The NBA playoffs this year have been the most watched ever on ESPN and ABC through the first two rounds. It was a sign the league has managed to recover after record low ratings during the pandemic bubble in 2020.
In celebrating the news, ESPN NBA announcer Mark Jones mocked NBA critics on Twitter. Particularly those who swore off the league after an increase in visibility of social justice causes and messaging in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020.
Jones has never shied away from controversy when discussing race or politics online.
The NBA in 2021 scaled back in elevating Black Lives Matter messaging on courts and on jerseys.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said at the time that “this was an extraordinary moment in time when we began these discussions with the players and what we all lived through this summer.” But the decision was left largely to the players and teams to rally support for these initiatives off the court.
The NBA has been a focal point for a number of conservative critics long before that. Laura Ingrham’s infamous “shut up and dribble” comment was directed toward LeBron James in 2018. Many FOX News personalities have pointed to the activism from James, Steph Curry and other superstars as the sole reason for the NBA’s ratings dip over the previous three seasons.
