Let’s state it plain: I am an NBA Casual.
That’s not something most folks, at least online, would readily admit. Because even though my fandom is casual, on most days I’m deeply engrossed in NBA Twitter. And being called a “Casual” on NBA Twitter is an insult — it’s typically a shorthand method of saying a person’s opinion is awful and the sort of thing a non-devoted fan would think.
Still, it’s hard to argue I’m anything but a Casual. If I’m able to watch two games per week, that’s a good week. And yet, I love the NBA. Yes, that’s a little weird. In the past, loving the NBA meant devoting hours upon hours of time watching games. You’d watch a game on your TV while streaming others on your laptop. But the NBA’s appeal has increasingly become less about what’s on the court, and more about the fan experience online. It’s a league devoted to personalities, transaction rumors, online communities, and yes, of course, actual games.
In some ways, I can be a Casual, because I’m already online most of the time, thanks to my job. I cover digital culture here at Mashable and check Twitter an approximate 9,000 times per day — and I follow the NBA through Twitter, where a large portion of my follows are devoted to NBA people. So even by osmosis, I learn a ton about the NBA. And I listen to NBA podcasts. I read NBA articles. When there’s a particularly good game on TV, I watch it. But I never feel the need to watch a game, even if it’s one involving my favorite team, the Philadelphia 76ers. I get my NBA fix through a mix of things rather than just watching games.
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Also, I work a pretty typical schedule, which means most weekdays I have, what, four to five waking hours per day to myself? I have a partner who will watch with me but isn’t a huge fan. Every NBA game is aired during time we spend together, unless I really wait up for the 10 p.m. ET tip-off for West Coast games, when my partner is typically asleep.
There’s competition for my interest, too: I want to keep up with reality TV, and prestige dramas, and, hell, maybe go see a show, or take a walk, or get some dinner at a restaurant. I watch the NBA when it’s convenient for me, not out of some duty to be a Real Fan.
Following the NBA through Twitter, podcasts, and articles has never been more convenient. I mean, duh, there’s more just…stuff about the NBA out there than ever. Players themselves are constantly posting online.
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I can keep abreast with the league — who’s been traded where, which players have beef, the standings, the scores, the best plays — without ever flicking on TNT or paying for a League Pass subscription. It’s not so much that I’m Casual by intention, it’s just that it’s never been easier to be a Casual.
Now, do I have some NBA opinions that would lead people to call me a Casual? Sure. Philly’s Joel Embiid is my MVP because he kicks ass, I watch more Sixers games than those of any other team, and because…he kicks ass, and your Nikola Jokic analytics argument simply doesn’t interest me. You can tell me all the stats you want about Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert — screen assists, RAPTOR, whatever — I’m still going to think he’s fraudulent. I’m still kind of scared of the Lakers because they have LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Sure I know the team has proven it’s trash time and again, but those are two big names my Casual brain fears. Yes, a fan who watches every game, who reads every detailed article, who simply knows more, could prove me wrong. But I’m totally fine just knowing LeBron James is really good, and it makes me scared of their team a little.
I know I’m a Casual. But I spend so much time with the NBA that doesn’t involve watching games that I feel like I’m informed in my opinions. Sure, I don’t break down the tape of games, or even watch every night, but I do get a lot of info about the NBA in my life.
I love the NBA, and I love the Philadelphia 76ers specifically, but I love them on my terms.
Being this kind of fan works for me. I follow funny, smart people online who make me laugh and learn about the league. I listen to podcasts for the bigger picture. I read stories that interest me. I see every big highlight. And, when I have the time, I watch entertaining games.
Funnily enough, I even hear NBA podcasters moan about people who don’t watch enough games. But it’s not my job to watch a ton of games; it’s the podcasters’ job. I don’t feel the need to watch the Detroit Pistons play on a Monday. So sorry, but Summer House airs that day and it’s wildly better than some slog of a meaningless NBA game. I love the NBA, and I love the Philadelphia 76ers specifically, but I love them on my terms.
So if you see me sharing NBA opinions on Twitter, you can call me a Casual. I’ll admit you’re right…but then again, that doesn’t mean I’ll admit I’m wrong.
