LOS ANGELES, Cali – The Los Angeles Commodores have hired Reed Vasko as their new General Manager. Mr. Vasko has spent the past 10 years as a Private Equity Analyst with several Los Angeles firms. Mr. Vasko, a graduate of Pomona College, is an unorthodox pick for the GM role. He has never played basketball and admits he knows almost nothing about the sport. Owner Andre Taylor said Mr. Vasko showed the best aptitude to understand and to adapt to changes within the game. Mr. Taylor said the team is looking to move forward with a clean slate starting with the General Manager.
During his introductory press conference, Mr. Vasko didn’t express interest in starting over. “Josh Gray and Jason Demanby are key parts of this team that I would expect to be around for some time.” He said referring to the team’s long time center and shooting guard. When asked about roster moves, Mr. Vasko said, “I wouldn’t expect too many roster changes this season. The plan is to make some immediate upgrades to get us into the playoffs, but we will not jeopardize future stars to do it.” When asked for future plans, Mr. Vasko was decisive. “We intend to scout and draft a balanced team. One super star won’t make a great team.”
The Commodores are taking a page from baseball’s book in looking to the private equity field for personnel, but this move is considered aggressive by most analysts. A Commodores spokesperson said “the team wants to be on the bleeding edge of advancements in the game. Reed shares that desire. The team is not concerned with his basketball experience.” Mr. Vasko closed his press conference by saying “I didn’t know anything about private equity before I ended up in that field. If I was successful there I can’t imagine I won’t be successful here.”