Four Brand Lessons From The 2019 NBA Championship

Forbes Article by Rip Gerber

Currently CMO at Vlocity, Rip’s insights are inspired by an eclectic life as CEO, company founder, novelist and front man of a rock band.

Like building a company or a brand, every high-profile sporting event brings winners and losers, intensity and drama, mistakes and brilliance, and opportunities to learn and grow. This year’s NBA championship did not disappoint on any count.The Golden State Warriors brought more consecutive NBA Finals appearances, but the Toronto Raptors brought more athleticism, a healthier lineup and maybe even a sense of destiny to the floor. The Raptors realized that destiny, shutting down the NBA’s two-time reigning champions with a 114-110 Game 6 victory and taking home Toronto’s first ever Larry O’Brien Championship trophy.

What can business leaders learn from this year’s NBA finals?

In the technology industry, I have built brands and teams and have won -- and lost -- competitive bake-offs, sales pitches and strategic accounts. As a sports fan and marketing professional, I see four important lessons from the NBA Finals for any C-level executive trying to build their brand and business.

1. Be passionate, but positive.

Like professional basketball, running a business today is super competitive. Market leaders are being taken out by well-capitalized unicorns with digital models; others are trading their “aging and injured” legacy systems for cloud and mobile tech enablers. To build a great company and a great brand, you need to assemble a great team.

Coaches Steve Kerr for the Warriors and Nick Nurse for the Raptors have done just that. Both sides showcased professionalism and competitive spirit. Warriors Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant literally sacrificed themselves for their team, while Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and so many others battled on until the end. For the Raptors, Kawhi Leonard was brilliant as expected, but Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and many others stepped up and made huge contributions.

As for the fans, there were some ugly moments. First, a part-owner in the Warriors shoved a Raptors player. And then Raptors fans initially cheered Durant’s injury on the court. We took notice of those callous few, but in the end, it was the Raptors players who taught the crowd good sportsmanship, turning to gracious clapping and best wishes for Durant’s recovery. The positive spirit prevailed, as Raptors fans set up a GoFundMe campaign to support Durant’s charity.

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Lesson: In business, as in sports, it can be all too easy to get carried away in the heat of battle and cheer our adversary’s misfortune or lash out when something doesn’t go our way. But the measure of a professional is how we behave in the face of adversity and how we treat the people around us. Be passionate, but stay positive.

2. Ignore the noise.

From Twitter trolls to radio call-ins to sports commentators, the noise surrounding the NBA Finals was cacophonous, with criticisms and high expectations on all ends. It’s a credit to these players that, at tip-off time, they were able to ignore the noise and focus on the game.

Lesson: It takes experience to regroup, show grace under pressure and make a bad situation better. This is a helpful lesson in business. If you experience a setback, figure out how to block out the noise, focus on the situation and recalibrate to change the outcome.

3. Expect the unexpected.

In sports, as in business and in life more generally, we all have to cope with the unexpected. Injuries to key players occur at the most inopportune moments. A call doesn’t go our way -- and sometimes, it’s the wrong call entirely. But we all have to live with the decisions of referees, courts, bosses and boards.

While the Warriors would have loved to have had a healthy team of all-stars playing their maximum number of minutes on the court, no doubt the team did scenario planning to prepare for various players being injured.

Lesson: In business, it’s important to expect the unexpected, and plan for it. Avoid becoming too comfortable or overconfident when working to win a new client or launching a new product -- one can’t simply hope for ideal conditions. Contingency planning and preparation are key. 

4. Keep your perspective.

When Durant went down, the immediate reaction from the Toronto crowd was to cheer. But then, the Raptors players quieted them down. After the game, Lowry said, “In this league, it’s a small brotherhood and we don’t ever want to see any of our brothers go down.” And Warriors coach Kerr expressed his appreciation for the Raptors players’ perspective and grace: “The Raptors players were telling the crowd to be quiet, out of respect, which I appreciated. Some of the fans were cheering when it happened, and I think the Raptors players understood how serious it was and they sort of quieted the crowd.”

Lesson: Some things are more important than a game -- or a new business win. Perspective and grace matter.

You can lose in business for many reasons. You may fail to understand the customer’s expectations or needs, you may have gaps in your product or services, your pricing might be too high or deemed too low, or your brand could be too risky or too safe. There are plenty of scenarios to conceive. 

In business, as in sports, we don’t always get the lucky bounce. Despite our best efforts, sometimes we lose. But by following these four tenets in business -- being passionate but positive, ignoring the noise, expecting the unexpected and keeping perspective -- you can maintain your integrity and poise even in the most trying situations. This will pay off in the long run and keep you centered to compete for that next customer pitch or account.