Michael Humphrey, an adjunct professor and journalism adviser for The Rocky Mountain Collegian at Colorado State University, has an interesting blog post today over at Forbes.

He notes that an individual with no connection to the NBA is racking up millions of views on his YouTube account, mainly thanks to LA Clipper star Blake Griffin’s unbelievable dunks. He explains why he thinks the league is OK with that:

So why aren’t media rights holders going after unofficial uploaders when they post these spectacular moments? Probably, as I explain in this highlight-reel video (below), because the NBA branding of the dunker is more valuable for both the league, and Griffin, if it burns across the Internet, no matter the channels.

The video clip itself does have value – millions of views could generate ad revenue – but nothing like the payoff of a new star emerging. It means jersey sales, ticket sales and TV viewership of live games.