Top Five Reasons I think NBA Ratings are down...

[BluePhil]

These are really just the reasons I have largely stopped watching the product.

5. Outrageous NIL money and its effects. College basketball is now professional. Not only do good teams lose players that are one and done, but they also get players to leave so they can buy proven transfers so you can have a team of freshman and bought transfers that are all there for a year. That is becoming more common. This affects viewers that like to follow players from their favorite colleges in the NBA. They have no connection with them anymore.

4. Style of play. Lack of defense.. So many rules have changed the ability to defend. Traveling is left uncalled too often. Games turn into 3 point shooting contests.

3. Lack of effort and players. So many of the players now are regularly unavailable and the season never gets interesting until near the playoffs. Games are seemingly half speed way too often.

2. Politics - I really don't care what the players and commentators politics are but I don't want to hear it every time I go to watch a game on TV whether it is liberal or conservative. Let me watch the game.

1. Bronny- sports is supposed to be a meritocracy. Drafting this mediocre College player and then getting him on the court with the Lakers makes a joke of everything professional sport is supposed to be about. Instead it was about appeasing his daddy.

 

[DukeDallas9192011015]

I watch and follow the NBA pretty closely, but I am not nearly as obsessed with it as I was 10 years ago, I also keep tabs on all of the Duke guys. I don't think NIL money or Bronny have anything to do with the issues, but I agree with #'s 4, 3, and 2.

IMO the biggest issue is the regular season is too long. Which results in guys going through the motions during games and guys sitting out for dumb reasons. Could you imagine getting your son a ticket to see Steph Curry the game after Christmas and he sits out due to ankle soreness? That happened this year. They will never change it to 60 games though because of the monetary loss.

IMO there isn't a lack of defense, guys play extremely hard and they are the best defenders in the world, but basketball is a game where great offense always beats great defense. The 3 point shooting has gotten absurd as like 50% of all field goals are now 3's. They need to widen the court and move back the 3 point line, this would then allow for some type of inside game.

Lastly I think the NBA has done a poor job of marketing the younger stars and they are holding onto the old guys for too long (Lebron, KD, Steph.) The problem is, most of the younger stars are international which makes it harder for us Americans to embrace. Zion and Ja Morant were supposed to be the next generation of American stars, and for different reasons it just hasn't happened. They really need Anthony Edwards to keep ascending, and Cooper Flagg could help too.

The good news for the NBA is worldwide it is booming and growing, and talented guys are coming out of Africa and Europe each year now. Ratings are actually up everywhere but America. But in America you have to compete against football, and it just hasn't gone well lately.

 

[The_Only_Blue]

If there wasn't sports gambling, the NBA viewership would be down even more. So many people I know can't stand the NBA but will watch just because they have money on it. The product is terrible to watch.

Steph transcended the game with the 3 ball but it's ridiculous that teams area shooting 50 3's a game. Think I saw a Celtics game where they shot it 60 plus times.

 

[Mac9192]

The nba isn't relatable anymore. It's turned into who can hit the most 3's. There's also too much whining on every whistle, or non call. Plus, they flop, and flail on any contact. There's some comical videos out there on guys like Lebron acting like he was hit by Mike Tyson, when the guy missed him completely, or barely touched him.

This load management is another issue. Fans pay their hard earned money to watch these guys, so they should be ready to play, unless they really are injured.

This part goes along with the relatable point. Fans loved watching football players, or the UFC's Jon Jones do the Trump dance. It would do nothing but help the NBA if some good players started doing the Trump dance. Even if you don't like him.

 

[The_Only_Blue]

Celtics vs Timberwolves tonight...

Celtics- 57 3 point shots attempted
Timberwolves- 39 3 point shots attempted

Barely any defense played until the last few minutes of the game. Just a bunch of running up and down the court shooting 3's

 

[christophero]

6
Because Bird, Magic, Dr J and Jordan retired.

 

[dadecodevil]

Too many games, too many guys sitting out big games, exorbitant ticket prices, social media (distraction from other forms of entertainment), and team stacking. I'm not in marketing, but these are my guesses. I'm 50 now, and when I was in college and high school, you knew the culture and makeup of NBA teams. Now it's hard to point to teams, especially the good ones, with the same core (save Golden State). I've always been a college first guy, I did grow up in Durham, but I don't watch a single NBA game until the final four is over.

 

[IPSYCHOSIS]

To me, and it’s been like this from day 1 of my existence. It’s just too many games, and they are not meaningful games, which cause some of the things you mentioned. It’s not interesting until the end of the year and playoffs.

 

[The_Only_Blue]

Laughing straight to the bank. These players could care less. Sad

 

[christophero]

I think you're the greatest. But my dad says you don't work hard enough on defense

 

[Liftee]

I do think the NBA has become part entertainment oriented, part competition oriented. The refs seem to bend and enforce the rules (traveling, double dribbling, even throwing the ball in bounds) selectively depending upon who is involved and time and score. The reason there are so many 3 pointers is they aren't contested until the last quarter. Who wouldn't take a wide open 3 pointer?>

And yet, the ticket prices are ridiculous. I wanted to get tickets to see McCain in Phillie with my wife who loves Jared. The Sixers are bad and yet ticket resales (we don't want to attend just one game and then sit in the rafters) were almost $300 each! Turned out Jared got hurt unfortunately so I saved myself a bundle. The point being, people are still apparently paying for a mediocre product so why should the league care?

 

[sheyduke]

I think all points are valid. The players sitting out for load management is simply crazy . Now it’s become almost like a soap opera with the players . Look at the Butler situation in Miami .
Look at the amount of money these players are making and you can literally say my feet hurt and not have to play .
Even LeBron has criticized the league about the amount of three pointers now being taken by players. I don’t watch the NBA that much but do follow it . I’m a Hornet’s fan and Lamelo has yet to play an entire season and Miller, Williams and Bridges have yet to stay healthy during this season .