With the recent explosion of Twitter, the impact of the messaging service on the sports world has definitely been felt. Athletes of all sport constantly distribute tweets to their fans, who can easily keep up with what their favorite players are doing, thinking, and where they’re going.

Players in the NBA have taken extremely well to Twitter, and many prominent basketball players like Shaquille O’Neal, Charlie Villanueva, and others actively use the service on a daily basis, and have attracted huge followings to go with it.

NBA players have been more active with Twitter than athletes of any other sport, and it’s not uncommon to see a pro basketball player tweeting a few times per day. Because of the widespread popularity and the way it’s caught on, the NBA feels that some limitations must be put into place.

The NFL put a similar policy in place very recently, making it against league rules to post any kinds of tweets within an hour and a half of the beginning of any game time situation. Additionally, use is prohibited during the game itself (including half-time) and during any official press conferences held thereafter.

David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA, reassures us that none of this is too significant and anything they put into place will hardly be noticed. NBA players’ association officials, however, are worried that conflicting policies between the league and specific teams could cause confusion.

Twitter has been huge in the NBA world. Players like Shaquille O’Neal have used it to make jokes about players and coaches, give tickets away, and more.

On another occasion, Charlie Villanueva, then with the Bucks, sent a tweet out to his followers during halftime of a Bucks game. This prompted controversy and criticism, as a player’s focus should solely be on the game he’s being paid exorbitant sums of money to play.

While the presence of Twitter in the lives of NBA players has its ups and downs, it probably does more good than harm. Fans get the inside scoop on many of their favorite athletes from the best source possible - the athletes themselves. A responsible policy will maintain a healthy balance between what’s right and wrong.

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