Originally Posted by candyflip

Found this interesting post while searching google:

The larger problem as I see it is the NBA focuses its brand on celebrity first and not competition. Those stupid NIKE puppets are a testament to that.

Back in the 70's, after first competing with, then absorbing a more exciting ABA, the NBA finals were broadcast as tape delay after the late news. But the good thing was any franchise could win, including the smaller ones like Portland, Seattle, and Milwaukee. The NBA did a piss-poor job of marketing themselves.

Along comes Magic and Bird, not by design mind you. But the way that rivalry played out during the 80's, (and all of the underlying associations: White vs. Black, East coast vs. West coast, Hollywood vs. the "average joe", etc.) the NBA began seeing massive growth in their product.

Some of you may remember when an NBA games' point total averaged 225. Players would heave up shots with 14 seconds left on the 24 second clock. Very exciting.

Unfortunately, what happened was Stern confused great competition with celebrity worship. There is an entertainment market for celebrity worshipers, look no further than Paris Hilton. Many people are so dissatisfied with their own pathetic lives, they find some joy by identifying themselves with celebrity. But for a professional sports league, that road has diminishing returns.

This concentration on individuals, vs. team evolved into allowing preferential VIP treatment from the refs to such superstar players such as Bird, Jordan, Ewing, and a few others. (ever see Ewing get called for traveling? Jordan foul out of a game? Jordan push off?). Furthermore, the NBA got addicted to major TV markets...the 4 largest population centers [read: TV & merchandising markets]: NY-Boston-NJ-Philly, Houston/San Antonio, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Thus, since 1980, for the past 30 years, the NBA champion has come from these 4 population centers 25 out of 29 times. Almost 90% of the time. These are the facts.

It's like having 4 or 5 Harlem Globtrotter teams and 25 Washington Generals clubs. Between filling these handful of clubs with ringers, and referees who understand what side of the bread their butter is on, we get a virtually fixed league. One that effectively guarantees a predetermined outcome based on television market size, and has done so almost 90% of the time for the past 30 years. Vegas sports books love those odds.

Thus the NBA finals TV ratings are lackluster when compared to other sports entertainment products, especially the NFL and the NCAA Mens-B & Football. The NFL markets their brand with TEAMS first, competition second. So it really doesn't matter which teams play in the Superbowl, the viewership will remain the same. Almost 15 times more viewership than the NBA. The NCAA Basketball tournament has between 3 and 4 Times the viewership of the NBA playoffs and finals.

And guess what:

The five games on ABC between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic averaged an 8.4 rating. The second worst ratings since 1982. So mentally add a down line to the end of the graph above.

This I think proves my point. The NBA has made itself into a sham entertainment product that at the end of the day, only celebrity worshipers will want to watch it. If LaBron leaves Cleveland, for ...say...i dunno....NEW YORK, it will only hasten it's descent into the ranks of roller derby.

Someone tell the NBA that parity [not greed], is good. True sports fans live for competition. Guys that reside in their mothers basement live for Paris Hilton,... and the NBA.