April 10, 2024

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The NBA is taking a hands-off approach when it comes to the increasingly toxic ownership dispute between current T-Wolves owner Glen Taylor and a group led by Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore. … A major acquisition is reshaping the burgeoning sports collectibles market. … Augusta National isn’t rushing toward hosting a ladies professional tournament. … Plus: More on the NFL in Brazil, taxpayer stadium funding in Nevada, female coaches, and MLB uniforms.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]] and David Rumsey [[link removed]]

NBA’s Silver on T-Wolves Sale Dispute: We’re Staying Out of It [[link removed]]

Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Don’t expect the NBA to take an active role in helping resolve the festering ownership dispute surrounding the Timberwolves.

As current majority owner Glen Taylor pulled [[link removed]] the Timberwolves and WNBA’s Lynx off the market and continues a bitter dispute [[link removed]] with minority partners Alex Rodriguez and Marc Lore, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday the league does not have plans to step into the matter.

“There is no role for the league in that process,” Silver said at the conclusion of NBA Board of Governors meetings, representing the league’s first formal comment on the Minnesota situation since it devolved last month.

The dispute is now moving to mediation, consistent with terms in the original sales agreement. But there is no shortage of strong feelings on both sides. Rodriguez, for one, recently told The Athletic [[link removed]] that “it is now personal,” vowing that he and Lore are “not going to let go.”

Soon after Silver spoke on Wednesday, ESPN reported [[link removed]] that Taylor was purportedly concerned about a document that showed the Rodriguez-Lore group planned to cut spending on the Wolves’ roster. Taylor himself has long avoided the NBA’s luxury tax, but the team’s roster is constructed in a way that will cause the team’s tax penalties to balloon into the tens of millions of dollars if the young stars all stay in Minnesota. It’s unclear, however, if such plans would give Taylor contractual grounds to kill the deal. He had previously cited the minority partners having missed a deadline to secure financing.

Silver, however, did say that the matter could cause the NBA to revisit certain multistage deal structures such as this one, calling it something of a product of the pandemic when it was developed in 2021.

“It’s certainly not ideal to have a stepped transaction like this,” Silver said. “It met our rules from that standpoint, and it’s what Glen Taylor wanted and it’s what they were willing to agree to at the time. But I think once the dust clears on this deal, it may cause us to reassess what sort of transactions we should allow.”

In other matters addressed Wednesday by the commissioner:

Jontay Porter: The NBA has been investigating the Raptors forward for multiple instances of gambling irregularities, and Silver said what the player has been accused of is a “cardinal sin” for the league, and that penalties could include a banishment from the league if allegations are proved. “I have [an] enormous range of discipline available to me,” Silver said. “The ultimate, extreme option I have is to ban him from the game. That’s the level of authority I have here because there’s nothing more serious.” Expansion: Silver again demurred on the hot-button topic, and insisted that no city—including much-discussed options [[link removed]] such as Seattle and Las Vegas—has an inherent leg-up. Rather, Silver said an expansion committee will be formed, and the matter will take on greater prominence after the completion of the next round of national media-rights deals. Media rights: On that crucial topic, Silver said the NBA remains in an exclusive negotiation period with ESPN parent Disney and TNT Sports parent Warner Bros. Discovery, ending April 22. But he added that with the incumbent partners “conversations are ongoing and have been very positive.” It’s expected, however, that the league will allow that period to lapse, in order to open up discussions with other networks and streamers. WNBA: Though there has been a possibility of separating [[link removed]] the WNBA from the NBA in those media-rights negotiations, Silver gave further support to keeping the two leagues’ rights together to sell networks on purchasing a year-round presence in pro basketball covering the schedules of both.

Silver added that just as important as boosting future rights fees for both leagues will be developing new ways to present the sport in a rapidly changing media landscape.

Goldin Auctions Acquisition by eBay Sparks Showdown With Fanatics [[link removed]]

Courier-Post

The sports collectors’ arms race is heating up and is now solidifying into two primary marketplaces, setting up an increasingly high-stakes battle for control of the burgeoning space.

Online giant eBay announced Wednesday a deal to acquire Goldin Auctions, a major player in the high-end auction segment of the industry. In buying Goldin Auctions from Collectors, eBay can now take its own sports memorabilia business that does large volumes but at generally lower price points, and pair it with Goldin’s expertise in high-end auctions catering frequently to wealthy hobbyists.

Sports Collectors’ Showdown

And, in so doing, eBay further fortifies itself against Fanatics, which has quickly amassed its own multifaceted collectibles business, including its ownership of venerable card company Topps and its purchase last year of PWCC Marketplace. Collectors, co-owned by Mets owner Steve Cohen, will remain focused on its own grading business and will also acquire eBay vault operation as part of the Goldin Auctions transaction.

