NBA and Social Media Conduct

Recently, the NBA sent a memo about social media usage to every team in its league.  Among other things, the league wants to put an end to teams mocking or making fun of each other on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.  This surprisingly authentic memo was openly mocked and ridiculed by the media, teams in the NBA, and even teams in other leagues like the NHL.

While the NBA has every right to encourage the use of positive social media for the teams in the league, competition and passion are two of the many factors that draw viewers and fans to the sport. I follow a variety of team accounts (even for teams I don't cheer for) on social media because their posts are engaging and even humorous.  Light-hearted trash talking between social media coordinators is far from the most pressing issue facing the sport of professional basketball in this country, and the silliness of the NBA's memo is being seen through sarcastic tweets like the messages above.