State of NBA Media: The Keys of Gatekeeping

Another day and week of outlandish coverage involving the NBA. If 
you've been living underground the last few years, look no further. It 
never seems to amaze me how bad NBA coverage has become. In all 
my years of watching basketball, there's a trend of sports media pundits 
and former players who've become annoying to me. Even the casual 
fans would say: "how did this become a GOAT topic?" 

For those of you who aren't familiar with where I'm treading, the national 
sports media is doing all they can to keep their keys being taken away 
by the gatekeepers. What I mean is, sports journalists, columnists, 
pundits are diminishing the current NBA to protect what used to be; as 
in 1980s-2000s NBA coverage. Fantasizing what was cemented 
decades ago; but using it as defense tactics in staying relevant. 

As we've witnessed on ESPN's "First Take," many instances where 
Stephen A. Smith put on a diatribe of alluding Michael Jordan is his 
"GOAT" and LeBron James is number two on his list of NBA players. 
When the topic is about James' milestones, Smith is quick to throw 
Jordan's past accolades into the mix. NBA fans know just about 
everything MJ accomplished; but the display of foolishness turns fans 
away. It may be "LeBron James leads the Lakers to a dominant win over 
Oklahoma City," to "Michael Jordan would've done it better in this 
magnitude." You see, this was apart of the plan since Jordan retired 
twenty-two years ago. The same time LeBron James was drafted and 
still playing elite basketball at age forty. 

The gatekeepers follow a game plan each week. Those are the ones 
who must protect that era and stay within legendary player circles. It's 
the agenda and unashamed sports media who made millions off Jordan 

and taking great liberty in diminishing LeBron James. It was by design 
and fault to keep Jordan relevant post-retirement. Media pundits who 
covered and wrote about Jordan have a higher infinity for his career. It's 
very obvious each time James is mentioned in the same dialogue as 
Jordan.

They defend Jordan in part of following the codes of protecting their guy. 
One who made them money rather it was positive or negative and   
feared not being able to interact with him further down the road. Even 
when James' career is still a topic on every sports show, the body 
language is like dressing up for Halloween. It becomes "MJ this/that; 
LeBron ain't on Jordan's level of assassin's mentality. Kobe Bryant was 
Jordan on steroids and LeBron's shortcomings disqualify him from the 
"GOAT" debate.

NBA fans have grown tired of this daily rehash of topics in pushing the
same agenda as MJ were still playing. It's almost unwatchable in part of
how the sport is covered. Former players of both eras have deep
respect for MJ; whereas some don't see James as Jordan's equivalent.
If you listen to players who all say "Kobe was MJ of our era," we
understand in that sense.

When James' name is brought up, some laugh and joke about his
shortcomings and defend MJ by saying "Jordan would strike fear and
lose sleep." It's these comments which I understand is fair but at the
same time, people act like James is new to the noise. The gatekeepers
have been this way and won't change their stance. Even though most of
today's generation hasn't been around very long, the sports media will
give them mental health issues in part of falling into the traps of MJ
mania in 2025.

Pundits like Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless, Rob Parker, all the
originators who walked on eggshells for MJ still fear the man, myth and
legend. They rode the waves of Kobe Bryant's career post Jordan
retirement and made even more millions. James was in the shadows
early and slowly crept out. It was the same media who likely huddled up,
mapped out their scheme to diminish James' career to say "James may
wear number twenty-three, but he's not THE TWENTY-THREE."

It's amazing how one all-time great player and living legendary player
are compared. You have to love today's coverage of the NBA right?
When it's all said and done, where will the money roll in? James isn't
going to play much longer and the next player they'll bum rush will push
back against them and cause strife. James has played cool, calm, and
collected; but in recent memory, he's going to protect his family
regardless.

This is the same media who'll use biased tactics to report and write
columns. All for a few millions of dollars and clicks for likes. I've always
said: "there's not enough money in the world to push agendas and false
narratives." What the NBA media fails to realize is players have
humanistic emotions just like anyone else. Once you start falsifying
information about their career and personal life, a line and trust has
been broken.

Would you had dared to say anything negative about MJ? Likely not
because he'd use it against you as motivation. As an unbiased MJ fan, it
irks me to see the "biased" fans throw James' career into the depths of
water without a lifejacket. They'll tell you "6-0" and that's it. Nothing pre
championship years or post Chicago Bulls because "Washington
Wizards didn't happen."

The same media who laughed and joked about James joining the Los
Angeles Lakers to build his media empire. No intentions of winning a
title... But oh how the biggest joke was 2020 when he actually led the
Lakers to winning it all during a pandemic. It's the same ones who never
uttered MJ's Wizards competing for a championship. Never heard a
single word at age thirty eight and MJ competing for more titles.

You see how that worked? If you didn't... I'm not explaining anything
else, you see the trend right? This is NBA media multiple years later and
they're still romanticizing about the nostalgia of Michael Jordan. Yes, we
admire and appreciate what he accomplished in fifteen seasons. Let's
enjoy what's left of LeBron James' legendary career because once he
retires, the media won't have any superstar player to bash unless
another meeting is held by "the gatekeepers."