David Stern does. And as long has he continues to, the NBA will suffer. David Stern has been catering to those bigots for going on two years now, and he will continue to in an effort to make attendance and television ratings increase.
By playing to the ignorant majority, David Stern will destroy his league. The NBA will never be a favorite of the masses. How it ever was is a statement to just how amazing Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were. Any league with mostly black players is not going to have mainstream success, with the lone exception of the NFL–where players are covered up by helmets, remain mostly anonymous, can be cut at any moment, don’t have guaranteed contracts, are under the complete control of coaches, and must conform to such an extreme that even celebrating touchdowns is frowned upon and penalized. And, of course, the biggest reason the NFL succeeds is because it’s football, the most loved sport in the country.
The NBA can succeed just the way it is as a successful niche sport, just below baseball, but still holding its own. There are enough NBA fans to maintain the ratings the league has now, and though those ratings aren’t spectacular, they are decent enough. For the last two years, the NBA has set attendance records, and that isn’t likely to change too dramatically even with the demise of the Pacers, 76ers and Knicks. The last thing the NBA needs to do is try to become the NFL, where everything about the players is censored. It’s okay to censor your players when your game is the draw. Football is why people watch the NFL, not for the individuals. Basketball, NBA basketball at least, is far different; people watch to see the artistry of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, the dominance of Shaq in his prime. The individuals are incidental in the NFL and crucial in the NBA.
Censoring the players’ personalities, turning them into cookie cutter ideas of what black men should be, that is deferential, humble, meek and unassuming, will be the death of the NBA. The league is about personality, about celebrating the greatness of individuals who are not only spectacular themselves but also make their teammates great as well. The league is not about everyone looking the same, acting the same, being the same. The league is not about burying greatness and personality under a mask so that it is ignored. It’s about larger than life superstars like Shaquille O’Neal and Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. Charismatic, exciting stars.
David Stern is trying to take that away. First, make them dress the same. Not just on the court, but off of it. Then, make them use their inside voices, treat them like children, put them in time out when they yell or get frustrated. Give them a new ball without consulting them. Control them. Squeeze out that personality and make them acceptable for those who hate them.
Yes, personality can be bad sometimes. The pathetic ‘bravado’ of Nate Robinson and Carmelo Anthony is not what people celebrate about the NBA. But forcing all the players to conform to a disgusting idea of what is correct behavior just because of the misdeeds of a few is wrong. And David Stern will pay, with the destruction of his league and the dedicated fan base behind it.
