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Timberwolves' Austin Rivers: 'Highlight Culture Has Absolutely Killed' Basketball
January 18, 2023
The internet has undoubtedly changed how sports are covered and consumed around the globe. Austin Rivers isn't feeling one particular aspect of that phenomenon.
The Minnesota Timberwolves' veteran guard said on his podcast that he doesn't like the "highlight culture" that has been created at every level of basketball:
While Rivers focused on how kids seeking highlight-worthy moments and only watching them has changed the game of basketball, it isn't hard to find examples of how the sport's culture has perhaps been changed by 24/7 access to highlight reels online:
Ultimately, youth sports are meant to be fun, so young kids mimicking the celebrations of the athletes they look up to isn't a big deal, or unsurprising. But Rivers' larger point seems to be that it's spreading to how the game itself is being played, with the flashy moments and subsequent celebrations overshadowing things like fundamentals and basketball IQ.
It isn't a new argument. Generations past have lamented the changing of the sport too. But Rivers, who was a mixtape darling himself growing up, has a unique perspective on this particular aspect of basketball culture.
