Heroic Values in Sports
Commercial Spectator sports have popularized the heroic values which are emphasized by coaches, athletes, journalists, spectators as well as sports commentators. Taking the case of basketball, the NBA has helped in notifying the audience about the technical elements of the game for their full engagement in the game. The spectators need to understand the heroic values presented by the sport as it increases the popularity of the sport as well. There are various noble values which have been accentuated by the competition.
First, the exemplary performance by an athlete or a team in the league is a value to consider as a heroic one. Many basketball heroes such as LeBron James and Michael Jordan have portrayed an outstanding performance in the game, thus being recognized as heroes in the game. Strong ability and courage while playing and when off the court have been popularized by the media to the audience hence setting the bar for distinguishing heroic performances. Apart from the value of production, noble qualities among the players and coaches is another heroic characteristic in the NBA (Berg, L. R. V. 2002). Individual acts by the players and coaches in terms of how they conduct themselves in terms of attitude towards the game and other players have led to their distinction as heroes in the game. Using the above heroes, they have been able to portray impressive professional conduct during their time in the game and hence being recognized to their status. Thirdly, exemplary performance, and good character are not just enough without the virtue of consistency. Before acquiring the heroic status, there is the need to portray the above qualities over and over and for a long time in the sports. Excellent performance in a single incident is not enough to declare one as a hero. Instead, the performance needs to be the same or better for many seasons in the sport.