Hannah Storm’s analysis of how pro basketball got so big is pretty simple: That guy from North Carolina.
“What happened was Michael Jordan,” Storm said on the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly. She should know, since the pioneering television broadcaster and ESPN anchor was there from before the beginning. She had a front-row seat—literally—to basketball’s popular explosion in the 1980s, when Jordan electrified not just the sport but the broader culture. Storm witnessed how basketball came to compete with and eventually usurp baseball in the national conversation.
One of Storm’s key assets when it came to explaining basketball and other sports to viewers was her familiarity with the inner workings of the industry. Her father, the late Mike Storen, was the commissioner of the American Basketball Association (which ultimately merged with the National Basketball Association), as well as the first general manager of the Indiana Pacers. (In case you’re wondering, Hannah Storen became “Hannah Storm” thanks to a stint as a hard-rock deejay in the 1980s).
These days, basketball feels like it’s at another catalytic moment, as one generation (LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant) edges toward the end of long careers and make way for a new wave. That younger cohort includes players like Nikola Jokic and reigning most-valuable-player Joel Embiid.
As a sports broadcaster, Storm said her profession faces a challenge in covering the NBA. She explained that her colleagues must redouble their efforts to search out less obvious stories and characters rather than falling back on marquee names and teams.
Listen to The Deal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Bloomberg Carplay, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch The Deal on Bloomberg Originals and Bloomberg TV.
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“What happened was Michael Jordan,” Storm said on the latest episode of The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly. She should know, since the pioneering television broadcaster and ESPN anchor was there from before the beginning. She had a front-row seat—literally—to basketball’s popular explosion in the 1980s, when Jordan electrified not just the sport but the broader culture. Storm witnessed how basketball came to compete with and eventually usurp baseball in the national conversation.
One of Storm’s key assets when it came to explaining basketball and other sports to viewers was her familiarity with the inner workings of the industry. Her father, the late Mike Storen, was the commissioner of the American Basketball Association (which ultimately merged with the National Basketball Association), as well as the first general manager of the Indiana Pacers. (In case you’re wondering, Hannah Storen became “Hannah Storm” thanks to a stint as a hard-rock deejay in the 1980s).
These days, basketball feels like it’s at another catalytic moment, as one generation (LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant) edges toward the end of long careers and make way for a new wave. That younger cohort includes players like Nikola Jokic and reigning most-valuable-player Joel Embiid.
As a sports broadcaster, Storm said her profession faces a challenge in covering the NBA. She explained that her colleagues must redouble their efforts to search out less obvious stories and characters rather than falling back on marquee names and teams.
Listen to The Deal on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart, Bloomberg Carplay, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also watch The Deal on Bloomberg Originals and Bloomberg TV.
--------
Like this video? Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/Bloomberg?sub_confirmation=1
Get unlimited access to Bloomberg.com for $1.99/month for the first 3 months: https://www.bloomberg.com/subscriptions?in_source=YoutubeOriginals
Bloomberg Originals offers bold takes for curious minds on today’s biggest topics. Hosted by experts covering stories you haven’t seen and viewpoints you haven’t heard, you’ll discover cinematic, data-led shows that investigate the intersection of business and culture. Exploring every angle of climate change, technology, finance, sports and beyond, Bloomberg Originals is business as you’ve never seen it.
Subscribe for business news, but not as you've known it: exclusive interviews, fascinating profiles, data-driven analysis, and the latest in tech innovation from around the world.
Visit our partner channel Bloomberg Quicktake for global news and insight in an instant.
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