Vlade Divac on Social Networks & TradeKwame.com
One of my first posts ever was about bumping into John Leguizamo (& his dog Cholo) at my neighborhood Starbucks. I’ve since quit even mentioning the celebs I bump into out here (sharing a coffee shop with Batman or Frodo, a drug store with Kate Beckinsale, etc.). But this one was just too good.
I walked into a buddy’s cell phone shop today to check out the newish blackberries. Now this isn’t any ordinary cell phone shop. It’s not your neighborhood sprint (devil) or verizon (lucifer) store. This is a little boutique on Main St., Santa Monica, where plenty of celebrities go to get the “trendiest” phones on the market. I “bump” into Vlade Divac who’s trying to sync his gaming laptop with his new little vaio with his blackberry.
Never one to shy away from an introduction, I met Vlade and started talking Laker Basketball. It just so happens that after a triple-overtime loss to the Charlotte Bobcats I put up a site devoted to trading Kwame Brown. I love the Lakers. Always have, always will. But I just can’t see them winning with him out on the floor. He needs to go.
Thanks to work by What Da Phuk! (originators of KeepLamar.com and one of the most savvy php programmers I’ve had the privilege of knowing), there will be a petition (as though it meant something), AdSense, t-shirts, $0.02 Purple/Gold Silicon “Trade Kwame” wristbands. You know, the usual.
*Disclaimer: If you’re looking at the site now, be forwarned that it’s disgusting. I designed it, and I can’t design a game of hangman. But soon it’ll be an aesthetically pleasure I assure you.
Vlade gave me a high five when I told him about the site. He mentioned that players’ minutes involved politics, but this was just some old-fashioned humor (kind of).
Although contract politics play a role in the amount of minutes that players do get nowadays, Divac mentioned that the online PR generated by sites like TradeKwame.com combined with the power of other social networks are starting to have a say in the matter as well. (His english wasn’t this good; I’m taking liberties here).
There were no expectations and didn’t expect the words, “Digg” or “Del.icio.us” to come out of his mouth. They didn’t. But he did like the idea.
What do you think? How much can reputation management really affect change in the real world?? Do you think we can get Kwame Brown out of LA??
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January 6th, 2007 at 8:05 am
That’s very interesting. Can you imagine influencing the decision makers into trading a pro basketball player by using social media? Talk about a Good luck with that, keep us informed.
January 9th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
i agree with you and all, but who the hell would want that waste of talent? maybe the knicks, but unless you get Channing Frye (which you won’t) there’s no one else worth taking…
January 9th, 2007 at 12:26 pm
you’re right about the design as well.
January 9th, 2007 at 1:23 pm
[…] However, all of this coverage really shouldn’t come as a surprise considering how much attention Mac news, good or bad, receives. However, can the social media universe be used to get an NBA basketball player traded away from a team? Abhilash is certainly going to give it a try. […]
January 10th, 2007 at 12:13 pm
Thanks David, I’ll have to fix that terrible design and then incorporate something that actually does leverage social media. It’s just a site just yet, but at least it’s rooted in a noble cause (Lakers).
Thanks Chris, that’s a good point. Even though there might not be someone who wants that guy, the important thing is to get rid of him somehow, some way. I don’t care if we give him away for free. The Lakers are the deepest team in the league and we’ll do fine without him!