"I've just been conditioned since I was 16, 15 years old... I've had to fight for my privacy" - former NBA champion talks about the responsibilities of a being a superstar
In today's social media age, potential NBA stars spend almost all their time in the spotlight. All it takes is one clip on Twitter or Instagram to go viral for a prospect's whole life to change.
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is a prime example. His name has been thrown around the basketball community since he was about 15 years old because of social media.
Zion’s high school dunks are still WILD. https://t.co/QCuQOeuGVQ
While it can be a beneficial tool for prospects on the rise, there is also another side to that coin. All of that internet attention comes at the price of sacrificing privacy.
Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving recently spoke of this dilemma on Kevin Durant's podcast, 'The ETCs.' Similar to Zion, he too caught a big following on social media during his rise to being the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
"I've just been conditioned since I was 16, 15 years old that this is the life that you're entering. ... I've had to fight for my privacy," Irving said.
As we know, Irving's off-the-court life has been one of the biggest NBA stories this season. Due to his vaccination stance, he was a part-time player who could only take the floor in road games for three months after two months of not playing at all.
NBA superstars facing a different battle today
Stars of today are constantly compared to previous decades, but there is no denying that the NBA's current generation fights a much different battle.
Superstars of the past were in the limelight as well, but not to this degree. Players would have to deal with the media and fans, but current NBA stars have to deal with the whole world in a sense.
Because of the internet and social media, everyone is connected like never before. More importantly, pro athletes are more reachable.
If a fan wanted to say something to their favorite player, all they'd have to do is send them a message on Instagram or tag them in a tweet on Twitter. While this can create some nice moments between players and fans, it also creates a space for negativity and hurtful things to be said.
Like Irving mentioned, this life began for him at 16. Growing up is hard enough, let alone with phones and people always in one's life.
Jusuf Nurkic is reportedly being sued after grabbing a fan's phone and throwing it during the Blazers-Pacers game on March 20th.
The fan reportedly called Nurkic's mother, 'trash,' and his grandmother, 'b***h,' but he denied doing saying that.
https://t.co/yboKUzVcL1
Irving brought up a great point of being a star in today's time. While it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity most would love, it still comes at a price. No matter the profession, a person should not have to battle for their privacy when needed.