Top 5 Reasons Fans are Leaving the NBA

[wdleehi]

The biggest problem with the NBA and fans is how hard it is for teams to turn it around and become relevant. 


A star based league where there are a limited number of true stars and a system that locks in bad players, teams are terrible for years and need luck, not skilled GMs to get out of the cellar. 


If you are a fan of the Knicks, 76ers, Bucks, Warriors... with the exception of a random year, why are you following that team? 

[KungPoweChicken]

The biggest problem with the NBA and fans is how hard it is for teams to turn it around and become relevant. 


A star based league where there are a limited number of true stars and a system that locks in bad players, teams are terrible for years and need luck, not skilled GMs to get out of the cellar. 


If you are a fan of the Knicks, 76ers, Bucks, Warriors... with the exception of a random year, why are you following that team? 

You should know that answer. Aren't you a Celtics fan?

[Edgar]

All Star Game voting

Biased refs added to super star treatment

Soccer is the best sport in the world

Gerald Green not in the league anymore

CelticBlog Mods specially that guy hobbs

[RAcker]

Yao Ming is injured
Jianlian sucks
The refs
David Stern
Stu Jackson

[dooyork]

I agree with the OP that Pussification is a major problem in the NBA these days, but I would say that it's not just a problem for the players, but also a lot of fans in the arenas as well.  Back in the old days, Celtics fans would pelt the opposing bench with eggs.  Thanks to Pussification, you can't do that these days, you would get thrown out, and probably end up in jail.  And on the floor, there's no more enforcer type players, like Loscutoff, Laimbeer, Mahorn, Ruland, etc.  Karl Malone was probably the last superstar who actually went out there and tried to injure the opposing player and draw blood or even cut short his career if possible.

Also I agree with the poster who pointed out that it's a problem that Yi Jianlian sucks.  If Yi was awesome, it would be great.

I think the lottery is a problem, but not because it's corrupted as some people are suggesting.  I think the lottery was good the way it was originally designed, but then there were a few years when people didn't like the way the balls bounced so they tinkered with the format, and ended up weighing the odds enough that the final order is pretty much how the teams finished in the standings anyway.  It defeats the whole purpose of the lottery.  Give 13 ping pong balls to the worst team, 12 to the second worst, one ball to the 13th team, etc.  Then draw for the first pick, then keep picking and if you pick a team who has already been drawn, pick another ball.  The way it is now, the team that finishes 13th has like a 1 in 10000 chance of winning the lottery, so what's the point?

Oh yeah, and All Star game voting.  I don't know how to fix this, but leaving it up to the fans and giving people as many votes as they want is ridiculous, you end up with Vince Carter and Yao Ming as starters even if they've been injured the whole year, or even if they haven't been all-star caliber players for the last 5 years, thanks to name recognition (Carter) or where they're from (Yao).  I guess you could have a coaches/sportswriters voting system like with college football rankings.

Also it sucks that there is a team in Toronto, that team should be moved to Seattle.  And it sucks when teams pipe in crowd noise over the sound system like in NJ.

[Schupac]

I think a lot of what is being talked about here is what is ruining the league but gaining it "fans".  I use that word lightly because I think they are more casual viewers than actual fans.

The NBA has gained a huge fan base by embracing international athletes.  If anything it's fan base has grown faster than MLB, NFL, and NHL (LOL) in the past 10-20 years.

All that said, it might not be the best way to inflate your fan base.  It's kind of like a musician deciding to stop trying to make great music and instead be the bubblegum pop flavor of the week.  You'll cash in right now, and you'll cash in big, but there's always a good chance that in 10 years no one listens to you and you are a laughing stock.  If you had stayed true you'd be a career musician, maybe not as many fans as you once could have had, but loyal fans.

Then again, go ask your average sell out if they regret their decision.  Try to flag down their personal jet and ask them.

[wiley]

I agree with the OP that Pussification is a major problem in the NBA these days, but I would say that it's not just a problem for the players, but also a lot of fans in the arenas as well.  Back in the old days, Celtics fans would pelt the opposing bench with eggs.  Thanks to Pussification, you can't do that these days, you would get thrown out, and probably end up in jail.  And on the floor, there's no more enforcer type players, like Loscutoff, Laimbeer, Mahorn, Ruland, etc.  Karl Malone was probably the last superstar who actually went out there and tried to injure the opposing player and draw blood or even cut short his career if possible.

Also I agree with the poster who pointed out that it's a problem that Yi Jianlian sucks.  If Yi was awesome, it would be great.

