The delay of the tape was one of the ugliest words in basketball. When the NBA Finals were delayed before the league’s explosion of popularity in the 1980s, it was a sign of disinterest from fans and corporate sponsors. But now, with interest as high as ever, the NBA could return to games that delay recording in a very different language. As Adam Silver explained in a TIME100 interview with Sean Gregory, bad language is a real concern as the NBA resumes its season at Disney.
“I think that players often understand when they are on the court, they say certain things to themselves because they are very noisy in the arena, they know that they are not learning much. They may have to adapt their language a bit knowing what they are saying will probably be picked up by the microphones and in all seriousness, we may have to delay a bit. “
A large segment of fans would obviously prefer to listen to the unfiltered audio from the court. In fact, this would be a rare opportunity for the masses to hear what is actually said during the games, and Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell supports that.
The problem lies with corporate sponsors. Companies that advertise during NBA games probably wouldn’t be thrilled with their brands associated with the colorful language players often use on the floor. The NBA could use pumping in crowd noise to drown out some of that. After all, the noise from the arenas is what allows players to get away with using foul language in the first place. But the NBA isn’t used to hosting games without fans, so you’ll have to experiment a bit to see what works.
While tape delay may censor incorrect language, it could still provide a unique insight if the rest of the audio is not played. Hearing players communicate strategies during games would be a very interesting wrinkle in the Disney reboot, as long as the teams agreed to give as much pertinent tactical information to future opponents. The NBA wants to innovate during this period at Disney. Audio on the floor is one of the most interesting ways you could do it.
