Basketball fans are souring on the NBA’s support of teams and players bringing politics onto the court,
tossing an assist to President Donald Trump in his attacks on the league.
“People are tired of watching the highly political @NBA. Basketball ratings are WAY down,
and they won’t be coming back.
I hope football and baseball are watching and learning because the same thing will be happening to them.
Stand tall for our Country and our Flag!!!” Trump tweeted to his 86 million followers yesterday.
A new Harris Poll backs Trump’s critique of the NBA, with 39% of sports fans saying they are watching fewer games. And the chief reason why? Politics.
The longtime polling agency surveyed nearly 2,000 people over the weekend and gave people ten options to choose from on why they are watching less basketball.
“The league has become too political” was the clear choice for the decline, with 38% of respondents.
“Boring without fans” captured 28% of the vote while the NBA’s association
with China caused 19% of sports fans to turn the dial,
another nod to a league Trump labeled a “political organization” last week after players boycotted games in response to a police officer shooting Jacob Blake seven times in the back in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“While the data shows the league’s political leanings will undoubtedly cause some not to watch,
the NBA is balancing the issue of racial injustice,
supporting its players
and completing a successful finish to the season,”
says John Gerzema, the Harris Poll CEO.
“The basketball bubble has kept the league immune from cases of (Covid) infection but not immune from the impact politics can have on ratings and public sentiment.”
Trump and the NBA’s star players have been at odds since he took office in 2017. It’s a tradition for teams that win championships to visit the White House, but the Golden State Warriors, who won the 2017 NBA Finals, followed the lead of their star Stephen Curry and refused to visit.
Read the full story at Forbes.
tossing an assist to President Donald Trump in his attacks on the league.
“People are tired of watching the highly political @NBA. Basketball ratings are WAY down,
and they won’t be coming back.
I hope football and baseball are watching and learning because the same thing will be happening to them.
Stand tall for our Country and our Flag!!!” Trump tweeted to his 86 million followers yesterday.
A new Harris Poll backs Trump’s critique of the NBA, with 39% of sports fans saying they are watching fewer games. And the chief reason why? Politics.
The longtime polling agency surveyed nearly 2,000 people over the weekend and gave people ten options to choose from on why they are watching less basketball.
“The league has become too political” was the clear choice for the decline, with 38% of respondents.
“Boring without fans” captured 28% of the vote while the NBA’s association
with China caused 19% of sports fans to turn the dial,
another nod to a league Trump labeled a “political organization” last week after players boycotted games in response to a police officer shooting Jacob Blake seven times in the back in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“While the data shows the league’s political leanings will undoubtedly cause some not to watch,
the NBA is balancing the issue of racial injustice,
supporting its players
and completing a successful finish to the season,”
says John Gerzema, the Harris Poll CEO.
“The basketball bubble has kept the league immune from cases of (Covid) infection but not immune from the impact politics can have on ratings and public sentiment.”
Trump and the NBA’s star players have been at odds since he took office in 2017. It’s a tradition for teams that win championships to visit the White House, but the Golden State Warriors, who won the 2017 NBA Finals, followed the lead of their star Stephen Curry and refused to visit.
Read the full story at Forbes.