Demise of the NBA

[PeterBurns]

You are seeing it right in front of us. I think it started last year.

Ref Scandals....
Shady trades....
Stacked Big Market Teams....
Players leaving league for Euro ball.

In fact, if you are a stud High School player...why the hell would you go to College for a 1-and-Done?

Why not go straight to Euro ball.
Free Housing, Cars, Set up so it's tax free.

Chicken Little here reporting....

[Solid D]

You're right, and what's worse is Garbajosa, Delfino, Navarro and Krstic left the country for Euro ball. Traitors!

:smokin

[Buddy Holly]

Yes, with only 28 players in all the NBA, 7 of the greatest leaving for the EURO money... well, that will truly begin the demise of the NBA.

Let's face it, spygate nearly collapsed the NFL. American sports are doooooomed.

[wijayas]

I do think Mr. Stern favors the big market for marketing reason. He got what he wished for in Lakers vs. Boston.

Also, I truly feel that Mr. Stern and Co. unwittingly cajol the referees to tilt the results to achieve that marketing nirvana. Donaghy does not act alone. Time will tell.

Fxxxxxk you Mr. Stern.

But I won't trade NBA for the glory of Euro Ball. Not ever!

[hater]

it's a possibility

[Whisky Dog]

I definitely think the NBA has declined into the bottom rung of American professional sports. It's not going to mean the collapse of the league any time soon, but the 2nd or 3rd tier players who can be superstars in Europe (and paid accordingly) will continue to leave as long as the European money is there. That will hurt the depth of the NBA a bit, but the much bigger issue is the lack of integrity that has been surfacing for a while now.

[VaSpursFan]

I definitely think the NBA has declined into the bottom rung of American professional sports. It's not going to mean the collapse of the league any time soon, but the 2nd or 3rd tier players who can be superstars in Europe (and paid accordingly) will continue to leave as long as the European money is there. That will hurt the depth of the NBA a bit, but the much bigger issue is the lack of integrity that has been surfacing for a while now.

+1...also, a lot of european talent will opt not to come to the NBA now - the splitter effect.

i think a lot of guys are realizing that they can be comparably to the NBA with more perks for less games. europe truly has a good value proposition.

[degenerate_gambler]

Hasn't Stern been preaching the global aspect of basketball for some time? Privately, I'll bet he's happy to see NBA players decide to go play in Europe. It means he's that much closer to his goal (stated or unstated) of melding the NBA & Euro league(s)...then he'll ride off into the sunset.

[wijayas]

I read somewhere that Euro League is financed by Big Sugar Daddy Zillionaires who does not care if they lost billions. For how long, though?

They can't really make money with a stadium capacity of 3,000 seats! How sustainable would that be? After a while, the Zillionaires are probably tired of losing money. Sticking up their middle fingers to Mr Stern and Co. can get old sometimes.

Euro League will last as long as the Big Zillionaires Daddies are still interested. No more. No less.

[lefty]

I can't believe I'm typing this , but..........


WNBA >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> NBA

[ChumpDumper]

So all you guys are going to stop following the NBA?

[wildbill2u]

Imagine you're a NBA player making millions but your tax bracket is under 40% so you're cool with that. You still make a lot of money.

Now Barack Obama is elected on a platform to soak the rich (anyone making over $250,000 which practically includes NBA team gofers and ballboys) by raining their taxes. So you're gonna be a target for a big tax raise.

Most of you aren't old enough to remember when taxes on personal incomes went up to 92% of income, but imagine if Obama raises taxes to only 75% of income.

Don't you think a lot of players--especially those mid-range players who may not survive for a whole lot of years in the league--may find a couple of years at a higher salary with no taxes and all the other perks like apts, cars, etc very attractive.

[Brutalis]

Kinda scary. Hopefully the new president can stabilize our economy to some degree. It's going to take the next two administrations to "fix" our problems. We will not be out of debt any time soon and gas prices won't be dropping either. As long as our current problems exist and our dependency on oil remains we are screwed. In the end I don't see any solutions or fixes that isn't going to take a decade to do. And all of it directly affects us and the league as well as pretty much any American and business. We are too stubborn to do this but we need stop going to Shell and Texico and start shopping our local gas stations and support small businesses.

We're just fat lazy dumb asses who will never break our habits, and it's no wonder morale is low as a septic tank when nobody will band together and protest together against what's going on. If we truly cared it would have happened by now.

Therefor none of this will improve within our league. We can't do the obvious things first.

[rj215]

I wonder if this thread would've been here if we won the the title? Then the refs scandal, Euro defections and crap wouldn't have been as earth shattering to some folks.

[T Park]

Kinda scary. Hopefully the new president can stabilize our economy to some degree. It's going to take the next two administrations to "fix" our problems. We will not be out of debt any time soon and gas prices won't be dropping either. As long as our current problems exist and our dependency on oil remains we are screwed. In the end I don't see any solutions or fixes that isn't going to take a decade to do. And all of it directly affects us and the league as well as pretty much any American and business. We are too stubborn to do this but we need stop going to Shell and Texico and start shopping our local gas stations and support small businesses.

We're just fat lazy dumb asses who will never break our habits, and it's no wonder morale is low as a septic tank when nobody will band together and protest together against what's going on. If we truly cared it would have happened by now.

Therefor none of this will improve within our league. We can't do the obvious things first.

Where do you think the local gas stations get their gas?

Do you think they dig for themselves!??

