As a whole, the NBA has lost around 45% of its viewership since 2012.

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

There’s literally no difference in play style, the 3 point shooting has simply become absurd. Like Kobe says everyone plays unintentional basketball, barely any plays run and sets

Let me ask you a question -

With the league being in a postionless state now, say we went back to a time where players had to play stricly to the traditonal roles of their positions (PG ran the offense; shooting guards only scored; big men stayed in proximity of the paint) and the game took place entirely within the arc, do you think Gen Z would complain about how every team plays the same?

 

[Drake's Tan]

I think there's something more to it than just the play style/quality of the product.

Yes those are issues, without a doubt, but the NFL product is complete shyt and has higher ratings than ever. So saying that the dip is just due to poor product isn't the whole picture.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

Ppl don’t wanna fukk with dudes no matter what they do…it’s easier to hate.

Ultimately it does boil down to that.

Cats will always find something to hate on.

However, I think when someone does come along that's marketable to the American public and who can prove to be transcendent, it will get those folks who've become either disinterested with the league or hated it, back on side in some capacity. If only if they become a polarizing figure to those who want to hold onto the past (like Bron eventually became).

Even more so if they can be marketed in a fashion of beating the foreign superstars - Captain America vs. The World.

All in all, those folks are largely irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. With a $77 billion gat on its hip, the NBA isn't gonna have an empty clip anytime soon.

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

The NBA is ass and we telling y’all it’s ass

Y’all bringing up political nikkas using it as a talking point is not nuance at all, it’s a red herring to divert away from something we all seen

This is how disingenious some of y'all are.

The OP is using propaganda from a Right-wing agency as a source, and y'all wanna talk about not bringing up politics? The stats in the OP have already been debunked as manipulated bullshyt from racist crackas who don't like the NBA, and yet the OP still hasn't taken it down and changed the thread title.

The NBA has NOT lost 45% viewership since 2012.

That is a straight-up, unadulterated lie.

Y'all don't even wanna have a honest discussion, y'all just wanna talk nonsense and hope that everyone eventually believes it on some Trump shyt. Y'all think repeating the same damn lies over and over will eventually be accepted as the truth.

 

[Loose]

Right-wing puppets don't represent the majority that are criticizing the style of play today. They're the ones who took exception with the NBA embracing liberal and social justice campaigns (BLM, George Floyd, LGBT etc), and then effigized the league because of it. They're the ones who propagated things like the decline in TV ratings years ago. My point around that was, they use misinformation/disinformation against today's game. You then have other detractors of today's game (the ones who don't like the style of play) who latch onto that minsinformation/disinformation to layer their confirmation bias.

Take a look at this thread for example -

The OP used Outkick as a source for the alleged decline in NBA viewership, when the stats are wildly inaccurate. It's been debunked that the NBA has NOT lost 45% of its viewership, but the OP still hasn't changed the thread title or removed the source. Or done anything to remedy the discourse. It illustrates just how disingenious both these groups are that they're willing to twist and manipulate anything and everything to where their views or agenda about the league reflect reality.

Nobody is saying anyone has to like today's product, but folks need to be more honest and genuine with why they don't, and not think that just because they don't that everyone else feels the same. They're trying to speak the demise of the league into existence because they don't like it.

Great post specifically the bolded , right wing disinformation misinformation and boycotting has absolutely hurt the league

 

[Gil Scott-Heroin]

I respect and agree with this take more than what others have been saying. The infusion of analytics in sports while good for attaining positive results does kill individual creativity (just like it did/does in other fields). With any entertainment, we do want to see the struggle, the different styles, and the chess match...it's arguably why tennis has become one of my favorite sports to watch in recent years, and why I feel like track headlines the Olympics. At the end of the day, who's faster doesn't need much math to it (if any)....it's just a bunch of people lined up and then they go. The ultimate basic competition

By the same token, didn't traditional roles for positions limit individual creativity?

When a PG rarely looked to score, when bigs rarely ventured out of the paint, when circus shots and spontaneity on offense were discouraged. Back during a time when offenses consisted of only the PG bringing up the ball into the halfcourt, waiting for everyone to get into their set positions and playing inside-out.

Why are analytics looked at as the boogeyman to imagination and innovation, when the game used to be far more restrictive once upon a time?





Players over the last 5-10 years arguably have more freedom than they ever have.

It doesn't matter what position or role you play on a team, if you're good enough to perform any action, you'll be given a stage to showcase it. DeRozan's still out here literally taking 10 midrange attempts per game (true story). Even Giannis has been getting it in from the elbows this season.

 

[Field Marshall Bradley]

I think there's something more to it than just the play style/quality of the product.

