All Things Sports

Hello guys, welcome back to All Things Sports. Today, we are going to talk about the NBA. This weekend marked the beginning of the NBA playoffs after one of the craziest seasons and trade deadlines in recent memory. With Luka in Los Angeles (the wrong LA team if you ask me), Jimmy Butler in Golden State (the wrong California team), and so many other storylines taking place, this playoffs has been one of the most hyped up in recent memory.

After the dust settled following a wild weekend of Game 1s, viewers resoundingly agreed that the playoffs lived up to the hype. In an ESPN article from April 22nd, NBA commissioner Adam Silver reported that the NBA Playoffs’ opening weekend ratings were the highest in 25 years. This comes amidst a decline in ratings for the NBA over recent years, with Sports Illustrated noting that viewership on ESPN was down 28% through November 21st at the start of this season. This has led to many people questioning why the NBA has seen a ratings decline, and everybody has their own opinion. Adam Silver attributed the initial decline for this year to the election and the World Series between the Yankees and the Dodgers, but this does not explain the ratings decline that has been going on for years. Former coach George Karl said that the NBA is unwatchable right now, Shaquille O’Neal said that the issues lie in the current play style, and fans online (the most credible opinions as we all know) have said it is due to the rise in 3 pointers, and others have blamed injuries. These critiques have all been followed by confusion as this recent playoff weekend was not a new occurrence but a symbol of the recovery that the NBA has undergone since Christmas, as highlighted by Front Office Sports. This recovery has only been boosted since the Luka trade (quick side note: that will be a “where were you moment” for at least the next decade). 

But while everybody has been asking why the NBA has seen such a recovery, what makes these playoffs so different from previous years? There are tons of potential theories as to why, but let’s start with a list of people in this year’s playoffs: LeBron James, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Donovan Mitchell, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, and more people that I probably missed. The New York Knicks are legitimate playoff contenders, the Pistons are seen as potential dark horses after over a decade of darkness, the Lakers are contenders, the Warriors got one of the best playoff performers of all time, and Anthony Edwards is still saying whatever he wants. Essentially, narratives and storylines that the media loves to brag about are all taking place simultaneously, which is mouth-watering for everyone involved. They have spent years talking about LeBron, and he is now a genuine headline because he has Luka next to him. Stephen Curry is leading one of the hottest teams in the league, so the media gets to bring back another darling. Kawhi Leonard and James Harden are playing like it is 2017 (knock on wood), so the media can talk about them again. Nikola Jokic is still the same.

Over the years, the media has built up stories, narratives, headlines, players, and teams that they believe will engage all fans worldwide. So when those players and teams are not performing due to age, injury, or other reasons, the media and the ratings suffer. When they do well, the media does well. As much as we like to credit guys like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, LeBron James, and (reluctantly) Stephen Curry for building up the league and its media, the reverse is also true. The press and league can put its best performers on a pedestal. Because guys like LeBron and Steph have been money machines for them in the past after rightfully being placed on this pedestal, they are clinging to them as long as possible (even if it means criticizing them). However, what this has done has prevented new names and faces from stepping onto the pedestal and becoming the true “face of the league”. While there does not have to be one singular face, this persona develops by having people talk about you. You also have to be good at basketball, but that is assumed by the people in this conversation. If the league and media refuse to put guys like Anthony Edwards (please stop fining this man), Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Luka Doncic, and others on the pedestal and continue to harp on about Steph and LeBron, their ratings are going to take when Father Time claims the better of each of these legends. 

While people are clamoring that the game is not what it used to be, it may be that we are not appreciating the modern stars and future the way we understand the past. I don’t think any of these guys will be as good as LeBron (the GOAT); it does not mean they are not entertaining. Luka needs more coverage than Nico Harrison hate, Anthony Edwards needs to be examined beyond his fines (that are becoming regular at this point), and Shai Gilgeous Alexander needs not to be given the MVP. Wait, sorry, that’s also true, but SGA needs to be discussed beyond the MVP race. If the media truly cares about entertaining fans, it must start building up these people and covering them. While stars have power, they are only as powerful as the platform they are given, and the media needs to provide them with that platform. Now, am I advocating for fabricating storylines? Not, but if they can talk about the most random LeBron fact for an hour, they can do the same for Anthony Edwards. They can do the same when Luka Doncic averages 34 points, nine assists, and nine rebounds per game.

In the end, are the ratings back? For now. But the reason they are back suggests that this is short-term, and if the NBA wants to build long-term success, it needs to start treating the future the way it treats its past: admiring them the way that random men on Instagram are admiring LeBron right now.