The Michigan Daily - Monday, December 2, 1991 - Page 11 NBA ac *by David Schechter Daily Basketball Writer . Baseball on TV just doesn't cut it. Too much swing- ing and missing. What about a sport that packs a real punch like football or hockey? Exciting, but you can't see your fa- vorite player's face under a fiberglass helmet. Basketball is the game perfectly suited for the new global television community. It's action without dis- traction. Power forwards don't sit around like center fielders waiting for the ball - they move to it. And *why bother watching Joe Montana's face mask when the NBA offers Michael Jordan's tongue, Charles Barkley's sneer, and Isiah Thomas' smile? The NBA seems to be powered by jet-fighter fuel. It has to be. It is a game in constant motion. A game of high-scoring and nail-biting intensity. It is a game that holds in its ranks some of the world's finest athletes. And a game that boasts six of the top 10 most recog- nizable athletes in the world. It seems only natural that in this age of sound bytes and music television, *professional basketball is the entertainment industry's perfect partner. The NBA is a finely tuned entertainment package whose pace is perfectly suited for a decade of flash and substance. Behind every player in the league, there is an entire support staff helping to keep the wheels of fame spinning. As you might expect, the superstars get a lit- tie more help than, say, Paul Mokeski. But still, there are people and organizations dedicated to the image- making of the league and its most lauded players. Basketball players are no longer just big bodies that *plug up the lane. They are sleek, smooth, and smart on the floor. Somewhere between Dr. J and the Isiah Thomas generation, a metamorphosis occurred. Basket- ball players became entertainers. Success is not only limited to the court anymore. The sport's fast pace and forobatic grace awe fans and non-fans alike. And so the appeal of a basketball star is far reaching. The largest endorsement deals now go to basketball players, be- cause they are so recognizable. In fact, the game has ben elevated to such a level that certain players can't *iven eat at McDonald's. "Do you think a lot of people would recognize Will Clark if he was walking down the street?" said .Dpn Sperling, executive producer of NBA Entertain- ment. "Think about it, he's one of the better players in baseball. God forbid if Michael or Earvin or Isiah walk down the street - forget it." Sperling and NBA Entertainment comprise an often unsung appendage of the NBA marketing machine. In many ways they are responsible for crafting the image of the league and its players while spreading the gospel of pro basketball around this country and the world. How do they do it? As the name implies, NBA Entertainment brings Qut the best in basketball entertainment. With high- tech effects, fast-paced editing, and hip music, they package the league into quality programming. The flow and style of professional basketball lends itself t0 the pace and rhythm of a music video. Bumping in the lane, slam dunks and dazzling passes to music replace the singing and dancing of MTV. The chief aim of NBAE is to promote the league. They do it by produc- *ig large-scale projects in a low-profile way. The average fan sees dozens of pieces produced by NBAE during the course of a season, but they probably don't know NBAE is involved. And that's the way NBA Entertainment likes it. The idea behind the anonymity is that the credit should go to the players and the players only. Here's just a sampling of what NBAE puts to- gether: Six to eight home videos a year. These include Michael Jordan's Playground and Come Fly With Me, both featuring Jordan, a video following the progress of that year's championship team, and several others. Television specials like "SI for Kids" and the "Stay in School Jam" which aired on NBC, Nick- elodeon and TNT during All-Star Weekend. Commercials for NBA Authentics and Skybox basketball cards, as well as public-service announce- ments about child abuse and NBA Fantastic commer- cials. * 85 half-time features that air on NBC and TNT. i. olion0 it's big >usiness basketball into big business. Converse is at it to, and they're proud to say that they own the title of the offi- cial shoes of the NBA. According to Bill Tucker, vice president in charge of marketing at Converse, there is one big reason for his companies alliance with the league. "The NBA is perhaps the premiere sports marketing organization in the world," Tucker said. "They know exactly what people want, and they've delivered a su- perior entertainment product. They are very forward thinking, and leading edge marketers." Converse plans to utilize fully their official shoe status in the coming years and months because of the potential benefits that exist. They will place emphasis on the long-running relationship that Converse has with the NBA. After all, Converse feels that since it invented the original basketball shoe, the Chuck Tay- lors, people should automatically relate Converse shoes with professional basketball. To stake a prominent spot in the highly competitive athletic shoe industry, the company has taken an ag- gressive tone in their marketing. Converse ads follow the concept that "It's what's inside that counts." By signing on such notable winners as Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Bill Laimbeer, Converse hopes to prove that slogan true. "The type of people who wear our products really exemplify the whole notion of - it's what's inside them that has made them superstars. And that's really who we are," Tucker said. Indirectly, by promoting the strengths of their en- dorsees, companies like Nike and Converse also pro- mote the NBA. "I think our whole 'Just Do It' philosophy really ties in a lot with the excitement in the NBA," Gable said. Tucker points out that it's a great relationship be- cause not only do the shoe companies and the NBA ben- efit, but more importantly - the fans do too. The viewer naturally wants more and tunes in to see