VB: Everyone knows you're an Ohio guy. Specifically from the same area-code as LeBron, the '330'. Talk to us about basketball in that area growing up.
MS: Most of us from that area are super proud of where we're from. I remember growing up in Northeast Ohio in 80's and 90's. It was smack dab in the middle of the Jordan-era - and I was loving every minute of it. Watching MJ light up everybody - on every team - in the league made it a little tough to lose my mind in celebration for guys like Ron Harper, Craig Ehlo and Mark Price. Kills me to say that, those guys were good (Brad Doherty, anyone?)...but I'll tell you what I did enjoy about the Cleveland Cavaliers during those years: our fans.
And even better than those Cavs fans, was the basketball culture in NE Ohio. Sports in general are on another level there. Now, I know everyone makes claims like that. It's human nature to 'rep your city', but sports were really all we had going for us. Tuesday night games and Friday night lights, they mattered. They really mattered. That meant that we were born in to a system of hard-working, steel-town-raised, sports fanatics with ambition. We like to joke that you can't watch an ESPN 30-for-30 without Youngstown, Ohio being mentioned. All of this was great - and I'm forever grateful for the competitiveness and personal attributes my coaches and mentors instilled in me - but it sure didn't help our beloved Cavaliers win any titles during my childhood.
VB: You've had a pretty incredible professional career in Sports Marketing. Has that influenced who you cheer for now?
MS: (laughs) That's such a set-up. Fine...I worked at Nike for the past five (5) years. It's no secret I'm a brand-loyal guy and LBJ, KD, Kyrie and so many others are 'our guys'. I'll tell you, though, I didn't love LeBron in the early years. I had just come out of high school and some 8th grader was all over the newspapers. He wasn't even from the same town! Akron is 30 minutes away. That stuff went away pretty quickly when I moved to Portland to work for Nike Basketball. LeBron's an incredible guy - as is his crew - so it was fun to be able to cheer for a guy that I had a vested professional and personal interest in seeing succeed. All of Ohio was watching - and still watches - his every move. So, yeah, you could say Nike influenced my energy level towards certain guys, but you'd have to ask me the same questions about Michael Jordan. Those Nike commercials inspired every line drill I ever ran, every late night session at the gym, every loose ball I dove on. The swoosh has that effect - and I'm biased - but they're the best. Product, Athlete, Brand. And they have been for 50 years. Don't get me going.
VB: So, that brings us to a couple weeks ago. Talk to us about why you left Vancouver for a trip home to Cleveland to hang with your father.
MS: Ha! Well, first of all, I love finding excuses to head back home. I'm actually from Youngstown, Ohio - a good 45 minutes from Cleveland. Which is funny because it takes me 45 minutes to get from North Vancouver to Kitsilano most days, so it's not all that far. Growing up, we were close enough that we claimed Cleveland's pro teams (if you didn't claim Pittsburgh which was the same distance from my hometown over the Pennsylvania border). My dad would take us to Cleveland Indians games for a couple bucks a ticket. I think anyone would tell you that some of our most important memories are made during our early childhood years, so being able to get nostalgic with my dad gets easier to do as the years go by - we both love it. My dad still works 40 hours a week for a modest hourly wage. We were fine growing up, we just didn't go on vacations or drive the kinds of cars you see in Vancouver. We worked hard, had food on the table and I had gear to play ball in - can't ask for more than that - so being able to treat him somewhat feels like I'm giving back to him finally, not the other way around. Where this trip gets crazy is that it was the night when LeBron James, alongside his Cavaliers teammates, got to raise the NBA Championship banner to the rafters at Quicken Loans Arena...and as everyone knows, it seems, that was a long-time coming.
VB: You say it was a crazy night. How was the energy in the arena and how was the game?
MS: Well, energy was off the charts as anyone might imagine. That steel town celebrated their hometown hero delivering on his promise. I mean, shoot, not too many years prior they were burning his jersey. You remember that right? Who doesn't. The game was great. LBJ had a triple-double. You haven't asked about who they played! New York Knicks. Derek Rose, Melo. Talent was in the building. Here's the kicker: we didn't finish the game. That same night was Game 1 of the World Series in Cleveland! So I shocked my dad and enjoyed the first half of the game sitting behind LBJ and we walked across the street to catch the Indians win game 1. A magical day with my dad. The guy is the most loving, kind, inclusive man I know. He works hard, doesn't talk much, just gets it done as you might say...so I love treating him to moments like that.
VB: Talk to us about Vancouver's basketball scene.
MS: I think there are plenty of fanatics here. People love basketball in Vancouver. I'm in an interesting spot because I work in sport & advertising, I operate local basketball brands and - other than training small groups the past several years on my weekends - I have just recently gotten in to leadership & skill development through basketball. From a fan perspective, I think we're right where we need to be. Our city is vibrant, the fans are here, now we need to continue to deliver live experiences that connect that fan community. On the athlete front, I think we've got work to do - on and off the court. From a business landscape - it's a new world for me to play in in terms of community. I'm not from here, so it's been 10 years of learning to navigate - and I think we've done some great things for basketball in that time. My goal is a relentless, lifetime mission to galvanize the basketball community here. I really believe it's important that people partner up and drive impact to our youth.
VB: When's the next trip home?
MS: I'm hoping when June 2017 rolls around I'll have, say, a minimum of four (4) games to watch in the NBA Finals (laughs). Too soon? Don't forget to give a shoutout to the photographers Mario Soriano, Steve Counts and Justin Paysan.
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