NBA Legend Scottie Pippen's Sotheby's Auction; MLB Preps for World Baseball Classic

Summary

Bloomberg Business of Sports — Episode Summary

Episode: NBA Legend Scottie Pippen's Sotheby's Auction; MLB Preps for World Baseball Classic
Date: March 6, 2026
Hosts: Michael Barr, Vanessa Perdomo
Guests: Scottie Pippen (NBA Hall of Famer), Jeremiah Yokut (MLB SVP of Global Events)

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into two major stories at the intersection of sports and business:

• NBA legend Scottie Pippen’s jaw-dropping Sotheby’s auction of personal memorabilia, offering a rare look into the world of high-value sports collectibles.
• MLB’s preparations for the 20th anniversary World Baseball Classic, with insights into how the global tournament is both growing baseball’s popularity and business.

The episode weaves together nostalgia, economic impact, and the globalization of sports through candid discussions with Pippen and MLB exec Jeremiah Yokut.

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1. Scottie Pippen’s Sotheby’s Auction: “A Piece of Basketball History”

(01:40 – 24:33)

The Decision to Auction

• Background: Scottie Pippen amassed an extensive collection over 30+ years, including uniforms, shoes, and game memorabilia dating back to his college days.
• Why Now?:
  • After years of storage and care, Pippen decided to part with much of his collection, inviting Sotheby’s to Hamburg, Arkansas, for an appraisal (04:06).
  • At age 60, Pippen found it overwhelming to maintain the memorabilia:

    “It's been such a journey and a job to try to maintain all that stuff and to keep up with it. I mean, I'm 60 years old now, and I looked at it and said, it's time for me to part ways with this stuff.” — Scottie Pippen (14:29)

Collection Highlights

• Estimated Value: Approximately $6 million, with individual items ranging from $30,000 to over $1 million (05:40).
• Iconic Items:
  • “Flu game” jersey
  • Michael Jordan’s gold medal Olympic shoes
  • Larry Bird jersey
  • Reebok Olympic jacket
• Noteworthy Moments:
  • On asking Jordan for his Olympic shoes:

    “After spending that whole summer with a lot of great guys...I felt like I wanted to get a piece of something to have some kind of memory of playing. That’s when I got Michael’s shoes.” — Scottie Pippen (06:41)

  • On his own memorabilia preferences:

    “Most of the stuff I kept is more like some of the personal awards...More of a sentimental thing that I personally wanted to achieve.” — Scottie Pippen (09:14)

The Emotional Process & Legacy

• Pippen was surprised by the value and demand for various items, noting fans’ enthusiasm exceeded his own expectations (09:54).
• He reflected on his dual NBA and Olympic championships in 1992, emphasizing the rarity of such achievements (10:40).
• Thoughts on maintaining vs. auctioning the collection:

  “I think I knew the value of it. I think one day I would be able to open up my own museum. But once I went through it and saw the amount of stuff, I knew it was too overwhelming for me.” — Scottie Pippen (13:19, 15:57)

Family, Career, & The Modern NBA

• On his sons’ basketball careers:

  • Supportive, but not overbearing.
  • “The only thing I do is just, you know, I push them to work hard and to try and be the best, and that's all I can ask.” — Scottie Pippen (12:54)

• On the evolving NBA:

  • Three-point shot dominates today vs. his era
  • “When I played...it was less than ten three-pointers taken per game. In today’s game, there’s more threes than twos—it’s a different game.” — Scottie Pippen (19:46)
  • He prefers the era when dunks were the highlight and is ambivalent about today’s All-Star Game (20:43).

• On almost not being a Bull:

  “I was here for the drafts, actually. I knew that I was traded before I got drafted. I went to the draft knowing I was going to be picked by Seattle, and whenever the Bulls made their pick, that there was going to be a swap.” — Scottie Pippen (21:38)

• On playing through injuries vs. today’s load management:

  “It was a different era then. Players were more dedicated to one another, their team, their city. It’s a little bit different in today’s game.” — Scottie Pippen (24:06)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “You can tell he has had a long great career because...‘Hey, I've played with Larry and all those guys’...But you have a Larry Bird jersey.” — Michael Barr (08:06)
• “They kind of make me want it back. But I don’t have that kind of space to display the memorabilia. The way they are able to showcase it, it’s pretty amazing.” — Scottie Pippen on Sotheby’s curation (16:22)

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2. World Baseball Classic: MLB’s Global Ambitions

(24:41 – 37:46)

Tournament Growth & Structure

• 20th Anniversary: Described as a “watershed moment” for international baseball (26:30).
• Global Scope: Pools played in Tokyo, Houston, Miami, Puerto Rico to reflect the sport's worldwide reach (27:42).

