About 10 years ago I remember hearing many older people who use to watch the NBA in the 80's & 90's complain about how there is too much money in today's game and how commercialism has taken over basketball. At that time I was 14 and couldn't really comprehend what was being said and apply it to the things that I was seeing on TV. I was already part of the target market that was unconciously being affected by the commercials and indirect advertisements during the games. Now that I am older and have a much better understanding, I see that what was just the beginning of an issue back then is like a disease in today's game. Although it takes away from the game it also allows branding and marketing opportunities for today's athletes getting paid amounts of money that we have never seen before. So with the power of branding oneself it allows these athletes to become self-sufficient and make business decisions for their careers in a business environment rather than being just another pawn. I think there is a thin line though. I believe that many athletes today are worrying about branding themselves and getting endorsement deals as their priority over being the best player they can be. This year Lebron has released news about a cartoon coming out, his Nike "Rise" commercial where he addresses many nay-sayers and now children's furniture. The question is when does Lebron have all the time to do these things and is it taking away from his first priority, an NBA Championship?
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