Fair Play in the Nba: a Modest Proposal

Fair Play in the NBA: A Modest Proposal As surprising as it may be to those who are not themselves fans of the National Basketball Association, Anglo-Americans are vastly outnumbered by other ethnicities. In fact, African-Americans hold a majority of positions, command higher average salaries, and receive more attention for their accomplishments in the media. Although there are a number of Anglo-Americans employed by the NBA, few ever manage to obtain equality in the field. For example, the position of team owner, frequently held by Anglo-Americans, carries with it a much lower salary and far less prestige than would be expected. Even though the owner is technically responsible in one way or another for almost every aspect of team performance, he often receives less compensation for his hard work than many African-Americans who hold such positions as center and point guard. Clearly, this skewed system of rewards is the result of long standing prejudices against Anglo-Americans. There is an astonishing lack of positive Anglo-American role models in the NBA. An overwhelming majority of celebrity basketball players are African-Americans. Such names as Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnston, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Scotty Pippin, and Charles Barkley evoke visions of success and greatness in the minds of many young people, but can Anglo-American youngsters really be expected to identify with these African-American cultural icons? Similarly, almost all contemporary movies about basketball center around African-American rather than Anglo-American characters. Shockingly, many basketball themed movies which feature Anglo-Americans portray them in a negative light, perpetuating a derogatory stereotype of Anglo-American basketball players, and further reducing the likelihood of their success. Some films even have titles which mock the challenges faced by Anglo-Americans in the basketball industry; a popular film from the early nineteen nineties