What we can learn from the NBA

Those who know me would attest that I love Basketball. It provides me with not only entertainment but also cathartic value. I enjoy not just playing the game, I enjoy everything about it. In my previous office, I would always pass this basketball court on my way home and when things were rough at work, I would always stop there just to watch people play. It doesn't matter what level of competition was there, pro players to elementary school students, I still found it a very effective way to alleviate work stress.

That should tell you how much I love the game.............or how I probably need to have more friends.

Initially, I watched basketball for the game. How it is essentially a team game that welcomes individual creativity. The rivalry, the strategies, the competition. And if you want to see the highest level of professional basketball, you will find it in the National Basketball Association, or the NBA for short. As I grew older, I started seeing other aspects of the NBA, mainly the business side of it. It is now probably the most innovative professional sports league in the United States, some would argue, the world. The whole Covid-19 pandemic only helps to further emphasize that notion.

Let's take a look at some key learns that all businesses can emulate from the NBA especially during these trying times.

The first point, Communications

In our current situation, no one will have the full picture of what is going on. New information popped up every day and what you think is the norm this week may very well be outdated by the next. Despite that, communication is still key. If you are a leader in your organization, you need to constantly communicate your plan. Might not be the right plan, but it shows that you are on top of things. What the NBA has done through out the pandemic is constantly communicating with the fans about their plans of restarting the season. When you do this, you will get some pros and cons feedback, but that is just a part of communicating. You can use some of the factors to determine your next action plan.

This is something that my company, Michael Page, is doing a very good job at. There are always updates, information compiled from the government and experts, clear plans, as well as encouraging all of the employees to voice their thoughts and concerns. As I said, there might be a lot of trial and error at this point, but it brings confidence to the employees that the management always has a plan, open to new ideas as well as executing them.

The second points are Agility and Innovation

The last regular-season NBA game was back on March 12th. A particular player from the Utah Jazz was tested positive for Covid-19 just minutes away before tip-off, the game that night was canceled and soon after, so too the whole season. Since then, the NBA's think-tank started working on multiple scenarios on how to restart the season, and finally, on July 30th, the league restarted. The game was moved to Disneyland Orlando, with just a handful of teams. 22 from the original 30 teams participating in the new NBA restart. Paying very close attention to health protocol, all of the players, coaches, and their staffs, officials, including media crews, had to pass an extensive health check before going into the NBA "Bubble" in Disneyland Orlando. Anyone deemed as high-risk, will not be permitted to join the Bubble and will still be entitled to their regular salary. The league conducts regular health checks, obliges that masks must be worn at all times (with practice and games being the exceptions), all the games are played without the presence of fans, instead, they put a screen displaying virtual fans from all around the world. They put a glass barrier to protect the officials and even went as far as covering the referee's whistle with a cloth to soak up the spit particles.

Source: https://www.insider.com/nba-bubble-changes-details-from-games-2020-7

Once inside the bubble, no one is allowed to leave for the remainder of the season enforced by financial penalties. While the notion of fining 50K USD (or whatever amount it may be) to multi-million dollars athletes may seem like a mere slap on the wrist, combine that with the scrutiny of social media makes for a (hopefully) effective deterrent.

The way the league managed to organize this in just around 3 months is a true show of agility and innovation. Covered all angles and utilizing inputs from experts. One might say that it is easy for a league with the financial prowess that is the NBA to do all these things, but it all starts by having that mindset of agility and innovation. Financial roadblocks are just a part of the innovation process.

As if Covid 19 was not enough, the NBA had to face another roadblock. In the midst of the pandemic, America is also dealing with another crucial issue of racial injustice. There were some opinions saying that restarting the NBA is going to shift the focus away from the #BlackLivesMatter movement. The NBA tackled this by incorporating the movement into the games. There is a huge "Black Lives Matter" sign inscribed across the court and the players are allowed to change the name on their jerseys to words that promote social justice. Again, a very fine example of innovation. Seemed like a simple idea, but sends a profound message.

Source: https://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/2020/07/portland-trail-blazers-reveal-phrases-some-players-will-wear-on-backs-of-jerseys-at-nba-restart.html

Last but not least, Strategic Partnership

The Covid 19 pandemic affects many industries, but one could argue that hospitality and travels received a tougher blow. Recognizing this the NBA partnered up with Disney World in Orlando. It brings a positive attention to Disney World who has now begun to open their parks in phases, while also providing a safe environment for the NBA to resume the remainder of their season. To offset the fact that the players are basically quarantined, in Disney World nonetheless, they have access to a selection of non-park related activities, like fishing, bowling, golf, and dining. All of which is being globally broadcasted by the NBA players through their global social media presence. Free publication by professional athletes with thousands and millions followers? why not!

The key learning here is that combining strong brands to achieve the same goal is always beneficial. A strategic partnership could potentially open access to a new customer base, sharing resources, and not to mention it builds brand awareness and trust. If you are leading a young business, partnering up with a more established brand will improve your brand equity, while conversely, a more established brand can benefit from a potentially new market segment.

Enclosing, its good to see how things work under the hood and see how we can emulate their formula and try to incorporate it into our own settings. If you have an example of other sporting leagues, and/or sporting teams with strong business and management practices, feel free to drop it in the comment.

Stay safe and healthy!