NBA commissioner Adam Silver runs the sports league with perhaps the worst reputation of any in North America, yet he believes the media covers it in too negative of a light.
Speaking on “The Numbers on the Board” podcast, Silver said that he believes that NBA shows and reporters could use a bit more positivity in the dialogue they create. He didn’t completely trash them, but said he’d like to see some changes.
“I respect the job the media does,” Silver said on The Numbers on the Board Podcast. “It’s not a suggestion that people shouldn’t ask tough questions, or be critical, or talk about things they don’t like about the game. But, I would say… I think, they don’t spend enough time talking about why people love this game.
“Recently, I was at a meeting with Mike Krzyzewski…and he condensed it with this headline. He said, ‘We should educate people about the game, and celebrate the game.’ Educate and celebrate. And I wish there was more of that.”
The question we have to ask is whether the NBA is generating enough positive content to talk about. While that is certainly subjective and depends on the fan, the fact of the matter is that the NBA has a bad reputation for plenty of reasons.
Ratings are down, and the players are complainers who try to skip out on playing as much as possible. Furthermore, the league has done so much to support woke causes since 2020 that it has clouded the perception of most fans, especially those who used to like the league quite passionately. You can only kneel for the national anthem, suck up to China, and make MVP conversations about race for so long before you start to annoy a lot of people.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA – APRIL 27: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics shoots a layup against Paolo Banchero #5 and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope #3 of the Orlando Magic in the second half during game 4 of the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center on April 27, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
So when guys on shows like “Inside the NBA” or “First Take” talk negatively about the league and call players out for their nonsense, it’s often justified. Yes, not everything in the league is gloom and doom, there are players that aren’t divas and that do care. But those are few and far between, and the majority of what happens isn’t appealing to the ordinary fan.
Frankly, I think the NBA media is doing a good job of calling out players for their nonsense. Maybe Silver should take note of what they are saying and change the product rather than the people talking about said product.
