Joe Pompliano Profile picture
Sep 29, 2020 10 tweets 6 min read Read on X
When the Miami Heat tip off the NBA Finals on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, they'll be significant underdogs.

The craziest part?

Their entire roster is used to it.

Time for a thread 👇👇👇
1) Head coach Eric Spoelstra started his Miami Heat career as a video coordinator back in 1995.

Since then, he's worked his way from the video room to 3x NBA Champion and is regarded as one of the best coaches in the NBA today.

The lesson?

Keep going.
2) When it comes to Jimmy Butler, you couldn't make up his story if you tried.

- Homeless at 13
- 73rd ranked SG in Texas
- No D1 offers, attended JuCo
- Last pick of 1st round

Now, Butler is a 4x all-star with $220M in career earnings - looking to win his 1st NBA championship.
3) Duncan Robinson has continuously believed in himself, even when others didn't.

- No D1 offers
- Attended DIII Williams College
- Transferred to Michigan
- Undrafted in 2018
- Signed with Heat

Now he'll start in the NBA Finals as one of the best 3-pt shooters in the NBA.
4) Since going undrafted in 2018, Kendrick Nunn has fought his way to back to relevancy.

Nunn spent a year in the G-league, but impressed Heat coaches with a 40-pt game this preseason.

In total, he started 67 games this year and finished 2nd in ROTY voting behind Ja Morant.
5) Jae Crowder spent 2 years at JuCo before transferring to Marquette.

After staring w/ Butler at Marquette, Crowder was selected in the 2nd round of the draft.

Despite being a quality player, Crowder has been traded 4 times - yet he hopes to have finally found a home in Miami
6) Udonis Haslem is considered the heart and soul of the Miami Heat.

His story:
- Undrafted in '02
- Spent a year in France
- Lost 50lbs in 8 months
- Signed with Heat in '03
- 3x NBA Champion

The craziest part?

Haslem has played with Jae Crowder and his father, Corey.
7) The mastermind behind the Miami Heat?

Pat Riley, who has been a dominate fixture in the NBA Finals as a player, coach, and executive.

Finals Appearances (@CBSSports)
As a player: 3
As a coach: 9
As an executive: 5

Already a legend, Riley looks to add to his legacy.
8) When the NBA Finals tip off on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers will start 4 players selected in the top 10 - including three #1 overall picks.

The Heat?

That number is 0.

They may not look like much individually, but together they just might be the best team in the world
If you enjoyed this thread, you should:

1. Follow me, I tweet cool sports stories everyday.

2. Subscribe to my free daily newsletter where I give detailed analysis on topics involving the money and business behind sports.

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More from @JoePompliano

Sep 3
Frances Tiafoe has a crazy story:

• Parents immigrated to America
• Dad worked in construction
• Helped build a tennis facility
• Got Frances free lessons

And now Frances is a top 20 player trying to become the first American male to win a Grand Slam in 20 years.

THREAD 👇 Image
1) First off, tennis is an expensive sport.

Between training, travel, and tournaments, a youth career could cost $400,000.

And even if you turn professional, only the world's top ~150 players end up turning a profit after expenses.

That's what makes Frances' story so special.
2) Frances Tiafoe's parents were born in the Western African country of Sierra Leone.

They immigrated to the United States after a civil war broke out back home and settled in a suburb outside Washington, D.C.

That's where Frances was born. Image
Read 11 tweets
Aug 19
ALLCITY Network is changing sports media.

They just raised a $12 million Series B and are already doing eight figures in annual revenue.

Full disclosure: I own equity in ALLCITY (because I think it will be massive).

Here's why 👇 Image
1) Everyone knows sports media is struggling.

The democratization of content (podcasts, social media, etc.) has hurt RSNs, newspapers, and radio stations, leading to smaller audiences and mass layoffs.

However, this is where ALLCITY sees an opportunity.
2) The easiest way to explain ALLCITY is that it's a digitally-focused network of local sports content.

The business model is simple:

1. Go to a big sports town (Chicago, etc.)
2. Hire the best talent (radio/reporters)
3. Have them start podcasts/write
4. Sell ads as a network
Read 11 tweets
Mar 1
The 2024 Formula 1 calendar is insane:

• 24 races
• 21 countries
• 5 continents
• 180+ hours of flights

Teams will travel 75,000 miles & transport 1,500 tons of equipment.

This makes it a logistical nightmare, so here's a breakdown of how Formula 1 pulls it off.

THREAD 👇
1) The simplest way to explain Formula 1 logistics is by breaking the calendar into two parts:

• European Races
• Flyaway Races

Let's start with European Races.
2) European races are self-explanatory — these are races that take place in Europe.

Examples:
• Monaco
• Monza
• Zandvoort
• Silverstone
• Spa

These races are easier and cheaper logistically because everything is transported by trucks rather than planes and boats. Image
Read 16 tweets
Feb 7
Apple Music pays the NFL $50 million annually to sponsor the Super Bowl halftime show.

But Usher won't get any of that money.

Instead, he'll perform for free, leveraging the exposure to gain followers, sell tickets, and increase streaming numbers.

Here's how it works 👇 Image
1) Some of the world's most famous artists have performed at the Super Bowl:

• Prince
• Michael Jackson
• Bruce Springsteen
• Beyonce
• Justin Timberlake
• The Rolling Stones
• Rihanna

But NONE of these artists were paid. Image
2) Here's how the financials work:

• NFL signs a $50M sponsorship deal
• Artists get a ~$15 million production budget

This budget covers 2,000 to 3,000 part-time workers, including set design, security, dancers, and marketing.

But artists don't get any of the money.
Read 11 tweets
Jan 27
My favorite sports business story involves two brothers turning $1 million into $800 million as basketball team owners without ever owning an NBA team.

It's a masterclass in leverage, long-term thinking, and the power of equity and ownership.

Here's the crazy story 👇 Image
1) The story starts with Ozzie & Daniel Silna.

The two brothers were born in New Jersey after their parents immigrated from Latvia in the 1930s.

They worked at their dad's small textile business, but when he sold the company, they started manufacturing polyester in the 1960s.
2) As polyester sales skyrocketed throughout the 1960s, Ozzie & Daniel Silna's business grew.

So they used $1 million in profit to buy the ABA’s failing Carolina Cougars in 1974.

They then moved the team to Saint Louis and rebranded as the Saint Louis Spirits. Image
Read 12 tweets
Jun 13, 2023
I asked my audience: "What is the best sports book you've ever read?" — and received more than 1,000 responses.

Here are the Top 10 👇

1) Open, an autobiography by Andre Agassi.

Everyone needs to read this, seriously. Image
2) Moneyball by Michael Lewis

This book follows the Oakland A's historic 2002 season — 103 wins with one of the lowest budgets in MLB —and details how the Athletics pioneered the use of analytics and advanced statistics.

This is a must-read, plain & simple. Image
3) The Score Takes Care Of Itself

This book breaks down the leadership lessons Bill Walsh installed as head coach of the 49ers, taking the team from a 2-14 record to Super Bowl Champions in just 2 years.

It's full of great stories.

And it's so good that I've read it 3-4 times. Image
Read 12 tweets

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