NETA Brookline
SAN ANTONIO – APRIL 28: A NBA basketball on the court during play between the Dallas Mavericks and the San Antonio Spurs in Game Five of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2009 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on April 28, 2009 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The NBA is in trouble. The game is boring and nobody is watching. Each game is nothing more than three point shots and slam dunks. Just look at average shot chart compilations from 2024 and 2004 and you will be startled at the difference. Just this week Commissioner Adam Silver said he will look into the excessive 3 point shooting. The problem is that coaches have decided it is a better risk to shoot 34 percent from the three point arc than 48 percent from midrange. Then Steph Curry came along with incredible accuracy from deep and now everybody wants to be like him.
The NBA is in trouble. More recently the NBA tried to drum up fake interest with some changes. First and foremost, they've implemented a faux in season "tournament" that nobody cares about. By the way, the Bucks won that NBA Cup tournament yesterday with a win over the Thunder. The Bucks did not even open the box of celebratory Champaign provided by the NBA.
Last year's winner of the inaugural tournament, the LA Lakers, did not want to hang a tournament championship banner next to their 17 real NBA championship banners but the league made them do it with full pregame fanfare. They will make the Bucks do the same.
NBA IS IN TROUBLE
Then there is the unfixable problem with the midseason All-Star game. Back in the day that game used to matter and people watched. Now NBA All-Star Game totals exceed 300 points because players don't make an effort on defense to avoid injury. Now the NBA is turning All-Star weekend into some sort of pick up game between several teams. First to 40 points wins... or something like that. Again nobody will watch.
The NBA is is trouble. Viewing numbers are down almost 50 percent from a decade ago. But even more startling is they are down 24 percent from last year! Those are fatal numbers in any business model. The NBA is the new MLB. It is dying off quickly. Sadly, as someone that watched the NBA as a kid, I don't have any solutions at the moment. I spend my time watching football.
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