When it comes to sports leagues in North America, there is no denying that the NBA is the most dramatic. In any given week, we can see half a dozen storylines that would absolutely dominate any other league. That said, these storylines can largely be guided by the influence of the NBA media.
If the media doesn't like a certain player, their story will get amplified, and it snowballs into an out-of-control mess. One would just have to look at the Kyrie Irving situation to know what we're talking about. Some believe the media is doing too much these days, including Nick Young, who said "the media is killing the NBA."
While this might be a harsh statement, he had an interesting example to back up his hypothesis. Young mentioned Russell Westbrook, who everyone has been piling on as of late. In Young's estimation, it is the media's power that has ultimately led to Russ coming off of the bench.
With everyone writing think pieces about how bad Russ is, Young thinks it may have persuaded the Lakers staff to change up the lineup. The former NBA star even mentioned weaker players on the team and how they are getting more playing time than someone who is a legend.
"To show you how much power the media has, Russ is coming off the bench for Pat bev ,walker and reaves … on any other team they would be 10th man or g league," Young explained.
The Lakers and Russell Westbrook haven't been the best fit, however, there is no denying the fact that the media has been especially harsh on Russ over the last few months. While the media will very obviously disagree with Young here, NBA fans will likely agree.
Media narratives are never going away, and if ESPN and FS1 can turn something into a hot topic, they are going to do it. That is the nature of news, and unfortunately for Young, that will simply always be the case.
