Why Are NBA Ratings Down So Much?

[@maxhunter3300]

The NBA prioritizes gamblers and advertisers, not sports fans.

[@KAye633]

To be fair the nba does have the worst set of fans out of all major sports.

[@amapnamedpam]

@@KAye633nba has the only fans of a major sport that hate the legends in said sport. Sad to watch

[@BeerAndJointsAllDay]

@@amapnamedpam I think there is quite a difference between a basketball fan, an NBA fan and LeBron James fanboys...

[@amapnamedpam]

@@BeerAndJointsAllDay true but the worst fans are the loudest. I unfollowed nearly all nba accounts on twitter cuz the discourse is just insane

[@michaelpaullang4401]

@@KAye633thank you!! Too many casuals that think they know ball and they don’t

[@mt_baldwin]

Why would I watch the NBA now? Everyone and everything associated with the NBA says the regular season doesn't matter. Half the league is tanking, players need to be motivated with stupid in season tournaments and playing time rules for awards, load managing is rampant, the sports media constantly says the regular season doesn't matter "do it in the playoffs" is said constantly. The NBA has devolved into an 82 game preseason with the only games that matter starting in mid April. So I'll watch then... maybe.

[@sammysabo6777]

Just watch in April to June

[@aklakl5854]

🤣LAURI MARKKANEN IS AVERAGING 47 MILLION A YEAR ON HIS 5 YEAR 247 MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT HE SIGNED A FEW MONTHS AGO. 35 MILLION A YEAR IS WHAT THE HIGHEST NON QUARTERBACK IN THE NFL MAKES. JUSTIN JEFFERSON OF THE VIKINGS AND BOSA THE CLOWN OUT IN THE SAN FRAN MAKE 35 MILLION. NOT 1 OF YOU IS DUMB ENOUGH TO SAY YOU WOULD RATHER BE BOSA THE CLOWN OUT IN SAN FRAN OVER LAURI MARKKANEN, IT'S COMMON SENSE. THAT'S MY POINT.. WHY WOULD ANY OF YOU THINK ADAM SILVER OR ANYONE IN THE NBA CARES ABOUT THE NFL. THEY DON'T. THEY LOOK AT THE NFL AND LAUGH. THEY GOT IT MUCH BETTER. DESPITE THE ALL IMPORTANT RATINGS LOL 🤣😂

[@arkcliref]

The issue is that the ratings are also down in April. It might be slightly up this post season as there should be no political ads that annoy tf out of people, but this is not a regular season issue either. Something is really wrong with the league

[@aklakl5854]

@@arkcliref if its an issue why did forbes magazine say this just 5 days ago. *"With record attendance and record sponsorship, the 2023-24 season was a banner year for the NBA, producing some $13 billion in league-wide revenue". oddly there is no mention of ratings or viewership.

[@BeerAndJointsAllDay]

@@arkcliref Maybe because NOBODY has a mid-range game anymore? ALL THEY DO IS SHOOT 3'S! A couple of teams so far this season average more 3pt attempts then 2pt attempts and people wonder why nobody is watching...

[@jjleblanc8151]

Everyone knows it’s because Rodney Hood retired duh

[@thekidfromcleveland3944]

like when Jordan hung it up. Just ain't the same man😢

[@yoofij4724]

Yeah Rodney just needs to step up. 1, 2, 3 Rodney!

[@MrPek-fe9fp]

Because of Rodney King

[@brobo.]

@@yoofij4724Elite reference

[@cavsszn8231]

Cavs legend

[@AlexHendershot]

No story lines and rivalries anymore. There is no consistency of rosters across seasons which makes for very few story lines.

[@newillegeo]

true, people pay for tickets (or watch) to see the team they like and every year the team is so fucking different... So you see there is no care for the teams fans so the fans loose focus. And the betting shit is destroying all sports. people are learning we dont earn shit if the team wins... so people are starting to care less.

[@RocknRobby]

It wouldn’t matter anyway the league to soft for any real rivalry they barely even let you show any emotion towards the other team

[@therealdarrell282]

@@newillegeoAre you a fan of the team or player. For the most part players stay on the same team. The issue is with most people that watch the NBA is their favorite team does not make the necessary moves to elevate their team from being a playoff team to a championship team.

[@antekm2639]

We had rivalries man. Even cavs v warriors was a damn exciting rivalry​@@RocknRobby

[@RocknRobby]

@@antekm2639 I guess u got a point… I reluctantly agree with you

[@ivandomingues9258]

I live in Brazil and for me and for many, the main reason why it's difficult to follow NBA games is the commercials, every time out call for a commercial, they are very repetitive. Another reason is that as a 48-minute game lasts almost two hours, there was a study done here that the game itself lasts around 54 minutes counting the free throws and just for advertising it's 43 minutes, it's very boring

[@CheepsAhoy69]

None of those are changes to the games tho, that’s been true for decades

[@xI2eLoaDeDx]

How are the girls over there

[@placidonetodeassisvieira5358]

​@@xI2eLoaDeDx they lowkey bad af

[@sloth610]

That's why in the UK I watch my games next day

[@DailyNihilism]

@@CheepsAhoy69I've noticed ads repeat each break, their used to be different ones. I bet nba can't get as many advertisers since less people watch.

[@growing.grounds4054]

If you go back and watch games from the late 2000s and early to mid 2010s you’ll see a complete difference in the aura of the games

[@zbt62]

I agree, but can you explain what it is?

[@growing.grounds4054]

@ I think it’s pace it’s stadium sounds these days the teams don’t use team branded stadium sounds. The players are not as compelling or competitive the broadcaster suck today especially Ryan rucco

[@dwaynedontlike4638]

The average NBA game is a hard watch with all the ads that run every couple minutes.

[@MarvelMadness2003]

The NFL has more ads and brings in millions very week

[@bennettslavin3975]

@@MarvelMadness2003 football is just on a completely different level, plus weekly games so people tune in to watch the one game that there team plays each week

[@godofdreamzzz]

You’re thinking of nfl

[@timopint1125]

the Problem ist the Basketball. the NBA should to football

[@JWunca30]

@@MarvelMadness2003 The NFL is incomparable to the other major sports leagues bc of the nature of the game and how short the season is

[@kcrh21]

If the NBA talks more about Bronny than the #1 pick or whoever the best player in the draft is, then NBA should just take the L. Until now we don't know who that guy is.

