In an appearance on “The Old Man & The Three,” league commissioner Adam Silver made some revealing remarks on the current state of the NBA media. In a chat with JJ Redick, he explained his problem with NBA discourse today and how some media networks chose to cover the game for their audience.
“The color commentary on our [NBA] games gets reduced to ‘this team wanted it more’ or ‘this team tried harder’ as opposed to there are really complete defenses. Like, what’s the offense? Why is this team losing the way they are? Why is this team successful? Explain what the pick-and-roll is. Kenny Smith when he goes to that board, is a great example of helping explain the game.”
Adam Silver has some thoughts on the current state of NBA color commentary.
Full episode with @jj_redick: https://t.co/rtiQaQlQpf pic.twitter.com/Krc7gIi2Z1
— TheYoungManAndTheThree (@OldManAndThree) November 9, 2023
With the rise of social media and the explosion of meme culture, the way fans currently interact with the NBA is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Now, more than ever, players are held accountable for bad performances and the most disappointing teams are subject to days, weeks, or even months of internet backlash for their struggles. But how often do fans try and dig deeper into what’s happening on the court? According to Adam Silver, commentary should include this type of analysis, but the media is far too busy cracking jokes, making memes, and finding the most dramatic reasons possible to explain why teams are good or bad.
Does NBA Discourse Need To Change?
‘Inside the NBA’ is probably the best example of the state of modern-day NBA commentary. While the show does include some informative segments (like Kenny Smith analyzing film from the game), the program gets a lot of heat for its approach to game-day coverage. Instead of taking a more serious and analytical stance, Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley often use the opportunity to tell jokes, exchange blows, and simplify the discussion around NBA basketball. The show has become a massive success, of course, but it has also been blamed for feeding the toxic modern-day discourse of the game.
For years now, fans have called for an adjustment in the way that these matches are covered. By offering more in-depth analysis, the media could help fans get a better understanding of the game itself and that could have a profound impact on the NBA discourse online. But until Adam Silver takes action to address this topic, things will keep trending the other way and it could get way worse before it gets better.
A Busy Season For The NBA
While there is still a lot of work to be done to move the league forward, Adam Silver isn’t wasting any time to incorporate innovative new ideas. Just a few years ago, he introduced the play-in tournament to the basketball schedule, which was a massive success for the NBA and its partners. This year has brought the first-ever in-season tournament, which adds an exciting twist to the first half of the season.
These moves come amid changes to the NBA’s injury policy, salary cap, and more in what has been a very busy time for the basketball world. But remains to be seen which of these moves will stick around for the long haul, but you have to give credit to Adam Silver for adapting, innovating, and listening to the people on ways that he can improve the overall NBA product.
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