- LARRY KUZNIEWSKI
- New Grizzlies chairman Robert Pera and CEO and managing partner Jason Levien make their public debut.
After a private meeting with team employees that reportedly lasted about five minutes and included no big news, the new Grizzlies “controlling owner” Robert Pera and his right-hand man Jason Levien made their first public appearance at a 10 a.m. press conference in the lobby of FedExForum.
Pera, looking even younger than his 34 years, made very brief comments before turning most of the press conference over the Levien, who will oversee the organization from a newly created post of Chief Executive Officer & Managing Partner of Memphis Basketball, LLC. Where in the past the organization has had business and basketball operations honchos who separately reported to owner Michael Heisley, now Levien seems to have total control, and sole access to Pera’s ear. Instantly, he’s become the most powerful person in the organization’s history to not have an ownership stake.
From the way the press conference went, you’d be forgiven if you got the impression that Levien was a co-owner.
Pera, who came across as calm and sincere, said, “I consider myself very, very fortunate. Probably the luckiest man in the world right now.” Pera spoke about his belief in recruiting talented people and empowering them and about the importance of the Grizzlies to the Memphis community. But then Levien took over, making it clear that he’s one of the talented people that Pera is now empowering.
Pera joked that Levien, a former agent and Sacramento Kings executive whom Pera called one of his best friends, is “a cross between Jerry Maguire and Ari Gold from Entourage, only smarter.”
