The Surrogates: Spouses, Social Media And The Waning Control of the NBA

Spousal engagement on social media spells a looming end to the ironclad control the NBA once enjoyed over players.

Protect the brand.

It is the mantra of all corporations, large and small. In this era of required social media presence, massaging and maintaining a brand is a 24/7 job. It is no less stressful for the commissioners of any major professional sports league.

This year’s NBA playoffs included a strange turn of events, the most glaring of which are questionable officiating and the lack of embrace of the Last Two-Minute (L2M) report that was made public this season by the league.

Players and coaches have expressed their displeasure with both, knowing that they would receive league-mandated, five-figure fines for publicly criticizing game officials.

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More pushback came from interesting sources, as the playoffs also saw the rise of the NBA spouse as call-out surrogate.

Instead of relying on owners or coaches to look out for them in a sport where loyalty is in decreasing supply, players are relying on their spouses to apply the pressure that they often can’t–a move made simpler by the social media presence of the NBA, NBA referees and various news outlets (including popular blogs and reporters themselves).

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In the time it takes to click “Follow”, anyone on social media can gain access to league-associated accounts, which are public. These spouses are no exception.

The referee brouhaha during the playoffs was memorable not for the calls missed, but for the attention drawn to the issue by basketball wives.

The Twitterverse buzzed when three social media darlings took to their keyboards to voice their displeasure in not only the officiating, but also player management.

Gabrielle Union is a staunch social media defender of her husband, Miami Heat guard and franchise face Dwyane Wade.

She gave one of the more entertaining Twitter rants during Game 5 of the first round against the Charlotte Hornets and in the aftermath of the upheld no-foul call on Wade:

More hijinks ensued when the Empire clapped back:

Adrienne Bosh, wife of Heat center Chris Bosh, took to social media to lobby for her husband’s return to the court after another bout of blood clots–and the Heat’s defensive struggles during the playoffs.

Most recently Ayesha Curry–wife of Golden State Warriors guard and league MVP Stephen Curry–decided to join the player wife social media spree, although with less successful results (she blamed the outbursts on resultant stress from her father’s alleged racial profiling and near-arrest by Quicken Loans Arena security personnel).

Usually, players’ wives tend to keep out of the spotlight (Union is one of the handful of wives whose careers are in the highly visible entertainment industry and thus exceptions to this unspoken rule).

The players who dare to speak their minds do so with the full understanding that their pockets will be lighter within the next day or so following an outburst, as the league frowns upon public criticism of it in any way.

Enter the spouses.

Much as the Vice President of the United States plays the surrogate mouthpiece for the President–saying the things the President often cannot, for political reasons–the players’ spouses can speak on issues that may bother their spouses, and do so without fear of league reprisal. Players can be fined for complaining. Wives cannot.

Sometimes the pressure works. Sometimes it doesn’t. What does work is more focused attention to issues and events that the league may prefer the public to move past.

It’s not uncommon for family and friends to make their views known on social media. Mary Babers-Green, mother of the Warriors’ Draymond Green, has an established media presence in which she doesn’t hold back regarding any perceived slights to her son.

Sydel Curry, sister of Stephen Curry and Seth Curry (who played for the Sacramento Kings this past season but will become a free agent on July 1), is not afraid to dust it up online with fans who come sideways at her kin–both on and off the court.

https://twitter.com/sydelcurry/status/711366052567887874?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Commentary regarding insults to family is one thing; commentary about league operations is a different matter.

The punitive system regarding public commentary on league issues is meant to discourage such vocalism, as it will undermine the integrity of the league, both operations-wise and image-wise.

And, as NBA commissioner Adam Silver has emphatically stated to Ramona Shelburne and Rachel Nichols of ESPN’s TMI, he is all about the integrity of the league.

But the league can’t control everything, and they especially can’t control the players’ wives and families–who are not under contract to the league, and thus are not directly governed by its rules.

Thanks to social media, it’s becoming more and more difficult for the league to keep the brand ding-free–which usually comes down to control over the players.

The court of public opinion can be very persuasive–and polarizing. The advent of social media and its increasing usage adds an extra wrinkle to management of a league image that has taken multiple hits during this playoff season.

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The last time the league felt the players slipping out of control, it instituted the

infamous dress code

under Stern’s watch. What can be done this time around to stem public criticism from spouses and family members on social media?

With  a potential opt-out of the Collective Bargaining Agreement looming, this may not be a fight in which the league wishes to engage–not when there are more pressing matters on the table, including the chance of a lockout if talks go south.

In an era where the average player’s product endorsements pay more annually than the NBA ever will–even with the forthcoming $94 million salary cap hike–money is not an issue. Ditto with increased player power within organizations (*ahem* LeBron James).

The league’s two primary weapons–money and power–are no longer as effective as they once were. That lack of leverage puts the league in an unenviable position moving forward.

The players play for the love of the game, and most are loyal to those who are loyal to them. It means a lot to have spouses and family fighting for them in situations where it’s hard to fight for themselves.

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As long as social media reigns (and the league continues to mess up), expect more of the same.