The NBA has a ratings problem, and that’s something that can’t be denied. It’s also unfortunate, considering the league currently boasts some of the most entertaining players in the NBA, with Victor Wembanyama showing glimpses of his unbelievable talent and old heads like LeBron James and Stephen Curry still wowing crowds in the twilight of their careers. Kevin Garnett brought this up and boldly claimed that the league’s ratings are down because the media doesn’t do enough to hype these players.
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Garnett has always been a basketball purist, and in his eyes, the low ratings of the NBA have nothing to do with the way the game evolved. He believes the way fans view the game has evolved, and the media companies that constantly criticize the game today have failed to market the league properly. Speaking to Paul Pierce and Tony Allen, Garnett passionately said,
“As media, do we think we glorify the game enough? And then, let me just go ahead and throw that out there, to answer my own question. The reason why I think that we don’t glorify the game enough is just what I said. We’ve been taught to see the game through this lens, and there’s a new lens up, and we’re recognising that it’s in, but we keep looking at it through the old one.”
Garnett’s point was how media outlets like ESPN and TNT continue to see the game through the lens that made it popular in the 90s. He wanted to know why the media wasn’t recognizing greatness in front of them and continued to compare today’s greats to yesterday’s heroes.
He doubled down on this, alluding to how Wembanyama, Curry, and James continue to showcase jaw-dropping sequences almost every game, but the media glosses over them while recapping a day’s action.
“Wemby, he played Milwaukee. He caught the ball, he jabbed right, he took one dribble, he took the one-legged three P. Me and you, if we playing for a $100,000! I’m not hitting you with that! That’s the different lens bro. Steph Curry the other night. 8 threes in a row! LeBron James, 40 years old… And guess what we did. ‘Ah, yeah LeBron James with another dunk.’ And went on to the next sh*t.”
Garnett isn’t the only ex-player who believes the media needs to do a better job appreciating what they’re seeing. JJ Redick, who was extremely outspoken during his short media stint, has continued his critique of the NBA coverage as the Lakers’ head coach as well.
He recently got into it with Charles Barkley, after the former Duke sharpshooter suggested the constant critique from shows like Inside the NBA is more responsible for the low ratings than the actual style of basketball.
Kevin Garnett’s rant only reinforces Redick’s opinion
Redick’s comments on the media’s negativity impacting the league’s ratings were seen as controversial. When the Lakers swept the season series over the Kings in December, Redick claimed there were two main reasons for the declining ratings.
The first, he alleged was the way the league was distributed. He spoke about how many different streaming platforms make it hard to watch games, and with fewer eyes on the league, the ratings take a hit. But his hard-hitting comments were his opinions on the media not celebrating the league enough.
With a call for a more balanced media approach, he argued that celebrating the league’s talent and competitiveness is essential for enhancing fan engagement.
“I don’t think we as storytellers have done a good job of celebrating the game. If I’m a casual fan and you tell me every time I turn on the TV that the product sucks, well I’m going to watch the product. That’s really what has happened over the last 10-15 years. I don’t know why. It’s not funny to me. Nothing is entertaining to me. This game should be celebrated.”
As someone who spent almost 15 years in the NBA, he has witnessed the game evolve from the early 2000s, up until his retirement in 2021. He added that the quality of the players in the league is undisputedly better than during his early days in the NBA, but the media are no longer quick to give players their flowers.
“I can tell you with fact that the league is more talented and skilled than it was 18 years ago when I was drafted. That’s a fact. We don’t have any one that’s willing to step up and say this is an awesome game and celebrate it. That doesn’t mean we don’t critique it – we should critique it – but we should celebrate it. Nobody’s [in the media] doing that.”
Garnett and Redick’s take is fresh. They worry the lack of respect for what the current NBA is doing day in and day out is to blame for the fans losing interest. While the mainstream media would likely vehemently deny this but it is possible their conclusion holds a hint of truth.
