I really don't think you can look at Dame as an example for endorsements in Portland. Dame is the exception, not the rule. Dame was the ROY. Whiteside was not. Dame is a 2x All-Star and 2x All-NBA, Whiteside is not. Dame is amazing at social media and self-promotion. He has music and he is very interactive with twitter on 4 bar fridays. Dame also has an epic moment that brought him to the forefront with the series winning shot against Houston. Last, but not least, it is EXTREMELY difficult for big men to get endorsements. Outside of Shaq, who was extremely unique, how many other centers get massive endorsement deals?
Dude. Lebron does not equal hassan whiteside. Lamarcus aldridge and robin lopez got mcgloughlin auto ads while on the blazers. That shit was embarassing. No way they made very much doing those. http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2016/3/28/11320284/la-lakers-free-agency-rumors-demar-derozan This article states one of the reasons is if you sign with a chinese shoe company, they love the lakers as a team. Which makes sense because the lakers are a national brand. Blazers? Not so much. When one of my buddies joined the air force, he met guys that asked him where he came from. He told them portland and they had no idea where that was. They barely even knew who the trailblazers were. I love the city of portland, but when it comes to endorsements and business, we are small fish in a big pond.
My worry about Whiteside is that once he gets paid he will fall off big time -- he also seems to be fairly childish -- children with unlimited amounts of money tends to end very badly
I think people have lost sight of what the typical Portland endorsement deal is like. Dame and CJ are unique. They are self-promoters on an elite level. Most NBA players are uncomfortable in front of a camera. They were super cool in an informal setting, but if you put them in front of a camera or started asking them serious questions, they go into robot mode. LaMarcus Aldridge is a PERFECT example of this. The dude was arguably the best power forward in the league for a while there. His endorsements were some shit like Wilsonville Toyota and some shitty Mexican beer. Meanwhile, Blake Griffin is dunking over Kias. Some guys are personable, and some are not. Aldridge had the unfortunate trifecta of being an introvert, having an extremely vanilla game, and playing for one of the smaller markets.
Dude your stress levels are peaking today and everything is disputable....learn to disagree...Lillard has business savvy, Whiteside says he's a businessman...Lillard is a good tutor for someone who see that potential...so don't give him that shit
This article also states this.......""[The extra value would] be almost negligible if he stays with a U.S. brand. If he looks to a Chinese brand... then it could become a big difference in cash," said DePaula. "And the key factor being there is that the Lakers are that historical franchise in the minds of the Chinese fanbase and Chinese companies" So unless Whiteside breaks his contract with Nike.....it is a moot point. You said Whileside does not compare to Lebron. This I agree with. Major endorsements are not going to be there for him.
So Clyde Drexler in his 'Roos was not global market domination? I agree that Dame is more the exception than the rule but if a team becomes good, it doesn't matter quite as much as it used to where you are from . CJ is all over the media hosting, interviewing, interning for The Player's Tribune and I think more and more of those opportunities arise as the Blazers get better.
The Rockets have a huge Chinese market since Yao Ming has become their Adam Silver. Dame's music videos, droppin' dimes exposure and two trips to Asia this summer are opening up the doors to a Chinese fan base..the Lakers are yesterday's news for young fans overseas
Again, I think CJ is like Dame. We are just fortunate enough to have two guys cut from a similar cloth, but that doesn't mean that a guy like Whiteside could come here and replicate their success. I actually think Howard could piggy back off Dame and CJ though. He had the type of personality that does well nationally. If he bought into what we're trying to do, he might get some of that stardom back.
Neither do I but I've seen a change for the better in the Blazers front office, coaching staff and roster over the last 4 years that shows marked improvement...I'm not in your rose colored glasses bubble but if it helps you to see optimism as cluelessness, that's on you. I like what's going on here. I hated the Felton era.
I don't think that's it. A lot of these guys have the same agents. Success hings on two main factors: 1) Are you exciting on the court? 2) Are you interesting off the court? You either have to be a highlight reel like Jordan/Blake Griffin/Etc Or You have to be personable like Chris Paul or Dame. Or you have to be both. There has to be some measure of success. You can't JUST be good.
You actually think NBA TV brought CJ McCollum into Atlanta because of Portland markets...or New York with the Adam Silver interview or State Farm insurance moved to Portland to shoot commercials with Dame? These guys move around and are connected..where's Randle's commercials?
Agreed. And if you arent a dame or jordan, youll get more money from endorsements just from being in LA on the Lakers, or NY on the Knicks than a portland, minneapolus or milwaukee squad.
It helps to be good but at the beginning of this conversation...it was about Whiteside calling himself a businessman and me saying Dame is a good mentor for a young guy building a brand....then we get the Lamarcus made shitty commercials in Portland comparison...it's simple
I never thought of Kevin Love as a gregarious dynamic personality...he's in Cleveland...State Farm still helped his brand even though he wasn't a Laker