[@orphenrl1014]

Bronny, the NBAs last hope. What a sorry state of affairs 😂

[@willyboods5197]

It’s a bad TV product. There’s never any flow or momentum because of how many stoppages there are. The final minutes of any close game takes forever. They’re in a similar problem that baseball was in before the pitch clock helped that. The NBA is one big money product. It’s just commercials and branding everywhere. As an adult, it’s just not enjoyable anymore EDIT: I want to add that I also think the nba needs to establish a routine schedule. Make it to where your games are always Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday or something. Then you can have an “nfl red zone” type of show that takes you in and out of games throughout the evening. Wonder how many viewers that would bring back who just want to tune into one channel and be given a view to every game and when the most important moments and swings of momentum are

[@JorgeM270]

Yeah it starts with the product. Baseball also has shitty streaming deals, a clusterfuck of regional tv deals and blackouts. But they improved the product and now ratings are up.

[@clapdrix72]

The standard days a la NFL or college football is not a bad idea, if it's possible logistically

[@acelm8437]

Also 20 teams make the playoffs (including the play-in). TWENTY TEAMS OUT OF THIRTY! No wonder load management is a thing. A team can have their stars miss a month and still be in playoff position. Nobody cares about a random Thursday game in January. I'm scared that MLB will keep doing this too. 12/30 is already more than enough given how long the season is.

[@kman9884]

The NBA married hip hop culture and became about vanity consumerism in the process. That’s what happens when you weld a superficial subculture obsessed with appearances to yourself.

[@ripaxv]

Someone cooked here

[@zacharygary8473]

Also another reason why ratings might be lower is I feel like old heads and college kids have completely stopped watching basketball due to streaming services. Cable is almost obsolete now and a lot of people don’t want to have to pay for 4 different streaming services just to have access to every televised network. I guess with the more streaming services you need to watch games, the more people look to piracy.

[@DaDualityofMan]

Yeah I don’t have cable anymore, and sports is the only thing I’m missing but I just watch highlight videos on KZbin at this point

[@nydibs]

I have cable and league pass, the nba is unwatchable, I only watch bc of Anthony Edwards. If it wasn’t for his games I wouldn’t watch the nba at all

[@battousaithekingslayer9913]

Tell that to football lol.

[@tysonkrehnke2835]

​@@DaDualityofManthe funny thing is the nba highlights is probably a necessary counterproductive product the NBA puts out. I love these things. I cut half way through the video, Watch some cool plays, and turn it off.

[@cotati76]

Every sport deals with streaming bud. The product is just terrible and has been for years. Viewership has been plummeting for a decade plus. The average person has no idea who won the last finals and they don’t care.

[@G_54-GMG]

There are many things that contribute to the ratings being down in the NBA. Piracy streams, expensive streaming services, regional blackouts, out pricing a lot of the hardcore fans out of arenas, the NBA app being trash, load-managing being rampant, players getting too egotistical or injured, not marketing new stars or the actual teams overall, no differentiating styles of play to give a team an identity, the lack of or hampering of defense, egotistical refball, too much negative media or debate hot takes around the NBA, a terrible All-Star weekend format, the In-Season tournament being a Band-Aid with no implications, the Play-In tournament causing too many teams to be in the playoffs, fans these days not having the time to sit down and watch a 3-hour game like in the past, and having some of the worst fans in sports will do that to a product.

[@Pxstran]

Nah every other sports league is dealing with the same issues and the ratings are not plummeting like the NBAs . Its the Power the players have

[@Iambriangregory]

​@@Pxstranwould you have an intelligent and reasonable and honest reply why the power that the players would have would bother somebody?? how about coming up with an honest answer to see if that's really a reason not to watch the game ..I'll wait and your silence will be deafening hey hey hey hey hey HMMM😅

[@Sunju11]

Idk I think the tournament format are interesting and bring in competitive matches

[@vincentvillegas8726]

Don’t forget how strongly they’ve leaned into politics over the last four years including this past election.

[@benjiradebe3329]

I agree with most of what you said, but do you not think that politics has something to do with it aswell? E.G Warriors not going to White-house because Trump was in power, or BLM stuff.

[@You-g8g6i]

Honestly as an old head it’s boring watching 3 point shooting an no physical play , lack of post game , but with all that said it’s the lack of calling travels and soft calls . It’s crazy boring

[@pauladams2489]

If they made the streaming services affordable and reliable, ratings would definitely bounce back

[@nydibs]

I have nba league pass and I only watch my favorite team. NBA is just a bad product now

[@alawrence5130]

Amen to that

[@nathanmckenzie904]

I can watch it for free and i dont

[@pravinschmidley4711]

@@nathanmckenzie904 How?

[@samuelaceves7521]

@@nathanmckenzie904 the problem with that is people are too stupid to do basic research

[@amapnamedpam]

people don't talk about the lackluster game presentation during the playoffs. no color out / playoff shirts for the crowds, no finals trophy / playoffs logo on the court, ads everywhere. doesn't even feel special anymore. this is all before we even get to the repetitive playstyles, flopping, & load management which all screws over the average consumer

[@zbt62]

The playoff shirts are still a thing. It’s just every team doesn’t do it, but it’s always been like that. The playoffs logo has been put back on the court for the last 2 years now. Watch the games. But I agree that the presentation doesn’t feel the same

[@thomaswestendorf9213]

Money. That's why. I don't have enough money to watch regular season basketball and afford other stuff, and it's not even guaranteed my team will be on TV because of blackouts. It's also hard to be interested at the beginning of the season when everything is still kinda low stakes. It's like the MLB, I start caring when the playoff race starts heating up.

[@Skinslyfe]

Need a website?

[@MetalheadSapling]

Real, blackouts are BS. It's in football too, I almost couldn't watch the Cowboys last week and I live in Texas!

[@MarvelMadness2003]

@@MetalheadSaplingwhy would you want to watch that sorry team anyway

[@chrisdot1258]

@@Skinslyfewats the website

[@lapthanngo5609]

brother, shit is free to watch on the internet lol

[@conman8136]

Shaq and Kobe bridged the gap between Jordan and lebron

[@finnishview2933]

Soon as Lebalco retired, nba is more watchable instantly. Whole world hate him and clutch sport.

[@dominiquepitts9125]

@@finnishview2933you’re not very smart are you?

