NBA Image 'Rich' in Hip-Hop
By Marc J. Spears, AOL BlackVoices columnist
DENVER – As a mass exodus of confused fans rushed to the concession stands during halftime of the 2005 NBA All-Star game, I passed a man wearing a cowboy hat while heading off the Pepsi Center floor.
"Are you Big or Rich?" I jokingly asked.
"I’m Rich," said Rich, of the country music group Big & Rich.
The courtside seats at the recent All-Star game included such hip-hop stars as Jay-Z, P.Diddy, Jermaine Dupri, Nelly and T.I. As the All-Stars ran up and down the floor, instrumental rap music blared from the speakers. The stands were filled with fans wearing hip-hop gear and baseball caps tilted to the side.
So with that in mind, why did Big & Rich and other surprising performers take the stage at the NBA All-Star game on Feb. 20 instead of some of the hip-hop stars sitting courtside? It seems like the NBA, for at least that moment, wanted to distance itself from the rap world.
"(NBA commissioner David) Stern loves the hip-hop factor. He just doesn't want it to get out of control. Because it can go too far," Dupri told The Denver Post.
All this may stem back to the Nov. 19 game between the host Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers. One of the worst incidents in sports history took place at the end of that game when Pacers players fought with Pistons fans. Pacers forward Ron Artest was suspended for the whole season while teammates Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O’Neal were slapped with lengthy suspensions as well.
Considering other off the court drama, including Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault case, several problems for Carmelo Anthony and Latrell Sprewell’s widely publicized statement that millions weren’t enough to feed his family incidents, the last thing the NBA needed was something else to darken an already black eye. But the fight in Detroit made it much worse.
While the NBA is predominately comprised of African-American players, its corporate sponsors and season-ticket holders are predominately white and middle-to-upper class. In order to keep from scaring them away, the power people had to be convinced that everything was OK in the NBA.
In other words, they needed to know the NBA wasn’t getting too ghetto.
That’s what brings us back to the All-Star game. Stern described it as the NBA’s "Super Bowl." This year the whole world was supposed to be watching Denver.
During the 2004 NBA All-Star game in Los Angeles, a rap group that has crossed color lines, OutKast, performed during pre-game introductions and received rave reviews. Also, numerous NBA All-Stars stayed on the bench during halftime to watch the show but it wasn’t to see old-school soul singer Michael McDonald. Rather, Jay-Z’s girlfriend, Beyoncé, sang songs from her debut album.
But after all the drama from the off-season last year and Detroit, it seemed like the NBA got more than a little cautious when back on the worldwide stage this year. Granted, Destiny’s Child, performed during the introductions but other than that, the All-Star game’s entertainment seemed more like the Country Music Awards. Some Denverites, anxious to shed the city’s cow-town image, were offended.
First, some little-known singer named Toby Lightman sang “Rocky Mountain High.” Then Big & Rich sang "Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)" while joined by their horse at halftime. Country star LeAnn Rimes performed as well.
Somewhere, Paul McCartney, who was deemed by many to be boring at the 2005 Super Bowl halftime show, yawned.
Considering the NBA’s drama and financial backers, it’s understandable why it may want to distance itself from rap culture. Many rap lyrics contain references to violence, drugs, sex and are peppered with vulgar words.But no matter who performs at halftime, the NBA can’t turn its back on hip-hop because of its players. From Allen Iverson’s tattoos, to Anthony’s corn rows to rappers like Nelly and Jay-Z who are part-owners of teams, the NBA is married to hip-hop whether it likes it or not. Even at the NBA Legends Brunch on Feb. 20, comedian/actor Cedric the Entertainer joked that Stern should try to gain more street cred by wearing a medallion with "Commish" on it and getting some diamond earrings.
Let’s not forget that young white kids purchase the majority of rap music. The NBA doesn’t and shouldn’t represent the gangsta in rap to be cool. But by turning its back on hip-hop, it also might be turning off the future CEOs, sponsors and season ticket-holders with billions of dollars to spend.
"The players love rap music, and we love them. They are role models and idols to us," rapper Fat Joe said. "A lot of these guys come from where we come from... It's almost like basketball is hip-hop, too."
About the Author
Marc J. Spears is a regular contributor to AOL BlackVoices and is an NBA writer and columnist for The Denver Post. His column appears every other Tuesday.