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Sez Me …
Is the NBA on its deathbed?
It all depends on whom you talk to, and today you’re talking to me, it’s primary physician.
As with life itself, it’s inevitable. But, while the terrible league as we know it may be TV ratings-deprived, I’ve yet to hear the death rattle. It is, however, having respiratory problems.
Because, as of last weekend, ratings — and I doubt with football dominating the airwaves things have gotten better — are down 25% across ABC, ESPN and TNT and NBA TV.
That isn’t a mere skosh. It’s whopping. A bleeder. Not a paper cut.
Even worse, what could possibly make anybody think they’re going to get better? Especially before football is done, but, remember, football always has been there this time of year. What makes 2024 unique?
For me, it’s the play.
For everyone else, maybe they’re tired of watching these enormous, phenomenal athletes dunk and fire up threes from their locker stalls. And gambling on the NBA, because people gamble on anything can cause great discomfort because players don’t always show for your dough.
But, while gamblers who bet on games generally watch for rooting interest, they obviously don’t care about viewing as much as they used to.
They lovingly call the NBA The Association, but maybe that’s because “Basketball” has been removed.
Meanwhile, ratings for the WNBA, the NBA’s sister league, have jumped dramatically — with the polarizing (for whatever stupid reason) Caitlin Clark being the primary reason. At least the women play fundamental basketball.
Anyway, their ratings were 155% higher in 2024 than 2023.
Whopping. In a better direction. And much of the WNBA season is played when football is going on.
But, while I’ve thought the NBA to be unwatchable for many years, it’s gotten worse, primarily because of yes, the 3-pointer, and the dunk, but also relaxing the rules to allow players to walk all over the floor, carry it over, go in the air with the ball and land with it.
This is not basketball, and the best players put in one year of college and don’t learn the fundamentals.
After one fantastic three-point night long ago, Michal Jordan, who invented traveling, said this about the three: “It’s something I don’t want to excel at. It takes away from all phases of my game.”
Which means creating your own shot. And passing, the best part of the sport.
“Everybody has the same strategy,” Shaquille O’Neal says. “It makes the game boring.”
The great Charles Barkley has another idea.
“I think we need to seriously consider starting (the season) on Christmas,” he says. “You’re wasting your time going up against the NFL and college football. They own the weekends now. We’d have the entire calendar to ourselves.”
I believe they all have good points, especially Charles. But, while starting the season later may improve ratings, it isn’t going to remove the sameness in every game that provides the incredible flaunting of rules that made basketball the most beautiful game.
LeBron James, when asked what’s still great about the NBA, said: “LeBron and Steph.”
Steph Curry turned the three into an art form. But he’s Leonardo da Vinci, and there’s an overwhelming legion of followers who can’t paint.
The NBA — basketball — was great when the dunk was outlawed and Steph had yet to launch his first long shot.
Which the league has become. A longshot. …
Cowboys rule. But it’s been 29 years since they played in a conference championship game. Or, since owner Jerry Jones decided he knew enough football to double-up as GM. …
Somebody on Unsocial Media actually wrote that, if Cameron Dicker The Kicker’s free kick had been under normal circumstances, with a rush, it would have been blocked. Honest. …
If a receiver drops an accurate pass that becomes an interception, why should the quarterback get the bad stat? The prima donnas with hands of granite spend too much time rehearsing their post-TD routines when they should be living gloveless with Jugg guns and taking footballs to bed. …
Announcers always say “almost intercepted.” When a receiver drops a pass, why don’t they say “almost caught”? …
Deion Sanders will love to see son Shedeur quarterbacking the Giants with that offensive line — if Prime suddenly disowns him. …
I don’t know what the NFL is going to do about offensive tackles jumping the snap count, which was so obvious on the Commanders’ touchdown pass that beat the Eagles. What am I saying? They won’t do a damn thing. …
As they won’t do a damn thing about the Chiefs getting all the calls. Nothing in football worse than watching a K.C. game. …
Unless there’s a rare chance of injury, all holding penalties should be five yards. Only problem: Officials might call more of them. …
Tennessee players came out shirtless pregame to prove their immunity to the cold at Ohio State. It wasn’t macho. It was stupid. The temp that night in Knoxville was 30 degrees. The state of Tennessee can get cold. …
I don’t want to hear Alabama would have played better than some of the teams in the playoffs and should have been among the top 12. How do you know? This Tide, which did lose to Tennessee, didn’t deserve to come in. …
Kirk Herbstreit has been terribly opinionated lately, and he’s terrible at it. Wouldn’t be a good columnist. …
Kirk says wins don’t matter when it comes to determining football playoff teams. Sorry, pal, you can’t have playoffs without a regular season. …
Colorado flew to the Alamo Bowl in a custom Rolls Royce plane. The Aztecs’ national power basketball team appears to be moving on from Greyhound to better negotiate the Rockies by pack mule. …
Brian Dutcher is the greatest (and most patient) coach-in-waiting ever. Steve Belichick has work to do. …
I’m not a big fireworks guy. But drone fireworks stink. …
Estimate: The COVID-19 vaccines saved 14.4 million deaths. Not one death caused by the vaccines themselves. Don’t know what good they did. …
Rickey Henderson put his stamp on games. Perhaps more than any other player. …
Ted Williams, who didn’t have a low opinion of himself, on Joe DiMaggio: “I never thought I was as good.” …
I knew it was impossible. Up to the opening of Chiefs-Steelers, I almost got through Christmas without (accidentally) hearing “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Did not hear the worst Christmas song, Vic Damone’s “Christmas In San Francisco.” …
Tiger’s kid makes a hole in one and suddenly it’s VJ Day all over again. Helpless hurricane victims approve of this historic event. …
It sure didn’t take long for The League of Chiefs Officials to take a touchdown away from Pittsburgh. Christmas all year ‘round in K.C., where they live in a marshmallow world. …
RIP, Greg Gumble. A classy smooth operator. …
What was the 2024 low point for San Diego sports teams? The Padres go 24 straight innings without scoring. In the playoffs vs. the Dodgers. Embarrassing. I thought of my dad: “Can’t win if you don’t score.” …
Or, it could have been any Aztecs football game. …
Some 5,600 Americans died building the Panama Canal. In case you forgot. …
Happy New Year. Or, “Frohes Neues Jahr” in German.
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