More than any other league in the 21st century,
the NBA embraces its online presence like no other. Player personalities are on
display both on and off the court, with Instagram pages showing off everything
from the latest styles to their vacation to the Caribbean. Fans themselves are
getting in on the action, creating their own content as well as consuming every
nugget of NBA news.
There was no “Big Bang” moment where the league suddenly
became this way. The NBA is a follow-the-leader-type league, and its obvious
who the leader is. LeBron James has been the best player in the NBA for nearly
a decade, and is incredibly influential in his decisions. The leagues biggest
changes over the past decade have to do with entertainment, player empowerment,
and social activism, and Lebron is at it’s center.
When James decided to sign in Miami in the Summer of 2010, He was seen as weak. Betraying his hometown team, and forming a super team? He was derided. But following two titles in four years, and a third with Cleveland in 2016, He showed that to accomplish the goal of winning a title, you have to do what it takes. His decision influenced other stars to change teams, in search of their own titles or super teams. Players coming into the league now have watched LeBron their entire lives. They respect what he does.
The NBA's entertainment value has increased tenfold with the prevalence of Twitter. Highlights that were usually reserved for SportCenter or the local news. Now, dunks can be replayed over and over within minutes. Additionally, crossovers, mishaps, and every weird niche has become mainstream. Commissioner Adam Silver has even endorsed the method, saying that "highlights are snacks" which complement the main meal of the game.
Players have been able to use their social media presence to make note of social causes. The picture above is of LeBron's 2012 Miami Heat, showing their solidarity with Trayvon Martin, a black teenager killed while wearing a hoodie. While other leagues might discourage such action, NBA players feel free to speak their mind. Between gun violence, the LGBT+ community, and racial issues, players like Jeremy Lin and Jason Collins have become household names with how they have broke barriers in the league.
That is shocking that his hometown team would fee betrayed while he made more (?) money and put himself out there. I understand that communities and cultures enjoy seeing their hometown heroes represent, but it remains shocking. I was glad to see that you included photos of Lebron James and his transformation as a professional player. When you concluded the last section about players being able to speak their mind, have there been controversies like there has been with football such as kneeling for what you believe in? I would not correlate this with slacktivism because of the social causes sport celebrities support but what else has been done besides wearing special clothing?
ReplyDeleteWow! As someone who isn’t much of an avid sports fan, it was interesting to learn about this, especially from a computer mediated communication aspect. Props to you for finding a clever and engaging way to compare the two. It’s crazy to me that sports teams and individuals can have such a huge impact on society as a whole!
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