GordonGekko
Footballguy
NBA's marketing pushed the villain narrative on Trae Young.
He committed the sin of playing above the league HQ's viewpoint of his "station" in the overall pecking order. When you are the key engine behind upsets that drives out other more 'marketable' players out of the playoff picture, then you will start to get problems from the league. The Atlanta Hawks have dismal attendance and non existent national appeal as a franchise. So NBA HQ kept pushing all it's resources to make Young a "bad guy" and literally changed the rules to limit his impact.
Nike spent a billion dollars plus on LeBron James. They want a return on that massive investment. It's the same reason Kevin Durant was given so much media hostility within the prepackaged narratives in major sports outlets, because the league needed the Warriors to be the "bad guys" so LeBron James can always stay the hero. It's very difficult to paint Steph Curry as a bad guy. And Draymond Green has no real scandal, he's just sort of a motor mouth. So the focus was on Durant as some kind of traitor.
Steph Curry spurned Nike, so he gets hard a lot on the court. He doesn't get the same super star calls as many other "elite players" who have massive shoe deals.
It's always about the money. When Linsanity was happening, the constant battering and mugging and heavy hits on Jeremy Lin had to stop. David Stern made it stop. This undrafted guy, basically a rookie, was an international sensation. Do you want him injured after some angry veteran jealous about the media attention suddenly kicks out Lin's knee during a game? How does that help you make more money when you want the league to expand into foreign markets? The foul calls that Lin got as a young player while attacking the rim were not the same as other players. Lin got a lot of clean calls. Other players would just have to take the hard contact and not get any calls because they aren't marketable enough.
If Jokic had Rihanna as his long time girlfriend and was seen all the time hanging out with Taylor Swift and Cardi B, what kind of league marketing do you think he would get? Because he really doesn't get the massive attention equaled out to his incredible play. Now imagine if he looked like Chris Hemsworth and have famous girlfriends.
You know what would help Trae Young? If he was Trae Young Winfrey. If his dad was former NBA player and his mom was Oprah Winfrey. You think the mainstream sports media is going to go take pot shots at the son of Oprah? Does Adam Silver want Oprah's legions of followers, especially the most devout, to start a campaign to denounce the NBA?
Here's the part that should make people think four times over about professional sports narratives. A male athlete with huge possible brand/marketing potential is simply more marketable as a family man. Married with kids. No scandals. A carefully curated image. ( Why do you think Tiger Woods and his major scandal ended up with him at a podium literally apologizing to his brand sponsors and not his wife to start?)
Got your girlfriend pregnant? Well if you want to keep that shoe deal, or not have problems in a future negotiation, that better change. That girlfriend better end up your wife very soon. And any potential "soon to be future" children out of wedlock? Well, quick , quiet and removed out of the picture is the advice a high profile agent will give his client.
You want to talk about "villains"? How about making a life decision based on keeping a shoe deal or not. Or keeping the numbers up on that shoe deal. What kind of scandal do you think that would create?
It's actually pretty hilarious at how the sports media portrays some players as "heroes" no matter what.
Does anyone think Cal Ripken Jr played that long and at that level with just a good attitude, lots of spinach and milk for dinner and wholesome family values?
