Top 5 Reasons Fans are Leaving the NBA

[Eja117]

The NBA is to wrapped up in the hip hop culture.  (I am talking about marketing, not what the players enjoy listening to)



There is nothing wrong with the hip hop culture. 



But they need to be more diverse just like their fan base is diverse.

I think I mildly disagree with some of this statement, but I see it as sort of a broad category that goes more in the current events area.

Suffice it to say I occasionally find that it appears to me that the NBA has more "cultural" problems of a more serious nature than the other sports.

[wdleehi]

The NBA is to wrapped up in the hip hop culture.  (I am talking about marketing, not what the players enjoy listening to)



There is nothing wrong with the hip hop culture. 



But they need to be more diverse just like their fan base is diverse.

I think I mildly disagree with some of this statement, but I see it as sort of a broad category that goes more in the current events area.

Suffice it to say I occasionally find that it appears to me that the NBA has more "cultural" problems of a more serious nature than the other sports.

Look at the other main sports.  They market through the different "music cultures" instead of just a single one. 

NBA seems to market to a smaller market by marketing mainly through the "hip hop" culture. 

I know their are plenty of basketball fans out there that do not like hip hop.  Why not market towards them as well?

[Eja117]

The NBA is to wrapped up in the hip hop culture.  (I am talking about marketing, not what the players enjoy listening to)



There is nothing wrong with the hip hop culture. 



But they need to be more diverse just like their fan base is diverse.

I think I mildly disagree with some of this statement, but I see it as sort of a broad category that goes more in the current events area.

Suffice it to say I occasionally find that it appears to me that the NBA has more "cultural" problems of a more serious nature than the other sports.

Look at the other main sports.  They market through the different "music cultures" instead of just a single one. 

NBA seems to market to a smaller market by marketing mainly through the "hip hop" culture. 

I know their are plenty of basketball fans out there that do not like hip hop.  Why not market towards them as well?

Marketing is a little different.  I'm not sure what music hockey market's through.

In football I look at the way some country bands (Most notably the guy with a cowboy hat that yells "Are you ready for some footballllll") get involved. I also look at whoever is doing the half time show.

I assume NASCAR gets some country guys involved.

I don't associate baseball with music at all except the music they play at parks like New York New York at Yankee Stadium and The Standells and Sweet Caroline at Fenway.

I'm not sure how effective it would be to try to use country to market the NBA. I'm not sure how many players would strike me that way. I guess they could try jazz in NO. Maybe some bluegrass or something. 

Actually I took more issue with "There is nothing wrong with hip hop culture"

Lots of cultures have things right and wrong about it. I can't say if it's been more good or bad for the NBA.  I guess inner city culture is very strong right now in the league and that brings everything good and bad with it

[wdleehi]

The NBA is to wrapped up in the hip hop culture.  (I am talking about marketing, not what the players enjoy listening to)



There is nothing wrong with the hip hop culture. 



But they need to be more diverse just like their fan base is diverse.

I think I mildly disagree with some of this statement, but I see it as sort of a broad category that goes more in the current events area.

Suffice it to say I occasionally find that it appears to me that the NBA has more "cultural" problems of a more serious nature than the other sports.

Look at the other main sports.  They market through the different "music cultures" instead of just a single one. 

NBA seems to market to a smaller market by marketing mainly through the "hip hop" culture. 

I know their are plenty of basketball fans out there that do not like hip hop.  Why not market towards them as well?

Marketing is a little different.  I'm not sure what music hockey market's through.

In football I look at the way some country bands (Most notably the guy with a cowboy hat that yells "Are you ready for some footballllll") get involved. I also look at whoever is doing the half time show.

I assume NASCAR gets some country guys involved.

I don't associate baseball with music at all except the music they play at parks like New York New York at Yankee Stadium and The Standells and Sweet Caroline at Fenway.

I'm not sure how effective it would be to try to use country to market the NBA. I'm not sure how many players would strike me that way. I guess they could try jazz in NO. Maybe some bluegrass or something. 

Actually I took more issue with "There is nothing wrong with hip hop culture"

Lots of cultures have things right and wrong about it. I can't say if it's been more good or bad for the NBA.  I guess inner city culture is very strong right now in the league and that brings everything good and bad with it

NFL also uses pop stars.  (heck, I remember when they used Emenem) 


All I am saying that it is overused.  There are fans out there that like other "music cultures".  The NBA is not using that to their advantage. 

