A-League fans have been complaining for years that coverage of their game in the ‘mainstream’ media doesn’t accurately reflect what’s really going on.
A football fan’s exciting, passionate experience can somehow become a reporter’s journey through a burning hell of flares and police activity.
The same can be said – though in far less dramatic fashion – about coverage of American sport here in Australia.
And though the ‘disinformation gap’ is lessening, there still exists a massive gulf between switched-on Australian fans watching the NBA and NFL on league passes, and major networks trying to highlight the triumphs of Aussies abroad.
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova is a prime example of an Australian athlete the big media outlets are struggling to deal with.
‘Delly’ doesn’t have the credentials of Andrew Bogut or the sexy backstory of Dante Exum, but his exploits in the NBA playoffs – particularly since he’s on the court with LeBron James – are getting him noticed both in the US and here in Australia.
Dellavedova played a major part in Cleveland’s Game 6 win over Chicago, which helped propel the Cavs into the Eastern Conference finals against Atlanta. He scored 19 points and attracted queries of “who’s this guy?” from fans across the United States.
LeBron and his Cavs teammates had plenty of praise for the kid from Maryborough, Victoria and the American media slowly began to create a feel-good story about a hard-working overachiever in a sea full of superstars.
So imagine my surprise a few days later when I picked up Melbourne’s Herald Sun – after the Cavs beat Atlanta in Game 1 – and read the headline “Delly has quiet game”.
The story included the line, “the Cavaliers were able to defeat the Atlanta Hawks 97-89 despite Dellavedova having a woeful shooting night.”
To read that sentence, you’d think that the Australian was Cleveland’s main offensive weapon, and in his absence, LeBron (31 points) and JR Smith (28 points) were forced to picked up the slack.
Of course, real Australian basketball fans already know that Dellavedova is a backup role player who is getting more playing time because starter Kyrie Irving is injured.
And while Delly’s achievements are not to be sneered at – in fact they should be, and are being, celebrated – the reality is that he’s doing what plenty of NBA players do… filling in when asked to.
He’s a true pro. He’s a team player. However, he’s not a superstar. But try telling that to mainstream media outlets here in Australia. These are the same folks who say things like, “Bogut dominated… while Stephen Curry ‘chipped in’ with 32 points”.
They’re the people who refer to San Antonio Spurs’ big man Aron Baynes as an ‘NBA star’.
And instead of marvelling at former Brisbane Lion Scott Harding for making the leap from the AFL to major college football, they lead with a line about him one day playing in the Super Bowl.
Look, I get that Aussies are proud of their sportsmen and sportswomen. And when they do it on the world stage – Adam Scott, Mark Webber, Lauren Jackson etc – it’s even more impressive.
But Dellavedova (and Baynes, Patty Mills and Joe Ingles) are great stories because they got to where they are by working hard and believing in themselves. Yes, they’re talented but it’s that work ethic and, dare I say it, ‘Aussie spirit’ that has in many ways helped them succeed at the highest level.
That’s why their stories should be told honestly and realistically.
Dellavedova stepping in for a great player like Irving (born in Melbourne, ironically) is what makes his success so extraordinary. He answered the call when head coach Dave Blatt put him in and wasn’t intimidated by the moment.
To then turn around and criticise him for having a poor shooting night and say that the Cavs won ‘despite him’ is just plain silly.
The good news for hardcore fans of US sport – and there are plenty of them in Australia – is that there’s no need to have this type of news filtered through an Australian lens anymore.
Why listen to a news reporter who thinks a bowl game has something to do with salad when you can tune in to ESPN, log onto any number of American websites (yes, I know you’ll occasionally get a reference to Austria) or follow Aussie writers, including many here at The Roar, who really know and really care about getting it right.
And finally, always remember Public Enemy: “Don’t believe the hype”.
Ed’s Note: This article was written prior to Game 3, before Dellavedova made even more headlines in the US and abroad for an incident involving Atlanta forward Al Horford.
Andrew Kitchener
Roar Guru
Reading so much misinformation that indicates reporters have scarcely bothered to research what our expat stars are doing is incredibly frustrating. The Mark Webber's, Andrew Bogut's, Will Power's and Richie Crampton's of the world are flying our flag in a giant market and they deserve better coverage back at home.
Simon
Guest
Great article. Finally an Australian journalist that actually knows what he is talking about. Well done and look forward to reading more!
Ed Wyatt
Expert
You could certainly write a decent piece about that side of it couldn't you? Fortunately, LeBron stepped up and made some great comments about Delly.
AGO74
Guest
I like the guy. You can tell by watching him that he’s incredibly tenacious and works hard for every single ball, rebound, shot etc. Two years ago he was undrafted before getting the last spot on a bad team’s roster. He proved himself to be retained and then got lucky with Lebron coming home and the Cavs eventually coming good and becoming a force. Again he was still a bench player but Irving’s injury has meant he has made a genuine contribution (45 minutes yesterday in an OT thriller) to the point where even if Irving returns and Delly goes back to being a bench player for the Finals (assuming they don’t blow a 3-0 lead) that he genuinely contributed to their making of the finals. Not a bad effort. Hard work/Make your own luck etc….