[@joshuacooper319]

Flopping is definitely a top 5 problem. It delays the game, kills momentum, and this kills any immersion of watching a game

[@DailyNihilism]

Yeah it looks too much like pro wrestling.

[@DaDualityofMan]

Yeah I think they were really understating it, like there was that game winner the other day where I think Julius Randle had and the defender just flopped instead of defending the shot, it gets ridiculous at times

[@Brando90198]

Product overall sucks that’s why. 3 ball ☑️ Load management ☑️ Adam silver ☑️ Refs ☑️ Too many games on tv ☑️ Stoppage for every little foul ☑️ Flopping ☑️ No defense ☑️ All star weekend ☑️

[@ebonynerd]

Refs are TERRIBLE

[@jacobyscommentary]

How would u fix it 🤔

[@Brando90198]

@ One coach’s challenge per game per team. Only get paid for games you play in. Less games on tv. Equals less pay. Too many games on tv, it’s lost its luster. Bring back hand checking Get rid of 3 in the key Drop all star weekend for 5 yrs. They don’t want to be there anyhow. Honestly no clue how to fix it. Fines for flopping Fines for refs getting it wrong after second miss call per game. Not every tap on the head needs to be reviewed. Let emotion back in the game. Trash talk. Getting t’d up for looking at a ref or player is ridiculous and slows the game. 3’s only count under 4 or 6 minutes each quarter. Get Vegas and Seattle teams.

[@ndabezinhlekhuzwayo6870]

82 games makes the whole season feel like filler episodes the best players don’t even play all the time. The season only becomes relevant come play-offs

[@Nick2bad4u]

They need to reduce the amount of team getting into the playoffs to make the reg season matter again

[@finnishview2933]

@@Nick2bad4u They need change how draft picks are. 1st team in regular season pick first and last team pick last, then every game is very iportant because teams not get rewarded for losing. That fix whole tanking and load management problem.

[@MetaShonn]

@@finnishview2933you just said to add a top pick to a championship contender every year

[@finnishview2933]

@@MetaShonn Its still better than half of the teams try to lose on purpose. Reward winning is only right way to do sports. Reward losing is so stupid. IF first team pick first and last pick last, then every game in season become meaningful. That is easy fix imo.

[@isaacreynolds8339]

I think a big contributing factor is the lack of team-loyalty from NBA players today. During the peak Warriors dynasty, part of the marketing was the fact that everyone already knew what that team was. Same goes for the Lob City Clippers, the Bench Mob/Lebronto Raptors, the James Harden Rockets, and a bunch of other teams over the years. Because their rosters were fairly consistent over the years, the NBA did not have to put in the extra effort of introducing the teams to the casual audience.

[@maxwell7911]

What you said in one word: money

[@TheRealBozz]

"Team loyalty"? You mean corporate loyalty.

[@BeerAndJointsAllDay]

Now players are switching teams every season ring-chasing instead of spending their career with the franchise that drafted them and gave them a chance. And I blame it on LeFlop, he started this crap first!

[@therealdarrell282]

@@BeerAndJointsAllDayYou have to blame the fans for the ring chasing. You had fans telling KD he would never wing a ring. He made the decision to join GS win a chip. KD does not care what the fans think because his legacy is set. He can go hoop and not deal with the comments a lot not winning a ring. Nobody sees the Phoenix Suns as title contender.

[@rickjames7483]

It's not the lack of loyalty. The NBA with the new CBA has made it harder for teams to sign their own players. 5 new champs in the last five years; I don't think that has ever happened.

[@jethrojacinto2798]

It's simple really - the actual game has boiled simply down to 3s and easy layups if it's there which is brutal to watch because everyone is doing it and not everyone is good or the least decent at it. Also the availability of games (or lack thereof), there's so many options to stream games now that people aren't willing to pay for all different platforms like League Pass, ESPN, Max, local cable to actually watch your own team. The downward trend of viewership is not surprising at all.

[@PharaohsNews]

Yup. High PnR, either a lob or layup or you kick it back out for three.

[@Carlo-zk2cy]

Officiating that heavily favors offense over defense is one of the reasons that could be easily addressed. Those uncalled violations like traveling, offensive fouls, flopping and foul-baiting is so infuriating.

[@lukeb1663]

They specifically mention how it’s hard to scheme a defense for NBA players because “people are playing a high level of offense” which is pretty incorrect. The “high level of offense” is purely a result of the defense being constantly hampered by rule changes (or changes in how they are enforced). Moving screens, carries, travels, dislodges, and simulations are all examples of rules that you simply never see despite those rules being broken.

[@listrahtes]

And officiating heavily favours certain players. If it's not an equal playing field , why respect a high points performance if it's artificial created? It is now mostly devalued.

[@therealdarrell282]

@@listrahtesThe NBA has always favored superstars. Charles Barkley made a statement that nobody wants to see guys at the end of the bench decide an NBA game.

[@factsrus3462]

Yeah too many stoppages I just can’t sit through it it’s terrible why is Brito the free throw line an achievement? I keep hearing people complaining about players being unable to make it to the line enough??? It’s trash especially the new grid very disrespectful now in football you see way more fights and disrespectful behavior towards coaches it’s the new kids they are like bots

[@listrahtes]

@@therealdarrell282 Thats true but just look up an old game how Bird, Jordan, Ewing, Malone..etc were defended and what fouls they got. It wasnt that big of a difference. Now you have LeBron straight up running into defenders and getting the foul call, you have him travelling several meteres without getting calls. Now its really that the rules are absent for certain players. I stopped watching NBA completely after one game were Lebron repeatedly just ran into defenders full speed and got the call, then on defense he made a blatant foul and again got the call. Its not a sport anymore but a circus and it wasnt like that 20-30 years ago.

[@jasonnguyen8749]

No defense, 50 threes a game, teams scoring 115+ points a night, questionable refereeing etc… it’s crazy honestly. My dad has been a big nba fan since 1991 and this is first time Ive ever seen him so bored of basketball and actually not watch on a nightly basis anymore lmao. I’ve been watching since 2011 and I even started tuning out around 2021 just because of how boring it is to watch now. Honestly for me peak nba was around 2011-2015 where teams actually played defense and a slower pace before things were changed to create a more “entertaining” high scoring product, seriously high scoring does not mean more fun to watch

[@pp3k3jamail]

More like 70 Three's a game between the two teams. I stopped watching the NBA 10 years ago.