[Eja117]

I definitely think right or wrong Stern is trying to get away from the hip hop image of the NBA.  

I think it's partly why guys like Chris Paul, Shaq, Lebron, and D Wade seem to get waaaayyy more love than AI, Melo, Sheed, etc

I think it's why he's gotten way more strict on some suspensions.

I think the dress code was directly aimed at inner city cultural values and that when the players wore tuxes they aimed directly back.

It wouldn't shock me in the future if certain leagues attempted various tatoo and haircut rules too

[Eja117]

The NBA is to wrapped up in the hip hop culture.  (I am talking about marketing, not what the players enjoy listening to)



There is nothing wrong with the hip hop culture. 



But they need to be more diverse just like their fan base is diverse.

I think I mildly disagree with some of this statement, but I see it as sort of a broad category that goes more in the current events area.

Suffice it to say I occasionally find that it appears to me that the NBA has more "cultural" problems of a more serious nature than the other sports.

Look at the other main sports.  They market through the different "music cultures" instead of just a single one. 

NBA seems to market to a smaller market by marketing mainly through the "hip hop" culture. 

I know their are plenty of basketball fans out there that do not like hip hop.  Why not market towards them as well?

Marketing is a little different.  I'm not sure what music hockey market's through.

In football I look at the way some country bands (Most notably the guy with a cowboy hat that yells "Are you ready for some footballllll") get involved. I also look at whoever is doing the half time show.

I assume NASCAR gets some country guys involved.

I don't associate baseball with music at all except the music they play at parks like New York New York at Yankee Stadium and The Standells and Sweet Caroline at Fenway.

I'm not sure how effective it would be to try to use country to market the NBA. I'm not sure how many players would strike me that way. I guess they could try jazz in NO. Maybe some bluegrass or something. 

Actually I took more issue with "There is nothing wrong with hip hop culture"

Lots of cultures have things right and wrong about it. I can't say if it's been more good or bad for the NBA.  I guess inner city culture is very strong right now in the league and that brings everything good and bad with it

NFL also uses pop stars.  (heck, I remember when they used Emenem) 


All I am saying that it is overused.  There are fans out there that like other "music cultures".  The NBA is not using that to their advantage. 

I guess I agree. What would you suggest?

[wdleehi]

I guess I agree. What would you suggest?

Just use a more diverse marketing plan.  Throw in a little more country.  A little more rock.  A little more classical. 



p.s.  I can not stand country music.

[wiley]

Agree with all of this.  They've treated N.B.A. fans like a focus group instead of a diverse body of people....

Do they think they'll lose young people or hip hop fans if they go for a broad tent?  They absolutely won't.  Young people and hip hop fans aren't nearly as one dimensional as they imagine...

[Eja117]

This is just me and it might be counter intuitive, but I don't think the hip hop community would have a problem getting behind white players or broader culture at all.

I don't think they had problems with Bird or Steve Nash. I don't think they liked, but I don't think they disliked Stockton

I think they embraced the whole White Chocolate thing

[ToppersBsktball10]

The NBA is to wrapped up in the hip hop culture.  (I am talking about marketing, not what the players enjoy listening to)



There is nothing wrong with the hip hop culture. 



But they need to be more diverse just like their fan base is diverse.

The marketing is more of a star marketing. Half the people that watch the games don't even care about the scores, they care about how many LeBron's going for. They've tried reaching out to Spanish fans and failed epically. Chinese fans only care about their players and Kobe because he does clinic's in China.
I'm a 14 year old, and all the kid's talk about the dunks and stuff. I don't care about that as much, but it's a sick thing to watch, but mainly the dunk is hyped in basketball. It'd be nice to hype some of the guys like Ray Allen and Joe Johnson etc and maybe get more viewers for those kind of players.

[ToppersBsktball10]

But the point is, they're mainly marketing towards my age group. Middle schoolers and high schoolers.

[wiley]

But the point is, they're mainly marketing towards my age group. Middle schoolers and high schoolers.

Feels that way at the games too...Haven't been in years...but I can tell it's the same through the t.v.

During the Thunder Bucks game in Milwaukuee I was struck by the amazing amount of sneaker noise...it sounded great (or am I thinking of the college game in Cancun...I think there were sneakers squeaking in both games).