Golden State Warriors:From Basketball to Business Transformation

By Edward Iwata

This is only the beginning for this innovative franchise1franchise 职业运动队。. On and off the court.In 2016, the Golden State Warriors smashed the National Basketball Association’s all-time winning record for a regular season.[2] But truth be told, the Warriors are a model of management and coaching.They’re a state-of-the-art franchise in the sports-business world. While most teams struggle to win games and grow their businesses, the Warriors are a rare blend of both.

New Owners Take Warriors in Winning Direction

[3] Co-owned by venture capitalist Joe Lacob and media entertainment mogul Peter Guber, the Warriors boast a collaborative, winning culture.

[4] Kerr is a master motivator and strategist whose coaching philosophy is now emulated2emulate效仿。throughout the league.

对这支锐意创新的职业运动队来说，这还只是开始。场上场下都是如此。

2016年，金州勇士打破美国男子篮球职业联赛（NBA）常规赛胜场数历史纪录。

[2]但其实勇士队在管理和训练上都是楷模。他们是体育商界的一支最先进职业运动队。当大多数球队在赢得比赛和谋求商业发展上步履维艰时，勇士队却罕见地两者兼得。

新老板带领勇士队走向胜利

[3]金州勇士由风险投资人乔·拉科布和传媒娱乐大亨彼得·古伯共同拥有，球队崇尚协作、制胜的企业文化。

[4]科尔善于激励球员，同时也是战术大师。他的执教理念正被全联盟仿效。

[5] Then there is superstar and twotime NBA MVP3=Most Valuable Player最有价值球员，指1955—1956赛季以来每年对美职联常规赛中表现最佳的球员所颁发的一个奖项。Stephen Curry. A true disruptor whose revolutionary style of play is changing the game of basketball.

[6] The NBA’s perennial losers a few years ago are now on a wild, recordbreaking ride.

[7] But it wasn’t always that way.Dennis O’Donnell, sports director at KPIX-TV in San Francisco, put it this way: “The new owner inherited one of the worst-run organizations in the NBA, and turned it into unquestionably the best-run organization in the league,from owners to coaches to players.”

[8] And the numbers are hard to dispute.

After Lacob and his co-investors outbid rivals to buy the Warriors in 2010 for $450 million, the team’s value soared to $1.9 billion, according to Forbes 2016 ranking of NBA teams.

If the Warriors’ proposed sports and entertainment complex, the Chase Center, opens in 2019 in San Francisco as expected, the Warriors’ value may rise even higher.

[9] And it gets better.

The Warriors have sold out every home game over the past three seasons.Fan loyalty is off the charts4off the charts超越了正常范畴，特别好，或是特别糟。, with 99 percent of season-ticket holders renewing for the 2016-2017 season, according to Lisa Goodwin, director of corporate communications.

[5]还有超级巨星、两度荣获NBA最有价值球员奖的斯蒂芬·库里，一个真正的颠覆者，他革命性的打球方式正在改变篮球比赛。

[6]这支球队几年前在联盟中还屡屡输球，如今却狂飙突进、屡破纪录。

[7]这番气象往昔可不常见。旧金山KPIX-TV电视台体育总监丹尼斯·奥唐奈这样说：“新老板接手的是NBA中经营最不善的一支球队，现在却把它变成了无疑是联盟中经营最佳的球队，从老板到教练再到球员都很出色。”

[8]数字难以辩驳。

2010年，拉科布与合伙投资人击败竞购对手，以4.5亿美元的价格买下勇士队，数年后，根据《福布斯》杂志2016年NBA球队排名，勇士队市值已飙升至19亿美元。

如果勇士队拟建的体育娱乐综合场馆——位于旧金山的大通中心——如期在2019年投入使用，该队市值甚至会再创新高。

[9]一切都蒸蒸日上。

过去三个赛季，勇士队主场比赛的门票场场售罄。据球队传播总监莉萨·古德温透露，球迷追捧热度爆棚，持有赛季套票的球迷中99%的人都续订了2016—2017赛季套票。

[10] The Warriors’ marketing machine is world class. The team has 14 million followers on social media platforms.Merchandise sales are up 423 percent over last season. To top it off5top it off加之，更有甚者。, the NBA named the Warriors 2015 Co-Retailer of the Year.

[11] So what’s their secret?

