David Stern's Impact On Today's NBA

SBJ Writes, “The backstory … starts in the 1980s and a retirement by Michael Jordan in the late 1990s that transformed TMBO [Team Marketing & Business Operations] today into a data-driven resource helping NBA teams sell for $6 billion-plus.”

June 3, 2025

TMBO at 25: The Birth and Impact of David Stern’s Idea
SBJ’s Tom Friend writes,”What began as a handshake and an ‘I’ve heard about you’ from Rozelle turned into occasional get-togethers, sometimes on the tennis court, with Stern always asking about NFL Properties or NFL revenue sharing, and Rozelle always throwing the kid a few bones.

“What ensued, to hear NBA lifers tell it, was a constant gnaw in the back of Stern’s head to reorganize the NBA business template, to create his own league’s plan, to have executives from every team share best practices — even if it meant the Celtics were speed-dialing the team they called the ‘effing Lakers’ for advice, or vice versa.

“The backstory not only includes Rozelle, but fits and starts in the 1980s and a retirement by Michael Jordan in the late 1990s that transformed TMBO [Team Marketing & Business Operations] today into a data-driven resource helping NBA teams sell for $6 billion-plus.”
^{Sports Business Journal}

CBS Sports Strikes Deal for Women’s Champions League in U.S.
The new deal will see the broadcaster, and streaming service Paramount+, screen all 75 matches from the tournament exclusively from next season through 2030. Select matches will also be shown on CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network. The agreement means CBS Sports now hold the broadcast rights to all UEFA competitions in the U.S., including the men’s Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League and Youth League.

The competition had previously been shown by DAZN and YouTube for the last four years.
^{The Athletic}

ESPN Facing Pressure Over Future ‘Inside the NBA’ Handling
THE RINGER’s Bill Simmons said unless ESPN completely changes “how they do commercials,” the show is “going to be different and people are going to be pissed and Barkley and those guys are going to be pissed.” Simmons, on his podcast, added he thinks it’s “going to go badly.” The only way it “doesn’t go badly is if they do the commercials and they give them the lengthy segments that you need to have that show work. They’re going to change how they do it.”
^{The Ringer via Sports Business Journal}

Apple TV Emerging as Leading Candidate Among Streamers to Land More MLB Rights
A source tells SBJ the offer from Apple would likely be more than what NBC would be eyeing, particularly if that package was focused on simply Sunday night rights.

Any deal would likely be a three-year pact, lining up MLB to have all its national rights (and maybe even a national “local” package) available in 2028, when deals with Fox Sports and TNT Sports also end. Apple TV currently has a package of MLB Friday night games that runs through 2028 and pays the league a reported $85M annually.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Here's How Cooper Flagg Cleared a Staggering $28 Million in NIL Contracts During His One season at Duke
During a recent sitdown with Bob Costas at the 92nd Street Y in New York City, longtime sports journalist and author Howard Bryant asked his co-host how much Flagg earned in NIL at Duke.

CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford writes, “Costas was unsure, but then Howard provided an answer that resulted in an audible gasp from the audience -- $28 million.”

"He had a $13 million deal with New Balance and then $15 million with Fanatics," Bryant said at the 51:09 mark of the conversation.

Crawford continues: “Howard's reported total is likely Flagg's NIL contracts in totality and not an annual payment.”
^{CBS Sports}

Sports Stocks Rebound as Tariff Fears Recede, TACO Trade Dominates
Sportico’s Brendan Coffey reports: “The benchmark sports index posted a 7% gain in May to close the month at 1,380, pushing the index back into positive territory for 2025. The strength in sports reflected the wider rebound seen in the broader markets, which saw action in the month dominated by knee-jerk reactions to Trump tariff announcements followed by sharp rebound days due what investors began calling the TACO trade.”
^Sportico