“The deals announced today further our mission of reinventing the future of e-commerce for enthusiasts,” said Jamie Iannone, eBay CEO.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is slated to close by the end of June. Sports memorabilia collecting experienced a historic boom in interest during the COVID-19 pandemic, and new records continue to be set, particularly for unique items [[link removed]] sparking widespread fan interest.

Goldin Auctions will continue to be run by its founder, Ken Goldin (above), who has become a prominent figure in the industry in recent years, in part through his Netflix reality series, King of Collectibles: Goldin Touch.

“This deal will enhance and expand our reach as we continue to do what we do best—source incredible collectors’ items—and connect with millions of enthusiasts around the world,” Goldin said.

Shareholders in eBay showed some slight enthusiasm for the deal, sending company shares up by 0.6% in early trading Wednesday.

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LOUD AND CLEAR A Women’s Masters?

Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports

“We would have to think long and hard.”

—Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley (above), on the potential for the club to host a ladies professional tournament. The idea for a women’s Masters has been discussed more as the Augusta National Women’s Amateur continues to grow [[link removed]]. But Ridley, during his pre-Masters press conference, said the course’s limited playing season, which closes in the summer, makes it “very difficult” to put on another tournament of any kind.

STATUS REPORT Two Up, Two Down

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Cheeseheads in Brazil ⬆ The NFL has designated the Packers as the away team to face the Eagles in the league’s inaugural regular-season game in Brazil. The Sept. 6 game will also be the NFL’s first opening-week Friday contest since 1970 as the league continues to find [[link removed]] new openings in the calendar to place games. Even as Green Bay remains a holdout [[link removed]] of the NFL’s Global Markets program, the selection of the team was a natural given its widespread and passionate fan following.

Taxpayer funding for Nevada stadiums ⬇ An Emerson College poll found [[link removed]] that a majority of Las Vegas voters oppose the $380 million in public funding that has been designated for the embattled [[link removed]] A’s stadium there. Though that money has already been approved by state officials, the measure could be headed back to the ballot box if a referendum push [[link removed]] succeeds. The new poll lends further support to the notion that the funding measure will fail if that happens.

Women in coaching ⬆ As the Hornets look for their next head coach, they will interview [[link removed]] Lindsey Harding, the 2024 G League Coach of the Year with the Stockton Kings. Harding, who was the No. 1 pick in the ’07 WNBA draft, would become the first female head coach in the NBA.

MLB uniforms ⬇ The league’s already-embattled [[link removed]] uniforms took another hit Tuesday when the Tigers’ Riley Greene found his uniform pants completely ripped apart [[link removed]] along one leg seam after sliding into home plate. MLB has steadfastly insisted the fabric of this year’s pants is the same amid a broader set of changes [[link removed]] to the uniforms. But there have been a series of tailoring changes, and the latest incident adds to months of bad publicity around what the players are wearing. Color matching on road gray uniforms between jerseys and pants also remains a visible problem.

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Following the $1 million team rodeo, the biggest event in bull riding storms into the NFL’s biggest indoor stadium: PBR World Finals Championship [[link removed]], which puts the world’s best cowboys on top of the rankest bulls. One tough and determined cowboy will be the last man standing to grab the coveted gold buckle and million-dollar bonus.

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Conversation Starters Pediatric patients designed the helmets for UCF’s spring football game, and they’ll also get to see their creations put into action in person. Take a look [[link removed]]. If you were attending the Masters, what would your champions dinner look like? The menu items [[link removed]] are based on the choices of previous winners. Can’t get enough of Caitlin Clark? The WNBA has announced [[link removed]] that 36 out of 40 Fever games this season will be on national TV. Indiana holds the top pick in the draft and is expected to select the Iowa star. Editors’ Picks Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer Retires With ACC Move Looming [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]She set the all-time coaching record with 1,216 wins. Orioles Call Up Jackson Holliday Right Before Service Time Cutoff [[link removed]]by Alex Schiffer [[link removed]]Holliday is still in line to earn a full year of MLB service time. WNBA Has New Commercial Partner: Over-the-Counter Birth Control [[link removed]]by Margaret Fleming [[link removed]]WNBA teams up with FDA-approved over-the-counter birth control. Advertise [[link removed]] Awards [[link removed]] Learning [[link removed]] Video [[link removed]] Podcast [[link removed]] Sports Careers [[link removed]] Written by Eric Fisher [[link removed]], David Rumsey [[link removed]] Edited by Matthew Tabeek [[link removed]], Catherine Chen [[link removed]]

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