Hazing gets a bad rap because a lot of organizations just go overboard. We’ve all heard nightmare stories about fraternities and sororities doing dangerous, even deadly things, and some high school football hazing, even cheerleading hazing, is just wrong.
At its best though, hazing is a way of bringing a new member into a culture, a way to tease, embarrass and prod someone to accept a role within a group.
In other words, it ain’t always bad.
The NBA has hazed rookies for decades. You might be told to carry bags or bring drinks or whatever the veterans ask, and if you don’t do it, you’ll get very very unpopular very quickly.