After Artest: The NBA and the Assault on Blackness (SUNY series on Sport, Culture, and Social Relations)

Explores how the NBA moved to govern black players and the expression of blackness after the Palace Brawl of 2004. On November 19, 2004, a fight between NBA players Ron Artest and Ben Wallace escalated into a melee involving several other players and many fans. The Palace Brawl, writes David J. Leonard, was a seminal event, one that dramatically altered outside perceptions of the sport. With commentators decrying the hip hop or gangsta culture of players, the blackness of the NBA was both highlighted and disdained. This was a harsh blow to the leagues narrative of colorblindness long cultivated by Commissioner David Stern and powerfully embodied in the beloved figure of Michael Jordan. As Leonard demonstrates, the league viewed this moment as a threat needing intervention, quickly adopting policies to govern black players and prevent them from embracing styles and personas associated with blackness. This fascinating book discloses connections between the NBAs discourse and the broader discourse of antiblack racism. Particular policy changes that seemed aimed at black players, such as the NBA dress code and the debate over a minimum age requirement, are explored. In After Artest , David Leonard confirms why he is one of the sharpest minds writing about race and sports in America today. Race is serious business and no one understands better than Leonard how that extends to the arenas and stadiums that have long been the site of confrontation between black bodies and spectators. Mark Anthony Neal, author of New Black Man David Leonard offers an incisive analysis of race, in a league defined by race, thus adding meaningful dialogue and a sharp perspective to conversations about the ever-evolving image of the NBA in the post-Jordan era. Though haters will undoubtedly try to call a technical foul, Leonard goes hard in the paint nonetheless, shining another light on the always complicated racial politics that continue to inform the game of basketball. Dr. Todd Boyd, the Katherine and Frank Price Endowed Chair for the Study of Race and Popular Culture in the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts The power of the event is that it changes everything. So it is, David Leonard demonstrates in After Artest , in the post-Palace NBA. When Ron Artest went into the stands in the Palace of Auburn Hills in that fateful game in 2004, he not only subjected himself to unprecedented punishment, he also altered the entire discourse of race in the NBA. After Artest offers a critique not only of the NBAs new modes of policing blackness, but it brings to lightand to lifethat combustible encounter between new racism and postracism in contemporary America. Racial politics, sociology, the nasty underside of Americas history, and sport are brought together forcefully by Leonard in After Artest . Grant Farred, author of Whats My Name? Black Vernacular Intellectuals and Long Distance A Passion for Football After Artest breathes new life into the critical scholarship on sporting-based racial representation, and that of the NBA more specifically, by fleshing out the key political sites and struggles of the post-Artest moment. Leonards combination of rigorous empirical command and nuanced theoretical interpretation generates a compelling and insightful analysis. David L. Andrews, editor of Michael Jordan, Corporate Sport, Media Culture, and Late Modern America On November 19, 2004, A Fight Between Nba Players Ron Artest And Ben Wallace Escalated Into A Melee Involving Several Other Players And Many Fans: The Palace Brawl, Writes David J. Leonard, Was A Seminal Event One That Dramatically, Altered Outside Perceptions Of The Sport. With Commentators Decrying The Hip Hop Or Gangsta Culture Of Players, The Blackness Of The Nba Was Both Highlighted And Disdained. This Was A Harsh Blow To The League's Narrative Of Colorblindness Long Cultivated By Commissioner David Stern And Powerfully Embodied In The Beloved Figure Of Michael Jordan. As Leonard Demonstrates, The League Viewed This Moment As A Threat Needing Intervention, Quickly Adopting Policies To Govern Black Players And Prevent Them From Embracing Styles And Personas Associated With Blackness. This Fascinating Book Discloses Connections Between The Nbas Discourse And The Broader Discourse Of Antiblack Racism. Particular Policy Changes That Seemed Aimed At Black Players, Such As The Nba Dress Code And The Debate Over A Minimum Age Requirement, Are Explored. Acknowledgments -- 1. After Artest: The Nba And The Assault On Blackness -- Introduction -- Guiding Frameworks -- Anti-black