  “The energy at a WBC game is probably the thing that I would say most fans will take away as the unique aspect of attending this tournament.” — Jeremiah Yokut (28:13)

• Strategic Choices:
  • Latin American and Asian markets are central, with Miami and Houston as U.S. hosts for global inclusivity.

Injury Concerns & Player Participation

• Balance of Risk:

  “We want to see as many Major League Baseball players participate in the World Baseball Classic. But we think about it through the lens of injury as a risk...[W]orking closely with their major league club and their coaches and their trainers to take that into account.” — Jeremiah Yokut (31:52)

• “You’re never going to protect against every scenario, but there’s a lot of work behind the scenes that’s done.” (32:38)

Growing the Game Internationally

• Europe, Asia, Latin America:
  • World Baseball Classic and MLB initiatives are channeling funds and focus into emerging and established markets.
  • Tournament participation can unlock development resources:

    “[T]he qualification into the tournament spurs funding for development in their host countries.” — Jeremiah Yokut (34:00)

• Inclusion and Heritage:
  • Many WBC players represent countries of their family’s origin, giving baseball a “canvas across generations” (34:27).
• The Road Ahead:
  • MLB is targeting India (cricket parallels), along with building out in the UK, Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and Germany (36:04).

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3. Notable Quotes and Moments (by Timestamp)

• On collecting and auctioning memorabilia:
  • “I kept my uniforms and just threw them in the closet. Over time the closet turned into a room.” — Scottie Pippen (05:02)
• On the Olympics and globalizing basketball:
  • "We had all dedicated our summers to help globalize basketball and to…show that we’re the best in the world." — Scottie Pippen (06:44)
• On World Baseball Classic’s global structure:
  • “[T]he energy at a WBC game is probably the thing that...most fans will take away...as the unique aspect of attending.” — Jeremiah Yokut (28:13)
• On MLB’s global growth strategy:
  • “There’s a long runway of opportunity...Entertainment value and media value in those markets is very high. The more we can advertise those things and develop the game and bring more youth to the sport, that’s really the way baseball grows.” — Jeremiah Yokut (36:04)

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4. Essential Timestamps

• Scottie Pippen’s Auction & Memories

  • Introducing Scotty Pippen: 03:14
  • Sotheby’s involvement: 04:06
  • Collection details/value: 05:40
  • Olympic shoes/Larry Bird jersey: 06:20–08:28
  • Personal memorabilia kept: 09:14
  • Auction decision and collection care: 14:29, 15:57
  • Reflections on the changing NBA: 19:11–20:27
  • All-star game discussion: 20:43

• MLB World Baseball Classic

  • MLB tournament growth and venue rationale: 26:22–30:56
  • Injury and player participation: 31:43–33:14
  • International development and Europe: 34:00–36:04
  • Closing thanks: 37:37

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5. Tone and Flow

The conversation blends Pippen’s understated humility and stories with candid sports-business analysis, mixing nostalgia for the ‘90s NBA with forward-looking, practical takes on player health and global business strategy in baseball. The hosts keep the mood lively and accessible, making complex industry topics engaging for all listeners.

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6. Key Takeaways

• For Collectors & Fans: The value—and emotion—behind sports memorabilia is growing, with major auctions now commanding multi-million dollar bids.
• For Sports Business Insiders: Both the NBA and MLB are leveraging nostalgia and globalization—through events like the Sotheby’s auction and the World Baseball Classic—to expand their audiences and revenue streams.
• On Legacy: Legends like Pippen continue to shape the business and culture of sports long after retirement—through both storytelling and the assets they leave behind.

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Transcript

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[Bloomberg Business of Sports Announcer]

Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio News this is the business of sports.

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

Sports are the greatest unscripted show on earth. The next generation of players really grew up with tech and believe in tech.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Your face is your ticket. Your face is your wallet. Your face is your access to a club.

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

These are such iconic and important buildings for businesses, for fans.

[Michael Barr]

Covid was one of the best things

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

that ever happened to golf.

[Michael Barr]

The NFL is a bulletproof.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Racing's unique because there is absolutely no reason why we can't compete with the guys.

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

Come on, is pro pickleball real?

[Michael Barr]

Are people really gonna tune into this?

[Scottie Pippen]

If you're playing Moneyball with a huge

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

bag of money, you're gonna be really, really good.

