The Lakers player is concerned that the way the NBA is being played is driving fans away.
Some topics gain momentum gradually, and before you realize it, they become highly important. When both the top official of a league and one of its most respected active players address the issue, it means the matter is significant.
If Adam Silver and LeBron James, each, agree there might be a problem with how basketball is being played and how it’s failing to attract fans, the issue is likely real. People are not interested as before. More and more people seem to be getting tired of this style of play.
When LeBron was asked about the current state of the NBA, including changes to the All-Star Game format, he responded: “It’s not just the All-Star Game; it’s our sport in general. There are too many damn three-pointers being shot, so it’s a conversation that goes way beyond the All-Star Game.”
Steph Curry Started It All
A few days ago, Shaquille O’Neal weighed in on this topic, linking it to the drop in viewership this season and pointing to a specific culprit: “Stephen Curry has ruined basketball.”
Curry represents the style of basketball that has dominated for the past decade, where success is increasingly tied to the three-point line. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who set the record for the best regular season ever (73-9), averaged 31.6 three-point attempts per game, leading the league that year.
“Yes, we are having many discussions about the style of basketball being played,” admitted Adam Silver during the NBA Cup in Las Vegas. “I wouldn’t reduce it to just the so-called problem of three-point shooting. I think we’re looking more broadly at the overall skill level on the court, the diversity of offensive play, and how fans are responding to the game.”
