The Boardroom squad takes a moment to reflect on the year in review and highlight some of their favorite work of 2022.
It was a big year for us at Boardroom, and we thank each and every one of you for being a part of what we’re building.
As we take some time to reflect on everything that happened in the last 12 months, we can’t help but pause and think through some of the highlights. For a writer, choosing your favorite story is akin to choosing your favorite child. Regardless, we tasked our team with taking some time to choose their favorite pieces of the last year.
After much reflection – and a little bit of resistance – we present to you the Boardroom Staff Picks, Editorial Highlights 2022.
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Griffin Adams, Editor
As an editor, I have the pleasure of getting to read and edit the stories written by the talented staff of writers here at Boardroom on a regular basis. Due to that, it’s a near-impossible task to pick just one story that’s stuck out in 2022, and I’ve only been on board since September – that’s saying something.
If I have to pick one, though, I’m going with Ian Stonebrook’s piece on Allen Iverson and the return of the ‘Denver Nuggets’ Question PE. Again, I could sit here and give you 5, 10, 20 different Boardroom articles that stuck out for one reason or another, so I’m going to pick the one that resonates on a deeper level. If you know me, it’s no secret Bubba Chuck is my guy, so I’ll click on just about any story that involves him. Ian has an uncanny ability to teach the reader something new in a unique way, and even for this lunatic who’s practiced the stepover crossover in his driveway since he was a kid, I was able to learn multiple new tidbits about The Answer along the way.
Hoops, shoes, Iverson. The holy trinity. My Boardroom story of 2022.
Michelai Graham, Staff Writer
For the past year and a half, I’ve been covering the transformative Web3 space, which has seen new and seasoned leaders rise to the challenge of leveraging blockchain technology for the new digital age. Most notably, I’ve closely watched and covered renowned people and brands who have revived iconic pieces of history on the blockchain. When I stumbled across the opportunity to interview Spike Lee, I was beyond nervous but so ready for 30 minutes with someone who has built so much legacy in the Black community.
When Lee told me about the time he asked Michael Jordan why he let him lead the charge on his sneaker commercials back in the day, I landed what we call a “money quote” in the journalism world.
“He could have easily picked some big-time director; people who are giants in that industry, and he chose me,” Lee said. “So I said Mike, why did you choose me? He said, ‘muthafucka you wearing my shoes!’ I’m here to say, I’m honored Michael Jordan called me a muthafucka.”
This quote, this story, this experience with Lee is undoubtedly my favorite of the year here at Boardroom.
Bernadette Doykos, Director, Editorial Strategy
When I was in high school, I coveted vacations for many reasons. Not only would I be able to escape the pressure cooker campus and the social awkwardness that riddled my day-to-day, but during those breaks, I would make it a priority to catch Sportscenter every single day. In my family, we couldn’t agree on much when it came to religion or politics, so sports became our common language. The litany of stats and fun facts from each day’s show became the emergency ripcord for any uncomfortable conversations.
Linda Cohn sat at the helm for most of those episodes and laid a blueprint for many women who have since followed in her footsteps, including me.
Late one Friday afternoon this summer, I sat down with the trailblazing personality in celebration of her 30th anniversary with the worldwide leader in sports and got tell her precisely how much she had meant to me. In exchange, she regaled me with stories of how she came up in the industry, how she became the go-to source for a wide range of events, and how she’s adapted amidst a space that is constantly changing.
“I think the reason for my longevity [is] I’ve always wanted to be connected to the sports fan. I’ve always been a fan first. I wasn’t out to win Emmys or anything like that. I just wanted connect to people, to send the message to them as I’m doing SportsCenter that this isn’t an act. I’m just like you. I love my teams. I love sports.“
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Shlomo Sprung, Staff Writer
I’ve been fortunate enough in 2022 to start a Boardroom Q&A series with some of the most impactful and interesting people across so many different industries. Starting with Mark Cuban and continuing with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert, Mike Tyson, Bryce Harper, Klay Thompson, The Kid Mero, and so many more, each participant showed us new and unexpected facets of themselves while enlightening our reading audience on why what they’re doing is relevant and resonant, and why they still have so much more to accomplish. I can’t wait to see who we talk to next in 2023.
Lastly, I was lucky enough to get entrusted by two NBA teams in 2022 with some major design reveals. The Cleveland Cavaliers brought their new Daniel Arsham-created logos and branding first to Boardroom with a clean, classic, minimalist, current look. And the Detroit Pistons came to us with news that rocked the jersey and memorabilia world by bringing back their classic teal unis for the 2022-2023 season.
I’m grateful for their trust and hope to bring more stories like that in the year ahead.
Ian Stonebrook, Staff Writer
When I was a young boy, Lil Penny’s autobiography, Knee High & Livin’ Large, was right there with Goosebumps. I had every pair of Air Pennys my mom and Santa could provide and the whole family loved Chris Rock.
Little did I know, we really loved Stacy Wall.
Talking to the W+K creative behind Hardaway’s sidekick for “The Legend of Lil’ Penny’s Million Dollar Super Bowl Party” was a blast and a riot. I won’t give away the origin story of how LP came to be (hint, there’s also a Lil MJ doll floating around) or how he was supposed to end. But I will offer this quote from when Wall and Rock had a doll appear on Oprah to promote his book:
“Lil’ Penny got to be on Oprah twice,” chuckles Wall. “Oprah would ask him, ‘What was it about Tyra [Banks] that drew you to her?” and Chris would say, ‘You know Oprah, I like a woman that can make a good lasagna.’ Oprah was so mad they threw the book up for two seconds and she never talked about it.”
Read More:
- Austin Ekeler: Workhorse Entrepreneur Always in Command
- How Verizon Tackles Connectivity in Detroit During the 2024 NFL Draft
- The Digital Athlete: How the NFL & AWS Leverage Data to Keep Players Safe
- Microsoft Gambles Big With $1.5B Investment in Foreign AI Firm
- The Jordan Luka 3: A Design Driven by Dončić
Get on our list for weekly sports business, industry trends, interviews, and more.
