Why players flock to major markets -- Nets Deron Williams explains

[alh1020]

Deron Williams was not trying to make a statement about the balance of small versus large markets in the NBA, he was simply answering a question posed to him by the New York Post.

Williams, the star point guard of the Brooklyn Nets, is on the cover of the new video game �NBA Baller Beats.� The question was would he have gotten that prime spot if he still played in Salt Lake City for the Jazz.

�Probably not,� Williams told The Post yesterday. �There�s not a lot of national opportunities in Utah. There�s definitely some local stuff, some regional stuff, but not too much national stuff.�

For a lot of players, that potential for larger endorsement deals matters. A lot.
There are a handful of guys so big that it doesn�t matter where they play � Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant. That level of star is so big nationally and internationally that if they are based out of Cleveland or Oklahoma City it doesn�t hit their bottom line. But this is an elite few players.

For everyone else, even a step below that � D-Will being an example � the opportunities for money and celebrity in big markets plays a role in making changes. If you are a good player or a role player, the opportunities in a big city can boost your income. So suddenly Los Angeles or New York become more attractive.

Other factors (size of the contract) will always take precedence, but it matters in the decision making process. And there is nothing that can go into a CBA to change that.

Related link: Real Madrid calls, then hangs up phone on Mehmet Okur | ProBasketballTalk

[Uwe Blab]

San Antonio is somewhat of an interesting phenomenon. It's the 7th largest city in the U.S., yet it is considered a small market. I can't figure that out.

[MichaelWi101]

It's considered small because it's the 28th largest radio market and 37th largest TV market.

[Spurd_On]

Originally Posted by Uwe Blab

San Antonio is somewhat of an interesting phenomenon. It's the 7th largest city in the U.S., yet it is considered a small market. I can't figure that out.

Originally Posted by MichaelWi101

It's considered small because it's the 28th largest radio market and 37th largest TV market.

The TV market actually defines their metropolitan population 37th.

They are 7th because the city limits incorporates a larger proportion of their metropolitan area than most cities.

If their were no political boundaries for metropolitan areas, SA would be 37th.

When you think about it, that makes SA fortunate to even have a team when there are metropolitan areas larger than SA that have no team.

[katyspursfan]

Never mind.

[Spurd_On]

The Spurs seem to have found a work around for being the 37th TV market by targeting Austin which isn't much different in size from SA. Last season, for the first time, you could view almost every Spurs game on cable in Austin.