[@JoshuaChild84]

It's not even their fault that the defense blows. They jack up a million 3's, can walk all day long, carry the ball, moving screens, lower the shoulder and barrel into the defender. Every team plays the exact same offense.

[@MarvG3000]

Now you have 1 team taking almost 40 3’s. It’s unwatchable. Lebron is so unlikeable but forced on fans. Silver is an awful commish. Those two are responsible for the NBA’s fall from grace

[@KaineTremaine]

Peak of Basketball on court and Peak viewership was late 80s Bad boys thru late 90s Jordan Era. - 2011- 2015 you had mediocre Chicago, Toronto, Indiana, Atlanta all making East conference finals w mediocre Grizzlies, Clippers, rookie OKC as the "competition" in the west. DeAndre Jordan & Drummond making All NBA teams. 100% watered down Era. - please stop disrespecting David Robinson, Karl Malone, Ewing, Hakeem, Reggie, Barkley , GP, Stockton etc.. vastly superior grown up players w actual fundamentals/IQ.

[@jasonnguyen8749]

@@KaineTremaine I get what you mean I just meant peak as in the era when I started watching 2011-2022. I agree tho 90s was tougher era I just didn’t get to experience it nightly as a younger fan

[@adamboylan2307]

Ratings are down because the game has become boring and predictable. There’s nothing special happening during games.

[@ochitokes]

You don't watch so who are you to say

[@sndchamp9949]

I’m sick of all the bs streaming services. I can’t even watch the Mavs play because i live to close. I just pirate it 🤷🏻

[@MarvelMadness2003]

Cable will be dead soon. NBA is just trying to catch with the times. Everybody gets news and entertainment from KZbin or streaming services. The NFL is the only thing keeping cable alive.

[@ghastlyfloaters]

Where do you pirate from?

[@WestCoastCheeseHead]

Y’all don’t have a specific tv channel in Dallas that shows Mavs games or talks anything Mavs? Out here in so called we have spectrum sports net and it’s basically the laker channel

[@tylerfink6882]

@@ghastlyfloaters Meth Streams

[@WindHashira]

​@@ghastlyfloaters methstreams bro

[@ademolaijaodola6243]

A major factor that goes into it is how hard it has now become to watch NBA games legally; you need like 3 different subscriptions. And with how pointless they've made the regular season, it kills interest. And with apps like Real, you don't need to watch the games to keep up with the live action.

[@REGGIEAK]

Literally 0 effort from anybody on the court. Nobody trying to watch that

[@coolwitzayy]

This is just objectively untrue😂

[@JWunca30]

If no one wanted to win then why are 3's shot so much and why do players drive to get ft's? They are the most efficient shots to take and players want to win.

[@natelamore7372]

No . The biggest reason the NBA is loosing its fans base is because teams don’t stay together . Today it’s more player following then team following . People get traded due to money , it’s simple . On top of that , it’s a freaking comedy watching how often players (all stars) cry when a petty foul wasn’t called . It’s sad , these are the two main reasons nba is loosing its fan base .

[@JordanWindhamBenford]

I just want to see a complete game. I want to see: Steals Blocks Contested Rebounds Long 2s Short 2s Layups 3pt plays And the list goes on. I don't wanna just see 3s all game long

[@blackdynamite7177]

I just wanna see a 2 dribble pull up

[@NotGord]

It's not that bad tho like what 40-45% of shots are threes.

[@JOVANNITHOMAS]

@NotGordthe Celtics just shot 60 threes against the grizzlies

[@dominicanderson5408]

I think the rise of social media is a massive problem for ratings, a lot of people just check the highlights after the game.

[@Mosteller777]

It's not hard to figure out at all. The lack of effort on the court is boring. The face of the league, LeBron, is the worst. The game used to be exciting but is now full of way too many lazy 3-pointers. AOH shows the contrast to a 1993 Allstar game and a current season game. Today's game lack intensity and drive. In short, it just doesn't look like the players care if they win or lose. I blame the inflated salaries. They should get paid by commission. The team that wins the game gets paid. Losers get nothing. That would save this game.

[@lagganm]

You guys pretty much nailed it. One point you glossed over which I think contributes a lot to decline in ratings is the existence of fantasy basketball and apps like Real. With so much focus on stats and betting/player props, a lot of fans tend to just check box scores to see who put up what stats and who broke what records on any given night. It pulls the fan away from watching because of ease of checking their phone to see crazy stat lines. An overall lack of interest in the outcome of regular season games doesn’t help either.

[@nydibs]

That’s the problem tho, the nba has become a stat padding haven, it’s no longer about the game and strategy and hustling. It’s just about 3 pointers, open layups and free throws

[@JWunca30]

@@nydibs That is a strategy, when you look at recent champions they didn't get there aimlessly shooting and running. They know what works the best and run with it bc they want to win.

[@jjcastilllo]

For starters , the three point shooting rate has increased including high offence scoring. I also feel like most of the players don’t take the regular season seriously and they have to save it for the playoffs. It’s mostly the in-season tournament and playoffs that are somewhat more competitive for the players but they get pay a lot of money. Another thing is that League Pass still hasn’t been fixed. Like it’s pointless if you can watch a few games in there but you can’t watch the rest when it’s blackout like your favourite team. It’s been like this for a long time. Idk how they can fix the rating struggle but it doesn’t look good right now.

[@flickfellas9424]

Too many games. NFL is just better when it comes to that because there are way less games and every game feels important.

[@SamtheBravesFan]

Too many games? Bro. The NBA has had 82 games since 1968. That's not the issue.

[@flickfellas9424]

@ it’s not really the main issue since it’s been like it forever obviously, but having less games would make the regular season feel way more important and thus makes each game equally important. It would attract more viewers. Just a suggestion really

[@Nick2bad4u]

They need to reduce the size of the playoffs

[@flickfellas9424]

@ playoffs is like their main attraction, they need to focus more on the regular season before playoffs

[@Plupert]

There’s a whole lot of cope on this video, it’s really just 3 things. 1. Requires way too much time to watch games when the players do nothing besides chuck up threes and cry. 2. Regular season means nothing with how awful the playoff structure is. 3. Most important one for me. 95% of NBA players are just awful people and are completely unenjoyable to see. The egos on these guys is unreal. Like how is Anthony Edwards being considered to be the face of the league when he has 4 kids with at least 3 moms by the age of 23. If Ant didn’t win the genetic lottery that loser would be in government housing flipping burgers.

