EXAMINING INEFFICIENCIES IN NBA PLAYER DEVELOPMENT AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS by CONNOR P. WILLIAMSON A THESIS Presented to the Lundquist College of Business and the Robert D. Clark Honors College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science Spring 2016 An Abstract of the Thesis of Connor Williamson for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in the Department of Business to be taken Spring, 2016 Examining Inefficiencies in NBA Player Development and Potential Solutions Approved: Professor Joshua Gordon Though e United States has maintained an impressive performance record in international athletic competition, its amateur sport infrastructure has become less eflicient than that of many other countries, hurting the NBA's ability to expand. For late-development sports like basketball, in which early athletic training should be varied early and specialized late, these training inefficiencies have led to diminished skills among players at the highest level, like those in the NBA. Basketball-specific factors, like the preps-to-pros era coinciding with the post-Jordan generation, have severely atlected the training methods in American basketball. The NBA and its teams have taken note of this change. As the San Antonio Spurs make headlines with a roster of imports, the percentage of foreign players in the NBA has never been higher. As rule changes in the NBA have made for a foster game predicated on skill and savvy, the American player pipeline has never been less prepared. This thesis will define problems with the current system in areas of physical, athletic, and mental athlete development and examine player development models through a holistic lens, digging into the underlying causes of skill deficiencies in the NBA player pool. This research points to the unstructured nature of youth basketball, which is the root cause of paramount issues like the lack of coaching educational standards, as well as many other underlying problems which pervade the NBA player development pipeline. After doing this, it will attempt to solve some of the major issues facing American basketball player development, for example, transitioning players into the NBA and how to systematically train the vast numbers of youth participants. Systems like Canada's Long Term Athlete Development and the youth academy system II in German club football headline a comprehensive list of alternatives to assess. By taking the best aspects of each model and adjusting them to the NBA environment, a better system can be designed, giving the NBA more control of its talent pipeline and further ability to expand and scale. iii Acknowledgements "Sometimes what you hear a lot is, 'oh you have to depend on luck.' That ain't new. That ain't new for any of us. Born in this country, born in this era. Comparing households, going to college. These are all lucky. We realize that, right?" - Sam Hinkie I would like to thank Professors Bothun, Gordon, and Rosenberg, for helping me to fully examine the specific topic and consider the various perspectives and contexts related to this subject matter. Specifically, Professor Bothun, for offering alternate, valuable perspectives on data, basketball, and the NBA; Professor Gordon, for consistently reminding me that consuming an elephant happens one bite at a time and so does finishing a thesis; and Professor Rosenberg for helping me keep the big picture in focus despite my habitual dwelling on each morsel of the project. This sincere gratitude extends to my friends and family, who have allowed me to outwardly and persistently ruminate on this topic, often at their expense. My motley collective of friends has been a stabilizing force over the past year, during which my level of confidence in the project ebbed and flowed and waxed and waned. Nothing would be possible without my tremendous luck, on account of which I was raised by my mother, Jill, to whom I owe everything. From Tupac Shakur’s Dear Mama, “There’s no way I can pay you back. But the plan is to show you that I understand, you are appreciated.” Distilling this gratitude remains one of this project’s more difficult tasks, but, in short, thank you for never letting my questions go unanswered, even when the answer was complicated, crass, or unfair, as is often true. iv Thank you to my step father, Lance and his whole family, for so quickly considering me a member of your family when I was too teenaged to fully appreciate it. I also want to express my deep gratitude to those who granted me an interview while I was researching this thesis. Coach Bev Smith, for your thoughts and expertise regarding youth basketball at every level and your continued developmental consultation. Coach Steve Turner, for your inside takes on high school