As the NBA continues to grow and evolve, the newfound popularity and prevalence of the internet have made it so the league has more media than ever before.
This proves to be a double-edged sword, as it’s nice that there are so many unique takes and perspectives, but the flip side is that it can lead to seemingly unqualified voices in the space.
Former three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford recently appeared on The Draymond Green Show and discussed how this impacts the game’s coverage.
“My problem is basketball is one of the only sports, or only things, where you don’t have to be a professional to judge professionals and get people looking at it like you’re the gospel, and it’s crazy to me,” Crawford said, via Basketball Network.
While it’s at least reasonable to see where Crawford is coming from, it’s definitely not exclusive to basketball, as virtually all sports, feature people who have never played the sport reporting on the sport.
Crawford’s main problem, though, is that many people view the NBA solely from a lens that suits their own narratives.
“They’re watching it only from the lens that benefits them, or whatever they want their narrative to be. We see the game from so many different levels. I can tell you from the star point of view, I can tell you from a bench players’ point of view, I can tell you from just a teammates’ point of view, I can tell you what the coach is thinking, I can tell y’all what the front office is trying to put together. We see it from so many different angles and a totally different lens, you can’t even comprehend. So what makes you think you know more about this than me?”
The overall point and message from Crawford is that there’s a fine line between criticism and promoting a narrative, and the lines in the NBA’s new media are often blurred.
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