With reports of Larry Ellison soon becoming the new owner of the Golden State Warriors, most people wonder whether his deep pockets, like Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, will translate into sweeping -- and most importantly winning -- changes.
The only way to find out is to hear it from the horse's mouth. Quite the quotable guy, Ellison's words have circulated far and wide across the Internet. Let's examine a few quotes from Mr. Oracle himself, as I truly believe they are windows into how he can dominate the sports industry, or at least improve Oracle Arena concessions.
"Being first is more important to me. I have so much money. Whatever money is, it's just a method of keeping score now. I mean, I certainly don't need more money."
So far, so good...
Knowing that Ellison's got probably too much money to blow makes me confident that "being first," hopefully at winning and not alienating players, is what Ellison's goal is. But maybe this means Ellison is willing to break luxury cap barriers to find not just a "big three" but maybe a "big five." We're skipping "big four!"
"When you innovate, you've got to be prepared for people telling you that you are nuts."
Touche Mr. Ellison, touche. You could argue that the Warriors have been as unconventional as they come in their "innovations," such as their decisions to sign Mike Dunleavy Jr., Troy Murphy, and Adonal Foyle to ridiculous contracts. People were definitely telling the Warriors how "nuts" they are. But Ellison's track record for innovation clearly outnumbers the Cohan-era, in which "innovate" was probably an irrelevant or non-existent word in the franchise's lexicon.
"You have to act and act now."
So concise. The Warriors' trend of collecting young, raw players to be mentored by B- to C-grade veterans has probably stunted the their talents' development. Trading fan favorite Jason Richardson for the basketball equivalent of M.Night Shyamalan's "Elijah Price" of Unbreakable in Brandan Wright proved to be a disaster. Instead of "acting now" directly after the impossible "We Believe" era, the Warriors franchise planned for a future that looks like it will never come with Wright. As the Warriors rebuild again, this quote makes me think that Ellison is ready to transform them into contenders fast! Carmelo Anthony in 2011?
"In some ways, getting away from the headquarters and having a little time to reflect allows you to find errors in your strategy. You get to rethink things. Often, that helps me correct a mistake that I made or someone else is about to make."
Lastly, this quote seems to show a sense of responsibility and purpose that we never saw from Chris Cohan. Ellison is a guy who looks like he strategizes and takes seriously the craft of strategizing. Did we ever see this from Chris Cohan? Nope. An absentee owner who's got major tax issues trying to demand major money for one of the least recognized NBA franchises in the nation sounds like someone with no clue of what to do. This quote epitomizes everything we need from an owner.
There are more quotes here, which will bring a smile to your face. We all know he has some sense of personality and the big bucks to show that he knows what to do with it. We can expect his quotes about this possible acquisition to be just as quotable.