The NBA has lost its feel and went down in my opinion. Ratings would disagree this season, but is anyone else tired of big name players throwing their former team under the bus and darting to the big city?
Reggie Miller is a class of his own—drafted by the Pacers, and retired with the Pacers. And that may have ultimately cost Miller a chance at winning a championship.
You turn on an NBA game today and what do you see: LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in Miami. Amare Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, and Chauncey Billups in New York. And Kobe Bryant, Paul Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest in Los Angeles.
That leaves the small market teams out to dry. In Indiana, fans come to see Chicago, Boston and Dallas. In contrast, the arena isn’t half-full when Minnesota, Milwaukee or Cleveland (post-LBJ) come to town for example. And that’s bad thing for the NBA.
There was nothing like the Indiana-New York series in the 90s. That was one of my favorite NBA memories to date.
NBA players use to look forward to the challenge of beating one another. Think Larry Bird would have ever teamed up with arch-rival Magic Johnson? Of course not!
If the league’s top players opt for the big cities offering monumental contracts, why in the world would any player come to Indiana, Charlotte or the fading Detroit? There’s no reason to when the big cities come calling.
The NBA, like the NFL, may have a lockout at season’s end. With a lack of parity in the league and corrupt front offices, I don’t think that would be such a bad thing.