There is very little debate that the National Football League is the best-run organization in the United States and potentially the world. Nothing trumps it, and football fans love what it brings year-round. But the National Basketball Association finds ways to dominate headlines, unlike any other league.
At any moment’s notice, there will be NBA news that pops out of nowhere and will dominate a news cycle. The social media fallout is even greater with many pundits who have built up followings, whether legitimate reporters or satirists who pull for a good joke. There is always something new for fans to explore.
The joking goal is never to be the subject of Twitter. Chris Paul’s popularity grew unexpectedly starting the month of December. It all started when famous entertainer Kanye West said that Paul hooked up with Kim Kardashian, West’s former wife, at some point.
It surprised many because Paul is generally nice and well-respected, despite some of his antics due to an insane knowledge of the NBA rulebooks. But the likelihood that West is correct is not very high, given he spent much of the day tweeting about Hitler and Nazis.
While Paul became the center of jokes – one of the game’s best passers and steelers had many marks that lent themselves – it also spread to his old Clippers teammates for not winning a ring because of the “Kardashian curse.”
Labor of Love
Ballers ball, even in the offseason. Beyond the wild headlines that pop up at a moment’s notice are the inevitable NBA predictions that players will be out hooping. So while the league calendar is quiet after free agency and before the preseason begins, there are events like the Drew League and other Pro Ams or tournaments that draw some of the game’s biggest stars or youngest prospects.
Though that sometimes brings unfortunate news. Like how Oklahoma City Thunder draft choice Chet Holmgren got hurt and had to miss his rookie season.
Some athletes put on summer camps that bring out stories that will warm someone’s heart. It will also produce highlight reel clips, like when LeBron James was dunked on by a young Jordan Crawford, who eventually played in the NBA.
Mark the Calendar
There is something for every NBA fan to look forward to. The season runs from October into April, with the playoffs extending into June. That’s nine months that meaningful NBA games are broadcast and endless opportunities to attend a game.
The market for NBA games is relatively affordable due to a good balance of tickets. The weather will always be great in an arena, and there is rarely a bad seat in the venue, making buying tickets worthwhile.
The offseason lends itself to NBA expert picks, but those usually come after the funniest parts of the league. Most years, there will be a bombshell trade that truly shakes things up, like how the Utah Jazz sent Donovan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rudy Gobert to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a paradigm shift among those teams.
The NBA Draft creates plenty of buzz with workouts during the playoffs before the big event, usually a week to 10 days after the NBA Finals conclude. In the weeks following is the busy free agency period. There is a moratorium beforehand, and once it lifts at midnight of the new league calendar year, social media notifications are needed to find out who is shifting teams.
Then comes the offseason workouts, crazier headlines, and expert predictions for the upcoming season. August can be the dog days of the NBA cycle, but there are usually a few big news stories from an international competition that come out of it.
Stay Informed
While it is one of the greatest leagues for wacky headlines, be wary of impersonators. People on social media platforms will impersonate big-name reporters and fabricate news. Not only can it create confusion, but it could cause others to be prosecuted for defamation or libel.
The best way to stay informed is to turn social media notifications on for reputable reporters.
