Blacks Respond to Planned Charlotte Bobcats Sale
African American Charlotteans OK Sale if New NBA Franchise Wins!
Jun 1, 2009
It's been five years since Robert Johnson, founder of BET, became majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. That power move made Johnson the first African American owner of an NBA team. For proud blacks nationwide, Johnson's move into unchartered territory was symbolic of the changing times. For Johnson, however, it was a business decision- plain and simple.
Minority-Owned or Not?
In a New York Times article (A Media Mogul Tries Remote Control, February 18, 2007), Johnson made it clear that his decision to purchase the Bobcats or participate in any other business move was not about black pride but about black profit. "I never saw myself as running a family business for family benefit; I always wanted to create businesses that were built on maximizing shareholder value. And my philosophy has always been predicated on the fact that talented African-Americans ought to be given an opportunity to create real wealth.”
It's responses like these as well as Johnson's desperate pleas to all investors that make some African American Charlotteans believe that another African American buyer is unlikely.
“I think selling the team would hurt the community," states Tony Bethea, a long-time Bissell Companies’ employee, in an interview with Suite101.com. "I know it didn’t take off the way it should have when the team was first organized. The seats were pricey. The giveaways and trading efforts were slow and we didn’t get fan turnout. Even though the Bobcats were close to making it to the playoffs this past year, they didn’t make it. So there are a lot of things that could have been done differently. But I just had a good overall feeling about Bob Johnson because of who he is and how much he has accomplished in his lifetime. I think that it would be wrong to let the team go."
If Johnson has to let the team go, then Charlotte resident and best-selling author Omar Tyree says Michael Jordan should be the buyer. “The best case scenario is to continue to have a man of color own a major American sports team in the era of Obama,” reminds Tyree, in an interview with Suite101.com. “We need to have that to inspire more African-American ownership, and be a part of the bigger business opportunities that typically pass us by.”
A Winning Team is Best
Whether the Charlotte Bobcats are black-owned or not, sports fans want a winning team. If Johnson isn't able to deliver that then some say it's time for him to move on.
“There’s no basic interest in the current Bobcats because there really are no marquee players," insists Craig Kearney, a Charlotte-based network engineer. "Maybe with a changing of the guard, the new management can find a way to get [high profile players] to come to Charlotte.”
A sale to Michael Jordan might help, says Kearney. “To have a legend in the game would be historic. Hopefully he can influence players to come to Charlotte. It would be a tough sell because they’d be going to a team that didn’t win the championship. But Michael Jordan might be the person to make the case because, even though he’s retired, he still has a lot of influence on today’s game.”
NBA Franchise Gets New Start
No matter who takes the team, Gerald Jones, a barber based in Lancaster, South Carolina tells suite101.com it's all about results. "We want a win!” he exclaims. “The Bobcats need a few superstar players in order to attract people to the games. There needs to be an Iverson or Bryant on our side. That’s the only way the team is going to be taken seriously.”
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