Why do you feel the NBA has lost its' national appeal?

oregonweim

Bench Warmer
Keep in mind this is a racially sensitive topic so... anyway, many of our younger generation don't know that, at one point in time 'I LOVE THIS GAME actually meant something. Mid to late 80s, early 90s BK was on par with the NFL in popularity. Where have Stern and the league gone wrong?

*Has Guaranteed money poisened the players?

*Is their a backlash against the hip hop generation?

*Has the game play itself turned people off?

I know my thoughts, curious what others feel.
 
I was one of the biggest b-ball fans out there in the 80s and 90s. I think I no longer care for four reasons:

1) Thugs - white, black, yellow, green, purple, whatever. Too many thugs in the game that seem to be in it to support their off-field gun collections and pot smoking habits.

2) Gameplay has changed. Gone are the days of the good give and go and the backdoor cuts. Some of that is still there but mostly it's a give it to the star and clear out game. I can't take it.

3) The big market teams aren't winning. Boston, NY, LA, Chicago.

4) On a more personal level.... The Knicks suck and have crappy ownership, management and selfish players (Example - Starbury). When they are good again I will probably get back into watching them but will never watch the NBA the way I used to.
 
1. Giving players that do not care about the game and care more about their pocket book too much money.


2. It has turned into a "Me" game, and not a "Team" Game.


3. Its rigged.
 
I do not like looking at people with jailhouse tattoos all over them, in football they have that stuff covered up by equipment and uniform, if I want to look at ghetto looking people playing basketball I will go down to the local community center and church , where I used to help out with inner city basketball leagues.
 
The salary/Franchise tax thing !

It has ruined the trading ability of most teams , which in turn means you can't build a team and usually get stuck with 1 very good overpaid player and at least 2-3 more that aren't worth what they are getting who either can't play as good as when they got the contract or were really never that good anyway but had to be paid to scale.

The team concept has all but disappeared , like someone above said "no more give & go's , no defense , ball handling skills have all but disappeared , working without the ball is no longer cool. Just stand around and chuck one up.

As for how the players look I could give a flying expletive if they could just play the game the way it was meant to be played and quit trying to make ESPN. The tats and braids are a symbol which I understand many will never get , but to be honest shouldn't have any value as a comparison to what the product is. If you can play who cares what you look like.
 
I personally cannot relate to the players anymore (except for a very few) and the gameplay itself is boring. The fact that I dont like David Stern is icing on the cake. Althought that didnt prevent me from being a diehard NBA fan from '88 to '97.
 
I'll get killed for saying this, and there is no disrespect intended, but MJ changed the game for the worse. He was the first pure scoring, dunk-from-the-foulline superstar. Ever since him, that's what kids think basketball is. So instead of working on the basics that made Larry Bird and Magic Johnson great, they are practicing crazy dunks. This has hurt the gameplay a lot because it's all about the individual now (except for the Spurs, and surprise surprise, they are the dynasty because of their team-oriented play).

Also, the fact that these guys have more money than god doesn't help. If they have so much money and can do whatever they want, why would they listen to a coach try to teach them how to play the game right? They don't, and it's ruining the once-great game.
 
Because they aren't the NFL :cheers:



And BTW Will, I COMPLETELY agree. I love MJ, but look at players like the Stilt and Jerry West. 'nuff said.
 
This has hurt the gameplay a lot because it's all about the individual now (except for the Spurs, and surprise surprise, they are the dynasty because of their team-oriented play).

Also compare the NCAA Gators.
There was a mild frenzy around March Madness - and very few "superstars" in the tourney except maybe that tall kid from Ohio State.

Came back to good play / underdogs / and teams you felt good rooting for or against. If someone asked me who my favorite NBA team was, I wouldn't even know.
 
Keep in mind this is a racially sensitive topic so... anyway, many of our younger generation don't know that, at one point in time 'I LOVE THIS GAME actually meant something. Mid to late 80s, early 90s BK was on par with the NFL in popularity. Where have Stern and the league gone wrong?

*Has Guaranteed money poisened the players?

*Is their a backlash against the hip hop generation?

*Has the game play itself turned people off?

I know my thoughts, curious what others feel.
Guaranteed money has killed most player's motivation. How many times have you seen players pick it up when in a contract year...but then lay an egg after signing for millions.

The overall thug-like mentality that most players seem to have. They come from nothing...and end up with millions. Hard to blame them sometimes...I am sure it isn't easy to drop the buds you had growing up but that are now a bad influence.

And it is the holier than thou attitude. I wanted to puke when they would whine about the a dress code.

And the me-first attitude. Like someone said before...MJ was a curse for the league. Offense is horrendous to watch.
 
Has it?

Based on rookie card prices of the past few years someone's sure interested in it.
I'd say it's hard core fan base has increased which in turn has scared off the casual viewer.


??
 
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Has it?

Based on rookie card prices of the past few years someone's sure interested in it.
I'd say it's hard core fan base has increased which in turn has scared off the casual viewer.


??
People look at the decline in playoff TV ratings. Ratings aren't quite the same each and every year. There are a lot more options on TV then there were last year, the year before that ,etc. And they don't have to fight Sopranos either. So I would be curious how the Finals ratings did compared to other shows in their time slot.
 
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