[T Park]

Obama better not rain my taxes...

Pfft

its not a question of if, but how much.

[The Truth #6]

Josh Childress, a 6th man on the Hawks, clearly is the reason we all watch the NBA. Now, that he's gone I don't see how any of us can somehow go on. Yeah, right.

The US economy is in trouble, yes, but that doesn't mean the league is finished. And why would an 18 year old prefer to move to Israel, Russia, or Greece? It's not like he isn't getting paid in college. In a US college a star baller would be in paradise. In Europe he would be a fish out of water. Only a select few would be mature enough to acculturate fast enough to enjoy their time there, otherwise they'll be hanging out at youth hostels trying to pick up American chicks. Not quite the same lifestyle. Not to mention the paradigm shift in coaching where they'll have to learn a whole new way to play the game.

The euro league will remain a place for over the hill washups, undrafted Americans, and 2nd round rejects to go to hone their skills before they return home. A small few will become sensational examples. Josh Childres is the Herschel Walker of Euro baskeball.

[Chucho]

The NBA in the bottom rung of sports?? Lets see, MLS, WNBA, Arena Football and the NHL. Nope, not there. The middle rung? Let's check: Tennis, Golf, Nascar. Nope, same old Rouges Gallery. So where can it be? Oh yeah, still on the top tier of American sports, right behind football, and still ahead of baseball, whose scandals dwarf the NBA's by miles. The two most dominant players of the past decade are proven cheats and liars?? I'd take one cheating ref and a few nasty rumors that haven't been proved over an entire 20 year timeframe tainted by cheaters, dopers and an administration that looked the other way ANY DAY. Basketball is fine and the fact that a HANDFUL OF MEDIOCRE PLAYERS that would have driven up pay scales league wide opted to be greedy and go play in limited markets, with limited opportunities for success while bankrupting these teams will be nothing more than a footnote in basketball history. You will NEVER catch a player that is WORTH THE MONEY THEY ARE SEEKING playing overseas. These marginal players leaving the L are a good thing as it keeps potential salaries of other marginal players competitive and relatively fair for teams not willing to be fiscally responsible for marginal skills. Let the stupid foreign teams that can't really fiscally sustain these contracts for more than two years take the NBA's unwanted. Because if they were wanted, teams would have inked them HERE. Plus, who leaves the big dance to go to the Junior High prom? Only the losers who can't get a date their own age. Small fish just being relocated to smaller waters.

[SequSpur]

The NBA in the bottom rung of sports?? Lets see, MLS, WNBA, Arena Football and the NHL. Nope, not there. The middle rung? Let's check: Tennis, Golf, Nascar. Nope, same old Rouges Gallery. So where can it be? Oh yeah, still on the top tier of American sports, right behind football, and still ahead of baseball, whose scandals dwarf the NBA's by miles. The two most dominant players of the past decade are proven cheats and liars?? I'd take one cheating ref and a few nasty rumors that haven't been proved over an entire 20 year timeframe tainted by cheaters, dopers and an administration that looked the other way ANY DAY. Basketball is fine and the fact that a HANDFUL OF MEDIOCRE PLAYERS that would have driven up pay scales league wide opted to be greedy and go play in limited markets, with limited opportunities for success while bankrupting these teams will be nothing more than a footnote in basketball history. You will NEVER catch a player that is WORTH THE MONEY THEY ARE SEEKING playing overseas. These marginal players leaving the L are a good thing as it keeps potential salaries of other marginal players competitive and relatively fair for teams not willing to be fiscally responsible for marginal skills. Let the stupid foreign teams that can't really fiscally sustain these contracts for more than two years take the NBA's unwanted. Because if they were wanted, teams would have inked them HERE. Plus, who leaves the big dance to go to the Junior High prom? Only the losers who can't get a date their own age. Small fish just being relocated to smaller waters.


Correction: NFL and Nascar owns sports. MLB is 3rd... NBA is 4th but getting closer to 10th.

[ShoogarBear]

Imagine you're a NBA player making millions but your tax bracket is under 40% so you're cool with that. You still make a lot of money.

Now Barack Obama is elected on a platform to soak the rich (anyone making over $250,000 which practically includes NBA team gofers and ballboys) by raining their taxes. So you're gonna be a target for a big tax raise.

Most of you aren't old enough to remember when taxes on personal incomes went up to 92% of income, but imagine if Obama raises taxes to only 75% of income.

Don't you think a lot of players--especially those mid-range players who may not survive for a whole lot of years in the league--may find a couple of years at a higher salary with no taxes and all the other perks like apts, cars, etc very attractive.

Yeah, Obama will really screw up this great economy Bush gave us.

[Spurtacus]

We're doomed!

[baseline bum]

I definitely think the NBA has declined into the bottom rung of American professional sports.

Nah, baseball has had that on lockdown since the 90s with the strikes, the ridiculously long games, and the steroid scandal.

[nfg3]

2012 and it's all over!

The 2nd coming of JC:

Armageddon:

Mayan calendar ends:

We're toast.

[Chucho]

Correction: NFL and Nascar owns sports. MLB is 3rd... NBA is 4th but getting closer to 10th.

No siree. Nascar is losing ratings slowly but surely and teams are dying or being bought and consolidated into other teams as the struggle to find sponsors is growing and baseball is still chasing the NBA's ratings, minus the World Series to Finals comparison. The NBA is growing. Growth>recession.