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NPR’s Rachel Martin talks to sportswriter Bob Ryan about the start of NBA free agency Wednesday, and the man with the most power in the NBA — LeBron James.
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
LeBron James has been given some lofty titles over the years – the King, the Chosen One, Best Basketball Player on the Planet. You may add to that list de facto GM of the Cavaliers. The NBA’s free agency period started today. James is a free agent. That means he could go and play anywhere he wants. Now, no one thinks he’ll leave Cleveland, but he hasn’t signed yet. And the word that trickles from his camp is that he’s waiting to see if the Cavaliers can build a championship team around him. Joining us now is longtime NBA reporter Bob Ryan. Hey, Bob. Thanks for being with us.
BOB RYAN: Well, you’re welcome.
MARTIN: We don’t know specifically how much input LeBron James has here, but he does have sway. Is it safe to say no NBA player has had this much power over a team?
RYAN: Yes, it is. There’s a unique circumstance here, which is that he’s hometown. And there’s a mutual circumstance here. I think one reason why most of us think he will not leave Cleveland is that he has now recast himself in a positive light after having cast himself in a very negative light the way he departed Cleveland. And now he’s back, and he’s the savior. Of course, he’s from Akron. He’s local. And would he risk sullying his long-term reputation, his ultimate reputation, by being cast as a villain again by abandoning Cleveland in the lurch, leaving the bride at the altar a second time? I don’t think so.
MARTIN: You think not.
RYAN: No.
MARTIN: (Laughter). So is this a testament to the immense stardom of this man – this singular player, LeBron James – or is this a sign of something that could happen elsewhere with a different player?
RYAN: Having said what I said about the power that Cleveland has over him, his power is unprecedented because he is the best player in the game with multiple skills. And he can help anybody out there be a, quote, unquote, “better player” by the nature of his game and the vast array of his skills. And he’s someone that anyone would want to play with. And he also is a showman. He’s a pitch man. He’s a walking public relations advertisement for Northeast Ohio. He makes money for people. You know, they’re talking in terms of when the new NBA contract kicks in in a couple of years and a new TV deal takes hold, that his next contract – not this one; this is going to be a one-year bridge contract – would be for upwards of 40 – I said four zero – million a year. That’s how valuable he is.
MARTIN: Is a player having this much power a good thing for a team?
RYAN: Oh no, no. I mean, there – not – no, it certainly isn’t. Number one, he has, apparently, overruled the coach on numerous occasions during this past season, and there’s an open question as to whether or not coach Dave Blatt will even return. Not that he isn’t under contract, not that he didn’t take a team within two games of winning a championship, but because he has incurred LeBron’s displeasure to the extent that we hear – and it has been reported that he has – it would be an easy call who you would retain. You would retain LeBron James.
MARTIN: The Cavs were two wins away from an NBA title this year. That was with a ton of injuries on their team. So do they really have to do that much work to build up a team that can win a championship?
RYAN: They do not. They need tinkering on the edges. And in fact, I am one of the many who believe that had Kyrie Irving specifically not gotten hurt, that they may have had enough wherewithal to win the championship this year. They’re right there.
MARTIN: Former Boston Globe columnist, long-time NBA reporter, Bob Ryan. Thanks so much, Bob.
RYAN: You’re welcome.
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Toyota Motor Corp’s Managing Officer and Chief Communications Officer Julie Hamp speaks to media during a news conference in Nagoya, central Japan, in this photo released by Kyodo on June 18. Kyodo/Reuters/Landov hide caption
itoggle caption Kyodo/Reuters/Landov
Julie Hamp, Toyota Motor Corp.’s first senior female executive who was appointed head of public relations just weeks ago, has resigned after her arrest for allegedly importing the prescription painkiller oxycodone in violation of the country’s narcotics laws.
Toyota in a statement today said Hamp resigned Tuesday, and the company accepted her resignation “after considering the concerns and inconvenience that recent events have caused our stakeholders.”
As Scott reported June 19, “A total of 57 pills were discovered by Japanese customs officials on June 11 inside a package that Hamp mailed to herself from Kentucky, declaring the contents to be a necklace.” Oxycodone is legal in the U.S. with a prescription.
Hamp, who was arrested June 18, has denied the charges. She told authorities she did not think she had imported an illegal substance, police said. Prosecutors must decide whether to indict Hamp by July 8. She is in detention, but has not been charged with a crime.
Hamp became Toyota’s most senior female executive in April. The Associated Press adds: “Her appointment in April had been highlighted by Toyota as a step toward promoting diversity.”
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In just a few short decades, owning a car could be a lot like owning a horse — mostly for hobbyists and really unnecessary for transportation purposes. Technologies such as self-driving cars paired with transportation…
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Univision dropped its broadcasts of Miss USA and Miss Universe, pageants that Trump co-owns. Chicago Tribune/TNS via Getty Images hide caption
itoggle caption Chicago Tribune/TNS via Getty Images
Donald Trump, a Republican presidential candidate, is suing Univision. The Spanish-language TV network dropped its coverage of Miss USA and Miss Universe — two beauty pageants that Trump co-owns — because of Trump’s remarks about Mexican immigrants during his presidential campaign announcement on June 16. NBCUniversal also dropped the pageant programming.
NPR’s Andrew Limbong reports that Trump is seeking $500 million, and that in the suit, Trump claims Univision is attempting to suppress his freedom of speech.
Here’s an excerpt from The Trump Organization’s statement:
“Under the contract, Univision is required to broadcast the pageant live on television in Spanish. While Univision claims its decision came solely in response to comments by Mr. Trump during a June 16 campaign speech announcing his candidacy for President of the United States, the decision was, in reality, a politically motivated attempt to suppress Mr. Trump’s freedom of speech under the First Amendment as he begins to campaign for the nation’s presidency.”
In an email to Politico, Univision spokesperson Monica Talan called the complaint “both factually false and legally ridiculous.” She adds:
“We will not only vigorously defend the case, but will continue to fight against Mr. Trump’s ongoing efforts to run away from the derogatory comments he made on June 16th about Mexican immigrants. Our decision to end our business relationship with Mr. Trump was influenced solely by our responsibility to speak up for the community we serve.”
NPR’s Greg Allen reported on Trump’s comments last week:
” ‘When do we beat Mexico at the border?’ Trump said during his lengthy presidential announcement speech at Trump Tower in New York. ‘They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs, they’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.’ “
Trump continues to defend what he said. Tuesday’s statement quotes him in part saying, “There is a high level of crime occurring in this country due to unchecked illegal immigration. This is a major security issue for the United States.”
You can read more about Donald Trump and his campaign for the presidency here.
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