OT: Can NBA recover?

[BlueMAB]

Every day that passes it looks more and more like the NBA season will be lost.

Recent (non-scientific) ESPN polls showed that almost 50% of respondents are on neither the players, nor the owners side. Another showed that almost 75% didn't care if the NBA lost games this season.

A recent report said the players turned down a 50/50 revenue sharing proposal. If the players want to hold out for another $80-$120 million, that is their perogative, I just hope they realize this next agreement may be the best they get for a very long time if the season is lost. If they think it's easy to recover from a work stoppage when 75% of sports fans don't care whether or not you play a full schedule, your sport is in serious jeopardy.

It could take another group like Magic, Bird, and Jordan to save the league.

 

[UConnSwag11]

It could take another group like Magic, Bird, and Jordan to save the league.

I think this years draft could be the one. But only if they aren't all "best friends". The NBA doesn't need more of all players loving each other and being buddies. But the NBA season is lost for this year. I was really looking forward to seeing kemba at the garden

 

[BlueMAB]

I think this years draft could be the one. But only if they aren't all "best friends". The NBA doesn't need more of all players loving each other and being buddies. But the NBA season is lost for this year. I was really looking forward to seeing kemba at the garden

I don't see those guys in that light at all. Magic and Bird may have gotten along off the court (and Isiah Thomas), but that didn't stop them from going at eachother hard on the court. Once that ball was tossed, those guys hated eachother, and it showed. Jordan was another case entirely. He wasn't even buddies with guys on his own team if they didn't do their job and help the team win.

I agree this season is probably lost. It's really too bad we won't see Kemba again for awhile.

 

[tzznandrew]

Hate to speak for him, but I think he was pointing to the Heat.

What's sad is that the talent level of the NBA has finally made reached the level where all 30 rosters have solid players. With the world playing basketball, there are more and more great players out there--and yet the NBA finds a way to mess this up.

 

[mets1090]

I don't see those guys in that light at all. Magic and Bird may have gotten along off the court (and Isiah Thomas), but that didn't stop them from going at eachother hard on the court. Once that ball was tossed, those guys hated eachother, and it showed. Jordan was another case entirely. He wasn't even buddies with guys on his own team if they didn't do their job and help the team win.

I agree this season is probably lost. It's really too bad we won't see Kemba again for awhile.

I think US11 was saying that recently all NBA players seem to be buddy buddy with each other and there isn't enough hatred between players to fuel real rivalries, not that this was the case in the days of Magic, Bird, etc.

 

[BlueMAB]

I think US11 was saying that recently all NBA players seem to be buddy buddy with each other and there isn't enough hatred between players to fuel real rivalries, not that this was the case in the days of Magic, Bird, etc.

Oh, I understand now. My bad.

I could not agree more.

 

[UConnSwag11]

I think US11 was saying that recently all NBA players seem to be buddy buddy with each other and there isn't enough hatred between players to fuel real rivalries, not that this was the case in the days of Magic, Bird, etc.

Yeah exactly. It's not just the heat it seems like only Kobe and Garnett are the only ones who don't care about making friends other than their teammates. I'd say KD bc he called bosh a fake tough guy (which I agreed) but he took it back. Now everyone wants to play together and stuff

 

[tykurez]

It took the NBA nearly a decade to recover from the last lockout. The NBA after Jordan's second retirement until the mid 2000's was atrocious. It finally started to gain traction and now that's all going to be lost. It's frustrating, as a basketball fan, to watch it happen.

 

[Kitaman]

All rivalries left after Iverson and Rodman retired. They played hard, didn't back down and were nobody's friend on the court. They challenged opponents 'old skool' style. Now there is nobody that can produce controversy or rile opponents.

 

[Adios]

LeBron James managed to cause enough drama.

 

[upstater]

The money they make is out of whack already. Anyone who goes to a regular season game knows half the players dog it. It's not the fault of the players, it's the nature of the beast. And yet ticket prices are through the roof because they are subsidized (through the business entertainment tax). Remove the subsidy, and then maybe you'd create a ticket structure that works for the sport. It expanded too fast, and has too many teams, so now the owners are into greater revenue sharing, and they want the players to pay for it. They could take cues from the NFL.

 

[Joobie]

I HATE this whole lockout thing. Many of the owners are NBA teams are already the some of the wealthiest folks in the country. Let's face it, the players aren't doing too badly either. At what point does money become redundant? As a Celtics fan, I am particularly disappointed. I was hoping that the "Big Four" could make another playoff run. If this season goes into the crapper, that flat out won't happen.

 

[upstater]

I HATE this whole lockout thing. Many of the owners are NBA teams are already the some of the wealthiest folks in the country. Let's face it, the players aren't doing too badly either. At what point does money become redundant? As a Celtics fan, I am particularly disappointed. I was hoping that the "Big Four" could make another playoff run. If this season goes into the crapper, that flat out won't happen.

A lockout helps the Celtics. If the season is shortened to 40 games, it's a positive.

 

[Joobie]

A lockout helps the Celtics. If the season is shortened to 40 games, it's a positive.

Agreed...if the season gets shortened, it will certainly help the Celts, but if it's canceled outright, it won't. Thanks for the "glass half full" analogy! I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

 

[Scoe]

Agreed...if the season gets shortened, it will certainly help the Celts, but if it's canceled outright, it won't. Thanks for the "glass half full" analogy! I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

i remember the shortened season in 99 had a bunch of back to back night of games, some teams played 3 games in 3 days if its that kind of schedule for the Celts I dont see how that would help them. I could see how not having to play an 82 game schedule would help.

 

[jleves]

I don't know if I'm the target demograhpic, but since the baseball strike that took away a world series, I don't watch anything unless STL is in the playoffs - and even then not so much until they get to the WS. Before that, I followed the entire season. Likewise with the NHL. Before their deal, I'd watch from time to time, but now I only watch the post season and really only care if it gets to OT; otherwise I fastforward through the games until they might get to OT. The NBA wasn't the most exciting thing to see and now they have killed it. It's going to take a decade or better to make up what they lost. Silly honestly.

 

[husky99]

hope they do not become hockey after their lockout