Former NBA big man Kwame Brown doesn't like how the NBA is broadcast on various platforms these days. Brown once voiced his concerns regarding the media's coverage of rising stars in the league and pointed out that while the talent is abundant, the narratives surrounding young players are often overshadowed by the relentless spotlight on established NBA superstars, particularly LeBron James.
"You got this young talent," Brown told TMZ Sports in March. "The only thing I see what's wrong with the NBA is that they hold on to the 'superstar' thing too long. We got OKC ... before, I didn't even know their starting five. You don't even know their coach."
What will happen when LeBron leaves?
Brown pointed out that the media's tendency to focus on a few high-profile athletes, such as James, has resulted in a drastic imbalance. In the process, the former No. 1 overall pick noted that there has been a lack of well-deserved exposure for emerging talent.
According to Kwame, the NBA media should focus on the players' actual performance and potential rather than their marketability. The way "Coffee" sees it, the league would struggle to find big and compelling subjects to cover once LeBron leaves the game if they don't begin mixing and matching by now.
"You gotta start promoting this young talent that you have. Otherwise, they're going to be scrambling when LeBron's gone," Brown said.
Pierce echoed almost the same sentiment
Indeed, not all NBA topics generate as much discussion and debate as a James story. However, even some analysts think the biggest networks have made it their agenda to regularly talk about "The King," something former ESPN analyst Paul Pierce thought was quite annoying.
Like Kwame, Pierce was also irked by how ESPN ordered him and his colleagues to focus heavily on LeBron during every discussion .
"I was done with them, anyway," Pierce said of ESPN shortly after he parted ways with the network. "It wasn't a great fit. There's a lot of stuff over there that you can't say. And you have to talk about LeBron all the time."
In conclusion, Brown's observation and Pierce's revelation about ESPN's emphasis on James serve as a reminder of how critical the media's role is in shaping sports narratives. Though they both have a point, it's also hard to deny that LeBron's fame and legacy have been drawing the most attention from almost all NBA audiences.
Related: Jeff Teague on who’s better between Larry Bird vs. Kevin Durant: “At one point, I thought he was better than Bron”
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