I think the lottery is a problem, but not because it's corrupted as some people are suggesting.  I think the lottery was good the way it was originally designed, but then there were a few years when people didn't like the way the balls bounced so they tinkered with the format, and ended up weighing the odds enough that the final order is pretty much how the teams finished in the standings anyway.  It defeats the whole purpose of the lottery.  Give 13 ping pong balls to the worst team, 12 to the second worst, one ball to the 13th team, etc.  Then draw for the first pick, then keep picking and if you pick a team who has already been drawn, pick another ball.  The way it is now, the team that finishes 13th has like a 1 in 10000 chance of winning the lottery, so what's the point?

Oh yeah, and All Star game voting.  I don't know how to fix this, but leaving it up to the fans and giving people as many votes as they want is ridiculous, you end up with Vince Carter and Yao Ming as starters even if they've been injured the whole year, or even if they haven't been all-star caliber players for the last 5 years, thanks to name recognition (Carter) or where they're from (Yao).  I guess you could have a coaches/sportswriters voting system like with college football rankings.

Also it sucks that there is a team in Toronto, that team should be moved to Seattle.  And it sucks when teams pipe in crowd noise over the sound system like in NJ.

Don't know if I want as much blood back in the game as you (or egg yolk),  but crowd noise over the sound system is positively evil...

[Redz]

I agree with the OP that Pussification is a major problem in the NBA these days, but I would say that it's not just a problem for the players, but also a lot of fans in the arenas as well.  Back in the old days, Celtics fans would pelt the opposing bench with eggs.  Thanks to Pussification, you can't do that these days, you would get thrown out, and probably end up in jail.  And on the floor, there's no more enforcer type players, like Loscutoff, Laimbeer, Mahorn, Ruland, etc.  Karl Malone was probably the last superstar who actually went out there and tried to injure the opposing player and draw blood or even cut short his career if possible.

Also I agree with the poster who pointed out that it's a problem that Yi Jianlian sucks.  If Yi was awesome, it would be great.

I think the lottery is a problem, but not because it's corrupted as some people are suggesting.  I think the lottery was good the way it was originally designed, but then there were a few years when people didn't like the way the balls bounced so they tinkered with the format, and ended up weighing the odds enough that the final order is pretty much how the teams finished in the standings anyway.  It defeats the whole purpose of the lottery.  Give 13 ping pong balls to the worst team, 12 to the second worst, one ball to the 13th team, etc.  Then draw for the first pick, then keep picking and if you pick a team who has already been drawn, pick another ball.  The way it is now, the team that finishes 13th has like a 1 in 10000 chance of winning the lottery, so what's the point?

Oh yeah, and All Star game voting.  I don't know how to fix this, but leaving it up to the fans and giving people as many votes as they want is ridiculous, you end up with Vince Carter and Yao Ming as starters even if they've been injured the whole year, or even if they haven't been all-star caliber players for the last 5 years, thanks to name recognition (Carter) or where they're from (Yao).  I guess you could have a coaches/sportswriters voting system like with college football rankings.

Also it sucks that there is a team in Toronto, that team should be moved to Seattle.  And it sucks when teams pipe in crowd noise over the sound system like in NJ.

Don't know if I want as much blood back in the game as you (or egg yolk),  but crowd noise over the sound system is positively evil...

My 7 year old daughter is always asking why they make so much noise when they're playing.  It really fries my fanny to have to answer that one because I don't have a good answer.  I usually just say "because they're trying to get the crowd excited"...Does it ever though?

[wiley]

I agree with the OP that Pussification is a major problem in the NBA these days, but I would say that it's not just a problem for the players, but also a lot of fans in the arenas as well.  Back in the old days, Celtics fans would pelt the opposing bench with eggs.  Thanks to Pussification, you can't do that these days, you would get thrown out, and probably end up in jail.  And on the floor, there's no more enforcer type players, like Loscutoff, Laimbeer, Mahorn, Ruland, etc.  Karl Malone was probably the last superstar who actually went out there and tried to injure the opposing player and draw blood or even cut short his career if possible.

Also I agree with the poster who pointed out that it's a problem that Yi Jianlian sucks.  If Yi was awesome, it would be great.

I think the lottery is a problem, but not because it's corrupted as some people are suggesting.  I think the lottery was good the way it was originally designed, but then there were a few years when people didn't like the way the balls bounced so they tinkered with the format, and ended up weighing the odds enough that the final order is pretty much how the teams finished in the standings anyway.  It defeats the whole purpose of the lottery.  Give 13 ping pong balls to the worst team, 12 to the second worst, one ball to the 13th team, etc.  Then draw for the first pick, then keep picking and if you pick a team who has already been drawn, pick another ball.  The way it is now, the team that finishes 13th has like a 1 in 10000 chance of winning the lottery, so what's the point?

