"Fixes" for the NBA

For all of professional hockey’s woes, of which there are many, I have come to think that it’s rich sister, the NBA, has been somewhat of a paper tiger when it comes to that league’s popularity.

 

The disappointment of this year’s NBA playoffs (terrible matchups and questionable seedings, the Spurs-Suns playing in the 2^nd round, the dismal ratings of the Cavs-Spurs finals, the entire Eastern conference, the mediocre play in general) have brought the issue to the fore of the mainstream media.

 

But the NBA may be in more danger than we think. One of the preeminent basketball writers in the country, the Inquirer’s own Stephen A. Smith, diagnoses the problem and offers some solutions.

 

The changes he is suggesting – at least implicitly - are chilling and unworthy of a legitimate sports league (to say nothing of possible violations of fraud, tampering, and interstate commerce).

 

Writes Smith: “The fact is that the NBA had better do something about all this quickly, whether through the draft lottery, playoff seedings or format changes, before it really starts losing fans instead of just worrying about it….And considering that the Finals were once on tape delay and mired in low ratings and that Stern used the ascent of quality teams in major markets as a foundation to build the NBA into what it is today, television ratings and the league's popularity go nowhere when a franchise-caliber big man like Greg Oden is set to be drafted by Portland instead of a big-market team.”

 

I read that as Smith’s admonition that either the league intervene to direct the most marketable stars to big market teams, or more subtly fix things so that, who knew, Greg Oden will be a Boston Celtic. Competitiveness be damned! It’s all about marketing and ratings. Actual basketball playing is secondary. And what does that say to smaller market teams? We’ll tolerate you in the league, but don’t expect any big stars on your roster…they’re going to be playing in NY, LA, or Chicago.

 

Of course, this mindset is simply part and parcel of the NBA where tanking games (think about that, purposely losing games) was such a pervasive problem that the league had to institute the lottery system to discourage it, and the practice is still openly talked about and speculated on. And that doesn’t even include the persistent rumors that David Stern fixed the 1985 lottery so that the New York Knicks could draft Patrick Ewing.

 

Again, for as bad off as the NHL is right now, the NBA may have been in a more precarious spot in the mid to late 70s when the “black league” was beset by drug and perception problems. Bird, Magic, Dr. J, Michael Jordan, and Nike saved the league and boosted it to previously unimaginable heights. But the marketing aspect of the league was almost on par with the play. It was an unholy alliance which the NBA has become overly dependent. Its unhealthy to the point where it prompts commentators like Smith to suggest that the operations need to be fixed to bolster the ratings. As a counterpoint, think for a moment if anyone would dare suggest that the top QBs should be sent to the biggest NFL markets? The NBA is on dangerous ground when it even tolerates such talk. This being the NBA, Stephen Smith won’t miss a beat.