“I was blown away by how humble he was,” said Colangelo, the chairman of USA Basketball. “You wouldn’t have picked him out on a bet as someone who may have been privileged growing up. He was a doer, a giver.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who has known Nick Arison since he was a kid, recalled his 2 a.m. arrival at the U.S. team’s hotel during the 2006 World Championships in Japan. He encountered Arison folding the team’s laundry.
“For those who work with him you would never know that he owned the team,” said Silver, who replaced Stern as commissioner on Feb. 1. “He’s on top of everything on the court and in the business. He’s also a strong advocate for the league, able to see the issues from different perspectives so he can help me do my job.”
Nick Arison was so amenable to performing menial tasks during the 2008 Olympics that Krzyzewski said, “I had to remind myself that this was the son of a billionaire.”
“Given what he’s accomplished professionally with the Heat organization, it was amazing to see him as a manager again, packing bags, loading equipment,” Krzyzewski said. “He wants respect to define him, not his personal or family’s wealth.”
According to Colangelo, the U.S. players were fond of Nick Arison’s low-key demeanor.
LeBron Hug
That affinity was evident when the Heat courted free agents, including James, who has reached four straight NBA Finals since joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami.
“He was the one person that when we walked into the room LeBron gave a hug to and said, ‘How ya doing?’” Micky Arison said, recalling their recruitment of James prior to the 2010-11 season.
The father, more and more, is accustomed to being overshadowed by the son.