Oh yeah, and All Star game voting.  I don't know how to fix this, but leaving it up to the fans and giving people as many votes as they want is ridiculous, you end up with Vince Carter and Yao Ming as starters even if they've been injured the whole year, or even if they haven't been all-star caliber players for the last 5 years, thanks to name recognition (Carter) or where they're from (Yao).  I guess you could have a coaches/sportswriters voting system like with college football rankings.

Also it sucks that there is a team in Toronto, that team should be moved to Seattle.  And it sucks when teams pipe in crowd noise over the sound system like in NJ.

Don't know if I want as much blood back in the game as you (or egg yolk),  but crowd noise over the sound system is positively evil...

My 7 year old daughter is always asking why they make so much noise when they're playing.  It really fries my fanny to have to answer that one because I don't have a good answer.  I usually just say "because they're trying to get the crowd excited"...Does it ever though?

Redz, that might be something you can bring up with team management (or their suggestion box at least)....Or stick into a letter to Stern (NBA management)

[wiley]

I caught some of the Bucks Thunder game last night on N.B.A. t.v. (not blacked out as usual)....and there was this add by the N.B.A. that came as a shock (I've hardly watched that channel) , something about teams and teamwork and a common goal and trophies, etc...etc...

Anyone know how long that add has been in circulation?  Never come across an add like that for the N.B.A., at least not in the modern era....and not on the usual bball networks.

Good to see.  Quite canned, but still good.  I do think they could make better adds though, without hiring a genius.  The problem with the add is its believability, which in my mind just shows the odds they're up against in re-packaging the league.  Not saying the league is in danger or anything, just that it could do so much better....Okay, maybe it will take more smarts than I think to improve things thru ads....

[Redz]

I caught some of the Bucks Thunder game last night on N.B.A. t.v. (not blacked out as usual)....and there was this add by the N.B.A. that came as a shock (I've hardly watched that channel) , something about teams and teamwork and a common goal and trophies, etc...etc...

Anyone know how long that add has been in circulation?  Never come across an add like that for the N.B.A., at least not in the modern era....and not on the usual bball networks.

Good to see.  Quite canned, but still good.  I do think they could make better adds though, without hiring a genius.  The problem with the add is its believability, which in my mind just shows the odds they're up against in re-packaging the league.  Not saying the league is in danger or anything, just that it could do so much better....Okay, maybe it will take more smarts than I think to improve things thru ads....

Not sure.  I saw one focused on defense too.

[MaineBleedsGreen]

I caught some of the Bucks Thunder game last night on N.B.A. t.v. (not blacked out as usual)....and there was this add by the N.B.A. that came as a shock (I've hardly watched that channel) , something about teams and teamwork and a common goal and trophies, etc...etc...

Anyone know how long that add has been in circulation?  Never come across an add like that for the N.B.A., at least not in the modern era....and not on the usual bball networks.

Good to see.  Quite canned, but still good.  I do think they could make better adds though, without hiring a genius.  The problem with the add is its believability, which in my mind just shows the odds they're up against in re-packaging the league.  Not saying the league is in danger or anything, just that it could do so much better....Okay, maybe it will take more smarts than I think to improve things thru ads....

Not sure.  I saw one focused on defense too.

I watch all my games on league pass broadband so I get those nba ads all the time. They seem to have come out the past 4-6 weeks with ads about, winning, team work, defense, hustle, determination. ... I dn't know if you guys have seen the one with Doc, KG, and Pierce in it, (among other NBA players) speaking about the very virtues. Definitely and interesting change, and I actually enjoy the ads ... they seem to be apart of the "where amazing happens" as that still flashes across the screen at the end.

[the_Bird]

The elephant's still in the room.

Don't ignore how much damage was done to the league's fanbase when the game became And1-ized a few years back.  Lots of college  basketball fans I know who don't give a rat's ass about the NBA, because of how "street" the game is often perceived as being.  Reading about Gil Arenas pulling a gun on a teammate only perpetuates that image. 

NBA players are still perceived as being much more concerned about flash over substance, and that continues to turn off many hoops fans.  I've had many a conversation with guys who go to dozens of college games, where I'm trying to convince them - "The Celtics DO play the game the right way now, it's not all isos, they pass the ball and play D, you'd love it!" and they're still skeptical. 

Iverson and Marbury and Stevie Franchise and all of the other one-man wonders/Jordan wannabes did a LOT of damage to the league. 

[makaveli]

The thing I hate the most is the fact that a single NBA game lasts for 2 and a half hours...
It's okay if your in USA or Canada, but the rest of the world is watching game very late or very early, so it is hard to make a bigger fan base believe me.

[wdleehi]

The NBA is to wrapped up in the hip hop culture.  (I am talking about marketing, not what the players enjoy listening to)



There is nothing wrong with the hip hop culture. 



But they need to be more diverse just like their fan base is diverse.