[@Holiidayyyyy]

Why do you sound like such a loser chill it's not that serious😂

[@orphenrl1014]

Damn, I like ant, but I didn’t realize he was blowing his load in anything that moves.

[@stunnerkumah]

And the refs

[@MrGamman3yt]

3 for me. Plus league telling me and my kids we're POC racists, and all their friends are racist? Wtaf? My kind In the hood, have bars on all their houses not to keep crackinglers out. It is a low income issue. But, what do you expect from Liberals in NYC?

[@inimitableminimalist]

so the NBA would be better if it was people who didn't win the genetic lottery? Go watch a rec league game. And I can hear your dogwhistle from half way across the world. It's especially egregious given the two faces of the league right now are probably Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. The biggest prospect is Cooper Flagg. Franz Wagner might be the next big superstar. Not enough "classy gym rats" for you? You know who else has 3 baby mommas and a massive ego? I guarantee flipping burgers is harder than whatever you do for a living. Kitchen work is some of the realest work there is. Have you ever broken a sweat at work before? Ever come home covered in grease, cuts, bruises and burns? You couldn't handle a day of it. You''d feel like a fraud every time you cash a paycheck from your candyass job if you'd ever done real work before. I know I do.

[@rileymcphee9429]

What I would change: - When the league expands to 32 teams, redraw the conferences and have 8 divisions of 4. - Each team plays every team in the league once (31), the teams in their division twice (3), and the TBD IST games (6) for a total of 40 regular season games. - A tournament for the lottery teams to play for pick percentage. The bottom 14-16 teams would have a base percentage between 1% and 9% and their play in the tournament can add anywhere between 0- 5%.

[@chickenyouate4429]

People dog on the MLB for being boring but at least you get to watch a game like holy. You can go an entire inning in MLB without seeing an ad and every inning doesn't have a set time where it ends so you're getting uninterrupted sports for a solid 20 minutes at least but basketball? It feels like there's an ad every minute. Foul? AD. Player tweaks a foot? AD. Timeout? You bet there gonna squeeze in an AD. It's just ADS!!!

[@orphenrl1014]

I’m glad to hear people complain about Ads because it drives me crazy and I didn’t think other cared.

[@seanpryan15]

Ads during hoops have not changed in 40 years. The game length is the same, the timeouts and breaks are the same length as well. Any time there is a break an ad plays. It has always been this way. They didn't keep the broadcast rolling during timeouts back in the day. If anything, you have the opportunity to see less ads now with the ability to record a game and just skip it all or even just record and stay behind by 15 mins or so. A full NBA broadcast has been 2.5 hours since I started watching in 1993. There are a lot of reasons why NBA is not a great product right now but ads are not a new thing.

[@chickenyouate4429]

@@seanpryan15 Yes i know you're able to record a game to skip the ads but the question was why *live* viewership was down and I genuinely think ads have been a factor for that. The fact that it's never changed in 40 years isn't the best thing ever because there are so much more options now to watch the game. There's a multitude of apps that read out the game play by play with no ads whatsoever and when there's a big play, it automatically clips it so you don't lose the 'experience' of watching live. (and i mean, most people only really care about the highlights of a game anyway) Also, was it as easy in 1993 to pirate a NBA game as it now? All you gotta do is google a website and you can watch live for free. which is my point. No one wants to pay just to watch a game filled with ad breaks and sponsorships when you can get a better experience elsewhere for free.

[@freshnaproductions2105]

For the threes, as a Celtics fan, I just want to claw my eyes out. There are times when the Celtics have a free lane, and what do they do? “Tatum for three! Wayyyy off” 😡 Edit: I remember my uncle took me to game one of Celtics vs Heat last season for my birthday, and knowing that Jimmy was out, it just felt like a worse product than what could have been

[@JhyunCho]

The NBA is too focused on marketing the players not the team. Football(soccer) has so many rivalries around the world, even the mlb and nfl have these. But when I think of rivalries between teams in the nba, I can hardly think of one

[@nightshadow317]

The only one in recent memory that is the definition of an actual rivalry in the NBA is Heat vs Celtics, but now it's pretty lopsided with the Celtics having the better roster. I think something that might reignite rivalries around the NBA would be changing rules that would benefit defenders again, so we have a more physical game that leads to bad blood amongst teams.

[@JhyunCho]

​​@@nightshadow317 Some possible rivalries that could be made would be between the three Texas teams, the clash of LA, Nets vs Knicks, and Heat vs Magic since they're all in the same city or state, but I highly doubt they would try anything

[@AccordingSign32]

I would say Denver VS Minnesota is a rivalry now. Back to back playoff series that were pretty dope to watch

[@JhyunCho]

Oh yeah and one more thing I'd like to add is if we want to make the regular season more meaningful, why not give byes to top seed teams rather than adding a 'Play-in tournament'

[@lukeb1663]

@@JhyunChothe NBA really needs to decrease the number of teams that make the playoffs. The reason regular season games were so exciting in the past was because the games mattered if you wanted to make the playoffs.

[@interviewlynx]

Games are too long (2-3 hours), games come on at inconvenient times (late at night), stars are on their way out without enough rising stars to replace them. Refs make WAY too many bad calls, no hammering the paint, fewer dunks. Players traded too often. Not allowed to play defense, flopping, limited marketing or interesting coverage. No real rivals. Games use to feel like Tyson vs Holyfield now they feel like Tyson vs Jake Paul.

[@flowstyle21]

Even when the Knicks stunk, folks out here could still watch and follow them and know how they fare in the grand scheme of the NBA hierarchy. Now you can’t even watch your home team unless it’s nationally televised. Thats the most prevalent problem, you could be a fan of some team on the other side of the country but if you know nothing abt your local team you won’t care abt the league fr.

[@user-mp3pf2ir2p]

The amount of whistles per game is insane.

[@liquidrival]

There's no passion... Players aren't loyal anymore... There is too much tanking after a team try in 3 yrs... All-Stars is a joke when Bron starts the NBA. Everyone has to be buddy... Crying on every play. 3pt basket or layup and slam duck, its boring now.