Honda Signs on as LA28 Sponsor, Giving Games Boost as Momentum Builds
The deal is the sixth new sponsor announcement in 2025, matching the total for all of last year, and represents a financial and operational boon to LA28.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the reported price tag for top-tier sponsors starts at around $200 million. The Honda deal gives U.S. Olympic and Paralympic properties - the joint venture between LA28 and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee - a lucrative automotive category that has been held at the global level since 2017.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Lumen Field Set for $19.4M Renovation Ahead of ‘26 FIFA World Cup
Lumen Field will undergo a $19.4M “makeover” ahead of the 2026 men’s World Cup, according to Rick Morgan of the PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL via SBJ. The makeover “accounts for over” 40% of the $46.6M state lawmakers this year set aside for World Cup preparations. Lumen Field “will be replacing the artificial turf with stitched natural grass,” a change that “will require new irrigation, vacuum ventilation and grow lights.” Lumen Field GM Zach Hensley said that work will “begin after the upcoming NFL season.”
^{Puget Sound Business Journal via Sports Business Journal}

Pacers’ 25-Year Finals Drought is Over. Now They’re Looking to Overcome Their Snake-Bitten History
AP News’ Michael Marot writes, “The Pacers play in a state where basketball is treated like religion, championship teams become royals and players and coaches emerge as revered figures when they achieve the unexpected like these Pacers. But Indiana hasn’t always been that dream destination for NBA players, instead being tabbed as snake-bitten franchise for most of its 48 seasons in the league.”
^{AP News}

Michigan State Seen as Surprise Destination for Georgia Tech’s Batt
Michigan State officially named Georgia Tech AD J Batt as the school’s next AD, and though many were “not surprised he left for another opportunity,” his destination “was unexpected,” according to Ken Sugiura of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION via SBJ. It had been thought that when Batt “eventually jumped, it would be to Alabama (where he had been the deputy AD before leaving for Tech) or North Carolina (his alma mater).” There was “no clear connection to the Big Ten school or the Midwest.”
^{Atlanta Journal-Constitution via Sports Business Journal}

Jazz Reportedly Hire Celtics Assistant GM Austin Ainge, Son of Danny, as New President of Basketball Operations
Yahoo Sports’ Chris Cwik writes, “Austin Ainge spent the last six seasons with the Boston Celtics, where he served as the team's assistant general manager. He previously was brought on as the team's director of player personnel in 2011, when his father was the team's executive director of basketball operations.

“Danny Ainge served in that role in 2021, when he retired from the Celtics. A few months later, Danny Ainge joined the Jazz as the team's CEO of basketball operations and alternate governor. He still holds that role, and will now be reunited with his son in Utah.”
^{Yahoo! Sports}

OL Lyonnes Appoints Jonatan Giraldez as New Head Coach
The Lyon women’s team was recently rebranded OL Lyonnes, combining the city’s name with the French word for a lioness.

Giraldez led Barcelona to a historic finish in his final season, winning the Liga F, the Copa de la Reina, the Spanish Super Cup and the Champions League. He then joined Washington Spirit in June last year. OL Lyonnes and Washington Spirit are both owned by Michele Kang.
^{AP News}

Aston Villa Confirm ex-Juventus Exec Francesco Calvo as President of Business Operations
The Athletic revealed in April that Calvo’s predecessor, Chris Heck, was leaving the club at the end of the season. Heck officially left his role at the end of May.

Calvo, meanwhile, is set to join in July and will be responsible for leading the club’s off the field commercial and business strategy, and tasked with increasing the club’s overall revenue.
^{The Athletic}

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Bill Belichick’s Buyout at UNC Dropped by $9 Million on Sunday
FOS’ Alex Schiffer writes, “A breakup between North Carolina and Bill Belichick got cheaper on Sunday—even if it remains unlikely. On June 1, the Hall of Fame coach’s buyout with the Tar Heels dropped from $10 million to $1 million, making a divorce less expensive for both parties, even though Belichick has given no indication he plans on leaving UNC.” 
^{Front Office Sports}

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