Worlds Biggest
Guest
Delly is getting a bit of a rep as being a niggly player in these playoffs, that said he is playing really well. The incident with Horford, he did very lttle and got thumped for his troubles ! Two Aussies playing each other in the Finals, nice !
Jake
Guest
Johnno you're a pest.
Ryan O'Connell
Expert
Nice piece, Ed. My personal favourite was when Delly inbounded the ball to LeBron for his game 4 buzzer beater versus the Bulls, and the FoxSports headline was all about Delly's pass! (Mind you, I prefer the patriotic, one-eyed, biased Australian media pumping Delly up, over the ridiculous crap coming from some US sources about Delly being dirty player. Utter nonsense.)
joe
Guest
I agree with you Astro,I've kept track of Dellavedova's career since he starred at St Marys in college.He has an extremely high basketball IQ which makes up for some of his lesser athletic ability. He's never gonna be a star player but just to make (& maintain) a spot on an NBA roster is EXTREMELY difficult to accomplish. I don't think people realize how hard it is to make the NBA.Its easily the most difficult of any pro sport in the US. Dellavedova has made the most of his opportunities so far.He is an easy guy to pull for.I hope he keeps it going & can continue to improve.
Ed Wyatt
Expert
Thanks for reading Tony. I picked up a hard copy of the Herald Sun which provided the impetus for my piece. I think you've been around long enough to know I'm not condemning Australians for cheering their athletes who do great things. Keep well.
Matthew Pittard
Guest
Thanks for the article. I think its great Delly is getting a lot of airtime on America media, and he is really only getting so many minutes because of the injury to Irving. Australian Media has no idea how to report on him or how to deal with him.
josh
Roar Rookie
Delly plays a hard style, most of the NBL is generally a hard methodical style of basketball. Media outlets (mainly in the US) calling him out for "diving at players legs", when he's going for the ball is harsh. The Taj Gibson leg trap was all pest, but he drew the reaction he was after.
Patrick Effeney
Editor
Tony, I do share your frustration with AAP stories finding the ire of people. Many a time we have been accused of plagiarism for running an AAP story. I think Ed has a good point, though in my view it's not restricted to mainstream media, or sport for that matter.
Tony Harper
Guest
Dear Ed How you going? Just fyi, the story you found offensive in the Herald Sun was an aap story and published in plenty of other places http://en.yyh.ir/news.php?fid=46561&co=en&tn=1&se=smith-fires-cavs-to-nba-win-over-atlanta But hey you could be on to something here. Australian fans and media getting excited about Australians doing exceptional things... Outrageous! Keep well.
astro
Guest
Agree...and that's what makes him amazing in my eyes. He's not in the same class in terms of athleticism or skill level, but there is he, doing what many many more talented, more athletic and more skillful players couldn't achieve. Have nothing but admiration for the guy.
Squidward
Roar Rookie
I laughed when the tnt commentary were laughing that they were checking the Aussie rules scores on the way to the game
Ed Wyatt
Expert
To be fair, most US reports I've heard mention Aussie Rules. I think Shaq may have said rugby yesterday and I'm sure others have done the same. Delly is actually from Victoria and is a Collingwood supporter.
Tristan Rayner
Editor
Good read Ed. Dead right. I saw that quote too and winced! The funniest thing btw, is the way the US guys (including LeBron!) say things like: 'Delly played rugby, he's tough.' Pretty sure he played Aussie Rules growing up, but the nuances are difficult.
Squidward
Roar Rookie
They've been giving Delly a bit of a talk up on triple m rush hour. But mainly about him being a hustler on the court and wether or not he's dirty. Which I don't agree, he just goes hard with the talent he has
Rarojuice
Guest
It happens all the time with Steven Adams in NZ. If you didn't follow basketball you would think he's like one of the top players in the league. The worst one I heard was "Steven Adams added six vital points" when OKC won by like 10 or something. No doubt these players are extremely talented and have worked really hard just to set a foot in the NBA but it is quite comical hearing the news reports from here about them.
RBBAnonymous
Guest
Delly is a pretty average player, not very athletic, shoots the ball okayish. What he does well is make hustle plays, he is a scrapper, a guy who will give you 100 per cent every night. He will take charges and set screens for his guys all night and if he can chip in 8-12 pts its a bonus. Dont get me wrong it still takes a lot of work, luck and talent to get to the nba. Its just all the talent is better than him but dont let that fool you. The kid can still carve a decent career in this league but he will be fighting his whole career for it. Needs to find his identity as a player, find his hot spots on the floor where he shoots the ball well and concentrate on those. Keep working on a consistent jump shot because thats the one constant that can keep a player in the nba for a long time.