[@watchman9198]

The stars are over paid and never play…that is literally the issue

[@nightshadow317]

I truly believe that if the rules change so that it can allow defenders to defend and punish floppers and ref baiters, then the games would be more watchable. I think it would reignite the physicality of the games, it could reignite rivalries, and make those players that are true stars stand out even more because they are going against tough defenses. It may not be pretty for those that enjoy a 3 point contest, but it would make the games way more entertaining imo to see defenses actually have a chance.

[@nydibs]

Exactly, when everyone is a star, then nobody is a star. Bring back defense!

[@TyTimeIsAwesome]

For me, it's the lack of style as mentioned in the video. Not only do teams play the same way- stars play the same too. There's no uniqueness- which IMO generates storylines. Tim Duncan Mr. Fundamental vs. KG Big Ticket Mr. Do it all or Dirk Mr. Best Shooting Big of All Time. Kobe was the closet to Jordan we ever saw and he had rivals with an insanely athletic half man half mazing Vince Carter. Stockton and Malone- can the best duo of all time best Hakeem and the Rockets? Can they finally beat Jordan? Barkley the round mound of rebound with his slow and grit style. Now every star is shooting 3's, p and r and drive. It's nothing new. It's not exciting because we see it every game.

[@justinkittleson3295]

Great point about how fun it was to watch those classic Spurs teams. Miss that era.

[@thekrustychub5038]

When the Cavs sucked for a couple years I watched every single game cause I was excited to watch the young players grow. Now that they are one of the best teams in the league I barely watch the games and I'm just waiting for the playoffs to start.

[@AtlasAdvice254]

Honestly the worst parts of it for me are the extreme overuse of the 3 point shot and their absolute fetish for ads at this point. Every single chance they get in the game they will run ads to the point where its become as over saturated as youtube has become.

[@thatoneguy1741]

KZbin premium really ain’t even worth it, you pay to not see ads, now KZbinrs have 3 or so adds/sponsors embedded in the actual video 😂 I know get your bag but damn

[@777shanes]

I don't watch the NBA anymore. I was taking into the NBA till rnd 2014. I hate how the rules don't matter anymore. The offensive player can travel, double dribble, carry without a call. Start calling all that! Additionally, the offensive player can run thru a legal, set defensive player and almost always call an Blocking foul. The defensive player breaths too much on the offensive player and they call a foul. An assist means nothing anymore. A player can pass to a player, the player dribbles 12 dribbles and takes 15 sec and they call that an assist! Go back to the original definition of an assist! 80-90% of assists are not assists!

[@mh-do3pe]

Plain and simple, it's boring. Even if they gave me free tickets I wouldn't go

[@Fonzflicks]

I miss my old Spurs. Every game against them with the Big 3 were always epic whether it was against the Lakers, Suns, Mav, Grizzlies, Thunder, Clippers, Warriors, etc. You knew you were in for some good basketball. Players can't play forever, but this should be a lesson to all the critics who said my Spurs were boring. Look at the NBA now. Can't even get the audience back. I still watch my Spurs whenever they are playing. Hoping Wembanyama can bring them back to their glory days.

[@MichaelAlvarez-t8j]

Same! I've been a Spurs and since the 1980s and there's nothing like our old-school teams .

[@magicmerl7749]

Re: load management, there's heaps of evidence that it works. When you measure guys flexibility and tightness, there's a whole bunch of micro injuries players are carrying during the year that players used to play through, and sometimes they would get more seriously injured. But resting players who have those really minor injuries means that you avoid the major injuries and guys are out less.

[@joshuarosa3476]

Celtics winning rubbed a lot of people the wrong way honestly

[@BrandonsFortune]

I remember having mavericks tickets last yr or the year before to see them play the blazers and found out Luka was sitting out at like 2pm. Honestly made me not want to go to the game at all afterwards. I do love that you highlighted this in the video.

[@icrashout]

The main issue in my opinion is the access to watch the games; there shouldn’t be more than 3 networks

[@J-Bravo416]

I feel like the second apron is the new problem. Its one thing when players and teams decided to make moves but wnen they get forced to by the league it feels inauthentic. People love dynasties and the second apron kills them before they can even start.

[@ChristopherHoward-j8c]

If they brought back the 90s - before '04 Finals rules, brought back fights/rivalries, team variety etc, the league would be watchable!

[@JohnDoe______]

Nah their never bringing back fights and this isn’t even nba it’s everything

[@JWunca30]

can i pls get a prescription bc your rose colored glasses are working lovely

[@pjloreilly95]

The overall price in crease and even in Chicago where i live we have a greedy owner who pulls broadcasting rights from local channels just to spin it around and introduce a new streaming option to watch the Bulls for 29.99 a month, just a straight disrespect to loyal fans

[@finnishview2933]

Sounds like same reason why i give up to watch our national hockey league. They put too high price for product for use to be free. Nobody should pay 30-90 dollars to watch sport league what they like. its literally crazy.

[@bpmachete]

Not gonna mention there is an entire extra step allowed now, not to mention that the gather will only be considered if you get both hands on the ball... not mention of the constant moving screens and that you are not allowed to get in the way of a offensive player running a route... not gonna mention that they are allowed to carry the ball around and keep dribbling or gather after a carry or jump with first step then take two more steps after that... Not gonna mention the offensive player can lower their shoulder and run through people and the defender has to take it and maybe they call a foul on them... and yes flopping is a big deal, they shouldn't call those fouls nor the oh he is in my space while I'm shooting flop...

[@diegodelcid2235]

People talk about piracy streams, like they only started popping out this year. Of course networks/streams shenanigans have a part in that, but there's a problem with the peoduct itself.

[@sayless2059]

Flopping and the way fouls are called is the main reason I don't like watching the nba anymore. Saying it's not a top 10 reason for ratings being down is crazy to me. It's honestly gross. It's gross to watch games and see people get fouled completely understanding the reason the foul was made but simultaneously knowing that the foul is bull shit and there is absolutely nothing the defender could have done to prevent himself from getting the foul in the first place. It's a perfect link between the crazy offense and bad defense arguments.

