Grant Hill, absentee owner

[sturt]

These days, it is so difficult to communicate with people you want to communicate with.

It must be hard on Grant, because you just know he really, really wants to make his team's draft picks feel welcome.... or, at least the one who is officially official, ie, Cam.

 

 

 

[NBASupes]

He is a part owner, he don't have to be there.

[sturt]

That's right.

Did someone say otherwise? Not me. He doesn't have to be there... ie, at the presser.

And to my actual point, you just have to know he wants to, at least, call or text.

Right?

Probably just had trouble getting Cam's number.

 

More soberly, free of sarcasm...............................

It's one thing to have an absentee owner in a physical, geographical sense.

It might be just as bad, if not worse, to have one... a famous former player himself... who can't even be bothered to call or text the new star draftee.... and at that from his own friggin school (!).

Don't get me wrong. Grant Hill is a very likeable guy.

But beginning to be suspicious about the true nature of Grant's involvement.

Is he truly a part owner, or is he a paid exec who has been given some trivial amount of ownership so that the team can enjoy some benefit of imagery.

 

 

[kg01]

Oh hey, thanks for getting us in front of all these free agents since you're an all-time great and everything, Grant.

Oh wait, that didn't happen.

[Spud2nique]

46 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Oh hey, thanks for getting us in front of all these free agents since you're an all-time great and everything, Grant.

Oh wait, that didn't happen.

Grant is kinda...how can I put this..ah that’s not PC. He just reminds me of ☝ big giant Va..Oprah.

[bleachkit]

He was just looking to make a profit on the shares. He has no emotional investment in the team. When asked about the Hawks in interviews he usually changes the subject.

Edited June 27, 2019 by bleachkit

[Duff_Man]

This is complaining just to complain.

[sturt]

1 hour ago, Duff_Man said:

This is complaining just to complain.

It's less of a complaint, more an observation that we appear to be misled, and to voice an expression of disappointment accordingly.... 

The evidence is beginning to mount up to a hard-to-dispute conclusion that this person isn't actually a legitimate, engaged member of the Atlanta Hawks organization.

He is not just distant, he's disconnected.

It's especially noticeable in this case, of course, b/c they're both Dookies, but he can't even be bothered.

 

[HawkItus]

It has been widely reported Grant is into the investment side and not basketball operations.  It is his choice an frankly one I welcome.  Let the fulltime bball people concern themselves with that.

[sturt]

So, let me get this straight.

By sending a text, or making a call to say "congrats," Grant Hill would be crossing a line.... you're saying because his role is this or that, he shouldn't be, privately nor publicly, expressing to a new player his excitement for his arrival? Like that isn't appropriate, or like that takes too much time away from what he should be doing in his role as you understand his role?

Really? Because, to me, it seems you're seeeeeeriously reaching here.

I disagree.

I think we've been fabulously misled. His association with the Atlanta Hawks appears now more than ever to be just for show.

 

[kg01]

Grant Hill using his beautiful face to recruit/contribute to the Hawks is a direct, positive impact on his investment.

Admittedly, this is definitely complaining to complain (which is @sturt m.o.) but I got tired of just shaking my fist at clouds.  stu swooped in with this topic which gave me an outlet to rail about.

You're welcome, Squawk. 

[sturt]

It's called a straw that breaks the camel's back.

I didn't want to admit it.

I'm now admitting it.

Peeling the onion back, this relationship between Grant Hill and the Atlanta Hawks is just not buoyed by any of the most basic facts.

Call it a complaint. I call it an observation. But either way, it's not what most of us hoped.

[Spud2nique]

18 minutes ago, sturt said:

It's called a straw that breaks the camel's back.

I didn't want to admit it.

I'm now admitting it.

Peeling the onion back, this relationship between Grant Hill and the Atlanta Hawks is just not buoyed by any of the most basic facts.

Call it a complaint. I call it an observation. But either way, it's not what most of us hoped.

Did you said buoyed...those aren’t buoyes.

ps Grant needs more than just a pretty face. Let’s actually do something here Grant, I mean I know u wanna go in the studio and sing a duet with ur wife but how bout a Hawks ring first.

 

[Duff_Man]

2 hours ago, sturt said:

So, let me get this straight.

By sending a text, or making a call to say "congrats," Grant Hill would be crossing a line.... you're saying because his role is this or that, he shouldn't be, privately nor publicly, expressing to a new player his excitement for his arrival? Like that isn't appropriate, or like that takes too much time away from what he should be doing in his role as you understand his role?

Really? Because, to me, it seems you're seeeeeeriously reaching here.

I disagree.

I think we've been fabulously misled. His association with the Atlanta Hawks appears now more than ever to be just for show.

 

Pot, meet kettle.

[AHF]

6 minutes ago, Duff_Man said:

Pot, meet kettle.

This one incident doesn't matter much but I think sturt's observation that Hill's total set of behavior shows he isn't engaged with the team is spot on.  One of the things I was really excited about when Hill was announced as a minority owner was that he could be a very useful piece of selling the team to the public and to players.  He clearly has shown zero interest in either of those.  That is a disappointment.  

[JayBirdHawk]

A very silent pardna.

[Thomas]

Looking back I really thought that smile of his would be PRing for us whether overtly or not. Am surprised that he has remained so uninvolved visually. 

[HawkItus]

Again this was known.  He has never stated to be part of the bball operation.  

