Things are getting heated in the NBA as the playoffs get closer and closer. Unfortunately, when the headlines surrounding the sport should be about the play on the court, they’re instead being dominated by the very public spat between ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.
Things have reached such a boiling point this week that NBA commissioner Adam Silver deemed it necessary to address the state of the league’s media coverage.
“We’re a particular sport in which that kind of debate seems to be part of the DNA of this league,” Silver said, per Awful Announcing.
“And I’m jealous, sometimes it seems that other sports that I’m a fan of, and when I watch the coverage, particularly around the games, it seems to be more celebratory often than it is in the NBA. And I accept it. I mean, we’re often the beneficiary too.
“There’s seemingly as much social media interest in this league, at times, than all the other leagues combined. Sometimes it’s measured in column inches and it’s wonderful to see so much interest in our sport. Other times, I cringe at a lot of the coverage.
“I would say in terms of that back and forth … I of course would like the focus to be on the play on the floor. And I feel particularly protective of our players, of course.”
Fans reacted to Silver’s statement on social media.
“Silver needs to man up and push ESPN around. They clown the league and trash the players nonstop,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“ESPN is going to have to change some things,” someone else added.
“Stephen A not only made this personal, he made this about himself. Pro sports leagues are supposed to be about players and the fans, not the individual media members covering sports,” wrote another fan.
It’ll be interesting to see how things unfold from here.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.