What The Next Owner Of The Detroit Pistons Can Learn From Bill Davidson
Alana Glass Contributor
SportsMoney Contributor Group - Feb 17, 2011
In 1974, William “Bill” Davidson, Mr. D. as he was affectionately known, entered the professional sports scene when he bought the Detroit Pistons. His $8 million investment eventually turned into a sports and entertainment empire. At its height the franchise was valued at $479 million. More recently, Forbes calculated its value at $360 million.
Mr. D died in 2009 and his passing felt like the death of a longtime friend or relative. While I never personally knew Mr. D, I get chocked up when I think about him and how much he meant to his players, Pistons fans, and professional sports. He was the face of the team and you can't think about DEE-TROOIT BASKETBALL without thinking of him.
His widow, Karen Davidson, took over as the principle owner nearly two years ago and she wasn’t shy about her desire to sell the team. Davidson publicly stated that the team was her husband’s “baby” and it did not deserve an absentee owner.
Davidson hoped to sell the team by the start of the 2010-2011 NBA season, and as the all-star break approaches a deal still isn’t in place. There is hope that the Pistons will start the second-half of the season with a new owner. Recently, Tom Gores, a Michigan native and California financier, entered an exclusive 30-day negotiation period to purchase the team from Davidson. Last week it was announced that Davidson and Gores added an additional 14 days to the exclusivity period.
If the deal goes through, there’s no question that Gores will have big shoes to fill, and a long list of tasks ready for him the minute he is given the keys to “The Palace.”
His biggest challenges?
Gaining player trust. Winning over fans. Reviving the front office. Building a championship contender. Negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.
I’m certain that Gores or the next owner of the Pistons will receive plenty advice regarding the best way to run the team; ultimately, the final decisions will be up to them.
What's my advice? It is simply to “remember Mr. D.” Here is what I think the next owner of the Detroit Pistons can learn from Bill Davidson.
Go where there is no path and leave C a trail.
In the 1980’s when teams only flew on commercial airlines Mr. D did the unthinkable. He bought a private plane, named it Roundball One, and gave his team a competitive edge by flying them back and forth across the country in comfort and style.
Need a new arena? No problem.
When the Pontiac Silverdome NFL football stadium just wasn’t cutting it, Mr. D decided it was time that the Pistons have its own home court advantage. He didn’t just build The Palace of Auburn Hills; he paid for it out of his own pocket. Sure he faced criticism at the time for building on a desolate 61 acres. That criticism didn’t phase him because he knew, “if you build it they will come.” Over the last 20 years the area surrounding The Palace has become a thriving populous community.
Mr. D was an innovator and leader within the NBA. As a businessman he was known for making decisions for tomorrow - not today.
Hire the right people and let them do their jobs.
Mr. D’s greatest strength was his ability to surround himself with talented people, and have confidence in them to do their jobs. Tom Wilson and Joe Dumars are two of his protégés and examples of what can be achieved when you put your employees in position for success.
Tom Wilson began working with the team when he was 28 years old, and he eventually worked his way up to serving as the president and CEO of Palace Sports & Entertainment (PS&E). Wilson’s creativity is credited with outfitting The Palace with lower level suites in order to attract more corporate sponsorships. The idea worked and it became a model for future arenas.
Wilson left PS&E last fall to work for Mike Ilitch, owner of the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings. Ilitch was also bidding on the Pistons but the two sides were not able to come to an agreement. Mr. D probably wouldn’t have been too happy about this move, but you can’t deny that there’s something to be said when your long-time competitor hires your star employee.
On the basketball side of the business is Joe Dumars. Dumars began his tenure as the Pistons’ #1 pick in the 1985 draft, and he played on the 1989 and 1990 championship teams. One year after his playing career ended Mr. D moved Dumars from the backcourt to the front office. Dumars embraced his role as the president of basketball operations, and in 2004 he brought Mr. D his final NBA Championship.
In the end, Mr. D’s management style was a combination of delegation and confidence. He said, “I’ve always tried to put good people around me and that’s what I’ve done. If it's someone you have working for you that you have to constantly mange, then you know you have the wrong person.”
Care about your players and your players will play hard for you.
Yes, basketball is a business. However, at the end of the day each player has feelings, needs, and concerns. Successful owners are the ones that can master the business side, while still being able to genuinely care for their players.
I asked former Piston and Bad Boy, Rick Mahorn, about his relationship with Mr. D. He said, “It was a great relationship because Mr. Davidson was always caring and concerned about his players. Making sure that [he] was talking about their families and not necessarily talking about basketball.”
There’s no question that Mr. D cared about his players and they loved him for it.
As the Davidson era comes to an end, my greatest wish is that Mr. D’s legacy lives on. Thank you Mr. D for your leadership and integrity - you are missed.
Follow Alana on Twitter @Iwant2beanowner and visit her websites at www.alanaglass.com and www.iwanttobeanowner.com.
ALANA GLASS
I am a passionate leader within the legal profession and an innovative sports entrepreneur. And it is no secret that I am driven and determined to be an owner of a professional sports franchise. This dream was conceived during my time as a student-athlete and manager on the University of Minnesota’s Women’s Basketball team. I am the founder of Kennedy Clay Sports & Entertainment LLC and IWantToBeAnOwner.com, a sports blog featuring “The Stuff” you want to talk about in professional sports from the next generation of sports ownership. I received my J.D., LL.M. in Intellectual Property, and LL.M. in Corporate Law & Finance from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. If you have story ideas or tips, tweet @IWant2BeAnOwner or email alana@alanaglass.com
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