 

26,782 viewsDec 7, 2018, 07:00am

Grant Hill's Progression To Team Ownership In The NBA Paves The Way For Others

 

Maury Brown Senior Contributor 

SportsMoney

#SportsBiz, National MLB Writer, BBWAA Member, Motorsports Writer

When Grant Hill became an owner of the Atlanta Hawks, he came well equipped for the job. (AP Photo/Todd Kirkland) 

Think of Grant Hill, and your mind spans the basketball universe. Maybe it’s his two NCAA Championships with Duke. Maybe it’s his seven All-Star appearances in a career that spanned four teams and 19 seasons in the NBA and his eventual enshrinement in the NBA Hall of Fame. But, if you truly look across his basketball life, it may be what he is doing now that shows where players in the league could be heading.

In 2015, Hill and group headed by equity investor Tony Ressler purchased the Atlanta Hawks for $850 million where Hill now holds the title of Vice Chair of the Board. In doing so, Hill is part of a small fraternity of former players that are involved in ownership: Shaquille O’Neal, who has a small stake in the Sacramento Kings, and Michael Jordan, who owns the controlling interest in the Charlotte Hornets.

When asked why he sees star players looking to get involved in ownership after they retire maybe more than with other sports leagues, Hill sees the dynamic of the NBA’s leadership with its players being critical.

 

“I can’t speak to the other sports, but I think the NBA is progressive,” Hill said. “It may be part of the relationship that the league has with its players. I really feel that it is a partnership that leads to the value and the perspectives that a former player can have once they retire.”

Hill cited examples of how former players have launched post playing careers in not just television, but coaching and front office, but further up.

“We’re seeing more examples of former players moving into ownership,” he said. “The NBA presents opportunities for those that have worked hard and put themselves in a position to move upward, in that sense the NBA is the most progressive in that regard.”

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Indeed, as Hill noted there are a number of players that have worked their way into executive positions. Shareef Abdur-Rahim has gone from being an assistant GM with the Sacramento Kings to now being the Associate Vice President of Basketball Operations for the NBA. Kiki VanDeWeghe has gone from being a coach to now being the Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations for the league.

As to the transition from playing to executive, Hill had some experience to lean on. His father Calvin was a veteran player in the NFL and was on the board of the Baltimore Orioles, and eventually the VP of Personnel for the club till 1994 that helped him understand the process.

“My journey to NBA ownership started long before I became one,” Hill said. “It started with my father, who had tried, unsuccessfully, with groups, to purchase various teams. So, the idea of ownership was on my radar. Being around my father created access and relationships with the likes of Art Modell and Edward Bennett Williams gave me somewhat of an idea of what the ownership perspective before I ever entered professional sports as a player. That planted the seed.”

Fast-forward to where Hill is now, and he has a greater understanding of the complexities involved in ownership.

“I had good relationships with all the owners I played under, with my last season with the Clippers the exception,” said Hill. “So, I was privy to a lot of information around the moving parts of a team, but I had no idea. Doesn’t matter if you’re a former player or an executive from another industry that’s getting involved in ownership, there is always a learning curve.”

As to the work that he’s been involved in since the ownership of the Hawks, the naming rights deal with State Farm Insurance to rechristen Phillips Arena into State Farm Arena is one Hill is proud of.

“It’s the second-largest naming rights deal in the NBA,” says Hill of the 20-year, $175 million partnership. “State Farm is a fantastic partner. If you were going to line up a series of credible brands that you’d like to identify with, State Farm has to be one of those at the top.”

For Grant Hill, he has quickly absorbed the ownership landscape and how perspectives differ depending on how long the ownership tenure has been.

“The perspective of new owners are going to be different that others that have been part of the NBA for some time,” said Hill. “The franchise values have skyrocketed, and so those that have been involved before the escalation look at cash flow and revenues maybe a bit differently than those owners that are relatively new. Your objectives might be very different.”

As to who could follow in Hill’s footsteps, the gateway has become both easier and more difficult. “As player salaries escalated with the last media rights deal with the NBA, there’s more money for a player to look into ownership to work from, “says Hill. “But, as franchise values continue to escalate, it will take others to create competitive bids.”

Who might be able to move into a position as a majority owner in the future? Could someone like Kevin Durant, who has been active in venture capital pull it off? Maybe, but Hill is more than aware of who has the biggest pull in the league right now.

“It would be hard for any one player to purchase a team outright, but if anyone might be able to get into majority ownership at a high level, you have to look to Lebron [James].”

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.

Maury Brown Senior Contributor

 

Other written work of mine can be found at Baseball Prospectus, Fangraphs, and USA Today. Freelance work can be found at Variety Weekly and the New York Times. My w

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[AHF]

16 minutes ago, HawkItus said:

Again this was known.  He has never stated to be part of the bball operation.  

 

Not sure who has suggested he should have been part of the bball operation.  I think most people are sad that he doesn't even seem to be a fan of the team in which he is a part owner.  Jami Gertz has been 20x the fan and enthusiast for the team that Hill has been.

[HawkItus]

31 minutes ago, AHF said:

Not sure who has suggested he should have been part of the bball operation.  I think most people are sad that he doesn't even seem to be a fan of the team in which he is a part owner.  Jami Gertz has been 20x the fan and enthusiast for the team that Hill has been.

I guess I don't understand the disappointment for something that was never promised.  Warrick Dunn owns part of the Falcons.  Outside of a few small instances being publicized he doesn't involve himself.  It is ok. Not to mention his role in media probably keeps him hands off.  Shaq doesn't talk about the Kings bball operations or players much.

Edited June 27, 2019 by HawkItus