Racism And The Nba -- The Nba Beyond Artest -- This Book -- 2. I Went To A Basketball Game And A Vibe Awards Broke Out Or Negroes Gone Wild: The Palace Melee And The Racialized Culture War What Else? -- Introduction -- Opening Up The Wounds: Fan-player Tensions And Divisions -- Thugs And Criminals -- Hip-hop To Blame For Palace Brawl -- Conclusion: Accountability And Punishment -- 3. A Crisis Inside And Outside America's Arena: Age Restrictions And The Real Color Of Money -- Introduction -- History Of Age Restriction -- An Nba Crisis: The Draft, And Children Playing In The Wrong Sand Box -- Don't Believe The Hype: Cautionary Tales And Sad Stories -- Physically Weak, Mentally And Intellectually Weaker: Big Bodies And Small Brains/hearts -- It's A Man's Game -- Maturation And Education -- Put Down That Ball: Saving America's (black) Youth -- Policing Hip-hop -- A Raceless Issue? -- Race Matters -- Young Athletes Of Color: Model Minority Discourse As Another Exception -- A Note On The Defenders: The American Dream And Meritocracy -- A Crisis Inside And Outside Americas Arena -- Hypocrisy Or The Consistency? -- Conclusion -- 4. No Bling Allowed: The Nbas Dress Code And The Politics Of New Racism -- Introduction -- What's Racism Got To Do With It: Player Opposition And A Culture Of Denial -- The Dress Code: Smart Business Or Insufficient Change? -- Smart Business -- You Say Good Business, I Say Racism -- Not Enough: Once A Gangsta, Always A Gangsta -- Racism: Take 2 -- The Politics Of Respectability And Self-help -- Dressing For The Part: Role Models -- The Dress Code And Questions Of Authenticity -- Beyond The Dress Code: The Nba And The Criminalization Of Black Bodies -- Conclusion -- 5. The Palace Brawl And The Colorblind Fantasy -- Introduction -- The Palace Brawl 2.0: Madison Square Garden Melee -- The Culture Wars -- The Nbas Culture War -- Five Years Later -- Notes -- Works Cited: Popular Discourse -- Works Cited: Scholarly Discourse -- Index -- List Of Titles In The Suny Series On Sport, Culture, And Social Relations. David J. Leonard. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. AFTER ARTEST......Page 5 CONTENTS......Page 9 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 11 1. AFTER ARTEST: The NBA and the Assault on Blackness......Page 15 INTRODUCTION......Page 16 GUIDING FRAMEWORKS......Page 17 ANTI-BLACK RACISM AND THE NBA......Page 23 THE NBA BEYOND ARTEST......Page 27 THIS BOOK......Page 33 INTRODUCTION......Page 37 Opening up the Wounds: Fan-Player Tensions and Divisions ......Page 41 THUGS AND CRIMINALS7......Page 45 HIP-HOP TO BLAME FOR PALACE BRAWL......Page 54 CONCLUSION: ACCOUNTABILITY AND PUNISHMENT......Page 65 INTRODUCTION......Page 73 HISTORY OF AGE RESTRICTION......Page 77 AN NBA CRISIS: THE DRAFT, AND CHILDREN PLAYING IN THE WRONG SAND BOX......Page 80 DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE:CAUTIONARY TALES AND SAD STORIES......Page 82 PHYSICALLY WEAK, MENTALLY AND INTELLECTUALLY WEAKER: BIG BODIES AND SMALL BRAINS/HEARTS......Page 93 IT’S A MAN’S GAME......Page 97 MATURATION AND EDUCATION......Page 104 PUT DOWN THAT BALL:SAVING AMERICA’S (BLACK) YOUTH......Page 107 POLICING HIP-HOP......Page 111 A RACELESS ISSUE?......Page 116 RACE MATTERS......Page 118 YOUNG ATHLETES OF COLOR: MODEL MINORITY DISCOURSE AS ANOTHER EXCEPTION......Page 122 A NOTE ON THE DEFENDERS:THE AMERICAN DREAM AND MERITOCRACY......Page 124 A CRISIS INSIDE AND OUTSIDE AMERICA’S ARENA......Page 127 HYPOCRISY OR THE CONSISTENCY?......Page 131 CONCLUSION......Page 136 4. “NO BLING ALLOWED”1: The NBA’s Dress Code and the Politics of New Racism......Page 141 INTRODUCTION......Page 142 WHAT’S RACISM GOT TO DO WITH IT:PLAYER OPPOSITION AND A CULTURE OF DENIAL......Page 145 THE DRESS CODE:SMART BUSINESS OR INSUFFICIENT CHANGE?......Page 154 SMART BUSINESS......Page 155 YOU SAY GOOD BUSINESS, I SAY RACISM......Page 161 NOT ENOUGH: ONCE A GANGSTA, ALWAYS A GANGSTA......Page 162 RACISM: TAKE 2......Page 166 THE POLITICS OF RESPECTABILITY AND SELF-HELP......Page 168 DRESSING FOR THE PART: ROLE MODELS......Page 175 THE DRESS CODE AND QUESTIONS OF AUTHENTICITY......Page 177 BEYOND THE DRESS CODE: THE NBA AND THE CRIMINALIZATION OF BLACK BODIES......Page 183 CONCLUSION......Page 191 INTRODUCTION......Page 195 THE PALACE BRAWL 2.0:MADISON SQUARE GARDEN MELEE......Page 197 THE CULTURE WARS......Page 207 THE NBA’S CULTURE WAR......Page 215 FIVE YEARS LATER......Page 218 NOTES......Page 221 WORKS CITED: POPULAR DISCOURSE......Page 231 WORKS CITED: SCHOLARLY DISCOURSE......Page 259 H ......Page 273 Z ......Page 274 LIST OF TITLES IN THE SUNY SERIES ON SPORT, CULTURE, AND SOCIAL RELATIONS ......Page 275