The New York Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 94-90, claiming their first NBA championship in 53 years. Game 5 of the NBA Finals drew 18,984 fans to the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio on June 13. Games 3 and 4 averaged 23.8 and 20.9 million viewers, respectively, with peaks of 26.3 and 23.2 million viewers. Altogether, 44,718,984 people watched these three games.
Beyond the impressive numbers, this series offers more than sports entertainment; it reveals how mass participation, enthusiasm, and community action, on display in arenas and homes, demonstrate the dynamics essential to a functioning democracy. Though the stadium erupted as the Knicks and their fans celebrated, and the owners quickly acted to protect their money, beneath this excitement lies a crucial lesson: society often celebrates collective action in entertainment but fails to apply a similar level of engagement and responsibility to democratic life. Many overlook this deeper meaning, in part because questioning the systems that shape daily life is discouraged. Some expect society to take care of them, avoiding hard work or responsibility. Wealth, education, or status do not guarantee self-awareness or humility. Even the rich may feel entitled to society’s benefits without giving back, an attitude that can be harmful.
To frame the issue, as an undergraduate, I studied with Trinidadian C.L.R. James, who introduced me to José Ortega y Gasset. In “The Revolt of the Masses,” Gasset warned of Western culture’s decline and the dangers of comfort, entitlement, and lack of effort, urging humility and responsibility.
Building on this, consider the NBA Finals audience, about 44,718,984 people, on par with the populations of countries like Canada, Chile, Denmark, or Saudi Arabia. This group could exert enormous political influence, potentially deciding national elections, including the U.S. presidency, and spearheading movements too large for any government to ignore.
If united on economic issues, nearly 45 million people could reshape markets through boycotts, strikes, or supporting specific businesses, forcing leaders to respond. They could sway media coverage, spark public debate, and influence legislation. Globally, they could lead climate and human rights campaigns, urging governments to act. Fans and consumers share views on ticket prices and the game experience via social media, forums, and direct feedback, pressuring teams and owners. If fans think prices are too high, they may stop attending or buying merchandise, prompting owners to reconsider prices or improve experiences. When democracy is at risk, people push governments through protests, petitions, strikes, media campaigns, and civil society action, demanding protection of democratic institutions, fair elections, free speech, and human rights. The effectiveness of such efforts depends on the political context, the strength of civil society, and government responsiveness. International groups may also help defend democracy.
I question the time and attention we, as Americans, and the 44,718,984 others, invest in the NBA Finals, given what those same energies could mean for a more engaged, participatory democracy. Ortega y Gasset might argue that while entertainment like sports showcases our collective enthusiasm, it also distracts from democracy’s core: the hard, sometimes uncomfortable work of staying informed, debating policy, voting carefully, and holding leaders accountable. The contrast between our engagement with the Finals and with democratic action underscores the text’s main point.
For Ortega y Gasset, this phenomenon marks a cultural transformation: entertainment and comfort supplant the engagement and responsibility required for democracy to thrive. When this shift occurs repeatedly, democracy’s visible structure may remain, but its substance, active, responsible citizen participation, gradually erodes. The lessons of the Finals point us to this danger, urging renewed commitment to democratic involvement.
This tension is personal for me, as I am often caught between cultural influences and my love for entertainment. A final takeaway is that personal passions, such as basketball, should not come at the expense of democratic engagement. My admiration for the Spurs, especially after teaching Tim Duncan at Saint Dunstan’s School in St. Croix, deepened my fandom. Still, I am determined not to trade my democratic freedoms for fleeting pleasures or support systems where wealth is hoarded at democracy’s expense.
Sources:
– Devon Henderson, “Knicks-Spurs is the most-watched NBA Finals Game 4 since end of Jordan era,” https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7355788/2026/06/12/spurs-knicks-game-4-viewers-nba-finals/.
– José Ortega y Gasset, The Revolt of the Masses, (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1994).
– “Total Population by Country 2026,” https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries.
(Courtesy of Otis D. Alexander)
— Otis D. Alexander, PhD, is a retired music teacher who previously worked at St. Croix Central High School. He has also taught at Sprauve School and Guy Benjamin School on St. John. Additionally, he is an alumnus of Harvard’s Leadership for Academic Librarians program. If you’re interested in collaboration opportunities, you can reach him at od.alex1972@gmail.com.
Editor’s Note: Opinion articles do not represent the views of the Virgin Islands Source newsroom and are the sole expressed opinion of the writer. Submissions can be made to visource@gmail.com.
