Rush

The NBA is really having a moment right now — and not in a good way. Took down the box score clips Copyright claims on **some**accounts that share clips — which no understanding of whether those accounts were hit first, or did something specific to get flagged. Essentially, they’re attacking the same group of fans that provide free promotion for the sport — without replacing that volume of posting on their own league-wide socials. Just LAST YEAR Adam Silver said the league was a highlights-based sport. Now, the league is killing those highlights out of the blue. No warning. No explanation. Clips have been essential to social media discourse about the NBA. From fans debating, to up-and-coming analysts breaking down footage or sharing highlights edits. It’s part of the online ecosystem around the league. Attacking those fans, who help grow the sport, the interest around it, and keep discussions flowing 24/7, is a bizarre move. I get the league owns the rights to its footage. However, changing stance like this, with no prior warning, is a sure fire way to alienate large sections of the online fanbase - across all teams. It lowers the NBAs overall reach. It waters down social media discourse around the league, and it hamstrings creators. So many people working in NBA roles today came from posting and breaking down clips online. They got hired as scouts. Film room guys. Some even went into lower-level front office roles. Not only is the NBA hurting its standing with the fans, it’s essentially cutting off a talent pipeline teams have been using for years at this point. I totally get that the logical next step is for the league to create a paid system where you access clips for a set monthly/yearly fee, but that system will be inherently flawed. The league only wants to promote its stars. It will control what clips you have access to. In turn, creators will be beholden to making content around league-approved moments — again watering down the discourse and experience. From the outside looking in, the league is trying to fix something that wasn’t broken, and in doing so, is creating disconnect with a huge - and still growing - section of its fanbase. Really bad decision from the league here, and one they can walk back at any point.