LeBron James has been the center of attention due to his incredible achievements, but he made it clear that he is tired of the same narratives and debates in the NBA.
Together with his co-host of the podcast “Mind The Game,” King James and Steve Nash made it clear that the old ways and the way of approaching news, of telling stories with spirit, music, feeling, and humanity, have been lost. The focus is on the big stars, but what about parity or those real stories that go unrecognized?
With all eyes on the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder, stories abound, but few of them are told as they deserve to be. Or so LBJ argues: “We all have a story, and there are a lot of stories that can be told on the OKC roster and the Pacers roster,” he noted.
Do the guys who preach our game want to do the homework and take the time to actually tell these stories? It doesn’t seem that way. It’s just: what can I say without truth or knowledge? Or, this is what I want to say-and there’s no accountability behind it.
King James’ criticism
When Lebron was a spectator and taking his first steps as a player, the Finals were one of the most eagerly awaited moments. And the audience came to the court as if they were another player. They had connected with the story, with the effort and the journey of both teams.
Now, everything revolves around star labels. If a player lacks prominence, he is ignored. But every victory, every effort, matters. “You can’t play the ‘if’ game. That is ridiculous,” emphasized LeBron James.
The advent of social media may have had a negative or positive impact, depending on the approach. Now any story can transcend, but any criticism can also be quickly replicated.
His comments come after Front Office Sports reported that Game 2 of the NBA Finals “averaged 8.76 million viewers on Sunday night on ABC, according to Nielsen figures reported by Sports Media Watch.”
“This is the second-least-watched NBA Finals game since 2020 (Heat vs. Lakers, 7.54 million), a series played in the Walt Disney World bubble due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Excluding 2020, it is the second-least-watched game since 2007 (Spurs vs. Cavaliers, 8.55 million).”
Undoubtedly, beyond the importance of the event and the final result, viewers are no longer looking for the show, the stories, and the entertainment from the media that once delighted fans. Whether it’s because it’s the same old thing or because it doesn’t exist, this is precisely James’ criticism. The possible solution? Return to sharing and celebrating the journey, preaching and teaching the game, and giving each person and market a fair chance to show that their stories and voices deserve to be heard.
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