Retired sharpshooter J.J. Redick has expressed strong opinions on the sanctity of the locker room, taking to Twitter to express his disagreement with the fact that everything seems to be written down these days. Redick referenced Colorado State football head coach Deion Sanders’ incredible praise for Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid, describing the fact that times are changing and it seems NBA players can’t prevent this change. Redick appears to have support from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James in this debate.
The Lakers star responded to the tweet on his Instagram Story, strongly agreeing with Redick that the locker room must be a sacred space between coaches and players.
“Can’t say it any better! “The truth! ! ! ” James wrote.
Considering that LeBron James attracts so much attention no matter what he does, it’s not surprising to see him consider the locker room a safe haven. The Lakers star’s choice of dinner spot or opinion of the color of the sky instantly becomes newsworthy, so it’s hard for him to find room to release. So it’s uncomfortable for the Kings to witness the media infiltrating the locker room and having unfettered access to the team’s unfiltered thoughts and unfiltered discussions that often get heated.
However, given the ubiquity of social media and smartphones equipped with 12-megapixel cameras, it will be difficult for James and JJ Redick to curb the growing demand for content. The internet is an attention-grabbing market; clicks and views can drive ad revenue, and attaching the names of famous figures like the Lakers star to stories is one of the surest ways to stand out in a content-saturated space.
There has to be a happy medium that members of the media and professional sports organizations can tap into to maintain some sanctity in the locker room. After all, easier access to compelling stories makes watching the NBA an engaging experience that generates huge profits for the league, so it’s not all bad in that respect. Maybe there needs to be better communication between locker room members and media members so they know what to film and what not to film.