Nostalgia is a powerful feeling; it can drown out anything. If the NBA Finals have proven anything to Commissioner Adam Silver, it’s the fact that his sport lives in a constant state of nostalgia. Progress can never be achieved if the past is never left alone.
It makes you wonder how a sport as progressive as basketball has a fanbase that remains constantly yearning for the past. Change is rarely welcomed, and complaining is the norm. With a continuous need to develop the future of your business with the stars of tomorrow, the focus on the sport remains on ‘what was’ as opposed to ‘what is.’
Attention sports media! Sound familiar? Let’s come back to that later.
I’ll admit, I get caught in the debates and the demand for a little sense of nostalgia time and again. I remember the days when I didn’t have to take out a small loan to take my family to a ballgame just so we could have a meal under the lights watching our favorite stars of the game. There was a day when I could sit down on the couch and watch a game without wondering what streaming service I must use to watch it.
Where the NBA Lost the Battle Against Nostalgia
This year’s NBA Finals we knew would be one of the least viewed NBA Finals in league history. There’s no denying the fact that two small markets with little star power would drive a huge national audience. If you’re running a business, wouldn’t this be the most opportune time to try something new and fresh? To try and give an original look to maybe drive some added eyeballs to check out what’s different?
The NBA sat on their laurels and paid for their laziness.
However, the outcry was not about what they could have done… it was about what they haven’t done and haven’t for a while.
The first element of this was during game one of the NBA Finals, many in sports media cried out how the telecast didn’t have that NBA Finals ‘feel.’ Where were the signature cursive logos and the giant Larry O’Brien Trophy in the middle of the court?
Sports media needed nostalgia, fans flocked like sheep, and the NBA responded.
Game two, digital overlays of the Larry O’Brien Trophy were projected on the court to provide that NBA Finals feel!
The response by the NBA to the demands for on-court logo nostalgia was weak, but how could you blame them? Commissioner Adam Silver noted that the logos on the court had been gone nearly a decade ago.
The issue isn’t that the logos weren’t on the court, the issue is the demand for them.
Monday, the NBA made a massive announcement that for the remainder of the series fans tuning in can now watch the pre-game starting lineup announcements—another element of an NBA Finals telecast that had previously been gone for more than a decade.
Why would the NBA make such an announcement? Is three minutes before the game begins going to make that much of a difference with the lackluster viewership that the Finals have received?
When the announcement was made, many celebrated the concept of the starting lineups making their return to the NBA Finals telecast for the first time since 2013.
The issue isn’t that the starting lineups weren’t broadcast on air, the issue is the idea there’s a demand for them.
Nostalgia is a powerful feeling; it can drown out anything.
NBA Media Are Gatekeeping the League From Progress
It’s no secret that the coverage of the NBA is generational, where the biggest figureheads who commentate on the league hold to a higher standard the greats of the past. Acceptance of the rising stars of the league has been replaced by how they can’t compare to the legends of the NBA’s past.
How many more conversations about comparisons to Michael Jordan can ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith create out of simply nothing to fill time on First Take?
How many more complaints will Charles Barkley have about load management and how the middle-of-the-road stars of today’s game make so much more money than he did during his career?
How much more whining will Draymond Green and other older and current members of the NBA make regarding All-Star Game formats and exhibitions for the fans?
It’s a fact that this NBA Finals has been filled with more controversy than conversation, all in the name of nostalgia. We’re talking about on-court logos, televising starting lineups, and Tyrese Haliburton’s place among the greatest of all time—when he’s playing in just his second postseason in his career.
The NBA is a league that not only leans into the past, but lives in it.
Nostalgia is a powerful feeling; it can drown out anything.
Need further proof? The NBA next season is returning to NBC Sports, and the announcement during this year’s upfronts was magical. The television return of Roundball Rock, composed by John Tesh, and the stunning announcement of Michael Jordan joining the NBC crew as a special contributor. The elements of inserting Tesh’s composition and Jordan’s aura can only be described as jumping into a pool full of nostalgia.
When your sport’s culture and conversation is constantly comparing today to the past, you can’t escape nostalgia.
When the presentation of your grand finale is a bigger talking point than the games that encapsulate it, you can’t escape nostalgia.
When your future television rights agreements are being marketed as a blast from the past instead of a step into the next generation, you can’t escape nostalgia.
Sports Media’s Own Battle With Nostalgia
Circling back to the question toward sports media, does this all sound familiar?
Sports media is no different than the NBA.
How many articles have been written, and conversations been had with hopes that sports radio returns to being the destination for community it once was? Only to be reminded that the failures of its business model have cut more talent than grown it.
The era of developing different ways of presenting television programming for sports fans has been replaced by licensing podcasts to fill airtime. There used to be a sense of professionalism in telling the stories of sports and holding teams accountable—only to be replaced by ‘bro culture’ and the battles for likes/shares/views on social media.
There is too much focus by those in sports media where it leans on complaining about ‘what was’ no longer being alive instead of ‘what is’ and where it’s going.
Joon Lee wrote a fantastic opinion piece in The New York Times this week that stated that sports, as a community, is dying because some of its shared moments are disappearing. Sports leagues have made it harder not just to attend games but to watch them. When fans must pick and choose which teams or leagues they want to support with their viewing dollar, the connection fades and the community aspect sports brings dies.
If connection is fading and community is dwindling, sports media cannot be the NBA and just rest on their laurels. This is no better time to embrace ‘what is’ and build on the communities for tomorrow than right now. It doesn’t require a ticket or a subscription—it just demands your attention and passion.
Sports media must conquer nostalgia the complete opposite of how the NBA has approached the battlefield.
Nostalgia is a powerful feeling; it can drown out anything. Progress can never be achieved if the past is never left alone.
It’s time for sports media to step up their game and not just make noise but make a difference.
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John Mamola is the sports editor and columnist for Barrett Media. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. Honored to be a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Media and honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL). Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.
