Larry Coon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 28, 1962 |
| Nationality | American |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer science, National Basketball Association |
| Institutions | University of California, Irvine |
Larry Coon is a computer scientist and information technology manager at the University of California, Irvine, who is known for his expertise on the National Basketball Association collective bargaining agreement. The New York Times writes that Coon is cited more frequently than basketball inventor James Naismith.[1]
Coon maintains, edits and answers questions about the NBA salary cap and updates his website, CBAfaq.com, when any corrections or new information are brought to his attention.[citation needed] He has written for The New York Times,[2] ESPN.com[3] and Hoopsworld.com,[4] makes occasional television (ESPN's Outside the Lines)[citation needed] and radio appearances, and frequents NBA fan forums such as RealGM.[5]
The NBA Players Association provides the entire collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for fans to inspect,[6] but simply links to Coon's website for users who have specific questions about the contents of the CBA.[7] In The Book of Basketball, sportswriter Bill Simmons calls Coon an "Internet hero" for his detailed, 40,000 word site.[8] TNT's David Aldridge lists Coon among the innovators of the Basketball Blogosphere which he called the NBA "innovation of the decade".[9] Aldridge also lists Coon among the "power players of the 2010 free agent market".[10]
In July 2011, Sports Illustrated named Coon to their "Twitter 100", which listed the 100 most essential people in the sports world to follow on Twitter.[11]
Coon also is the General Manager[12] of Sports Business Classroom, a six-day seminar run amidst the NBA Summer League, aimed at individuals who are interested in obtaining jobs in the NBA, and industry personnel seeking in-depth understanding of the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement. Coon and the 2016 Sports Business Classroom were featured in the Orange County Register.