Something I have noticed about the NBA: “The Game” is fighting a losing battle with those promoting the game. While that may sound a little confusing, it has become increasingly obvious that the promotion around the game is more important than the game itself.
And this discussion looks very different depending on which side you are on.
Last week LeBron James scored a career-high and team-record 61 points in a game. A few games later he lays an egg (by LeBron standards) and re-visits his complaint that the new sleeved jerseys are difficult to shoot in. Statistics show that he usually shoots poorly when wearing the new style jerseys. Several other players make the same complaint.
Commissioner Adam Silver comments that essentially it would take a large number of players to complain before the new style jerseys are scrapped.
The league’s response, “But they are selling well at retail.” Translation: As long as the public buys them, it doesn’t matter what the players think.
This is not the first jersey issue to arise. In the old days teams had one home and one away design. Then the league went to an alternate road color. After that it was throwback jerseys, Spanish language jerseys, mono color jerseys, and now sleeved jerseys. The fans used to be able to tell the home team from the road team by the uniform color. The home team wore white (or gold if they were the Lakers) and the road team wore dark. Not anymore.
Should the players have a say in this? According to the marketers, no. They are just product.
LeBron also breaks his nose and after missing a couple of games, returns to action with a black mask. It matches the team’s uniform color and looks very cool in a Darth Vader kind of way.
His first game back he has a big night. The league immediately “recommends” that he wear a clear mask instead. The reason they give is that the opponent needs to see his face. What’s there to see? The mask only covers his nose, cheeks, and forehead. Nothing happens there. It doesn’t cover his eyes. And in case you haven’t noticed, he is already dark-skinned, so the difference is minimal.
He complies of course. But is there anything that the league won’t stick their nose in (pun intended)?
If you follow the league closely, it seems that players are being fined constantly for a dizzying array of infractions. By the way, how does flopping impact the integrity of the game? Players have been trying to get an advantage from the refs since the game was invented. Every time a ball goes out of bounds every player points a different direction. Why isn’t there a rule against that?
Several years ago the league tried to switch the game ball from the historical leather ball to a synthetic ball to cut costs. The products people tell me that it takes a lot of cows to make the several thousand balls used by all 30 teams each season. They did it without getting the approval of the union, and the players revolted.
Were the balls that bad? Or was it a control issue?
Shouldn’t the league have worked with the players on something as integral to the game as the ball, or was this a marketing decision?
What about the rules changes? The league has committees to analyze the game and recommend changes. It funny how 30 years ago every team in the league averaged over 100 points a game. Since then the league has prohibited hand checking, low post contact, contact with cutters, allowed zone defenses, embraced the 3-point shot and made other rule changes to increase scoring and make the game quicker. Yet I still marvel at all of the games with scores in the 60’s and 70’s.
Do fans really notice that the games are divided into three-minute bursts (except at the start of the first and third quarters) to allow more time for commercials?
While the players union has a seat at the table on these committees, they certainly have little control over the outcome.
Fans with a long history of watching games today certainly notice the number of advertisements and extra TV timeouts that have been added over the years. Their isn’t a surface in the arena that doesn’t have a logo on it. Broadcasts rarely mention a statistic that doesn’t contain a sponsor image.
The final frontier that for the entire history of the league was forbidden is soon to be breached. Corporate logos on uniforms. This idea is being discussed on a level that makes it an eventuality. Soccer does it, European leagues rely on it, No one complains about the WNBA doing it.
I think logos on jerseys will prove without a doubt that marketing rules.
I understand the need to grow the pie, to open new markets, and to create additional revenue streams. But is anything sacred anymore? Are the players just billboards to be printed on? Will the travel dress code soon be changed so the players can carry signs that say “Eat at Joe’s”?
For years there has been talk about adding days to the schedule or reducing the number of games to allow the players to recover better and avoid injuries. We all better hope the marketers don’t take over the scheduling, or else the NBA schedule will look more like the Harlem Globetrotters brand, where players play 250 games a year with doubleheaders on weekends.
When will reason and common sense have a place in the NBA once again?
Danny Schayes is a retired 18-year-veteran of the NBA, a professional broadcaster and soon-to-be-published author now penning NBA columns for SheridanHoops. Follow him on Twitter.
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WHERE IS THE LOVE? SAG LAWYER AMONG CANDIDATES TO REPLACE HUNTER
ARE NBA PLAYERS GETTING PLAYED AGAIN AS UNION HUNTS FOR NEW CHIEF?
IN THE NBA, SOMETIMES YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN
ARE TODAY’S GREAT SCORERS BETTER?
WHEN STARS GET HURT, IT’S BAD FOR THE LEAGUE
PARDON ME, BUT INDIANA-MIAMI MEANT NEXT TO NOTHING
WHAT IT’S REALLY LIKE TO BE TRADED
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ADAM SILVER NEEDS TO EMBRACE THE NBA’S LIVING PIONEERS
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I think it ultimately depends on the league, and what their primary intention is. The paradigm of late is that a league sport either provides entertainment OR quality competition – not both, as it should be. The NBA in particular has seemed more intent on advancing its popularity in China and Europe via marketing initiatives than it has been interested in investing in the integrity of competition.
But then again, if you look at the British Premiere League, every match is virtually littered with some kind of advertisement or corporate representation – whether in the arena or on the kits, etc. – and yet it is the most competitive professional sport in the entire world.
I could be criticized for saying this – but I think there’s only a handful of guys that are seriously playing basketball for the glory of championships. Most seem to be looking for the payday from sponsorships.