basketball, the AAU, and the relationship between to two. Coach David Vanterpool, for providing me insights into the makings of a culturally sound NBA team. Finally, coach Travis Blakeley for describing how NBA teams optimally use D-League affiliates and the current state of the D-League as a development tool. I would like to fully express how grateful I am for your collective time, enthusiasm, and guidance, without which this project would not have been nearly as robust. I would also like to thank all of those with whom I held informal conversations for letting me pick your respective brains. Small conversations like these mean a lot, whether affirming a hunch or shifting a perspective. This collection of conversations, in no small part, made a substantive impact on this thesis. v Table of Contents Introduction: Current Model and Problem Presentation 1 Introduction 1 Current NBA Environment 4 Current Domestic Pipeline 13 Problem Presentation 20 Stan Van Gundy's Thoughts 20 Case: Prime Preparatory Academy 21 Case: Montrose Christian Academy 23 Case: DC Assault 24 Case: Play Their Hearts Out and the Inland Stars 26 Case: Creighton and Kevin Ross 27 Case: The Spurs Way 28 Analysis of Current System 31 Conclusion 43 Comparative Analysis 45 American Professional Leagues: MLB and MLS 45 The European Youth Academy Model 56 The Bundesliga and the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB) 65 Canada’s Long-Term Athlete Development Model 73 Ideal Basketball Model 79 Factors for Consideration 79 Ideal Model for Professional Basketball 99 Commentary and Conclusion 119 Appendices 129 Bibliography 212 vi Introduction: Current Model and Problem Presentation Introduction “Sometimes I dream That he is me You've got to see that's how I dream to be I dream I move, I dream I groove Like Mike If I could Be Like Mike Like Mike Oh, if I could Be Like Mike Be Like Mike, Be Like Mike Again I try Just need to fly For just one day if I could Be that way I dream I move I dream I groove Like Mike If I could Be Like Mike I wanna be, I wanna be Like Mike Oh, if I could Be Like Mike”1 In 1992, an advertisement with this song aired on national television, which depicted Michael Jordan playing basketball with children while drinking Gatorade. A year after his first NBA Championship and second MVP season, Jordan had taken over America’s basketball consciousness. The sight of Jordan’s constant adjustments, as calculated as they were unpredictable, cemented his silhouette as the greatest player in a generation, and arguably ever. This captivating imagery touched every part of the basketball world, especially in business and marketing. Nike, which sold Jordan Brand basketball shoes, was integral in the marketing of Jordan as a player and a brand. In turn, Nike and Jordan saw a windfall of revenue from the sale of shoes and other 1 "Be Like Mike Gatorade Commercial (ORIGINAL)." Youtube. Gatorade, 23 Oct. 2006. Web. 7 Mar. 2016. apparel. In fact, Jordan still makes $100 million per year from Nike, having made only $94 million in salary during his playing career.2 The amount of money made by Nike and Jordan opened the eyes of others in the shoe business, changing the way in which many operate in relation to athletic, and particularly basketball, sponsorship. Now, each NBA star has his own shoe contract, which can supplement, and often supplants, a player’s NBA salary, while acting as somewhat of a status symbol.3 As the race has gotten more competitive to sign top stars, bidding starts earlier. Increased competition, coupled with the rise of the internet, has brought more visibility to high school players. This made them more easily identifiable for national media, making shoe companies more interested as well. With more money involved than ever, and an established revenue stream from selling shoes endorsed by star players, high school basketball has become a fertile ground for shoe companies. The Amateur Athletic Union lists Nike, New Balance, Eastbay, and Spalding as sponsors.4 High school team partnerships not only yield potential high-value endorsers, they also set the standard for other high school players in a given area. While every young player tries to emulate the pros, they also try to fit in with each other. For instance, by ensuring that the best high school teams wear Nike gear, Nike can then ensure that their peers will demand the same. Jordan’s reach extends far beyond the business plans of shoe companies, however, as many young players grow up wanting to ‘Be Like Mike.’ In fact, the 2002 movie, Like Mike, centers around a young orphan, portrayed by kid rapper Lil’ Bow Wow, who finds a pair of Jordan’s old shoes. After lacing up the sneakers, he is 2 Strauss, Ethan Sherwood. "You Won't Believe How Nike Lost Steph to Under Armour." ESPN.