The culture of the Warriors is classic Silicon Valley. In the same way that successful tech companies transform markets, the Warriors are breaking old models and traditional ways of thinking.

[12] They’re embracing risks that might scare more cautious teams.“They’re very comfortable being disruptive on the business side and on the basketball court,” said Marc Ganis, a sportsbusiness consultant on many global sports and entertainment projects.

[13] On the court, other NBA teams are copying their all-around play: a fast,free-flowing offense and tough, teamoriented defense with versatile players who fill different roles.

In earlier eras, coaches frowned on long three-point shots. Now more teams are playing long ball, encouraging good shooters to fire away.

[10]勇士队的营销机制堪称世界一流。球队在社交媒体平台上有1400万粉丝。特许商品销售额比上赛季增长423%。锦上添花的是，勇士队还被NBA评选为2015年度最佳合作零售商。

[11]那么，他们的成功秘诀是什么呢?

勇士文化是典型的硅谷文化。就像成功的科技企业能带来市场变革，勇士队也正打破旧模式和常规思维。

[12]他们甘冒的风险可能会吓倒谨小慎微的球队。担任多个全球性体育娱乐项目体育商业顾问马克·甘尼斯指出：“不论是在商业经营上还是在篮球场上，他们都乐于破旧立新。”

[13]在球场上，其他NBA球队都在模仿他们的全攻全守打法：快速流畅的进攻，强硬的全队联防，球员都是多面手，胜任场上不同位置。

早前，教练们对三分远投都不以为然。现在，越来越多的球队注重外线进攻，鼓励优秀投手外线出手。

[14] One of Kerr’s innovative coaching methods is to show videos of soccer great Lionel Messi and his Barcelona teammates to illustrate team and ball movement.

Not surprisingly, some of Curry’s jaw-dropping dribble6dribble运球。moves and slashing drives to the hoop7drive to the hoop突破到篮下。resemble soccer players dodging defenders to score.

[15] In the front office8front office（公司的）董事会，理事会。, the Warriors focus on everything from marketing strategies to leading-edge technology.They have a full time staff dedicated to player development, marketing, and sales strategies.

[16] The team also leads the NBA in their use of data analytics.

The Warriors were among the first NBA teams to adopt devices such as Sport VU9球员追踪分析系统，可使用摄像机定位追踪每一名球员的每一个动作，然后通过计算机分析图片进一步编译成各类统计数据。cameras, which study players’ movements and performances during games and practices.

[17] This hard data also helps the Warriors track ticket and merchandise sales, food and beverage consumption—even the buying preferences of fans in pricey courtside seats or the less-expensive seats up high.

“We take our analytics10analytics分析学。very seriously,” said Chip Bowers, the Warriors chief marketing officer. “Ultimately,the information is shared internally so we’re better informed about what’s happening in our business.”

[14]科尔新颖的执教手法之一就是播放足球巨星莱昂内尔·梅西及其巴塞罗那队队友的实战录像，以此演示球队跑动和传球线路。

怪不得库里能有这样令人瞠目结舌的表现：不时运球疾进、切入突破到篮下，酷似足球球员巧妙摆脱防守射门得分。

[15]从营销战略到尖端技术，勇士队管理层对各个方面都很重视。他们配有全职人员专门负责球员培养、市场推广和销售策略。

[16]勇士队在运用数据分析方面也走在NBA前列。

勇士队是首批采用Sport VU系统摄像机等设备的NBA球队之一，该系统可用于分析研究球员比赛和训练时的动作和表现。

[17]这类切实的数据还有助于勇士队跟踪了解门票、特许商品销售和饮食消费情况，甚至包括球迷的购票偏好：是青睐昂贵的场边座位，还是偏向便宜的看台高层座位？

勇士队首席营销官奇普·鲍尔斯表示：“我们很重视数据分析。相关信息最终会在内部交流共享，以便更好地了解自身经营状况。”

[18] The fan experience is also top of mind.

At Oakland’s Oracle Arena, for example, the Warriors offer Wi-fifor all 20,000 fans. The planned Chase Arena will also likely offer many leading-edge IT services, including a virtual reality experience for fans.

[19] Kenny Lauer, vice president of digital and marketing, said that the Warriors measure themselves against not only other sports teams, but other businesses in different industries.

