The author shows how, in order to improve the sport's reputation, the NBA produced their own TV and video content, focusing on exciting highlights, and explains how the rise of sneaker culture and hip-hop synergized with the aesthetic that the league tapped into. Croatto goes into depth about the Jordan-Nike collaboration, the All-Star game, and ABA-NBA merger. VERDICT A well-researched work for readers interested in sports business and NBA history. Casual basketball fans should seek out Jackie MacMullan's Basketball: A Love Story.--Chris Wilkes, Tazewell Cty. P.L., VA

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