Jordan or Bird's acrobatics live on NBC. And of course, they not only see Jordan and Bird, but Isiah, Barkley and a myriad of players from around the league. The NBA is a very '90s organization, with style all its own and a great entertainment value. The parallels have been drawn between the league and MTV. Through different mediums they work towards a common goal. MTV's programming is geared at much the same level and speed as the NBA - they are both fast, sleek, and action-oriented. The connection be- tween the two naturally must overlap. And it does. MTV took an interest in the league three years ago when it began broadcasting from NBA playoff games. It just seemed like the right thing to do. "We originally did it a few years ago. It's a young company where a lot of people are into basketball. The NBA has certainly turned its focus to young exciting people. It's right up our alley," said Mitchell Kozu- chowski, who produced several MTV spots, featuring Downtown Julie Brown, in Detroit this season. Fast dancing and fast sports make great music tele- vision. "We got very good response to our coverage. We got great participation from the players, with the Pis- tons being one of the most cooperative teams," Kozu- chowski said. MTV took advantage of the allure of the NBA, and the favor was returned as the NBA's fast- paced image was carried to yet more homes. Julie Brown, with her pop savvy, has been converted into a Pistons groupie over the years because basketball is so fun to watch. The union of the two was noted in the National last year, "If the Pistons were a rock band instead of a basketball team, MTV's Downtown Julie Brown would be their backup vocalist." It seems fitting that she wouldn't sing lead. Whereas MTV began a new movement in television, the NBA has done something arguably bigger. It has spurred the development of a whole concept in sports entertainment. While the players concentrate on play- ing well, organizations like NBA Entertainment, Nike, and even MTV actively promote the league. Each group reaps different benefits, from selling more shoes to in- creasing viewership. The NBA has the prettiest jump shot around, and big business, big stars and big fans all benefit every time that shot falls. Atlanta guard Rumeal Robinson is one of the players who has benefitted from the NBA's marketing strategy. One-hour, edited and reproduced versions of NBA games that are distributed to 77 countries around the world. In 1982, NBA Entertainment set out to make bas- ketball faces recognizable worldwide. In the early eighties, with a meager five-member staff, they pro- duced a handful of promotional spots and a few half- time features for cable broadcasts. Now their handfuls are overflowing. In July, with a growing 80-member staff, NBAE will move to a brand new multi-million dollar facility in New Jersey equipped with a studio, editing suites and executive offices. "Slowly over the years we saw the sport change, we saw it gain popularity, and we saw the emergence of great personalities like Bird, Magic, Jordan, Barkley and Isiah," Sterling said. NBAE played a growing part in the coming out of the new-look league. The most remarkable achievement of NBAE may be its half-hour show called "Inside Stuff." Designed as a segue into the NBA on NBC, "Stuff" is hosted by Ahmad Rashad and is a relaxed and fun look at the league. "Stuff" takes an MTV approach to the NBA, combining action and rhythm to give a music video feel. Every week the show includes features on different players (not just the superstars) in an attempt to fa- miliarize fans, and potential fans, with the league in a more personal way. The support the show receives from NBC is almost unheard of. It may be the first television show to ever receive a guaranteed 36-week run on national television. "Before I came here, I worked at NBC," NBA publicist Mary Negoy said, "and I know that nothing gets a 36-week commitment. I could get Robert DeNiro to star in a television series and even that would not get a 36-week commitment.". And so the flash and appeal of this particular NBAE production has NBC smiling. After doling out 600 million dollars for the right to cover NBA games, the network is now benefiting from NBAE's total commitment to covering the sport. "NBA Entertainment is a unique situation, where they have cameramen and editors exclusively dedicated to the NBA. As a network with many interests we can't do that," said Ed Markey, director of sports in- formation at NBC. Naturally, if NBAE is producing a show that perpetuates the popularity of the league, something NBC has vested interested in, then the "Inside Stuff" agreement means good business for both sides. And what would the NBA be without shoes - or more importantly shoe commercials? The Nike shoe company takes basketball stardom to another level. Nike has been a key factor in the popu- larity of the league and its sleek facade. They place bas- ketball stars on the highest plateau of excellence and achievement, with meticulously produced commercials that follow storylines and use complex graphics and effects. "Nike's whole philosophy is to work with the best athletes in any sport. I think that our work with Michael Jordan is a good example of how we work with the best there is and how we market them in a way that is extremely positive," Nike spokesperson Melinda Gabel said. The nature of the Nike ad is innovative, fresh, and exciting. Players aren't just players - they become personalities. There's a feeling of comraderie while a superstar talks to you face to face. "Welcome to Mr. Robinson's neighborhood." Nike's campaigns, like "Inside Stuff," personalize players like David Robin- son, because you see superstars in different settings than you would during a game. Nike isn't the only shoe company out there making ::.:.: ........TEtinTE TV ::........ ho v . ta fo dDA E t 2:::::::::::::;:..ul.:.::ABC ...":::. :.::: >:rs,::.m :B..w...T....r vrs, .:Sen .:ueg> .:. ....e.:c :"::..:._::::he::.:.Calif..:ycom :;" ::...:::t:..:w ::::A:.::m::vsyy.{oloraty 5yi{ Y tn:d _.:.:>_