re: Theory on why the NBA is so trash these days

Im enjoyed it a little more since luka trade for some reason. *conspiracy for ratings has worked on me*

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Contract the league to 16 teams with 15-man rosters. I

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At a point when the league is its most deep (by far) with talent in history?

Why?

I can't wait to see the reactions for players making $150M/year

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2. Raise the rim to 11 ft.

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WTF?

I never realized just how much lebron looks like Kendrick Perkins

Olympic basketball was electric. I cant put a reason as to why but it had to be the defense. Other "less NBA talented" countries were competing with USA superstars.

NBA needs to get rid of the illegal defense rule. Allowing zones will create another avenue for competitive creativity.

Watching players take 3 or 4 steps, carrying the ball, and calling it skill is gross.

Expand the court width wise and move the 3pt back 2-4 feet in radius. Make the corner 3 a circle and not shorter than other 3’s. Push it back to where the % of makes reemphasize mid range jump shots

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In your world.

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I don't think it's quite as bad as some on here do, but it's definitely true

I grew up watching the NBA shift from Kobe, Shaq, Dirk, Tim to Lebron, Wade, KD, Steph to whatever it is now. if you look at it objectively, likability is trending down

There are a ton of reasons but I think the overall uniformity of the game has made it boring. Every team essentially wants a PG that can score, a rim running center that is passable on pick and roll switches, then 3 guys of varying heights that can shoot 3s and be decent on defense. You will always have players that are exceptionally gifted that rise above that, but that is the blueprint to start with. It is a more skilled game, but it is the same thing night in and out.

Guys like Oakley and Mahorn would never sniff the court today. From an aesthetic standpoint, that is an upgrade to most. From an interesting standpoint, that is a massive downgrade. That type of basketball creates intrigue. In the past, when a team was not as good as others, they would try varying styles to compete (Doug Moe's Nuggets, Bomb Squad era Knicks, Bad Boys who obviously finally triumphed, etc). That just doesnt exist today.

There are outliers, but 90% of games are the same every night, rinse/repeat, with the hope that a superstar or particular matchup makes it more intriguing than others. And I say this as someone who loves basketball but has found it difficult to watch it it regularly during the regular season.

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It does seem one player can dictate the feel around the league. It’s pretty clear to me the league overall took on the personality of Jordan, then Kobe, then LeBron. It may only take one player to get the league back on track.

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this might be the nostalgia talking, but it felt like the early 2000s generation of stars cared more about putting on a show every night. that started to shift as Lebron took power over the league. nba players started to shift from full time athletes/entertainers to brand and business entities, even non superstars. i remember bill simmons talking about how absurd it is that dozens of nba players have their own personal logo.

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I don't think it's quite as bad as some on here do, but it's definitely true

I grew up watching the NBA shift from Kobe, Shaq, Dirk, Tim to Lebron, Wade, KD, Steph to whatever it is now. if you look at it objectively, likability is trending down

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Much to do about not much.

Every year, the same tired scapegoats surface: “It’s all those three-pointers!” Or “Fans hate the politics!” or “No one plays defense!” And it's "All LeBron's fault". OK, that one is for the rant.

We are in the middle of a huge decline with cable. People have had enough of 200-dollar monthly bills and stuff they are paying for and have zero interest in watching. In 2015, around 76% of U.S. households still had cable, now it's closer to 50%. More people stream in this country than watch cable. That is hurting ESPN and TNT as fans flee. More likely a huge reason Amazon has gotten the NBA over TNT next season. Keep in mind that these regional NBA broadcasts are still stuck mostly on cable as well.

The NBA took charge in addressing some of these changes in the new media rights deal, which will place every national game on a streaming service starting in the 2025-26 season. In addition, the league also plans to increase the number of regular season games on broadcast television from 15 to 75. Easy, considering that NBC and Peacock have joined the new media rights deal. And lastly.

During the first few weeks of the NBA season, the league got behind but the the World Series featured two of the most storied teams in the Dodgers and the New York Yankees. The NFL season was going strong and everyone wanted in on a new presidential election. Back to cable viewership for a second. Viewership on cable is down 13% this year from last. And since the start of the NBA season, overall viewership decline is now closer to only 3%, even with cable's problems. Hardly worth selling off your NBA stock.