Breadth

My experience as an NBA enthusiast, as captured in this interview, exemplifies richness in communication knowledge through the incorporation of personal experience, cultural critique, and media dynamics. I believe that my switch from soccer to basketball is evidence of how media and cultural exposure affect personal interest a key principle of audience studies. In Canada, where soccer reigns supreme among youth sports, I was attracted to the uniqueness of basketball. To me, this shift highlights the way specialized media programming (e.g., NBA games) can redefine personal taste and cultural participation, even in settings with a majority of other norms.

To be a Golden State Warriors fan is not just about their wins, but about the way their team culture is made meaningful through narratives in the media. I think that their story as a “family” has power because sports media creates teams as micro-societies and makes an emotional connection with fans. This expands on social relationship theories and brand loyalty, where media narratives make a connection that transcends geography or logic.

To like Stephen Curry is greater than his three pointers. His on court brilliance and off-court humility represent the process through which athletes are made into cultural icons through the media. My argument is that Curry’s mediascape (commercials, social media, docu-series) humanizes him and makes him relatable yet reflects magnified power. The tension fascinates me because it blends sport communication and celebrity studies.

My own habits of viewing highlights on mobiles, live games on TV reflect broader shifts in media use. I see this as part of the fragmentation of the digital era: the viewer wants convenience and instantaneity, changing the production and dissemination of sports content. But I also miss the shared experience of watching games live, which underlines the conflict between virtual participation and bodily presence in modern fandom.

Lastly, examining the NBA’s engagement with social issues such as gender equality and racial justice enabled me to bridge sports media and activism. The league’s outspoken advocacy for the WNBA and movements such as Black Lives Matter illustrates how sports platforms give voice to marginalized communities. But I wonder if these actions are performative or transformative a question at the heart of media ethics. By the critique of both successes and failures, I am working with cross disciplinary concepts: media’s capacity to influence public opinion, and duty to create genuine change.