[Bloomberg Business of Sports Announcer]

Bloomberg Business of Sports From Bloomberg Radio,

[Michael Barr]

this is the Bloomberg Business of Sports where we explore the big money issues in the world of sports. I'm Michael Barr.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

And I'm Vanessa Perdomo.

[Michael Barr]

Coming up, we'll talk big baseball. With the MLB season right around the corner and the World Baseball Classic just getting underway, we'll talk with Jeremiah Yokut, senior vice president of global events for mlb.

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

We want to see as many Major League Baseball players Participate in the World Baseball Classic. And we're very mindful that this tournament is two weeks of a very long season. But we think about it through the lens of injury is a risk. 162 games a year for any players. And we believe that you have to be watchful for that, which is why the baseball side of our business, which I don't have oversight on, is always very considerate when it comes to what the player is capable to do at this time of the year, working closely with their major league club and their coaches and their trainers.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

All of that is on the way on the Bloomberg business of sports. But first in the house, we have a treat. Joining us in the studio is none other than NBA hall of Famer, six time NBA champion, Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen. Scotty is here to discuss with us his Sotheby's auction the Scottie Pippen collection where you can grab a number of items from his career, including jerseys he's worn in NBA finals and a pair of signed Michael Jordan sneakers.

[Michael Barr]

Maybe if we all pool our money together, we can grab a piece of history. Scotty is joining us now. Scotty, welcome to the Bloomberg business of sports.

[Scottie Pippen]

Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here.

[Michael Barr]

Now, before we get into basketball stuff, I want to talk about Sotheby's. Forget all this Vincent Van Gogh stuff and all the other stuff they got. You have a collection that's going to be there. Tell us about it.

[Scottie Pippen]

Well, I had a very long career and I was able to collect a lot of the, Well, I was able to keep a lot of my uniforms and shoes that I played in. And I guess just less than a year ago I decided to part ways with it. And I invited Sotheby's to come to Hamburg, Arkansas to see my collection. And they were pretty shocked to know that I had pretty much kept everything that I had played in.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Tell us more about when they came and saw the things because when I had talked to Sotheby's and I talked to you before, they were like in awe, like you said, of what you had and the fact that you didn't even really understand what there was in the collection. Finals jerseys, championship jerseys. Tell us about that and about pulling out the different pieces.

[Scottie Pippen]

Well, it was pretty amazing because I, I collected this stuff for, oh man, 30 plus years, go all the way back to the 80s when I was in college, started collecting and once I got in the mba, I just, you know, I kept my uniforms and I just threw them in the closet. And over time the closet turned into a room. And, you know, I just knew that there were value there, but I didn't know how much. And I just called my financial guy one day and said, hey, man, I got a lot of sports memorabilia, stuff that I've collected, and I'm really part ways with it.

[Michael Barr]

The whole collection is estimated to be worth about $6 million, from $30,000 to over a million, which means I couldn't even afford the splinter. If you got a piece of wood from the old Chicago Bulls court. This is great, though. It's. What is the most expensive item in this collection?

[Scottie Pippen]

Well, I really don't know.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Let them drive up the price on everything.

[Scottie Pippen]

But I got some pretty special things there. I know that the flu game jersey is a pretty hot item. I got a pair of. I got Michael Jordan's Olympic shoes from the gold medal game.

[Michael Barr]

There's a story behind that, too, because when you guys played in it, I think after the game, you said something like, hey, man, let me get those shoes.

[Scottie Pippen]

Yeah. You know, I had been in the locker room numerous of times, obviously with Michael, and seeing him pass his shoes out, and that was my moment to grab me.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You were like, I haven't gotten him yet. Huh?

[Scottie Pippen]

It was actually pretty special, though, because we had all dedicated our summers to, you know, play for the gold and to help globalize basketball and to, you know, show that we're the best in the world. And, you know, after spending that whole summer, you know, with a lot of great guys, from Larry to Charles David Robinson, Karl Malone, I mean, you name it, and I just feel like. Felt like I wanted to get a piece of something to have some kind of memory of playing. That's when I got Michael's shoes. And not really knowing that, you know, the value of all those things that I collected, even my uniform, even the Reebok jacket that we had to wear for the gold medal game, and I kept all that stuff and, you know,

[Vanessa Perdomo]

for that and for the Olympic games. Is it almost something that makes it more special to you? The reason why you asked for those shoes at the time instead of the other times, like you said, you've been in the locker room with Michael, was because if it was the Olympics and it was a different feeling for you.

[Scottie Pippen]

Yeah, that's exactly what it was. It was Olympic. It was a special feeling. And, you know, he had never wore those shoes. It was a special color shoe, really wasn't blue. And I just felt like, hey, this may be the cream delacrome right here.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You have your own Bull stuff too. You didn't need it.

