There’s been a lot of discussion out there around the NBA’s ratings this year. On Thursday, former ESPN analyst and podcaster and current Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick waded in. And he attributed some of the decline to criticism of the on-court product from broadcasters, as The Athletic’s Sam Amick shared on Bluesky:
JJ Redick, player-podcaster-commentator turned Lakers coach, spent nearly 4 minutes dishing on the NBA’s ratings discussion tonight.
“We don’t have anybody that’s willing to step up to the fact that this is an awesome game…”
More here, @theathletic.bsky.social
www.nytimes.com/athletic/600…
— Sam Amick (@samamick.bsky.social) December 19, 2024 at 9:14 PM
Here are some specific Redick quotes from Amick’s piece there at The Athletic:
“I don’t think we … have done a good job of storytelling, of celebrating the game,” Redick said. “If I’m a casual fan and you tell me every time I turn on the television that the product sucks, well, I’m not going to watch the product. And that’s really what has happened over the last 10 to 15 years. I don’t know why. It’s not funny to me.”
“This game should be celebrated,” Redick continued. “The league is more talented and skilled than it was 18 years ago when I was drafted. That’s a fact. There are more players that are excellent. There are more teams that are excellent.
…“We don’t have anybody that’s willing to step up to the fact that this is an awesome game and we should talk about it and celebrate it in a positive way,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we don’t critique it. We should critique it, but we should celebrate it. Nobody’s doing that, and the people that are have a small niche following on Twitter. And frankly, I would argue as well, that everyone in our ecosystem pays too much attention to what is said on Twitter. And part of this whole ratings discussion is because people on Twitter are talking about it.”
The Redick comments here touch on a number of ongoing discussions. One is that conversation about NBA ratings, which has seen plenty of theories. And while Redick didn’t specifically point out who it is that’s telling fans “the product sucks,” Amick notes that “the celebrated former players on TNT’s Inside the NBA—Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal—are often cited as the most prominent critics among the league’s partners.” That group has indeed often been critical of the current product, and it’s interesting to see them taking some fire given the speculation around what’s ahead with that show’s planned move to ESPN/ABC next season.
But the other trend that this fits in with is discussion of criticism from media. There’s long been a lot of pushback against critical comments from media, sometimes even leading to lost jobs (especially around jobs with teams). And that has included claims that reporters and analysts should pump up particular teams or leagues. And that gets particularly interesting when it comes to talk around criticism, or lack thereof, around what’s effectively the sole top-tier pro league of a sport in a geographical region.
Most people seem to accept that independent media covering a particular team should not have to only say things promoting that team (although this is not universally accepted). That gets maybe more debatable when it comes to coverage of one league of many, as with college conferences; many often claim individual people or media outlets have a bias towards or against particular conferences. But the discussions are perhaps most notable when it comes to coverage of an unquestioned top-tier league, and if its current product is “good” or not.
It’s understandable how both sides here get to their positions. Those involved with a league, as players, coaches, or executives, would unquestionably prefer it if the media covering that league raved about how great it is. But unquestioned praise is hard for fans to take seriously, and it’s worth noting that Inside The NBA has hit remarkable popularity at least partly due to the belief that its cast is unafraid to share their real thoughts despite working for a rightsholder.
That doesn’t mean that all the criticism from Inside The NBA and other media outlets is valid. That criticism can be questioned, particularly when it hits “back in my day” notes and shows a disinterest in engaging with the current game.
But Redick is also missing some points himself. There are many, including huge NBA fans, who don’t like large parts of the way the game has currently evolved. And there may well be “more players that are excellent,” but that doesn’t necessarily equal a more compelling product. Also, the ratings drops are a thing; particular context and data points can be debated, but this isn’t a conversation just because “people on Twitter are talking about it.” And it’s unfair to say that Inside The NBA (or other critics) are saying that “the product sucks” “every time I turn on the television”; there’s some of that criticism for sure, but saying it goes to that level is extreme hyperbole.
The overarching takeaway here is that you can’t force a discussion to go a particular way, at least not while expecting it to have any credibility. If all NBA coverage was about “celebrating” the league, there wouldn’t be much of an audience for it. However, those involved with a team or league are also welcome to speak up about what they find positive about that league. And there can be conversations had (in the NBA and beyond) about if prominent broadcasters are too locked in on the era they played in and too unwilling to recognize the sport’s evolution. But while Redick is entitled to his views, his particular comments here aren’t necessarily going to change the broadcasting situation, or turn NBA ratings around.
