The NBA "seems to have hit upon a solution to a problem that is vexing sports officials everywhere: how to get young people to pay attention," according to Marc Tracy of the N.Y. TIMES. The NBA is "no longer merely a league of winning and losing, but a place for latching on to players and teams, often for reasons having nothing to do with their on-court play -- like, tweets that develop a public-facing personality." Drawing on not only the games themselves but "social media, off-court news, advertising and even politics, the league combines the melodrama of soap operas, the intimate access (whether real or contrived) of reality television and the personalized whimsy of fan fiction." Basketball fans have had characters to "root for in the past," but today they "confront idiosyncratic plotlines." In the early '00s, digital media technology "enabled fans to self-publish, prompting a flourishing of sportswriting untethered to the traditional narratives favored by journalists who thought in column inches." Washington Univ. professor Noah Cohan cited Bill Simmons as having "honed a fan-perspective style that greatly influenced sportswriting." But for Cohan, the "defining site was FreeDarko," named after former NBAer Darko Milicic. The site closed in '11, but its "diaspora can be found throughout digital sports media." Its "ethos -- seeing players as consistent characters unfolding in a serialized drama -- is now dominant." Now more traditional forms of entertainment have "made crossover stars of NBA players whose personas already exist." Cavaliers F LeBron James' "small role as himself" in the '15 comedy “Trainwreck" serves as an example. Clippers F Blake Griffin also played himself in an episode of Comedy Central's "Broad City" in '16 (N.Y. TIMES, 6/6). The average age of an NBA television viewer last year was 42 years old, up two years from '06, but still below that of the NFL (50), MLB (57) and NHL (49) (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/5 issue).
STAR GAZING: THE UNDEFEATED's Justin Tinsley wrote this "may just be the most star-laden NBA Finals ever," with musicians Rihanna, Jay Z and E-40, along with Raiders RB Marshawn Lynch and comedian Kevin Hart all having sat near courtside through two games. What "makes the professional basketball courtside experience different is that the attendee is sitting right on top of the game," making it "more intimate than ringside." The appearance of celebrities courtside "exploded in the era of the Magic Johnson-led 'Showtime' Lakers." Now Roc Nation VP/Player Relations Shawn Costner said that the "continued charm of courtside seats has largely to do with the popularity and influence of hip-hop culture." Costner: “The flyest thing you can do at a basketball game -- besides play in the game -- is sit courtside" (THEUNDEFEATED.com, 6/5). Comedian Kevin Hart talked to CBS’ Stephen Colbert about attending Cavaliers-Warriors Game 2 and it was tough to pick a favorite "because I know all the guys” on both teams. Hart: "Those are real friendships, so secretly -- this is between us -- I’m pulling for LeBron right now because I want to see ‘Bron make history. I'm big on history. I love what he’s doing. ... But at the games, I don't let Steph and K.D. see me cheering for ‘Bron” (“The Late Show,” CBS, 6/5).