[Michael Barr]

Yeah. There is also a Larry Bird jersey that you have, by the way. See, you can tell he has had a long great career because, you know, hey, you know, I've played with Larry and all those guys. I have to call him Mr. Bird because, you know, hey, this is one of another great player. But you have a Larry Bird jersey.

[Scottie Pippen]

Yes. And you know, a lot of folks don't know this, but Larry Bird was one of the guys that I really idolized and mimicked my, my game after him. Very smart, all around cerebral player, played the game the white way and he was a winner.

[Michael Barr]

We are talking with. I don't even have it. I'm just saying we're talking with Scottie Pippen. That's all you all need to know. You all better be enjoying this because I'm having a treat here.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Vanessa, this is Michael's absolute dream. I think, Scotty, you know, I think for us, you know, one of the other things that I'd love to know is the feelings you would get when you're pulling those pieces out. What you decided to keep. Because you did decide to keep some stuff. Right. And what were those things for you that you decided to keep?

[Scottie Pippen]

I think most of the stuff is more like some of the personal awards. All NBA defensive player, all NBA defense, things of that nature. Those things are more valuable to me. More of a sentimental thing that I personally wanted to achieve. So those are more the things that I kind of kept.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

And when you were going through the stuff with Sotheby's, was there any point where you were surprised at what they were saying that people would really want to see in the collection and that you've seen like with it being out the reaction from the fans?

[Scottie Pippen]

Yes, I definitely was surprised. I mean, I had. I have over 250 items that I have collected. So this is just a small portion of my collection, to be honest.

[Michael Barr]

Wow, man. Vanessa, we put our credit cards together,

[Vanessa Perdomo]

I think we could afford the shoelaces.

[Michael Barr]

I want to go back to what you said about 92 because when you got the shoes of Michael Jordan back at that time, obviously you guys won the Olympic gold, the championship also. I think that was also a time in 92 when you won the NBA championship and it's only really been done twice in the same year. That's a great feat.

[Scottie Pippen]

Yes, it's a pretty, pretty neat that I was able to do that and myself and I think Jrue Holiday are the only two players that have been able to accomplish that. So it's a pretty, pretty good accomplishment to be able to win and have that success all in one season. And to be able to do it twice was pretty amazing.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Are those things you even think about, like, when people say it to you or you like, I guess that's true. Or when you're going through the collection, you're like, wow, I almost forgot about those incredible moments.

[Scottie Pippen]

No, I think I definitely have a great memory of all those great moments. And, you know, basketball was so great and fruitful for me back in the 90s. Whether it was winning with the Bulls or winning a gold medal or winning with Nike, it was a great time for me.

[Michael Barr]

Now you have two sons, one Scottie Pippen Jr. In the NBA, and you also have your other son who is playing college basketball. That must be nice because your sons can say, hey, Dad, I need some tips. I know none of my sons come to me and say, hey, how do you do a newscast? It's like they don't even come to me for that. Tell us about that experience.

[Scottie Pippen]

Yeah, it's pretty amazing. I mean, they've been around the game their whole life, and it's great that they were able to, you know, take up the game at such a serious and high level and embrace it. You don't normally see that, but I've definitely been able to enjoy their careers even from, you know, starting from playing ball, from, you know, a young kid and now they're grown men's now and paving their own ways.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

And how were you in, in their career? Like, were you someone who was like, I'm going to teach them exactly what I know? Do they want to learn from you in that way? Because you said sometimes it doesn't happen that way.

[Scottie Pippen]

No, I'm, I'm pretty much engaged in their careers and helping them in any way that I can. I mean, I've been there and supported them throughout.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

So were you a strict. You're going to practice now. We're going to go 100 free throws a night.

[Scottie Pippen]

I kind of let them embrace and accept the game the way that they want, and they've embraced it. Only thing I do is just, you know, I push them to, to work hard and to try and be the best, and that's all I can ask.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

We're talking with Chicago Bulls legend and NBA hall of Famer Scottie Pippen. Stick around. We have more with Pippen on his career and his trove of collectibles.

[Scottie Pippen]

I think I knew the value of it. I think that one day I felt that one day That I would be able to open up my own museum. But once I went through it and saw the amount of stuff that I had, I knew it was too old whim for me.

[Michael Barr]

For Vanessa Perdomo. I'm Michael Barr. You're listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports, Bloomberg Radio around the world.

[Bloomberg Business of Sports Announcer]

This is Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio.

