NEWS: Donnie out | Nico Harrison (Nike) as Pres/GM | Fin as VP | Dirk as Advisor

[Kammrath]

Two possibilities come to mind (though there may be others):

1. Ford was the PR move and the Dirk/Finley/others committee did the real decisionmaking.

2. Ford was already doing work and the Dirk/Finley/others committee was the PR move.

The committee thing smells more like a PR move to me. But certainly I don’t know. Cato’s stuff seems to suggest “league sources” think otherwise.

I appreciate this. 

My hunch is that Cuban did in fact legitimately listen to Forde AND to the Dirk committee....however I think there was huge added benefit to Cuban that BOTH "looked good" to outsiders as well. A sort of "win-win" for him.

I think Cuban:

1) Wanted Forde because he does value outside opinions (even if he doesn't always follow them) and knew that this hire was make or break for his Luka era. There is no way that Cuban is oblivious to how incredibly important these moves are for the future of his franchise and winning. I am certain Cuban wants to win more than anything and he has to see that Luka is his golden ticket. 

2) Wanted Dirk/committee involved because he realizes these guys are the FACE of the franchise and he desperately needs them on board to continue to have a good product/franchise. I think Cuban values their input because he respects their basketball wisdom and because they make his franchise what it is.

[jesusshuttlesworth82]

Cato's article states that a list of names was presented TO Forde for vetting, not that Forde came up with a list of names as candidates.  (obviously since Forde was just hired last week)

Cuban did solicit lists of promising executives around the league, sources say, which were indeed sent to Mike Forde’s consulting firm Sportsology. But league sources always viewed the firm’s involvement as a public relations ploy more than Cuban seriously considering any concession of decision-making influence.

[Kammrath]

Cato's article states that a list of names was presented TO Forde for vetting, not that Forde came up with a list of names as candidates.  (obviously since Forde was just hired last week)

Cool thanks for the clarification. So Cuban got names from others in the league and then sent them to Forde to help him narrow it down to one that fit.

I disagree with the short timeline obviously, but I also DO NOT KNOW and I am just playing sleuth in all this.

[khaled1987]

As time passes, we might get some clearer answers. 

Doubt it, it will be just some side being more successful in pushing his narrative,  which most likely will be the billionaire. 
Either that or fans will react based on results,  Kidd and Nico fails; then Cuban was caught off guard, they succeed then it was all gone according to plan

[Jommybone]

I appreciate this. 

My hunch is that Cuban did in fact legitimately listen to Forde AND to the Dirk committee....however I think there was huge added benefit to Cuban that BOTH "looked good" to outsiders as well. A sort of "win-win" for him.

I think Cuban:

1) Wanted Forde because he does value outside opinions (even if he doesn't always follow them) and knew that this hire was make or break for his Luka era. There is no way that Cuban is oblivious to how incredibly important these moves are for the future of his franchise and winning. I am certain Cuban wants to win more than anything and he has to see that Luka is his golden ticket. 

2) Wanted Dirk/committee involved because he realizes these guys are the FACE of the franchise and he desperately needs them on board to continue to have a good product/franchise. I think Cuban values their input because he respects their basketball wisdom and because they make his franchise what it is.

Good thoughts. There’s also this Cuban thing—maybe other franchises do it to—of treating post-career Mavs well. Giving them jobs, opportunities, respect. That may be about signaling there’s more benefit to signing here than just the dollars on your current contract. It may be about creating a good look. Or he may just genuinely care about the players he cheers for so heartily.

My guess: all the above.

[Kammrath]

It may be about creating a good look. Or he may just genuinely care about the players he cheers for so heartily.

My guess: all the above.

Yep, 100% with you on this.

[ClutchDirk]

https://media.giphy.com/media/Fw2PnsOvTu67m/giphy.gif

[Hogmelon]

WHY ASK WHY??????


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGY52NnKL_8

[HanspardsShowerVoice]

Two possibilities come to mind (though there may be others):

1. Ford was the PR move and the Dirk/Finley/others committee did the real decisionmaking.

2. Ford was already doing work and the Dirk/Finley/others committee was the PR move.

The committee thing smells more like a PR move to me. But certainly I don’t know. Cato’s stuff seems to suggest “league sources” think otherwise. And I really liked him with Peter Sellers in the Pink Panther movies.

I'm guessing it's #1.    

The more the time passes, the more I think Finley might be low-key a real power player in the Nico hiring.  

Finley was one of the original 5 players to sign with the Jordan Brand in 1997 when Nike spun it off as a sub-brand. 

Michael Finley of the Dallas Mavericks began hearing rumors swirling around the league about a master plan that Nike and Jordan had cooking.

“My agent called me,” Finley remembered, “and said, ‘Michael Jordan and his reps are starting their own Jordan Brand and want to know if you want to be a part of it.’ I was like, ‘C’mon, man. That’s a no-brainer. Of course.’ To have M.J. pick you as one of the originals, that’s an honor. It was just us five … our own little fraternity.” (These days, Finley, an assistant vice president of basketball operations for the Dallas Mavericks, is something of a film producer.)

Nico's first job with Nike was as a regional marketing rep in 2002 as a regional marketing rep (basically as a personal intermediary between Nike and their players).    Which region specifically?  Texas and the Southwest.

After a seven-year career playing professional hoops throughout Europe, Harrison landed what would become his defining entry-point role in sports business in the spring of 2002. A regional Nike rep covering the southwest market, he was assigned to manage the company’s partnerships with the San Antonio Spurs’ core trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili.

Nike, whose footwear is now typically worn in games by nearly 70% of the NBA, has sports marketing reps all throughout the country assigned to several key regions. As Harrison found out early on, that meant regularly attending games and checking in often with players to make sure they were comfortable with new footwear, updated on current marketing campaigns, and continually strengthening their relationship with the brand.

If Harrison's job was to personally interact and work with Nike Clients in the Southwest, and Finley an All Star and one of the "Original 5" of the Jordan Brand playing in Texas, sounds like it's very likely that Finley and Harrison had a personal working relationship through Nike dating back almost 20 years.    Also, there is the Dirk connection too.  Dirk was a Nike client.  Though I don't think Dirk was ever concerned enough about being a "brand" that he was one of their premiere clients, they were at least close enough that Nico attended Dirk's final home game in Dallas.    Jared Dudley implied that a lot of franchises have tried to hire Nico in their front office.   The familiarity with Finley and Kidd might have been what won him over.  

Harrison was by Kobe’s side at essentially all times throughout the 2000s, ushering him around packed meeting days on Nike’s Beaverton campus, touring around Asia for annual promotional tours to extend Bryant’s reach globally, and even attending the 2008 Olympics as their friendship extended well beyond work.

That year’s “Redeem Team” in Beijing was led by two of the oldest and longest-tenured players on the USA Basketball roster in Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd – who by that time had also established a strong relationship with Harrison.

https://boardroom.tv/who-is-nico-harrison-mavericks-gm/

https://theundefeated.com/features/micha...kers-nike/

[Kammrath]

Finley was one of the original 5 players to sign with the Jordan Brand in 1997 when Nike spun it off as a sub-brand. 

Great connection, totally forgot about that.