By Joshua Tiernan and Meaghan Clark
Turn your attention to the NBA season by sneaking a peak at Exec Digital's February issue!
Chances are you don’t own a sports team. For many of you, you probably don’t even own a luxury box at your team’s home court. And now that the NBA season is in full effect, albeit a little late, it’s time you got that chance.
30 Teams. 66 regular season games.
The 66th season of the National Basketball Association is already a fourth over. The billionaires and the millionaires were finally able to come to an agreement. This is the season that almost wasn’t. As was the case in 1999, the competitive landscape has never been foggier.
So what the heck happened since the Dallas Mavericks were crowned 2011 champions? To take a page out of the Allstate advertising book: MAYHEM.
Some things have changed while we waited patiently. At least 24 players under NBA contract signed to play in foreign leagues (mostly Euroleague); gone is the ‘Zen Master’ Phil Jackson; the ‘Blake Show’ might finally be the more popular ticket in LA; Shaquille O’Neal is officially retired after 19 years; and a Russian Billionaire bought the Garden State team, only to (try and) move them over to New York’s hippest borough.
Yet some things remained the same, too. The Celtics’ ‘Power 3’ are old; as are the Lakers, Spurs and Mavericks; and hatred for the Heat still roars.
Conventional wisdom would say that the shorter playing season would be an advantage to an older team with a block core. At first glance, it makes sense; opening weekend, many experts were saying just that. But now underrated Manu Ginobli is out again, and injuries are piling up around the leage. All anyone can talk aboutis how playing so many games in such a short period will be detrimental to players.
According to NBA.com, teams will play an average of two more games per month than they would have, given a regular length season. Another interesting note is that all teams will also be required to play three games in a row at least once this season and they will play back to back games with much more frequency.
In the end, the young guns could have a better chance. With the increased frequency of games, youth could be the deciding factor. Younger teams like the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Oklahoma Thunder and Portland Trailblazers they might lack the polish of the veteran teams, but make up for it in athleticism and raw talent. Another team to watch out for is the Indiana Pacers, they are young, gritty and not afraid to grind out games. They don’t seem to be blowing opponents out of the water and are keeping games close as the underdog as well.
With the Campbell’s condensed version of the NBA season humming right along, our new favorite way to catch a game is with Sports Shares. If you aren’t already a season ticket holder to your favorite team’s venue, this could be your best bet. Think of it as a time share for box seats, (only without the smarmy presentations). With teams playing up to 5 games in 7 days, only the true diehard fans will want to catch every game in person. Sports Shares allows you to select the best package for you. The white gloved services amplify your NBA experience – VIP parking, cocktail services, personal concierges for all your needs – and the significantly reduced price of a pay-as-you-go scheme make it easy to commit, even if your team can’t.
“The most important thing for our firm in having a membership in Sports Shares is that we truly maximize our investment,” says member Kip Plowman, CPA and Managing Partner at Cherry, Bekaert & Holland in Atlanta, GA. “With its flexible use program, we don’t waste tickets to any event, so we don’t get more than we need for our clients or staff.”
“My membership to Sports Shares is viewed as a similar relationship to my membership in a country club. I get access to great venues and events with all the amenities, but only pay a fraction of the total cost.”
Corporate suites tickets aren’t wasted in the drawer anymore – if you’ve got a client in Chicago, hit them up with Bulls tickets and get Derrick Rose to assist you in landing that deal. Impress family by booking a finals game, and allow them to take full advantage of the VIP services at any national arena.
See you in June!