[Michael Barr]

This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports where we explore the big money issues in the world of sports. I'm Michael Barr.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

And I'm Vanessa Perdomo.

[Michael Barr]

We're talking with NBA hall of Famer and Chicago Bulls legend Scotty Pippen about his career and his extensive collection of memorabilia. He's auctioning off with Sotheby's. I mean, that's a beautiful collection. What made you finally say, you know what, it's time?

[Scottie Pippen]

Actually, I was back home last summer in Arkansas, and I look in my container where I kept all my memorabilia, and it's. It's been such a journey and a job to try to maintain all that stuff and to keep up with it. And I just, I mean, I'm 60 years old now, and I looked at it and said, it's time for me to part ways with this stuff.

[Michael Barr]

What's sad is that you're younger than I am. That's what's.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Well, I think the interesting thing there is, like you said, you, you went back to Arkansas. It's not where you stay all the time. So whenever you go back there, are you visiting those memories? Are you doing that?

[Scottie Pippen]

Yeah, always. I mean, I gotta check on it to make sure that the temperature and everything is set right. I didn't want to lose anything for his mildew or whatever. So I have to, you know, maintain, check on it. But, wow, it's been 30 some years that I've been doing this. So it was time for me to say, I don't want to do these checks no more.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

It's funny because when we started the conversation, you had said, oh, I just, you know, threw the stuff in my closet and you know, almost blase about the fact that. But you really took care of it, though. I mean, to make sure that it's not that you knew you were going to do a collection one day, but why did you take such care of it, knowing that they're valuable or what was it for you?

[Scottie Pippen]

I think I knew the value of it. I think that one day I felt that one day that I would be able to open up my own museum. But once I went through it and saw the amount of stuff that I had, I knew it was too overwhelming for me.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Was it overwhelming almost though, seeing it in the display that it is at Sotheby's, feeling like you do have your own museum?

[Scottie Pippen]

No, they make it look good. They kind of make me want it back. But I don't have that kind of space to display the memorabilia. The way that they are able to showcase it, it's pretty amazing what they've been able to do and how they do things.

[Michael Barr]

I want to, if I can talk about when you played the WNBA was just getting started. Now it has exploded and I'm trying to race to the TV set with the clicker now. It's like I'm still old. I got cable and I'm still trying to click through it. The explosion today of the wnba, your thoughts about it?

[Scottie Pippen]

Well, it's amazing. I mean, I'm happy that basketball continues to grow globally, but more importantly, I'm happy for the women league because they've spent most of their lives traveling abroad to be a part of a game that they love. And we finally gave them a platform to showcase what they can do here on our own surface. So I'm very happy for the WNBA and how the NBA has embraced them and gave them a chance to live their dreams. And from a salary standpoint, I'm glad that we're starting to see see that come up as as well. But it's still a lot of room, it's still a lot of growth for them, but it's wonderful to know that they're in a place where they want to be and they're in loving the game just like the guys are.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah. It's interesting, you know, when you say it that way, it's. They were playing overseas for a long time and now they have that spotlight in the US but it's almost flipped in the NBA where it's such a global game. Right. And so many stars come from, from outside the U.S. what do you think about that and the globalization of the game overseas and with players coming into the NBA?

[Scottie Pippen]

I love it. I mean, basketball is such amazing game that, you know, everybody can play. You can play with people. You don't even have to know their names. You don't have to know where they're from. And so basketball is such a wonderful thing to have in your life because of the relationships that you're able to build. And definitely very happy that our game is international. It's not just here in America, it's

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

all over the world.

[Scottie Pippen]

And it's a way of speaking without

[Michael Barr]

saying anything that's beautiful NBA legend Scotty Pippen. What has changed today from when you played in the NBA until today?

[Scottie Pippen]

I think the value of the three point shot has tremendously changed. Yeah.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

And in what way has that changed? For the good, for the bad? How has it changed the game overall, do you think?

[Scottie Pippen]

I mean, you gotta say it's for the good, but from a standpoint of where the game is, it's probably not good for the fans. It's an equal opportunity game.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah.

[Scottie Pippen]

And when I played in the game, it was not equal opportunity, but that's where the game is today. Will that ever change? I don't know. Everybody on the court is. There are three point shooters now. When I played in the game, it was less than ten three pointers taken per game. And in today's game, there's more threes and twos. So to some degree, it's a different game.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Yeah.

[Scottie Pippen]

And the excitement is a little bit different. People used to love to see the dunk. Now they're excited to see the three ball.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Listen, I, I would like to see an exciting dunk contest. Come back to the All Star Game. Okay. You have some of your All Star memorabilia in the collection as well. What do you think about the current All Star Game and, and how they're trying to figure out how to make it great?