[@sayless2059]

Also, It's incredibly clear to me that the nba is a complete and utter slut for money to the point where it shows that they have no respect for the people watching. Change my mind

[@funfunfunworld]

I understand the ''it will take you less shots to reach 80 by shooting 2s'' argument, but the reason the 3 is so valuable is that it keeps the defence on the perimiter which allows for more shots inside than before, leading to more points in the entire game and you win games by having more points

[@Kodreanu23]

Bullseye. Even D'Antoni said he wanted three point shooters so the driving lanes are more open

[@cashoutdenzicey1293]

Even his argument not correct because even at base value 75.5 3 attempts means 27 threes made while 74 2 shot attempts means 40 made. This means i can make 13 less shots then you at worse perctange and still score relatively the same points.

[@JossParkerPopArt]

The product sucks. The players are mostly overpaid primadonas. Teams don't practice as much as they did with the older labor agreements. Teams showing players in their "drip" like its a fuckin runway show. Do guys making max contracts really give a shit about an all star game check or contest check? Analytics have no soul etc etc. I can't watch and don't want to.

[@Skinslyfe]

Because you need ATLEAST 3 services to watch every game meaning to be a nba fan you have to be well off which is stupid

[@Jason-uw9ex]

Leaguepass?

[@Skinslyfe]

@ blackout games?

[@maxwell7911]

​@@Skinslyfe Not everybody has to know you live in the USA. You know, the world is much much bigger than USA, Canada and Mexico. And the League Pass is at first a product for international Viewers, since this is most of the time the only option to watch the NBA. Blackouts only happen in your country

[@Skinslyfe]

@@maxwell7911 what the hell are you talking about?😂nba is American based it’s tailored to us Americans first get a grip Maxwell

[@ericejoaquin]

Great analysis by you guys! All the points are argues well (and with your guys’ signature laughing). About the load management, player have said that sometimes playing more will prepare the body for the playoffs. It’s hard to know the balance between running players into the ground and not playing them enough to be in shape.

[@DaDualityofMan]

Nothing matters until like All Star break anyway, so u gets players and fans not caring that much this early in the season , probably why they got that tournament now

[@tristanemmons1562]

honestly college football is overtaking all sports.

[@AarionWalker]

This! And the release of College Football 25 definitely made me become a fan of college plus everyone has a team from every state

[@sanchocalleja2541]

16:13 wasn't expecting a KOTOR 2 reference in 2024 lmao

[@jpmnky]

Calling all us white fans over 30 bigots and telling us to go away hasn’t exactly helped ratings. On top of the fact all us white guys in our 30s and 50s were in no mood to be lectured on race relations in the US. Especially by a bunch of children who are oblivious to the everyday citizen’s lifestyle.

[@jakey_hendy]

13:08 honest to god last season was going to a Laker/Bucks game here in Milwaukee, till I saw Lebron wasn’t playing. Completely killed my desire to go so I sold my tickets and stayed home.

[@kyledabearsfan]

Not gonna lie, as a casual NBA fan, the 3 pointer argument holds some water for me personally. Its just boring, NBA used to have some strategy and youd see passing inside. Now its more akin to golf or pingpong. I also dont like how drawing fouls is so big too, i get it here or there, but it seems like more often than not, players are trying to cheat the game instead of playing it. Makes for a pretty unfun spectator sport for me at least.

[@swen1208]

Wokeness Load Management Lack of defense Regional blackouts lack of effort in All-Star events. expensive streaming services entitled hypocritical players. lack of marketing the newer stars. 3-pointers flopping Leflop James Adam Silver and his lack of control am I missing anything?

[@17wildoutt17]

To many games to focused on Lebron and not building the others

[@patrickroni4038]

@@17wildoutt17maybe cause lebron brings in views same with curry

[@patrickroni4038]

Bro said wokeness 😂

[@KAye633]

I wish white people never learned the term “woke” yall, they truly bastardized everything they get from us.

[@sirpuss5887]

@@patrickroni4038 Ummmmm the video is about... Low ratings???

[@rezsurfer2808]

Just say the main reason. Streaming. NBA is not one 2 or 3 things. Now it's on 18 separate things. Amazon, NBC, TNT, all the spreading out of games and its like no im not going go get amazon to watch, and others. It's spread out way to much is all. Jordan was beyond the atmosphere on stardom. He is the GOAT and PEAK.

[@ShroomDoggyDogg]

@11:06 giving up 26 and 30 points when your offense sucks isn’t that bad actually. That means their defense was on the field all day

[@Socioromanticism]

True. And those teams probably scored more against other teams than Iowa. But it's also not an indicator that their defense was good as, say, Georgia's in the past few years (say nothing about this year's defense.)

[@issmonke0837]

Y’all so entertaining bro😂 love yalls content 🙏

[@matthewjohnson9199]

For me, it's kinda been a combination of the topics you guys talked about: - too many teams are living and dying by three-pointers, and I don't find that to be as interesting basketball - load management (obviously not including guys who are legitimately injured) - I feel like the small market teams often get overlooked, so it's usually the same 4-6 teams on national games Generally, I don't think there's that much apathy in the sport, but it is there in spots. For example, the All-Star Game was fine/great, for 60+ years, and it's been terrible these past few years. Personally, I don't think they need to treat it like the playoffs or Finals, but a little effort would be nice. They're trying so many ideas to revitalize the event, but the best way to do this would be just having the players give some effort in a regular game.

[@AccordingSign32]

I think this has happened more since the whole “ring” culture. It’s crazy to expect any singular player/team is supposed to replicate or exceed what MJ and the Bulls did. Players want to be more ready for the playoffs now than ever. You don’t see Patrick Mahomes taking games off in order to compete with Tom Brady’s legacy though. Maybe the regular season is too long

[@x-man9473]

@@AccordingSign32 There is no "ring culture". Players have been judged by how many rings they got since the beginning of time. It's only ,recently, players decided that this was a problem.

[@jdawgson6829]

dig the vibes fellllas. first vid ive seen and llooking forward to more!

[@antonhank8544]

I’m not even checking the state line anymore in the NBA.

[@youngmoneyclutch]

brother is PREACHING with the zombies references

[@vizqueljordan6700]

8:30 Ty is in a slump rn. Wemby has to shoot these three because there isn’t enough offense help or space. Luka Harden and Green all take very difficult threes but they keep the defense honest. It’s actually very obvious why these players are taking these threes

[@knowthywalk8908]

Put the NFL draft rules in place. Seeing the same guys for 15-20 years gets boring. The you g are privileged and need time in college to see the NBA as a reward again and to become beloved to the public again in college. NBA players are angry and unlikeable.

