Greg Oden, former NBA 1st pick, apologies to fans for leaked nude photos
According to TMZ.com, the nude photos of George Hill, shooting guard of the San Antonio Spurs, were published. TheDirty.com posted his nude photos snapped from his cell phone. George Hill soon apologized. The Spurs reacted quickly by asking the website to remove them. They made a formal statement to a legal representative of TheDirty.com regarding the legal status of the team. Based on the statement, the Spurs believed that the incident has infringed the team’s image.
The Spurs are not the only team disturbed by the exposure of nude photos. More accurately, NBA has faced a similar problem recently. Greg Oden, center of the Portland Trail Blazers, was reported that his nude pictures were leaked. He soon admitted he was the person on the picture and apologized. He claimed that his ex-girlfriend uploaded the pictures. For a team, which once mocked as the “Jail Blazers“, this is certainly not good news. Greg Oden was indeed the injured party; however, such image, though extremely private, is distraction to their professional.
In recent years, NBA has tried many ways to improve their public images . They enact dress code when players attend formal events for their teams or the leagues. They encourage player to join public services. However, gossips and misdemeanors like these have discounted the effects of their PR efforts. The Spurs’s concern about the infringement on the team’s reputation is totally understandable.
First, they do not want their players to be related to porn. The league has long been positioned as healthy and professional sport organization. Players have to set positive examples for their fans, who consist of a huge part of teenagers. Issues like this are devastating when they try to educate and interact with them. Second, parents’ decision to children’s entertainment choice are reconsidered to prevent their children from imitating or rationalizing such behavior. Besides, the NBA has tried to appeal to consumers of higher social status. The leaked pictures apparently contradict their reputation. As for players, they are likely to be distracted and thus influence their performance on court. PR issues are not merely off-court.
In fact, players’ privacy should be respected. However, as public figures, they have to remind themselves of the fact that their fortune have a price. They need to heed their reputation more carefully even if they deal with personal issues. For Spurs and Trail Blazers, they should not look back since it is almost impossible to stop distribution. It is a great time to educate their players how to handle with social media platforms. The high-pace characteristics of technology are two-sided. They can definitely repair their images by utilizing online media while people’s memory does not last long.
