Los Angeles Lakers Make ‘Hollywood’ Pitch to Carmelo Anthony

Despite being painfully predictable, this makes sense as a strategy. The Lakers called on their Hollywood friends and partners in their 2 ½-hour meeting Thursday with free-agent superstar forward Carmelo Anthony. (The max offer LA can make to Melo is $97 million over four years.) Per the LA Times:

Executives from Anschutz Entertainment Group and Time Warner Cable pitched him on the size and scope of the Los Angeles market. Movie producer Joel Silver put together a four-minute “trailer” of Anthony’s life, narrated by Tobey Maguire.

 

Lakers marketing guru Tim Harris quarterbacked the business side of the meeting, James Worthy also spoke, as did team governor Jeanie Buss, who expressed her desire to have Anthony join the 16-time NBA champions.

 

Team executives Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak then talked basketball with Anthony, who is also considering New York, Dallas, Houston and Chicago.

 
One person familiar with the meeting called it “an enjoyable time spent with a very nice guy who was truly engaged in the conversation.”