Chris L Diaz
A blog by me
Dwight Howard’s Free Agency Is Dumb But It Has Given Us Some Great Business Tips!
Setting aside my thoughts and opinions on whether or not the Lakers are and should or shouldn’t beg Dwight Howard to resign with the Lakers (scroll to the bottom for those thoughts), this whole circus is giving us some great business advice.
When pitching a potential client you should really:
- Research, research, research: The Lakers (and Rockets and Mavericks) know Dwight loves the spotlight. They know he wants to be the center of attention and being in LA, being plastered on iconic buildings and billboards across the city is about as center of attention as you can get. These billboards aren’t a fluke thing. The Lakers know Howard and the kinds of things that will grab his attention.
- Add some incentives: The billboards and max money are obviously nice, but the Lakers know they need to add more to their pitch to convince Howard. Enter Time Warner Cable. It’s widely expected that TWC will be making a case for Howard having his own TV show on their flagship Lakers channel if he chooses to stay in LA.
- Get the last word: This doesn’t guarantee you’ll win, but it gives you a chance to address offers being made by other suitors and respond accordingly.
Now, for the good stuff.
Dwight Howard is an idiot.
I don’t personally have a big problem with the way the Lakers have handled and approached Dwight’s free agency. It’s annoying but it makes sense. You have to play the game.
Are they begging? Maybe, but so are the Rockets, Mavs, Hawks and Warriors. It’s the nature of the business.
Here’s the issue though. 9 out of 10 players would sign with the Lakers every time. Hell, 10 out 10 big men would sign with the Lakers based on their history of big men (Sev Speaks has a good rundown of Lakers bigs and history).
Yet, for some reason this “#1” guy is reportedly ready to head to the Houston Rockets, as long as they sign another max player.
If he’s really about championships he knows the Lakers give him the best opportunity. He won’t be option 1, he’s not good enough to be, but he will be option 1A+.
Look, I’m not dumb. I’ve been a basketball fan my whole life and I know that the Lakers with Dwight Howard are better than the Lakers without him. The same goes for any other team. At the same time, I know that not resigning Dwight won’t be the end of the world. Ya, next season may suck, but 2014 has one hell of a draft class and a free agency crop that rivals 2010s.
Good luck Dwight. I’ll just say this, though, if I was him my decision would have been made on July 1.
Chris L Diaz 