It’s been 25 years since Paul Allen bought the Portland Trail Blazers and since said transaction more than a quarter-century ago, the Blazers have produced exactly 0 NBA Championships. That’s not to say Allen hasn’t been a good owner. He’s always been engaged, willing to spend money, and simply put – while not universally true of all owners – cared about the primary goal in sports … winning. Yet, as the controversial Stephen A Smith would say; “However,” he’s given it his best shot and now I suggest he hand the keys to a proven businessman, noted philanthropist, and taskmaster-general of the 21st-century success story that is the Oregon Ducks: Phil Knight.
I’m not suggesting Mr. Knight should buy the team from the self-dubbed “Idea Man,” but rather intercede in a roundabout way to provide Mr. Allen with the necessary tools – or in this case tool – to hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy. In other words: bring LeBron to Portland.
Hear me out. Conventional wisdom says our market’s too small and our team has no ties to the game’s greatest player, but sometimes you only need one card to win a game of poker and we have the ace: Nike.
LeBron James is this generation’s Michael Jordan, and Nike has and does recognize him as such via the means in which they market him. He has his shoe (the LeBron), he has his commercials (Little LeBron, Old LeBron, and “Fly” LeBron), and he’s got the money ($15 million dollars a year from the athletic giant from Beaverton). But what he doesn’t have is “twice that much,” and that’s what I’m suggesting Phil and Nike do.
The Blazers are limited by what they can pay LeBron, and Portland, while we love it, offers little to superstar athletes with the world as their oyster. But Nike reports more than $200 million in revenue worldwide from LeBron products and an additional $15 million for the man responsible for generating said funds would far from dent the Nike pocketbook.
Last February, LeBron, in an interview, commented on the fact that he’s never taken “max money” on an NBA contract and that due to the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) makes far less than his free market earning potential. While far from destitute, he annually makes roughly $17 million from the Miami Heat, while in a free market environment would likely command close to $40 million. So in effect, he’s capped from a salary standpoint, making an over-the-top conditional offer from Nike that much harder to scoff at.
Following next season, LeBron will have an opportunity to opt-out of his final year with the Heat. Miami, due to luxury tax stipulations, will be in a nearly impossible position to put the type of players around LeBron to win a championship. Many have speculated he’ll return to Cleveland, others have suggested Los Angeles, I say “how about here?” He already “owns” Akron and has certainly never paid for a meal in Miami, so I suggest Knight – with some help from our fair town – give him an offer he can’t refuse. Ex-athletes have made small fortunes attaching themselves to car dealerships over the years: how about LeBron Tonkin Automobile Group? He never went to college; give him Portland State and rename it James State University at Portland …”You can take your talents to South Beach, but here is where you nurture them.” Fast Food; how does LeBron Johns Silver’s sound? Certainly there’s some rural property we can give him for a palatial estate we’ll call the LeBronderosa. I’m just getting started! I’m sure with Knight, his Nike team, and smarter people than I, there are endless ways to grease “The King’s” pocket, as well as his ego along the way.
With LaMarcus Aldridge in his prime, Nicholas Batum coming into his own, and Damian Lillard emerging as a potential superstar in this league, Portland has the talent to tempt a superstar player nearing the back-nine of his career. Cleveland might be home, L.A. might be L.A., and Portland might be a “nice little story tucked-away in the northwest corner of the states,” but so was Phil Knight once, so was Nike once, and so was the University of Oregon not so long ago. We need your help Phil; this may sound like a pipe-dream, but so was a waffle-iron shoe … and we know how that turned out.
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