Mark my words, at the end of this season, the basketball gurus will declare Kawhi Leonard as the best all-around player in the world. Besides being the best defender in the league and a top 5 offensive player, Leonard is a winner. Everything he does on the court is for the betterment of the team. He passes, fights for rebounds and loose balls, and lets his work ethic do the talking for him. Leonard is a rare superstar. He is not a personality, he’s not a brand, he’s not a social media star, he’s a humble, blue-collar athlete who plays for one reason—to win. Expect Leonard and the Toronto Raptors to close out the Sixers today and ultimately advance to the NBA finals.
The NFL markets its brand as well as any enterprise in the world. I heard a comedian once say that the NFL is so popular, it has its own day. NFL football is huge. Each NFL franchise brings in approximately $400M a year in revenue; almost double the annual revenue of NBA teams and 2 ½ times as much as MLB clubs.