Yes those are issues, without a doubt, but the NFL product is complete shyt and has higher ratings than ever. So saying that the dip is just due to poor product isn't the whole picture.

Yes. The NFL has been mid at best for the last 5 years, but gambling and fantasy football has it's own fan base outside of core NFL fans. Those extra eyes from the gamblers, and FF people keep are the additional eyes that keep the NFL ratings through the roof

 

[FTBS]

WHAT DID THEY DO
FROM 2008-2015 WHEN
BASKETBALL WAS AT ITS
MOST BALANCED AND DIVERSE PERIOD?



​

It takes time for teams to adjust and implement new things. Zone was allowed in 2001. Many teams kept playing the same style for years because thats what they knew. Sports figures are conservative as fukk in general. They dont take to change well. Similiar to how the 3 been around since 79 but just recently became what it is. But even during that period we saw the impact of the zone and the 3. That was also right after freedom of movement was implemented. So in short it was a transition period.

 

[FTBS]

I think he’s responding to a certain type of Coli poster that isn’t either one of us. But to @tremonthustler1 ’s larger point - I do think a lack of identifying with the new superstars does play somewhat of a role in how casuals enjoy the game. Half of Ant’s appeal is that he doesn’t feel like a scripted character. Basketball used to be synonymous with black pop culture/hip hop culture. And these days - NBA players are moreso trying to be in New York fashion week and are incredibly brand conscious. It used to be that I couldn’t listen to 5 straight rap songs without some sort of basketball sports reference and that is definitely gone to a degree. But that isn’t why I personally don’t enjoy watching a lot of the game.

Jordan started brand consciousness . AI was the foil to what MJ had established. His rise also coincided with casuals checking out. Hip hop people are right there next to Russ and co. at fashion week. It all comes down to the bolded. It aint how it used to be. And we aint how we used to be either. Old nikkas complained in the 90s. Now we the old nikkas. You know who didnt complain then and isnt now...kids.

 

[010101]

fine.art inspires fear in the common mind..........*

 

[Tribal Outkast]

Who spot would u want okc to take? Just accept shai is not a draw like everybody that’s playing on Christmas.

Put them on against Boston on LA. Of they’re one of the best teams they should absolutely be on national tv. Stop putting these big market teams on just because they’re big market teams.

 

[FTBS]

Who spot would u want okc to take? Just accept shai is not a draw like everybody that’s playing on Christmas.

Cant be a draw if you dont get opportunity. Every big draw has recieved a big push first. Even the Spurs and GTW Pistons got a certain push. To have a showcase day with 10 teams playing an exclude the top team in the West for the last season plus is a joke.

 

[Drake's Tan]

Yes. The NFL has been mid at best for the last 5 years, but gambling and fantasy football has it's own fan base outside of core NFL fans. Those extra eyes from the gamblers, and FF people keep are the additional eyes that keep the NFL ratings through the roof

The Swifties also tuned in to KC games last year because of the marketing of all that bs.

I think your assessment is spot on about gamblers/FF players. So that goes to the question with the NBA, is there a marketing issue with the NBA that is not connecting with potential audiences that is causing this dip in ratings? Or is it just the product quality?

 

[Uitomy]

you know we all keep talking about the play but nobody is really talking about how socially nobody gives a fukk about these players. Commercials ain't dynamic enough, they not showing up in enough movies and shows, the brands they got deals with, frankly nobody cares too much. Simply put, we don't have much of a cohesive culture for the NBA to attach to like it did in the previous 3 decades so a lot of people aren't watching cause they don't really relate or look up to the players. I legit haven't watched any games so far because I just don't find any of the players important enough to watch over playing videogames or watching abbot elementary.

 

[No1]

Jordan started brand consciousness . AI was the foil to what MJ had established. His rise also coincided with casuals checking out. Hip hop people are right there next to Russ and co. at fashion week. It all comes down to the bolded. It aint how it used to be. And we aint how we used to be either. Old nikkas complained in the 90s. Now we the old nikkas. You know who didnt complain then and isnt now...kids.

MJ’s brand was being smooth just like his game. NBA ratings dropping after the lockout like all the other sports. MJ was the coolest cat around. Charles Barkley wasn’t Mike, neither was Shaq, Magic, KG, AI, etc.

Hip hop people at fashion week and it’s viewed as fashion week - not “hip hop” fashion week. I agree that it isn’t how it used to be and some of it is old head shyt but I don’t see the kids loving this shyt was what I said in one of my older posts. I’ve got colleges aged younger cousins who are athletes who don’t give two shyts about what is happening in the NBA. And it’s weird because all of these people played on ball teams as kids.