As the regular season has ticked over into the playoffs, the NBA finals are just around the corner. The 16 teams who reached the playoffs will be battling it out to win their conferences and be there in the finals, starting on 2nd of June 2022.
Last season’s champions the Milwaukee Bucks are there again though the odds of the NBA finals currently favor the Phoenix Suns who had an extraordinary regular season in the Western Conference.
Reaching the playoffs and even to the finals has a huge impact on the brand of the organization.
Basketball is considered to be the second biggest sport in North America, behind the National Football League (NFL) and ahead of Major League Baseball (MLB). At the same time, basketball betting options are numerous and very popular amongst US gamblers and fans of the game.
The sides who reach the finals will obviously become more talked about and will aid their brand as a team.
NBA has agreed huge deals for television rights which, despite the high salaries of players, often will cover running cover salaries. It may be some way behind the NFL, who in 2021 signed a $110 billion deal, eclipses the NBA deal which in 2016/17 TNT and ESPN upped their contracts to $24 billion.
These contracts will help teams in their financial planning and building the rosters to win as well as entertain. Once reaching playoff games and into finals, more fans can be drawn in with the right kind of branding.
The Miami Heat did this well between 2010 and 2014 where they were dominant while having some of basketballs most exciting players.
In 2010/11 Miami had a huge amount of space on their salary cap and hit free agency hard, adding Chris Bosh and LeBron James to their roster. Adding these two alongside Dwayne Wade, the “Big Three” where set to entertain and bring wins to the state of Florida.
The Heat built their brand around these three players and averaged the highest road attendance in 2013 with 19,393 spectators per game. They were the highest rated NBA side on national broadcast television in 2012/13 and became the third most recognized brand in the United States market behind the New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys.
Image is a massive part of a sports team in drawing fans to them, and aggressively targeting social media in this time helps reach a diverse range of possible fans. The “Big Three” in this case became the image of the Miami Heat and without one of them, the team was seen differently.
The years with these three helped build lifelong fans of Miami Heat with their established branding and exciting on-court performances. The work they then do off the court, in the community, helps build its loyalty from local fans who see the side give back to the people who support them in the NBA.
The Chicago Bulls have done this in the past, especially with their exciting period with Michael Jordan, the star of the NBA on their roster. With one of the greats, there seemed to not be a place in the world you could go without seeing someone in a Chicago Bulls baseball cap.
He brought the team fame and recognition, an NBA side who had been struggling. Under previous leadership. They were able to build a globally recognized brand due to the fame of their star and the unforgettable Bull design as their logo.
These days, star players are followed on social media and fans know all about them. Organizations can reach their supporters and build sponsorship deals with help in improving their success financially and on the court as well as building wholesome images to the public.
Being in the playoffs now, the Phoenix Suns will be looking to build their global brand through success on the court, especially since they have gone into the playoffs as favorites.
The Suns won 64 games in the regular season, a record for them as a franchise and eight more than the second-best side in the NBA, the Memphis Grizzlies. They were runners up last season to the Milwaukee Bucks and are desperate to go one better this year.
Miami Heat continue to be a big side in the NBA even after the years of the “Big Three” and will once again be looking for success after winning the Eastern Conference. Their new stars, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo will be looking to entertain and prove their high profiles in big games and bring back their first championship since 2013.
Boston Celtics are the most decorated side left in the playoffs having won the finals 17 times in their history. Each side left will know the bonus that success on the court has on the sides image and brand. It can lead to a strong period of dominance and the dynasty status every general manager is looking to build.
The playoffs are a time to see which coaches and players know how to handle the added pressure and we will wait till June to see who comes out on top.
About Carson Derrow
