The NBA Cares?

I really love to read about sports. But more than just reading about sports, I love reading opinions about sports.

Maybe it’s the Italian heritage coming out, but I love to talk. (For those wondering, yes, I do use my hands when I talk, and I am very expressive and loud. Sometimes stereotypes are true.) 

But even more than talking, I love to argue. For some reason, I really enjoy proving people wrong. It could be about music, politics, life, relationships, facts, and ESPECIALLY sports.

That’s why I love Bill Simmons. He writes the Sports Guycolumns and blogs for ESPN.com. The best thing about him is he is opinionated and honest, and he writes from a fan’s perspective. Simmons is a die-hard Boston sports fan, and while that would normally make me puke, he does it so well and hilariously I can’t help but love it. Honestly, he is the only sportswriter I have ever read where I consistently laugh out loud (LOL!) when I read his posts. Really, it’s kind of embarrassing sometimes.

The reason I bring up Simmons in the PR context is he recently wrote about the NBA’s image. In the days leading up to this month’s All-Star game in New Orleans, NBA commissioner David Stern not only managed to have a safe and fun All-Star weekend in the Big Easy; he put together the largest community service event in pro sports history.

Over 2,500 people associated with the NBA were there, including all the superstars who were playing in the game. Ballers like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Kobe Bryant were out there helping. Even if they only painted a wall, it was a tremendous gesture for the city, and Simmons said that it really “lifted the spirits of everyone in the area.”

Events like this and the “NBA Cares” commericial campaign featuring players performing community service show how much effort the NBA and Stern put into their public image today.

And there’s so much to watch for. There is a new generation of well-spoken, likeable, fan-friendly young superstars like LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Dwayne Wade, Greg Oden and Chris Paul. These players are performing great, AND they stay out of trouble! No arrests here! They don’t mouth off about their contracts! They seem to be genuinely good people! LeBron James is now the face of the league, and I think the best thing about the Akron native is that he presents himself publicly as an educated, thoughtful professional, not a thug.

Simmons hinted at this inherent racism that has plagued the league for years. Maybe not in a standard sense. Instead, middle-class white America had a lot of trouble embracing a cornrowed, tattooed, gangsta rapper (literally!) like Allen Iverson and the hip-hop culture that tends to surround the league.

The other PR problems include a past featuring rampant recreational drug use and even a cocaine overdose by a No. 3 overall pick named Len Bias. More recently, the arrests of players like Zach Randolph and other members of the Portland Jail Blazers and the Ron Artest fight that even included him socking a few fans have hurt the league.

But like Simmons said, there is a lot to look forward to. The league is ultra-competitive, and there are so many great players and people out there doing great things, you just HAVE to watch if you are a basketball fan. I know I will be.