More from David Stern on WNBA

Excerpt from "The Boss" by Russ Bengston and Lang Whitaker in SLAM Magazine,
issue 75 pg 106:

SLAM: What about the WNBA? Do you get tired of the general attitude it seems
to get from most of the media?

Stern: Yes, yes. The media has a bad attitude, you know? (Everyone laughs)
People ask me, "The WNBA lost money right?" And I say, Yeah, but not as much
as the NBA lost. Not as much as the NHL lost. Not as much as Major League
Baseball is losing. We're making plans for not only Year 8 of the WNBA, but
also Years 9, 10, 11. People used to have the same attitude about the NBA,
but no one remembers. The NBA was an offshoot of the NHL. Owners of NHL
teams that owned arenas decided they'd do something with this other sport
where people ran around in their underwear fighting over a sphere. They
figured they'd get people into the building. And here we are. I think the
WNBA will one day be to the NBA as women's tennis is to men's tennis. A
different game, but played by extraordinary athletes and very much
appreciated.

SLAM: Not knowing very much about the financial side of things, how much
money does the NBA lose?

Stern: It happens with some regularity to some of our teams, depending upon
the situation. We're not asking for any sympathy or passing a hat, because
businesses can absorb losses. Their share price sometimes continue to go up
even though their cash flow is negative, and in some ways that's what we
think about the WNBA. We're investing very modest sums, and overall we're
very happy with it.

SLAM: Is there an answer to that loss, or is that just something you have to
accept as a matter of course?

Stern: No - it's an investment. You're investing in a product. The losses
are very modest. To have a league, some teams make money, some teams lose
money. We now have a women's league that's going into its eighth season, and
the general predictions were, it wouldn't last a year. It's here, it's got
its fans. The quality of the game...I'll tell you what: If you saw the Final
between the Shock and the Sparks, it was a very physical and fiercely
contested game, which just demonstrates that the talent level is going up.