[Scottie Pippen]

Like when you were playing, it's, it's been tough. You know, I personally think that when you start to put people in all star game for 15, 16, 17 years, then the value of the game does go down. I, I think they have to get some fresh blood there. I, I feel like this past All Star Game, they had fresh blood, but they played a different style. I wish they could figure out how to get the All Star Game back to where it's competitive again.

[Michael Barr]

Yeah. Now, we got an email from Cy and he wanted us to mention you almost didn't become a Chicago Bulls player. In fact, you got traded to the Bulls just before you started your career with the Bulls.

[Scottie Pippen]

Yes, I did. Right here in New York. I was here for the drafts, actually. I knew that I was traded before I got drafted. Oh, wow. So I went to the draft knowing that I was going to be picked by Seattle. And whenever the Bulls made their pick, that there was going to be a swap. So it was great for me. I would have loved to seen what life was like in Seattle, but the success that I was able to have in Chicago, you've been in quite a

[Vanessa Perdomo]

different story, I think.

[Michael Barr]

Yeah. In today's game, now you have a lot of Players who are, I'm not going to play tonight. And that you played through a migraine during a game, and I don't see how you did it because I suffered through migraines and I can't even remember my name, let alone try to go on the court and start shooting shots.

[Scottie Pippen]

Yeah, it was, it was pretty devastating. It was something that I had never experienced before. So, yeah, I tried to play through it. I don't want to consider that was a good game for me, but I tried to stay out and be a part of the win or the loss. But, yeah, in today's game, it's a little bit different. You got the low management and guys are taking advantage of it.

[Michael Barr]

I see now, Yes, I think you were like one for 10 that night. Now, can you imagine me trying to do a newscast with a migraine? That's what you would get. No, I take my hat off to you because when I found out about that during the, when you were in your career, I'm like, hats off to him. That's doing something.

[Scottie Pippen]

Yeah, it was. I'll take the hat off to myself. It was one of the most devastating things I've ever dealt with. And it was definitely was a, was a tough day in office for me.

[Michael Barr]

That on top of the flu game that you had and all this, the people on the court, and I don't see how you guys did it. It's like, if I get a paper cut, I'm like, oh, my God, I got to take off today. But you guys played through tough times

[Scottie Pippen]

and, well, it was, it was a different era then. You know, I think when you look back at those teams and how players were more dedicated to one another, dedicated to their team, dedicated to their city, it's a little bit different in today's game, at least for some teams.

[Michael Barr]

NBA legend Scotty Pippen, thank you, sir, for joining us on the Bloomberg business of sports. We really do appreciate it.

[Scottie Pippen]

Thank you, Michael. Thank you, Vanessa, for having me as well.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Up next, we turn to baseball, and we'll speak with an MLB executive about the World Baseball Classic.

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

Sort of a watershed moment for the tournament in many ways. It's grown since its inception in 2006. It is really the global World cup of Baseball, to put it in some language that a lot of people know about across sport. And we're incredibly excited. The tournament's grown in so many ways, not only in the sense that I think its visibility in 20 years has become a calendar moment for sports fans that are looking at, you know, all the major sports, but I also think that it has helped grow our business across the world.

[Michael Barr]

That is straight ahead on the Bloomberg Business of Sports for Vanessa Perdomo. I'm Michael Barr. You're listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports, Bloomberg Radio around the world.

[Bloomberg Business of Sports Announcer]

This is Bloomberg Business of Sports from Bloomberg Radio.

[Michael Barr]

Thanks for joining us on the Bloomberg Business of Sports where we explore the big money issues in the world of sports. I'm Michael Barr.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

And I'm Vanessa Perdomo.

[Michael Barr]

This has been the year of international competition. We just wrapped up the Olympics. We have the World cup coming, and the World Baseball Classic is just getting started.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

It's the 20th anniversary of the start of the tournament and this year feels bigger than ever, spanning across Japan, Puerto Rico, Texas and Florida. Here to discuss the growth of the tournament is Jeremiah Yulkutt. He is senior vice president of global events at Major League Baseball. Jeremiah, thanks for joining the Bloomberg Business of Sports.

[Michael Barr]

There's a lot of history behind this. Tell us about the story about the participants involved in the history about the Classic.

