NBA keeps putting its players first as NFL, MLB lag behind

It's no wonder why NBA athletes are more marketable than their MLB and NFL counterparts. It starts with how each league is managed from the top - even down to the seemingly minor details.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Nick DePaula reported that the NBA lifted all restrictions on footwear colorways. Players will no longer be mandated to match their shoes with their uniforms on game nights. They're free to be as imaginative and expressive as they like.

This change was merely a formality, as the previous policy was so lax that LeBron James rocked 51 different designs of his signature sneakers last year. An entire economy has already emerged around shoe designs, as artists like Kickstradomis have ported everything from Dragon Ball Z to Supreme onto the feet of NBA players. The days of Michael Jordan being fined for wearing Air Jordans are long gone.

Removing restrictions was a no-brainer for commissioner Adam Silver and Co. The players feel empowered, the brands have more products to market, sneakerheads have more designs to gawk at, and the NBA yet again receives positive press for being the most progressive major sports league in America. Everybody wins.

On the other hand, the NFL and MLB handle these issues with a lot less common sense. Both would prefer their players remain uniform and indistinguishable as part of a larger strategy to market the league over the individual.

The NFL would sooner bench its best players then break with convention. Pittsburgh Steelers superstar Antonio Brown was informed by a league official that he wouldn't be allowed to re-enter a game last season if he continued to pay homage to Muhammad Ali with his cleats.

In another instance, New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was fined $18,000 without warning for wearing cleats in honor of late sideline reporter Craig Sager. Those cleats were later auctioned off for charity.

MLB has held a similarly stubborn line with regards to footwear. Chicago Cubs infielder Ben Zobrist was told to cease and desist for wearing black spikes as a nod to his team's storied history. Cleveland Indians pitcher Mike Clevinger faced similar pushback over his tie-dyed sunflower cleats.

Both the NFL and MLB have chosen heavy-handed responses to seemingly harmless infractions because they refuse to concede control. Those players weren't spiking their gear to gain an advantage, or using their shoes as a free advertisements for a product - they simply wanted to express themselves, and they were emphatically denied.

It comes down to an issue of ownership. For one reason or another, the NFL and MLB feel that a player's platform is not their own, and that extends far beyond sneaker choices. They want athletes to stick to sports, and there are systems in place to punish those who step out of line - and that line is determined by the leagues.

At the root of it all, that's where the NBA fundamentally differs from its counterparts. Silver understands it's the players who make the league great, as opposed to the other way around. He and his staff welcome individuality from their athletes, who are encouraged to be themselves. As far as the NBA is concerned, what's good for the individual is good for the NBA.

That attitude extends well beyond the court. Basketball stars have latitude to exercise their influence as they see fit, and that's reflected in their proliferation across popular culture. James regularly speaks on social issues and is building a media empire both as a producer and an actor. Kevin Durant is an emerging venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. Russell Westbrook is a regular at Paris Fashion Week. Blake Griffin dabbles in stand-up comedy and made a cameo in "Broad City." Even role players like Trevor Ariza appear in State Farm commercials. The NBA has crossover appeal beyond the world of basketball because their players aren't put in a box.

Meanwhile, the biggest stars in baseball are practically unrecognizable. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is one of the greatest players in history, yet he could walk down Hollywood Boulevard without being recognized. And in football, the stars are either intentionally bland like Tom Brady, or they're demonized for everything from protesting systematic racism to partying on boats.

The fact that NBA players are far more marketable than their football and baseball peers is reflected in the data. Forbes puts out an annual list of the highest-paid athletes by endorsements, and there are 10 basketball players ahead of the first football player on the 2018 edition, and 19 basketball players ahead of the first baseball player.

In the grand scheme of things, shoes are just shoes. The NBA relaxing its policy wouldn't even make headlines if its competitors weren't so far behind the curve. But as such, the latest news serves as yet another reminder that the NBA continues to put its players first, while the NFL and MLB do the opposite.