The NBA is now the MLB - and that is okay.

Simmons, and other NBA media folks, seem to be making all the same arguments that baseball writers and producers were making in the early 2010s. In the face of a rapidly changing media landscape, and plummeting cultural relevancy, MLB opinion leaders began banging their fists about "marketing the stars better" and "the game is better, because of analytics!" and "if you don't get it, then you're just wrong."

This initial period of denial lasted for almost a decade. Now, in 2024, I feel that baseball has landed comfortably in its place of "people like their favorite teams and only watch the playoffs."

The NBA media folks are literally making the exact same arguments today. It is staggering to me that someone like Simmons, who is obviously an expert on american media, and has been ahead of so many cultural trends, does not see this.

"Marketing SGA better" is not the answer. The earth shifted beneath your feet. Media and culture are fundamentally different than even 10 years ago. You are baseball now. Thats okay.