2018年，NBA的推特用户数量超过了其他任何体育联盟。该联盟的官方推特账户拥有2700万粉丝，比NFL的前哨站多300万。
In 2018, the NBA was tweeted about more than any other sports league. The league's official Twitter account boasts 27 million followers—3 million more than the NFL's outpost.
球员们使得Twitter成为了一种文化力量。沙奎尔·奥尼尔于2008年加入Twitter，他成为Twitter蓝色logo的首位用户。NBA球员从2009- 2010赛季开始因在比赛期间在Twitter上发帖而被罚款。2010年7月6日，克里斯·保罗终于说服他的好友勒布朗·詹姆斯注册Twitter账号。两天后，这个决定在ESPN电视台播出。
Players helped legitimize Twitter as a cultural force. Shaquille O'Neal, who joined Twitter back in 2008, became the first recipient of Twitter's blue checkmark. NBA players started getting fined in the 2009-10 season for posting on Twitter during games. On July 6, 2010, Chris Paul finally convinced his pal LeBron James to jump on Twitter. Two days later, The Decision aired on ESPN.
在Instagram上，NBA有一个更大、更饥渴的观众群体，有3100万人关注着它的官方消息，希望能跟上并参与到世界上最优秀篮球运动员的日常生活中来。
On Instagram, the NBA has an even bigger, thirstier audience of 31 million who follow its official feed, hoping to keep up, and engage with, the everyday drama of the best basketball players in the world.
这一数字还不包括潜藏者或媒体公司等发布NBA相关内容的账户，但已经超过了NFL、MLB和NHL的观众总和(1990万)。这数字只是一个晴雨表罢了。
That total does not include lurkers or other accounts, like media companies, that post NBA-related content, but it is more than the NFL, MLB and NHL's audience combined (19.9 million). And that's just one barometer.
还有一件事:在NBA，有33名球员在Instagram上拥有至少200万粉丝。在美国国家橄榄球联盟中，则只有9个。
Here's another: In the NBA, there are 33 players with at least 2 million followers on Instagram. In the NFL, there are nine.
只要看看勒布朗·詹姆斯在每年季后赛期间对社交媒体的禁令就知道了。
Look no further than LeBron James' annual self-imposed social media ban during the playoffs.
“没有电话，没有社交媒体，我什么都没有，”詹姆斯告诉记者。“外面的废话太多了。这段时间不行。这是我闭关修炼的时候，我不需要任何东西爬进我的脑海，我也不需要在那里出现。
"No phones, no social media, I don't have anything," James told reporters. "There's too much nonsense out there. Not during this time. This is when I lock in right now, and I don't need nothing creeping into my mind that don't need to be there."
两届MVP得主库里也看到了社交媒体的益处。但他也承认，有时这里会是一个有毒的地方。
Curry, a two-time MVP, sees the good in social media. But he admits that it's a toxic place at times.
“你会收到一些贬损的东西。有人攻击你的家人。有人给你发了他们和他们家人穿着你的球服的照片。有人会连续发送40条信息让我回复他们。我收到过婚礼请柬，舞会请柬，以及所有这些类似的东西。
"You've got derogatory stuff. You've got people attacking your family. You've got people sending pictures of them and their families wearing your jersey. You have people on there who will send 40 messages in a row to try to get me to respond to them. I get wedding invites, prom invites, all of that stuff.
而今年以来，任何围绕特朗普总统和运动员展开的政治辩论，不知何故我都会被贴上标签。
And this year, any type of political debate that comes up surrounding [President Donald] Trump and athletes, somehow I get tagged."
在很多方面，联盟对社交媒体的热爱是可以理解的。它给运动员一种掌控信息的感觉，让他们对自己的公众形象拥有部分所有权。它也能开门娱乐大众。但问题是，如何才能界定这种娱乐不会太过界呢？
In many ways, the league's love of social media is understandable. It offers athletes a sense of control over the messaging, a slice of ownership over their public image. It can open doors and entertain the masses. But how much is too much?