What do Beaverton, Ore.,
Omaha, Neb., Redmond,
Wash., and Wichita, Kan., have in common with
Cleveland and Akron?
None are considered major
markets and all are home to
some of the largest household
names in the world — respectively, Nike, Berkshire Hathaway,
Microsoft, Koch Industries and
LeBron James.
Location, apparently, hasn’t hurt any of
their success, and it shouldn’t hinder James’
ability to cash in on his abilities or business
acumen either.
No matter how you try to argue against it,
success in the corporate world is not dictated by your company’s address but rather
by such factors as the quality of your product, the cost to produce it, and your ability
to market and sell it to a targeted audience.
The same holds true for James, who at age 23 is the NBA’s top earner.
Last year, including endorsement deals and business investments, he earned an estimated
$25 million.
Despite this, the national
media continues to scream that
when James’ contract with the
Cavs is up in 2010, it will be in his
best interest to pack up his
sneakers — and his LRMR
Marketing organization — and settle down
in a major metropolitan media market, such
as New York City or Los Angeles.
The false logic in these continued suggestions by would-be experts continues to
amaze me.
First, let’s use James’ own assertion to
Fortune that, “I want to run my own business. I want to be my own business.”
If that’s the case, then his success should
hinge upon traditional business factors
rather than the usual sports arguments that unless you play ball in a major media market where the spotlight of the world is upon
you, the personal cash registers won’t ring
and the championships won’t come. But it’s
been six years since Los Angeles won the
NBA Finals and 25 since New York’s players
earned championship rings.
Second, the reality of location has
changed dramatically over the years. We
live in a digital, virtual and on-demand
world. Where James plays — just like where
a company’s corporate headquarters is
located — doesn’t really matter.
As we enter the new year, it’s time for the
national media to wake up and drop its antiquated argument and recognize that there’s
a reason why every major company’s HQ
isn’t in New York or Los Angeles: It doesn’t
need to be. And neither does LeBron James.
Contact Editor Dustin Klein at [email protected]