Mic 'Em Up!: Why NBA Players Trash Talking In An Empty Arena Could Be Must-See TV

The NBA is possibly pushing towards resuming the season soon with no fans in attendance in a neutral site. The absence of fans could lead to some awkward moments when teams go head to head, but in my opinion, the idea of NBA players' trash talk being more audible than ever has an appeal that needs to be embraced, and not censored.

NBA players are known for trash-talking on the court. It's one of those things that you may see and not hear as much because arenas full of fans often make it hard to make out what is being said. Fans sitting on the court hear it often, while those sitting further away from the action will struggle. Trash talking is a beautiful science. It can be used as a term of endearment or as a psychological tool to get your opponent off of their game.

We have all heard stories of classic exchanges among the greats. Jordan, Payton, Bird, Garnett, Kobe, etc, all used trash talk to intimidate others as well as motivate themselves. It's as entertaining as it is offensive, with the best trash talkers using terminology that can make you cringe if you're not prepared for the worst.

The chance of an NBA player saying something that will be offensive, including cursing or vulgar slang is high. Of course, it is. The NBA basketball court is these players' sanctuary. We are special, invited guests in their world. They are going to go at each other with their basketball skills as well as their words and with no fans in attendance to mask the sounds on the court you can fully expect to hear a ton of cringe-worthy verbal darts being thrown.

...And I say let 'em fly. Embrace it NBA.

I think that the NBA should not try to tone down the trash talk between the players but instead, they should amplify it. Don't send out a memo telling players to avoid certain language on the court. Let them do what they do. It will be unbelievably entertaining. The Last Dance documentary just ended and it included uncensored profanity on ESPN, a Disney company. I haven't seen that become a big deal by any standard. As a matter of fact, the most dramatic moments on the show that included Jordan berating his teammates have been the most remembered part of the show.

Let them curse, NBA. Don't try to censor them. You'll hear it on TV but like Cam Rose suggested in yesterday's podcast, you might even want to consider mic'ing players up and providing that feed at an additional cost. Will there be drawbacks from it? Sure. There are going to be drawbacks from attempting to play during a pandemic anyway but I say do it. I'm sure that the NBA will do the total opposite because a lot of their fans are children but hey. It would've been fun.

- Have you signed up for the AllGrizzlies Community Board? We are trying to create a new place to share posts and have intriguing and fun conversations about all things related to the Memphis Grizzlies! Once you sign up, feel free to post as you like. It is actually the best way to interact with me going forward as well. We will also be looking for group admins as well. See you soon and Go Grizz!

--We also want to know how you all are dealing with the NBA being suspended right now. How are you spending your time while there are no games being played? Post as many things as you can as well as your viewpoint on anything else that's going on with the NBA or the Grizzlies right now!--

- Anthony Sain - Memphis Grizzlies Beat Writer and Lead Editor For Sports Illustrated's All Grizzlies.com

Follow Us On Twitter: @AllGrizzlies @SainAsylum

Turn on the notifications on @AllGrizzlies to get updates on when all of our articles are posted.

Like Us On Facebook: Search: Grizzlies Maven or Sports Illustrated Grizzlies.