At Awful Announcing, Andrew Bucholtz thinks that the way that sports media have covered the National Basketball Association as it opens its 2018-19 season suggests something.
Bucholtz notes that even in-game events, like the recent dustup between Kevin Durant and Draymond Green, have drawn coverage that focuses as much if not more on what the spat means in light of Durant's upcoming free agency (Note from an OKC Thunder fan: Don't buy any #35 Warrior gear). Fewer pieces focus on whether or not the two can coexist well enough to allow the Golden State Warriors to play at a high level.
Sure, you can make the case that nobody outside of the Golden fan base cares how the league's version of the Harlem Globetrotters vs. the New Jersey Generals turns out. But still, Bucholtz says, the imbalance is interesting and may even be a part of a trend. Other stories show a similar pattern. It seems, Bucholtz says, that the media covering the NBA care more about the post-season and the next season than they do the current regular season.
Well I'll be darned. The media really are just like the rest of us, aren't they?
Then there was the signing of P. J. Dozier to the Thunder on a two-way contract last fall. He requested #35, and the Thunder organization was happy to give it to him. Turns out that a second cousin of Dozier's was the late Reggie Lewis, who wore #35 -- since retired -- for the Celtics. Curiously, this year Dozier is on a two-way contract with the Celtics, wearing #50.
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