23Casual NBA fandom is obsessed with aura, aesthetics and performative acts.
If you’re a talented player and you check these 4 boxes:
Casual fans will love you. They’ll label you as a “killer” and forgive or overlook all of your failures. They’ll even give you a “clutch” label even if the statistics don’t back that. You’ll be put on a pedestal and rated far higher than you deserve.
- Exudes natural swagger
- Has an aesthetically pleasing playing style
- Does performative tough guy shyt like constant scowling, trash talk, starting scuffles. Has “edge.”
- Plays a shyt ton of hero ball and loves to hunt for his shot in the closing minutes of games, especially the last shot.
Guys like Iverson, Kobe, Kyrie, Jimmy Butler and now Ant are all talented but highly overrated relative to their actual placing in history due to these exact factors.
The league is trying very hard to push Ant because they’re looking for their next American face and he checks all the right boxes, but if you’re really watching the games dude disappears constantly. Despite that he largely dodges criticism because he’s already developed that reputation for himself that casuals love.
These are the facts.
fukked up ankle
OKC are allowed hack
SGA/OKC get away with BS foul calls