The NBA announced that media members employed by teams will no longer be able to vote on NBA awards.
Sorry homers, the NBA has smartened up. Local media in radio and television will no longer be able to vote on NBA awards, according to recent tweets from Indiana Pacers radio’s Mark Boyle and Chicago Bulls radio’s Chuck Swirsky:
Hey, @JaredSGreenberg....team broadcasters are no longer involved in the voting process. Just learned this today.
— Mark Joseph Boyle (@Mark_J_Boyle) April 3, 2017
The move has trimmed down the pool of voters from 125 to 100, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Some have long believed local media should not have a say in awards, due to potential conflicts of interest. Local media watches the same team for 82 games and, due to scheduling, lack widespread exposure of other teams throughout an entire season.
The news is a significant move in the NBA’s attempt to limit the voting pool and keep objectivity at the max. The retracting of votes for local media could have a big effect on this year’s NBA MVP, which could be a close finish. But the news doesn’t just affect this year’s MVP race. Local media can no longer vote on All-NBA teams, either, which is perhaps bigger news.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, All-NBA team selections are a requirement for players to qualify for the new special exception — a contract teams could offer that totals $75 million more than any other franchise’s best offer.
The deal is only for the top-of-the-top, and the players have to meet other requirements, but local media could have a huge say when it comes to naming their All-NBA teams.
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For example, Boyle, who will cover the Pacers for 82 games, could vote put Paul George on his All-NBA ballot, despite the widespread belief George hasn’t been a top-six forward in the NBA this season. The NBA wants to limit that possibility.
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