Everyone in sports is talking about the ongoing feud between ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James. Even NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
In a press conference following a league Board of Governors meeting, Silver was asked about the latest chapter in the beef, which included a long interview with James on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday followed by nearly an entire episode of First Take on Thursday in which Smith and Co. responded.
Silver took the middle ground, telling reporters that personal gossip is “part of the DNA of the league,” which comes with pros and cons.
“We’re a particular sport in which that kind of debate seems to be part of the DNA of this league,” Silver said.
“And I’m jealous, sometimes it seems that other sports that I’m a fan of, and when I watch the coverage, particularly around the games, it seems to be more celebratory often than it is in the NBA. And I accept it. I mean, we’re often the beneficiary too. There’s seemingly as much social media interest in this league, at times, than all the other leagues combined. Sometimes it’s measured in column inches and it’s wonderful to see so much interest in our sport. Other times, I cringe at a lot of the coverage. I would say in terms of that back and forth … I of course would like the focus to be on the play on the floor. And I feel particularly protective of our players, of course.”
Over the past half-decade as NBA viewership has slumped and the league has ceded more ground to the NFL, many have contrasted Silver’s passive response to the devolving on-air coverage of the league to his predecessor’s approach. Under the late David Stern, the NBA dictated how it was fed to fans. A micro-manager to the max, Stern is credited with pioneering the camera angles used in NBA broadcasts, the league’s once-strict dress code, and the staffing at networks like NBC.
So to hear Silver refuse to criticize Smith (and James, for that matter) for their messy back-and-forth will come as a disappointment to those who wanted the commissioner to nip the nonsense in the bud.
Still, Silver did say that even if the off-court antics are part of the game, he wants NBA coverage to remain largely positive.
“I sure wish it would never become personal,” the commissioner added.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.