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

Yeah, it's our 20th anniversary heading into the tournament here in a couple of weeks. And it's really sort of a watershed moment for the tournament in many ways. It's grown since its inception in 2006. It is really the global World cup of Baseball, to put it in some language that a lot of people know about across sport. And we're incredibly excited. The tournament's grown in so many ways, not only in the sense that I think its visibility in 20 years has become a calendar moment for sports fans that are looking at, you know, all the major sports, but I also think that it has helped grow our business across the world and grow baseball's visibility across the world, which is a key part of what we tried to do when we set out with this tournament so many years ago.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You know, I think that's the interesting thing too is and how the tournament is laid out in the pool phases is across the globe. Really, when you're talking about being in Tokyo and then Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico, why have it that way instead of it being in like one host place?

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

I think the nature of baseball is it is worldwide and it is global. And one of the things that we set out to do when we consider where the pools will be in a given year is be mindful of the diversification of the sport and giving the flavor of each of these regions to the tournament. So when you think about baseball rich markets, you really talk about two primary regions of the world. There are some that are even More developing. But for now, when you think about Latin America, and a good chunk of our players across Major League Baseball come from there. But even just the richness of the development of baseball, keep in mind that in Latin America, we have baseball academies throughout those countries. We have a deep relationship in some of the countries with the various leagues that play there. It made all the sense in the world to be able to have a Latin American pool centered around San Juan, because fans there have a passion for the sport that this tournament feeds into in such a big way. The energy at a WBC game is probably the thing that I would say most fans will take away from as the unique aspect of attending attention this tournament. And so we said, knowing that we want to diversify the offerings and diversify the pools, you got to be in Latin America, which is why you see us in Puerto Rico, then the other region that I would highlight as being so baseball rich and obviously a burgeoning business market and a global hub worldwide is in Asia. And we've been the last two years in Asia for major league games. As you may know, we started in Korea a few years ago with a regular season game. We brought the Padres and we brought the Dodgers. Last year, we started the season in Tokyo with the Cubs and the Dodgers. Last year we were also in Taiwan with the WBC Baseball Qualifier Tournament. And Tokyo is just the epicenter of baseball in Asia. And having a pool there was very critical to us. In addition to that, we are a global country now, the United States. And we knew that bringing baseball to Houston would be a great fit for the way in which that city has become internationalized over the last decade. The Astros are always on there. We've been there for the World Series. And the diversified fan base that is in Houston, based on all the countries and places that people have landed, made it a great stop for us to bring a pool to a city that hasn't hosted wbc, which was important to us as well. We want to spread the wealth here in America for fans to be able to see wbc, since it's such a unique offering every few years. And Miami has really ended up to be that final spot for us, because Miami is so rich, both from transients that have come over from Latin America, but also in the ways in which the city has leaned into being an international hub for the United States. And so to be able to play all of the rounds there, to bring the crescendo moment of the tournament there with it being such an international, has such an international flair that the energy of Lone Depot park. The last time we were there and even the time before that was so high. And that goes, by the way for the U.S. team when they played Japan in the final. But it obviously goes to the Latin American teams. We cap it all off in that global city here in the US and that's the way we arrange the pools.

[Michael Barr]

We're talking with Jeremiah Yo, Cut. Who is the senior vice president of global events for Major League Baseball. Now, two things I gotta state. One, I do have a concern. Two, I am a super duper duper Detroit Tigers fan. Now, Tariq Scubal is going to pitch a game in the Classic. I worry. Please don't get hurt. That's a risk in any time you're playing baseball, especially at this level of the game. Yes, it's a risk. It happens in hockey. It happened on the men's hockey team. People, great NHL players. They're going to be out for a month. Can you talk more about that?

[Scottie Pippen]

About the.

[Michael Barr]

Yes, there's the risk of injury, but the players who definitely want to participate and what it means for the game.

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

Yeah, we, we want to see as many Major League Baseball players participate in the World Baseball Classic. And we're very mindful that this tournament is two weeks of a very long season. But we think about it through the lens of injury is a risk. 162 games a year for any players. And we believe that you have to be watchful for that. Which is why the baseball side of our business, which I don't have oversight on, is always very considerate when it comes to what the player is capable to do at this time of the year, working closely with their major league club and their coaches and their trainers to take that into account. So that as decisions are made throughout the tournament, it's done through the bigger lens. To your point of making sure that our players stay healthy for the rest of the season. And you're never going to protect against every scenario that can come up. But there's a lot of work behind the scenes that are done. And I think what you're finding are that players have seen the diligence that's done in that area and they have chosen to be a part of it because they know that they can still protect again against any unforeseen injury that could come up, but they could still represent their country and be part of the team. And whether that means they play one game or they play multiple games, it's something that's done on a case by case basis. And it's not lost on us that we need to be mindful of the full length of our season and keeping our players healthy for wbc, but also obviously for the regular season.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

