Please read what you can stand. I think there's some valid points in here and I apologize for the length. I'm pretty passionate about the game I grew up loving and the frustration of what it's become. Here's my opinions on today's NBA:
*Special treatment of stars-everyone says the league is star driven, which is true. What makes that a liability is the league is why the stars remain on top. The players themselves, from game to game, should be how stars stay on top. Look at some of the big names in the league and it's a who's who of floppers. Fans don't want to see that.
*Officiating-games have almost become scripted. You never see stars in foul trouble, unless it's a game (usually playoffs) that the other team has to win. Influential calls often happen early in the game and that's how the league can hide it easier.
Watch how many fourth quarters start with several fouls called against the home team. Then, watch how evenly the foul comparison is by the end of the game. Can't say the home team got the calls because the count ended up even. This is the exact reason the league starts the bonus again at the 2 minute mark. There is absolutely no reason for it other than controlling the outcome.
Same thing with getting the ball at halfcourt on timeouts in the last 2 minutes.
*Stars are no longer relatable to normal fans. Sky high salaries and ticket prices have made it a rich man's game and normal people can't afford it. Not saying you have to be a millionaire to go, but look at the people sitting courtside. Most of them never get out of their seats or show ANY emotions. It's all about money, status and appearances for them. Most true fans would die to sit courtside just once.
*Social media-of course. It's been the undermining reason for many things losing their shine nowadays. Nobody ever cared about who Bird was dating or Magic making an album. Now, their personal lives are in our face 24/7. By the time they're in a game I'm already tired of seeing their faces. They aren't politicians or musicians or actors. And they are quickly becoming some of the worst role models a kid could have. We used to mimic the best moves and passes. Now kids mimic their overdramatic celebrations and primal screams after making a jumper. It's exhausting.
*Call a technical or other violations-right behind flopping being nauseating is whining. Why are players and coaches allowed to act the way they do?! And don't tell me it's a high stress atmosphere. That's bullshit! And forget about a second tech. Most guys get even more hysterical after the first tech because they know refs won't disqualify them with that second tech. Stars are already given plenty of preferential treatment...so why are they also the biggest whiners?!?! LBJ, Harden, Westbrook, Dray Green, etc. Get the calls (not technicals) and whine on every call.
And violations? Just go to youtube and watch what isn't called. Players don't have the skills they had in the past. It's often the biggest, fastest, strongest athletes on top. The reason Luka is so well liked, imo, has to do with his skills and not athleticism...even though his whining makes him unwatchable. The game is now too simple. Pick & roll, step back 3, or all the way to the rim, usually just hoping for a call. Very few teams actually run a set offense and late in the game forget about execution.
In the past, they said defense and execution wins games. Teams were bigger than individuals. There was parity and teams played to win every night. NOW it's individuals are bigger than teams. Execution is history. Defense is limited by officiating. Players dictate where they'll play and who will be their coach. Players take games off for rest!!!
The experience of being at a game was seeing these huge, amazing athletes show off their skill and teamwork. Now it's a circus. The music is annoying. Timeouts are 5 minutes, :30 second timeouts are only 2 minutes, though. There's 62 dancers on the court during breaks, a unicycle rider, a lady flipping stacks of ceramic bowls on her head, guys jumping off trampolines to dunk, tshirts being shot into the crowd (6 small tees between 20k fans), everything associated with a game is outrageously expensive.
I know I'm getting old, but I've played a lot of games in front of some pretty big crowds through college. It's not about basketball anymore. The business of the NBA is all that matters and it's slowly ruining what it was. I used live for NBA games on TV. Then it became where I'd rather watch a good college game. Now the only games I watch are college, the Blazers and a few random teams for certain individual players like the Celtics with Pritchard.
