I would love the ability to take a poll regarding the result of the NBA Finals and LeBron’s free agency decision. I would want to know one thing. Did the viewer enjoy the Finals or Free Agency more? I know we can tell once the dust settles in a month by exploring the ratings, but I wonder how many fans care about the choice LeBron and others will make in the coming weeks, versus the actual games.
NBA drama regarding player moves have become almost as entertaining as the product on the court. Did we just experience a moment when the product on the court was less intriguing than the pending free agency choices? I believe we did. The NBA should be embarrassed about the result. Here’s why. We knew we’d have Golden State vs Cleveland. We knew Cleveland would win. The NBA won’t mind because it will still generate enough viewers to sell their product. The NBA won’t mind because their popularity is incredibly high. When should the entertainment value supersede the numbers? Silver needs to come out ahead of this, before he finds himself in an overall revolt. The NBA has gotten away with a lack of completive balance forever, but a new group of fans may not stand for that norm.
I don’t write this out of animosity regarding the success of Golden State. I write this in regards to the pitiful Eastern Conference. It is time to simply do away with the Conferences. They are not helping serve the purpose originally intended. It can be done. It has been explored. Make the change. It isn’t worth putting us through another season, playoff, and Finals. Give us the change that will make the league even more interesting on the court.
Phil Your Day 