There are upwards of 350 NBA players in general circulation (the number fluctuates quite a bit). A good number of NBA players have their own "official" websites. OtB takes an in-depth look at these websites and gives each a comprehensive grade.
I thought I'd start this by looking at the site that started it all for me. Sometime in the early aughts, when Chris Webber and Co. were still putting up a fight against those durned Lakers, I came across Mike Bibby's official website. It spurred the realization that all NBA players, regardless of skill or popularity, could boast an "official" website pledged just to following them. It's kind of like getting your own Wikipedia page, but more self-serving. Of course, if Uwe Blab has his own Wikipedia page, it doesn't really mean much. But what good does an official NBA player website do? Why, it gets your stuff reviewed by OtB, of course.
Anyway, on to the site: www.mikebibby.com. Zero points for creativity. None of these domain names will be that creative, though, and that's the question here. What will this guinea pig effort look like? I've broken down a site's elements into 7 components and will give each an individual grade. Elements like accessibility, up-to-date-ness, and original content will feature in the final grade a bit more than elements like marketing. Try it on for size:
- Accessibility/layout: Home page shows most relevant info to player and has links to all parts of the website. The site contains broken links and a career stats page that is empty. Not all pages link back to previous pages. Related sites linked to include the Official Websites of Chris Webber and ZAZA PACHULIA. Bibby's biographical info is not presented in strictly chronological or sensible fashion. Grade: C-
- Video: Decent link up to a bunch of Youtube videos. Only exlcusive vid has Bibby talking about playing in the heat of Phoenix. Grade: B-
- Photos: None featured except those of Mike's tattoos. Grade: C-
- Up-to-date-ness: News as recent as this year's play-offs, but biographical info only runs up to Bibby's acquisition by the Hawks. Grade: C+
- Marketing: It seems this website has been co-opted by the Air Jordan shoe, although stating when Bibby wore each show is pretty cool. You can also "check back soon" to purchase Mike Bibby autographs. Grade: C-
- Original content: The site doesn't feature any in depth articles or analysis, nor does it seem to provide breaking news. However, it does provide a nice look at all of Bibby's tattoos and their meanings. Bibby must be one of the unsung tattoo champs of the NBA. The site states that "Mike does not have a MySpace page. We recommend coming here to get the information you're looking for," but there's not a whole lot here in terms of biographical info you couldn't get off of Wikipedia. Grade: D
- Trivia: Did you know Bibby's nickname is 'Bib." It kills me how unoriginal some athletes' nicknames are. The site also reveals that Eddie House is Bibby's brother-in-law, Bib wears size 12.5 sneaks, and "along with teammate Joe Johnson, [is] one of just 11 NBA players selected to endorse Nike’s Jordan Brand line." Grade: C
