It's safe to say that cell phones are a pretty dominant part of everyone's lives in 2016.
While the generation of millennials have pretty much taken over the NBA, the notion that players would check their cell phones during games would probably shock some people.
Although it may come as a shock, the use of cell phones during halftimes of games is a pretty common thing. Several NBAers told Andrew Keh of The New York Times that players frequently send text messages or check their social media accounts during halftimes
Charlotte Hornets forward Spencer Hawes commented on this habit:
“I don’t think you should necessarily be coming in at halftime and start going through your mentions, but it's just become habitual. What do you do when you've been away from your phone in any situation? You come in, check it, check if anyone texted you. I think halftime is kind of no different.”
While the NBA prohibits players from posting to their social media websites during games, the league does not prevent them from using their mobile devices during halftime.
Even old-schoolers are starting to give in to the trend these days, such as the Hornets' Al Jefferson:
“I'm still not a big fan of people checking their phones at halftime. But times change. Cellphones are people's life now.”
Sacramento Kings veteran Caron Butler, who happens to be one of the league's oldest players at 36 years old, commented that people look like “zombies” in the locker room:
“You see everyone looking like zombies getting to their phones, trying to see what's going on and if they missed anything.”
Considering smart phones have been a prevalent part of society for nearly a decade now and the fact that the league's top stars grew up in a technologically-dominant era, it's believable that the league has embraced this behavior.
Just remember—the next time you're watching during halftime of an NBA game, your favorite player is likely checking his text messages.
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