The new generation of NBA players has grown up with social media as a constant companion. They tend to even use their phones during games at half-time to check what is being said about them on social media.
This did not sit well with DeMar DeRozan, the Kings’ veteran forward, who expressed his frustrations with the modern era of players in an interview with Carmelo Anthony on his ‘7 PM in Brooklyn’ podcast.
Anthony brought up Chauncey Billups’ recollection of how an NBA player posted his highlights when the Trail Blazers were down 18 points at halftime, and DeRozan responded.
“Mo****f***ers getting on their phone, so worried about what’s on their phone, what somebody says. To even this point, I’ve seen a mo****f***er put his name in the Twitter search to see what they were saying somebody… and I’m like this to the point we at? You know what I mean? Like that was never a thought. Yeah. You know what I mean?”
“But to that point, it’s that like mo****f***ers always ask me like, “Man, you can play another four or five years?” But it’s that part of the game that sucks the energy out of you.”
“Everybody is so worried about everything else now instead of what it was built on, like your game, competing, winning, going out there, you know, giving everything you got. It’s like everybody’s so caught up in all the sh** that doesn’t matter anymore. You know what I mean? What I’m wearing, Mo****f***ers in the mirror fixing this, doing that, exfoliating and all this sh**.”
The modern era of basketball can be divided into two subcategories: the modern playing style and the modern media. While players appreciate the evolution of the game in terms of floor spacing and more isolation-based plays, they are not the most appreciative of the media. Be it social media or the type of questions they face in press conferences.
The six-time All-Star DeRozan is going into the 17th season of his career and has seen a varying set of cultures in different teams. He has played on four different teams and averaged 21.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game in his career.
If he is seeing a decline in the culture of the NBA as a whole, then there is definitely something to worry about. With the new generation of players like Jared McCain, Jalen Green, or Jalen Williams who indulge in these social media platforms or accessorize with nail polish, and whatnot, the future of the NBA looks a bit too Gen Z for the old school fans.
But is he right, though? Will this culture of social media in the NBA make weaker stomached players for the future? And will that severely hamper the attractiveness of a team to serious players? Many interesting questions arise while thinking about the direction in which the NBA is headed.
It is my personal opinion that such extravagance is not new to the NBA. From Dennis Rodman’s days in the NBA, the new generation highly values a liberal expression of their true selves. So self-indulgences like makeup and social media are not harming the culture in the NBA.
However, getting way too caught up in public criticism could become a spiral that costs players their potential. Like what happened with Ben Simmons in the 76ers. So to avoid that, there should be some gametime discipline to avoid being driven by public opinion, but also find the balance in their expression of who they are.
