Do the Houston Rockets have a legal claim against the NBA? First, there is the obvious non-legal answer. Just ask yourself, would you sue your employer while still under contract to work there for the next 10 years? It’s definitely bad for business.
Author Archives: shawn grady
The NBA Lockout: There will be blood.
“I … drink … your …. milkshake! [sucking sound],” exclaimed Daniel Plainview in the scene of the movie that most reminds me of the 2011 NBA Lockout. The movie is P.T Anderson’s, “There Will Be Blood,” a dark look at the underbelly of the hyper competitive spirit of the oil soaked American wildcatter.
NBA Locked Up, Fans Included
The increasing reports of NBA players departing overseas makes me nervous… not that I believe most of them. It’s posturing and gamesmanship; I see your bet and raise you 53% revenue share and a soft cap. Players are saying they are strongly considering the move, as if their thoughts were driven by a metronome; every [...]
Hooplaw: The Life and Times of a Sports Agent
“The key to this business is personal relationships.” Dicky Fox, “Jerry Maguire.” It’s recruiting season for sports agent, Austin Walton. While driving to his next recruiting stop, via phone, Walton described his hectic travel schedule to me. His itinerary was similar to a professional athlete – visit major cities along the West Coast for a [...]
Hooplaw: Kentucky Fried Bourbon and a Cathartic Trade Deadline
To prepare for the bar exam, I unhooked myself from the world for an entire month so that I could stare at legal outlines until my head exploded. I pretended there was no internet and became single minded machine. I exercised so I could keep studying. I ate healthier and more frequent meals to keep [...]
The Greatest Rockets Fan of All Time
Basketball is a sport where some of the audience sits just feet from the game. Some of its fans become part of the backdrop. Great plays and great moments include fans that are courtside. Television also offers high profile fans the opportunity to become visible cheerleaders to both the players and the general audience. For [...]
On the NBA: Negotiation Theory and Prokhorov’s Bluff
Negotiation, like chess, the popular Russian pastime, is a game. Pick up any book on negotiation and it will be littered with references to game theories. Most importantly, anyone trained in the art of negotiation, knows that it’s a game. Mikhail Prokhorov, Russian billionaire, is a highly sophisticated business man intimately familiar with the rules [...]
On the NBA: Don’t Tamper With My Fun
Recent news reports revealed that Dan Gilbert, the notorious owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has employed a law firm to investigate allegations that the Miami Heat violated the NBA’s anti-tampering rules with its alleged efforts to recruit LeBron James while he was a member of the Cavaliers. This report is hardly shocking in light of [...]