Quote Originally Posted by DMC
No they wouldn't. They've been down that road enough already. They want/need the high AS game vote getters to shine on the biggest stage in a 7 game series. The NBA knows that only Tim was in the AS game and even then only because he's Tim Duncan. The Finals MVP didn't even get enough votes to be in the game, injury or not (Kobe and Yao both got most votes while injured). .
If, by your logic, your all star conspiracy were true then the league would want the Spurs to go farther in the playoffs. Exhibit A:

Tim Duncan has 15 all star appearances
Tony parker has 6 all star appearances
Manu Ginobli has 2 all star appearances
Spurs current total all star appearances: 22
Blake Griffin 5 all star appearances
Chris Paul 4 all star appearances
Clippers current total all star appearances: 9

Also, the Spurs are more profitable than the Clippers. Exhibit B:

Most popular NBA jerseys: Tim Duncan #8


Blake Griffin # 10, Chris Paul #13

Most popular team merchandise: San Antonio Spurs #5 Los Angeles Clippers #10


http://www.nba.com/2015/news/01/12/n...icial-release/







Quote Originally Posted by DMC
The NBA is interested in expanding it's audience. That's not going to happen by featuring a small market team that's always in the mix. It has to be Curry vs Lebron, or CP3 vs Lebron. Atlanta/SA would be the worst possible scenario for the NBA.
You do realize that the Thunder are also a “small market team” right?Yet their players and team, just like yours, gross in the top ten in both individual jersey and team merchandise sales.That argument is flawed.The NBA gets a pretty penny from the Spurs.It is in the NBA’s best interest to have the Spurs in the playoffs.


Quote Originally Posted by DMC
When the league is pushing the "hero ball" mantra as a good thing, when their ads routinely show individuals doing monkeyball instead team play, and when the majority of NBA commercials barely feature the team that's been in the Finals 2 years running, as the winningest record in professional sports, ad nauseum, if they feature them at all, you know it's just business. Companies routinely push their highest profit margin products, often don't spend much advertising their solid, long time performing legacy stuff.
Also, marketers don’t feature commercials with Spurs players because of their shy, introverted nature.Consider any Popovich interview where he gives off the vibe that he want to be anywhere but giving an interview.Tim Duncan, TP, and Kawhii just don’t like the spot light.They are nice, soft spoken guys, but they don’t crave the advertisements.No one is stopping them from being in a KIA commercial.They choose to be left out of the marketing mix.There’s no conspiracy theory there.

Again, you want profit? You get Spurs players to do commercials; Spurs players and the team gross money. Check my link out. But this notion they there is a conspiracy against the Spurs is simply not true