LeBron James believes the media deserves blame for not helping fans become more emotionally invested in the NBA Finals.
After splitting the first two games of the series, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers might be destined for a long and competitive NBA Finals. But entering the series, it’s a matchup that lacked appeal. And for that, James said the media needs to do better.
“We all have a story,” James told Steve Nash on their Mind the Game podcast. “And there is a lot of stories that could be told on the OKC roster and on the Pacers roster. And it’s like, do the guys that preach our game, do they want to do the homework and take the time out to actually tell these stories. And it doesn’t seem way.
“It’s just, ‘what can I say without truth or without knowledge’ or ‘this is what I want to say’ and there’s no accountability behind it. That now goes to our fans. We have to protect our players and protect our product and also bring an awareness. I think our game is also about storytelling. We have to tell the stories of our players, of how they got there, why they’re there, the journey it took for them to get there.”
James recalled watching the NBA Finals as a kid and learning about the backstories of certain players, which helped make fans feel more emotionally invested. He’s right to an extent. ESPN can do a better job of selling the Finals. The media can do a better job of storytelling. But it’s also on networks to give its talent the time and space to tell those stories.
Players’ backstories are often left up to local media and broadcasts to tell throughout the season. Fans can find them if they go searching, but NBA Countdown and ESPN studio shows aren’t devoting much time during a pregame show to detail Jalen Williams’ journey to the NBA. Instead, NBA studio shows are more apt to debate whether Tyrese Haliburton is a superstar, or if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is capable of being the face of the NBA.
Those debates might not be the healthiest in terms of promoting the product. But the NBA and its media still does a better job of creating stars and personalities than any other pro league.
