Retirement Speeches & the Influence of NBA on the Nation’s Pop Culture

Name:
Professor’s Name:
Course:
Due Date:
Retirement Speeches and the Influence of NBA on the Nation’s Pop Culture
Basketball represents one of the most popular sports in the world. In the U.S., basketball competes against juggernauts like baseball and football, which happen to attract relatively larger audiences. The growth of the NBA continues to enhance the attraction of the sport in not only the U.S. but the world. Today, names like Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Giannis Antentokounmpo are among the most popular because of basketball. These players are considered among the best in the NBA and hence their connection to an audience beyond the United States’ borders. These players are quite powerful, and their opinions on issues happening in the U.S. and the world often invoke conversations around the issues. When some of these players speak, the world listens. LeBron James and other NBA players have been quite vocal about social issues in the U.S., for example, and this speaks to the NBA’s influence on society. Also, these players greatly influence aspects of fashion, music, movies, and social responsibility, further showcasing how the NBA continues to leave an imprint in different sectors. However, regardless of their influence, age often becomes the equalizer with regard to what NBA players can do in the world. Notable names like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Yao Ming had their careers cut short by father time. The players were good, and though fans may have wanted to see them continue playing, retirement was knocking. In their speeches, these players provide an avenue for the world to interact with basketball and perceive its global influence. While assessing the speeches of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Yao Ming, this paper seeks to explore how the legendary players interact with their audience through their speeches while also showcasing the influence of the NBA on the world.
Few people get a chance to give retirement speeches. When Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Yao Ming retired, they gave retirement speeches that reverberated around the world. These legends had given their all while in the NBA, and it was time for them to bid goodbye to the sport they loved and spent a significant part of their lives committed to. Their retirement speeches echoed or showcased how the NBA has morphed from a domestic sport to a global brand that champions more than sports. According to Hoffman, Batchelor, and Manning (2), the corporatization of the NBA and the influence that major companies like Nike and Adidas have in the sport have led to an increase in the sport’s brand. Today, people speak of shoes such as ‘the Jordans’ as well as ‘the Kobes,’ and this is a testament to the sport’s influence and growth. Hoffman, Batchelor, and Manning (2) also speak of the scrutiny that some NBA players are under, noting that “it is as if people intuitively understand the game’s place within the fabric of American society.” From their statement, there is no denying that the NBA, players, and even the journalists within the sport have become a part of a major movement driven by the sport of basketball.
The presence of players like Dirk Nowitzki and Yao Ming, and many other international players in the NBA speaks to the sport’s ability to attract talent from countries all over the world. Ming played for Houston and is considered one of the people in the NBA that helped enhance the sport’s image and increase its standing in countries like China and the entire Asian market. Ming is still considered a major avenue that led to a rise in basketball’s appeal in Asia. As indicated by Oates and Polumbaum (188) Ming’s introduction to the NBA was in line with the NBA’s strategies of promoting the sport of basketball through the use of individual personalities and the “recruitment and promotion of players born outside the United States.” Ming ended up becoming a major transnational commodity that showcased the reach of the NBA. During his retirement speech, Ming spoke of his love for Houston and how the club helped him to become a man. Ming proceeded to say that he felt like he would always be a Houstonian and that he would always be with the club. From the outside looking in, these could be seen as simple words that any retiring player could say. However, these words are deeper and paint the NBA as not only a sport but a place that induces real connections with people. Through his speech, Ming managed to affirm the NBA’s decision to seek international players and have them be an avenue to sell the sport to the world. According to Keeler and Nauright (204), an estimated 500 million viewers in China tuned in to watch Yao in his debut game. Such numbers were a clear confirmation t...