bodies, minds, race, sport

I had the chance to watch a lot of basketball over the break. Whether a blessing or a curse to my productivity, I've nonetheless started to process this reformed relationship with hoops. For the most part espn360.com has been a great find. In addition to offering access to live and replay action, during halftime the website offers special reports in an effort to get viewers to sit through x number of iterations of the same 15 second commercial. The reports are not all fluff, though. In particular, the "Outside the Lines" reports take up topics that are in the least provocative, and, when considered from a more critical perspective of raced bodies, downright intriguing. This particular episode reveals the individual saga of Kyle McAlerney and connects his trials to the declining numbers of white American players in the NBA. That is, white non-American players are classified in the data as international, a category whose numbers have since surpassed that of white Americans. Note that there is no separate category for players of African descent who are not American Born. Implicitly, then, the research offers a simultaneous denial and claim of a white/European diaspora, without acknowledging that people of African descent also constitute a diaspora.

Beyond that, though, there is no mention in the piece of racial (or national) representation in ownership or management. I don't have the facts at the ready, but two questions come to mind. Considering the NBA as a corporate whole, what percentage of people of African descent, as compared to American or international whites, actually earn some form of compensation (from residuals to a living wage or the like) from the corporation? Similarly, how does the money break down? I know there is more than occasional controversy over the pay players receive for their part in the whole institution. But if they can get those numbers, what to GMs make? Team Owners? Controllers of licensing agreements? Agents? I could go on. Considered from this perspective, the blackness on the court should draw more attention to the racial disparity in other aspects of the corporate entity. The fact is that there are only 450 roster spots. Even if black players held every single one of those jobs, they would still be a numerical minority in the NBA and related corporations. That said, Kyle might have better odds perusing a job in the front office.

Relatedly, I was forwarded this story. Seems that in order to be eligible to play in this league, players must be American born and have both parents be "of the Caucasian race." So only white and most likely male players will constitute all the players on the roster. Hmm. I wonder if there is room in the front office?