You know, Jeremiah, you talked a lot about how baseball has become this global sport and you know, the concern efforts to play in different markets. And I think the great thing that about the World Baseball Classic is it shows, right Those, those different places and you get these chances to, to root for your team in a different way. Obviously, you know, I'm Puerto Rican, so I've super pumped for team Puerto Rico. But the other thing here is we also see teams from regions that don't really have baseball as a, as a big sport there. You know, Great Britain and Italy, the Netherlands, but those teams are also composed of players who are really primarily born in the US or born in the Caribbean. Can you tell me a little bit about that and about the, the efforts to try and grow the fan base in Europe?

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

Yeah. You know, these World cup style tournaments are really driven towards developing baseball. And they come down to it, right? There's always great moments for the professional players, but with the opportunities that are afforded to the countries that participate in the World Baseball Classic is for the qualification into the tournament to spur funding for development in their host countries. And so it's really important for us to be as inclusive as possible in that approach, which is why we have that qualifier system I talked about that we had in Taiwan last year. Because there are countries that are getting their Olympic and international funding based on the opportunities that baseball has to be in these larger events and larger tournaments as the progression of development happens. And so one of the great parts of this is the millions of dollars that are unlocked for these countries and their NGOs to be able to bring baseball to more and more people in their countries and to do that. It's also always striking to me when you see some of the stories that come out of teams, as you mentioned, from Great Britain, that yes, there are definitely players that are UK based on the team or from the uk. And then there's one that connections via family residencies and maybe from another country is that that is sort of the rich tradition of baseball. Right. You, it's not about only the connection you have today, but it's where you're from or where your family is from. And what's great about the WBC is that that is highlighted because yes, you may be born in the United States, but your grandparents may have been from Great Britain. And to be able to wear the roots of your family on Your jersey and represent that is just part of that storyline that baseball has that goes across generations, which is why I think we see is one of our best canvases to sort of highlight that.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

And you know, the. There has been the London series that has been played a few times. It wasn't able to happen this year because of scheduling constraints. But can you tell us a little bit more? Like, is Europe trying to become an emerging market for the mlb? I mean, other US Major leagues have, have really had success over there. Or is it more of a priority to grow the fan base in Asia because of their rich, you know, baseball culture already?

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

Oh, no, I think we can do all of that. The richness of the Latin American and Asian markets will be always on and I think they will continue to grow and develop, but we still need to support them and we still need to be engaged with them because of our close ties to the Japanese league or the Korean league kbo. But when we look at places like the UK and Europe, there is a long Runway of opportunity for us there, both from a baseball perspective, but also from a commercial perspective as we look to grow the game and develop the game more. It's not only the UK you have to consider. Think about the Netherlands, where there's huge growth and as they're in the tournament as well, think about Italy, they're in the tournament as well. Spain's another developing market and Germany is another strong market for us. So by showing up in those markets in different ways, sometimes it's a major league game, but sometimes it's about us putting out a fan fest in a country or sometimes it's about a developing youth event in a country. There's so many ways for us to target the needs of the market on a case by case basis in order to grow baseball and we want to be mindful of that. The entertainment value and the media value in those markets is very high. They love big sports and the more we can advertise those things and develop the game and bring more youth to the sport. That is really the way that baseball grows because there's limited opportunity domestically at some points, but internationally, sky's the limit. There's a lot of countries out there that play baseball and can use our help. There's some countries that don't play baseball but would have a natural affinity for. Think about India, another country we're developing where cricket is the primary sport. But it's a nice quick jump from cricket to baseball given the similarities of the sport. Another place we're looking at for longer term growth down the road.

[Michael Barr]

Jeremiah Yokut, Senior Vice President of Global Events for Major League Baseball thank you so much for talking with us on the Bloomberg Business of Sports. We really do appreciate it.

[Jeremiah Yokut (MLB Executive)]

Yeah, really appreciate you guys covering it. And we're looking forward to a great tournament.

[Michael Barr]

What happened to the time? That's it for today. Thank you for joining us. Tune in again next week for the latest on the stories moving big old money in the world of sports.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

And don't forget to catch our podcast on all your podcast platforms. And go to bloomberg.com to subscribe to the Bloomberg Business of Sports newsletter to stay up to date on all our juicy insights.

[Michael Barr]

You are listening to the Bloomberg Business of Sports, Bloomberg Radio around the world.

[Vanessa Perdomo]

Stay with us. Today's top stories and global business headlines are coming up right now.

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