The NBA is going through a bit of a rebranding, with the addition of a new award sparking much debate. To the already well-known awards for Most Valuable Player (now known as the Michael Jordan Award), Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year or Sixth Man of the Year, the Clutch Player of the Year has been added, which pays tribute to legendary Lakers player Jerry West, the “Logo”.
It’s caught many people by surprise. The NBA has barely made any reference to what the requirements for winning the trophy will be, which has triggered speculation. Usually the last five minutes of games that are tied are referred to as “clutch time”, but what exactly is a “clutch” player? Since there is no clear definition, but more so a concept, it is not surprising that this new award is going to generate some debate.
Should the player who has scored the most game-winning baskets win the award, or should the player who has had the best numbers in “clutch time” win it? The NBA has left the door open to these and other interpretations. If every year there are discussions about who should be the MVP, the rookie of the year or the best starting five, this time Adam Silver seems to have added more wood to the fire. Rather than a clumsy rollout, the announcement is nothing more than a strategy to create more interest in the league.
NBA and social media, an alternative growth model
The world’s largest basketball league has found a real home on social media, which has completely changed the concept of growth through the Internet. In the USA, the NFL is still the most watched sport, but the NBA is sweeping the Internet, especially among young audiences. In 2021, the term “NBA” was the most searched term on Google in the United States and the fourth most searched term in the world.
Paradoxically, NBA audiences aren’t increasing. It’s true that figures for the 2021/22 season surpassed those of the 2020/21 season, but the league doesn’t base its growth on them. It no longer matters that people watch games, but that people talk about the NBA.
It’s ultimately everything the NBA is about, everything that is generated around the game itself. Because while the number of viewers is holding steady, Internet users watching NBA content on the Internet is skyrocketing. That happens exponentially every Draft night, free agency, every controversy, with the NBA’s star tweets (Joel Embiid, Shaquille O’Neal…), with every video clip of every night’s big plays, or the most disastrous misses, it’s hundreds of thousands of interactions on the Internet. In short, revenue. A business from which everyone eats.
So it is not surprising that this award does not have more purpose than adding fuel to the fire of social media.
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