[@ndrocca]

I think it’s a combination of things both within and somewhat outside of the NBA’s control. I definitely think play style is a part in it. For a casual fan, it looks the same. Shoot 3’s at all costs. I can’t blame teams for doing what they think is best for winning, especially as a former athlete myself. But the fact remains, it’s boring. Defense will likely catch up eventually, but I worry if there is a ‘culture of 3 pointers’ developing for lack of a better term. Everyone wants to be Steph Curry without actually being Steph Curry. There’s also the NFL rn. That’s always gonna get more viewers than the NBA. However, I would argue there is far more within the NBA’s control. First, the players. I have no issue with players preserving their health, especially for a playoff run. I’ve never been a hater on load management. But it has crossed a line. Why should fans pay attention to the regular season when players they want to watch decide to not play a lot of games, even prime time ones. Injuries do seem more common but Paul George (ironically) once said he thought load management was making players weaker because their bodies aren’t prepared for the pace of an NBA game. I think that is so spot on. Teams need to do a better job protecting players so they can both play and not break immediately. I will also never not find it infuriating that guys like Booker will worship the ground Kobe walked on, but Kobe would scoff at players sitting out and denying the fans what they paid for. MJ too. Finally, the media. NBA media is easily the worst media in sports imo. Other leagues and sports media deserves criticism, but no other sport’s media will consistently avoid talking about great stories so they can talk about the same thing over and over again. As a fan of the Raptors, it’s incredibly infuriating and makes me want to stop watching the NBA altogether. On top of that, broadcasts are dreadful. Commentary and play by play during the game are fine. But halftime, constant commercials and the lack of any insight between the play is maddening. That’s before we consider how boring it is. Before, during and after games can be boring at best and infuriating at worst, this is before we consider Inside the NBA’s departure. As a whole, the NBA has done this to themselves with outside forces not doing them any favours. It’s hard to say what the solution is. The media NEEDS to do a better job at hyping the next generation, the players need to play more and give fans something to enjoy watching, the NBA needs to figure out what gimmick actually works and stop switching it every year and so much more. There’s too many problems to count and there is no one solution to fix it.

[@urbaindelva7869]

In a nutshell.

[@nomorepartiezz]

I’m not a huge Tatum fan but it feels wrong to call him out for being a Kobe fan when Tatum himself is pretty consistent. He’s been in the mid 70s for games played per season for years.

[@ndrocca]

@@nomorepartiezzThat’s a good point. He’s one of the few that follows through on those aspects of Kobe’s greatness. He was just the first player I could think of when I thought of guys who love Kobe. I’ll change it to say Booker, he’s more fitting.

[@matts8012]

My Dad and I (we made enough money to get by, but not like, a ton of money) went to a Raptors and Bucks game around 2018/19. Prime Bucks and Raptors times. We found out as we were leaving home in Rockford, IL, that both Kawhi and Giannis would be out. It broke my Dad's heart. The Bucks ended up blowing the Raptors out and the game was meh. My Dad now has a better job and is much happier, but shout out to that one game. It will stick in my mind forever.

[@NotGord]

dang

[@Kooper785]

3:32 editing mistake

[@orphenrl1014]

Here’s a 🍪. Great job!

[@Kooper785]

@ thank you bro what kind of cookie

[@orphenrl1014]

@ chocolate cookie 🤤. Perhaps we split it?

[@Kooper785]

@@orphenrl1014 bet

[@skynyrdjesus]

It's almost like being able to afford cable is a luxury a lot of NBA fans can't afford anymore.

[@samoht-k2g]

I feel like the load management thing, might just be a American problem. I'm from the UK and my primary sport in the PL. I think in football every game is important to winning trophies (since you have a league and also cups) so if a player is resting, you know it is to help the team. The issue is the playoff system (which I love in basketball) as it makes a random regular season game near pointless for the stars on good teams, which makes it feel like the players just CBA. I personally don't have an issue with load management, but I wouldn't be buuying an NBA ticket assuming it is a guarantee all the stars will play (it would be a bummer tho)

[@Slowbbq]

It boils down to way too much games, I'd rather just watch the highlights.

[@jpmnky]

Yes a big issue is LeBron James. But the biggest problem is the lack of defense and every single team playing exactly the same. Every single night. Get some contact in the paint back in it and get LeBron out. That’d be a start.

[@keanuismyfather7477]

I was not expecting to see a Smosh clip on this channel but I am certainly not disappointed! 😊

[@DDDIO-x6u]

about 3s, actually MJ used to say a thing about that. He said that he deliberately not be very good at 3, because if he get really good at it, that will be the only thing he do, shooting 3s. to me it might be that basketball as a hole has gone to the point that there's a plain optimal option for things, and that's all they do, or at least the variation of that. players adapt to rules, (lebron don't even travel in Olympics) the only practical way for playstyle to change is rule change and nothing else will do.

[@rickybobbysdriver555]

There 82 NBA games per year per team. But if you live in one of the larger markets, why does it cost more to go to an NBA game that a football game? Football only has 17 games and those seem affordable compared to the NBA. So the cost of going to a game doesn't help their cause.

[@ItsYuhBoyyyy]

Piracy📈📈

[@1st_down_prod]

rs

[@BrandonWhatTheF]

Even LeBron uses Stream East

[@brendanpridmore7100]

I really don’t get why people blame the 3 point shooting. Are we seriously saying it was better when guys were taking awful mid range shots constantly? The 3 point shooting also makes much more room for cuts, lobs and dunks.

[@vvm101]

NBA = GO WOKE, Go Broke !!!!

[@haru2966]

Ask Lebron and Bronny. Those two eggheads did nepotism at its finest.

[@lasagna1534]

17:10 y’all are cherry picking here there are guys like Larry bird who didn’t accept a contract extension from Boston cause he knew he couldn’t live up to the money at that point in his career and didn’t want to screw the franchise

[@stucantan9505]

I think this is a combo of a couple of things that you mentioned, but free throws are wrecking the pace of the game Every other possession ends in free throws, I start getting bored and look at my phone, end up turning off the game

[@trumpismydad3940]

GO WOKE GO BROKE!😢

[@kobedabest]

Saying no one arrived after Jordan until Lebron is suck a HOMER move... Kobe had some of the highest rated games of all time, his shoes are second to Jordan in sales... NBA fans still talks about the Mamba now days...