When one views the Warriors as “an entertainment marketing group that happens to play basketball, that horizon opens up tremendous opportunities,” he said.

Collaboration cuts across everything

[20] The success of the Warriors stems from “not one thing, but a hundred little things,” said Warriors President Rick Welts. Among them is talent acquisition and collaboration.

“They clearly have a very smart talent-evaluation process for bringing in the right kind of guys and getting them to mesh11mesh使紧密配合。,” said Bob Dorfman, executive creative director at Baker Street Advertising. “Each player and em-ployee knows his role. In a league filled with egomaniacs12egomaniac极端自我主义者。, that’s a very impressive accomplishment.”

[18]球迷体验也放在首位。

例如，在奥克兰甲骨文球馆，勇士队为全场两万名观赛球迷提供无线上网。规划中的大通球馆也可能会提供诸多尖端的信息科技服务，包括为球迷提供虚拟现实体验。

[19]勇士队数字化与营销副总裁肯尼·劳尔表示，勇士队参照的不仅是其他运动队，还有不同行业的其他企业。

他说，当你把勇士队看作“一个碰巧进入篮球圈的娱乐营销集团时，这一视角会开启巨大商机”。

团队合作超越一切

[20]勇士队总裁里克·韦尔茨表示，造就勇士队成功的“并非单一因素，而是无数微小因素的合力”，其中包括人才引进和团队协作。

“显然，他们有一套十分高明的人才评估程序，用于引进合适人才并让他们融入团队。” 贝克街广告公司执行创意总监鲍勃·多夫曼说：“每个球员和职员都明白自己的角色。在一个充斥着极端自我主义者的联盟中，这是相当了不起的成就。”

[21] The Warriors’ managerial style also appears to strike a balance between collective brainstorming and strong decision making. For sure, the front office is no place for wallflowers13wallflower〈非正式〉（舞会或聚会上因无舞伴或腼腆）待在一旁的人。.

In the complex planning for Chase Arena, for instance, design and development teams meet often with Warriors executives to air ideas. Everyone weighs in with14weigh in with在讨论中成功地提出（建议、事实等）。his or her thoughts and insights. The give-and-take ensures that the Warriors vet different ideas and make the most educated15educated基于知识（或经验）的。decisions at the end of the day.

[22] Open communication and transparency also apply to the Warriors’coaching. The authoritarian, commandand-control approach may have worked in earlier eras, but not with today’s star athletes, who often carry more clout16clout影响力。than coaches.

New breed of owners put business strategy first

[23] Even team ownership is evolving, becoming more innovative. Oldschool sports owners typically were tycoons who tended to run their teams as money-losing hobbies.

[21]勇士队的管理风格似乎也是集思广益和果断决策相结合。管理部门中肯定不会有壁上观者的一席之地。

比如，在大通球馆复杂的规划过程中，设计和开发团队常与勇士队高管会晤，交流意见。大家建言献策、各抒己见。如此交换意见，可确保勇士队对不同的意见进行审议，最终作出最明智的决定。

[22]坦诚沟通、保持透明度的原则同样践行于勇士队的训练中。独断专行、发号施令的执教方式以往可能有效，但对现今的明星运动员不管用，因为他们往往比教练更有分量。

新一代老板以商业战略为本

[23]连球队产权经营都在不断发展，更加锐意革新。传统的球队老板通常都是大亨，往往把球队当成赔钱的爱好来经营。

这种情况已不复见。如今，新一代球队老板是科技行业的高管和企业家，他们将自己的球队视为成熟企业和有利可图的投资。

No more. Today’s new breed of owners are technology executives and entrepreneurs who view their teams as full-fledged17full-fledged成熟的；充分发展的。businesses and lucrative investments.

[24] “It’s great for the league,” Bowers said. “The new guys made money by rolling up their sleeves and being intimately involved in the success of their(tech companies), and they treat their ownership of teams the same way.

“It allows us to have a greater degree of business acumen18acumen精明。, to be smarter in terms of the types of experiences we create for organizations and the fans.” ■

[24]“这对联盟来说是大好事。”鲍尔斯说，“新一代老板之前赚到钱，靠的是实干，自己（科技企业）的成功也是亲手打拼来的，现在他们对待球队的产权经营也是一样。

“这令我们有了更为敏锐的经营眼光，为企业和球迷提供各种体验时采取更加明智的策略。” □