Could you accept the Spurs as walking billboards?

NBA owners will meet later this month to discuss a proposal to allow small advertisements to appear on player jerseys.

It’s not unusual in professional sports. Some WNBA teams have already pioneered this trend. And it’s been happening for many years in Europe where soccer players, basketball players and others have appeard with advertisements splashed across their jerseys. NFL teams have dabbled in this revenue source on practice wear, but not on game uniforms.

Obviously,  it would be a huge additional revenue source for NBA owners. And players, no doubt, would want a cut of any money that might accrue from this source.

NBA commissioner David Stern said during last year’s work stoppage that the league has been losing more than $300 million each year, with 73 percent of teams losing money (22 of 30).

Business Week.com reports that a study by Horizon Media last year put the of the space across an NBA jersey’s chest in a range from $4.1 million for the Los Angeles Lakers to $300,000 for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“When you look at the revenue streams left available, jersey branding is the most significant that hasn’t been exploited,” David Abrutyn, head of global consulting at sports marketing firm IMG Worldwide, told Business Week.com.

So what kind of businesses would work best with the Spurs?

Would it be a local business giant like USAA that has a large existing sponsorship with the team work best? Or could we see Peter Holt slap a logo of a farm-implement company that works closely with his company?

What business do you think would work best as a jersey sponsor for the Spurs? And what are some other choices around the league for specific teams? 

How about French-based Maille Dijon mustard, in honor of Tony Parker and Boris Diaw. Or Vise-Grip pliers in honor of Kawhi Leonard’s lockdown defense? Or Geritol for Tim Duncan’s renaissance this season at the age of 35? Or Whataburger to extoll the virtues of DeJuan Blair, who occasionally can be one of their best customers?

As always, I’m interested in your responses.