Great piece Dominic. This is unfortunately baked into reality, and a big part of it in the NBA specifically is how the racial dynamic of the Magic/Bird rivalry embedded a sort of stereotype-based tension in the NBA.
The league has been chasing a rivalry of that magnitude since, and the social dynamics of the 1980s are what made that now-taboo comparison of a blue-collar white star and flashy black star popular. The issue is that decades later, we still see those stereotypes applied to players in a landscape that has moved on from those notions ages ago, and it's truly unfair and disrespectful to modern talents and their identities.
That 80s era with Magic and Bird was the "perfect storm" for these narratives, the media sold that rivalry using those exact archetypes, and the league’s success ever since is almost a double-edged sword. Like you said, we’re still chasing that high, but we’re using an outdated map to find it. It’s definitely time we let modern talents define themselves without the 40-year-old baggage. Thank you so much for the deep dive and for reading!
OH I LOVE THIS! I’ve been reading into how we labelled black and white players and our phrasing does truly matter. It paints images that we may not intentionally mean but still leaves damage
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! You’re spot on, the phrasing is so subtle that it almost feels "natural" until you actually stop and look at the words. It’s those "unintentional" images that end up doing the most work in shaping a player's career before it even starts.
Always appreciate your support, thank you for reading and commenting! 🫡
Great piece Dominic. This is unfortunately baked into reality, and a big part of it in the NBA specifically is how the racial dynamic of the Magic/Bird rivalry embedded a sort of stereotype-based tension in the NBA.
The league has been chasing a rivalry of that magnitude since, and the social dynamics of the 1980s are what made that now-taboo comparison of a blue-collar white star and flashy black star popular. The issue is that decades later, we still see those stereotypes applied to players in a landscape that has moved on from those notions ages ago, and it's truly unfair and disrespectful to modern talents and their identities.
That 80s era with Magic and Bird was the "perfect storm" for these narratives, the media sold that rivalry using those exact archetypes, and the league’s success ever since is almost a double-edged sword. Like you said, we’re still chasing that high, but we’re using an outdated map to find it. It’s definitely time we let modern talents define themselves without the 40-year-old baggage. Thank you so much for the deep dive and for reading!
OH I LOVE THIS! I’ve been reading into how we labelled black and white players and our phrasing does truly matter. It paints images that we may not intentionally mean but still leaves damage
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! You’re spot on, the phrasing is so subtle that it almost feels "natural" until you actually stop and look at the words. It’s those "unintentional" images that end up doing the most work in shaping a player's career before it even starts.
Always appreciate your support, thank you for reading and commenting! 🫡