Who cares about the NBA these days?

[Hedgehog]

When I was a kid, I was all gung ho about Magic, Bird, Barkley and of course Jordan.

And Ewing, Malone, Olajuwon and all those great players.

Somehow, I seemed to disregard the fact that most games during the regular season means jack and shit.

And the same thing with the play-offs.

Where is the soul of the NBA these days?

Why should I give a fcuk about who wins and who loses?

It's become a bore for some reason.

-Hedge

[pumpster]

Lack of powerful personas married to great talent IN ADDITION TO pronounced dilution, as Wilt Chamberlain and others have previously mentioned. The Bulls of the 90s weren't winning 6 championships playing the 80s Lakers & Celtics.

The game's stagnant in ways reminiscent of the 70s before Magic and Bird.

[CalvinH]

I haven't watched the NBA in the last couple of years.
to boring to me.
I'd much rather watch college.

[Dos Equis]

The glory days are gone.  There are still some terrific players and the Spurs are a great team, but I don't think we'll ever see the 80s-type teams and style of play anymore.  Today's players don't respect the game enough. 

But I still watch almost every televised Lakers game. 

[OzmO]

It was fun watching the Warriors beat Dallas and Jordan was fun to watch in the 90's although it wasn't the same level of competition IMO with his opposition, so i agree,  it's not the same as the Magic and Bird years......

[UPINTHEMGUTS]

I tell you what. You tune into ESPN classic and you'll get lucky sometimes and watch some old Pistons-Celtics/Bulls playoff games from the lat 80's and early 90's. Man, that was good basketball to watch back then. Hell, the Bulls/Knicks rivalry was awesome to watch also. That was intense basketball, man.

Today's game? 90% of it's pathetic to watch. You have guys 6'10" or taller launching threes and shooting only 70% from the free throw line. Almost nobody plays defense or hustles under the boards for loose balls. And on top of that, the NBA is trying to portray this squeaky clean image where you get thrown out of a game for just staring down an opponent. It's bullshit. Blame a lot of on David Stern and how he tries SO HARD to make pro basketball a family event. I undertstand that you have to market the sport a certain way in order to gain profits. But are you going to tell me that Stern likes how the NBA is now compared to it's glory days???

Stern can't have it both ways. He has to loosen up his policies a little in order for it to prosper the way it once did.

My favorite guys to watch nowadays who I think resemble the glory days of the NBA when it was fun to watch.....

Baron Davis, Carlos Boozer(who's an absolute monster), Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace(so multi talented), Kevin Garnett(the most unselfish player in the league), Dwight Howard, Marcus Camby, Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, to name a few. I love players who love to play defense!

[pumpster]

The league was just as much in the doldrums in the late 70s, so it's possible that it could come out of it in the same way.

[JOHN MATRIX]

jesus christ stop all the nostalgic whining for 'the good old days'
you all sound like a bunch of senile old men. yes there were classic battles back in the day but theres nothing wrong with the NBA today. granted last year's playoffs were a huge fluke due to league tampering but now its back to normal as good as ever.

did any of you watch golden state crucify dallas? that was one of the best series ive ever seen, the games were awesome.
or how bout the spurs-suns series, that one was good too.

wait till the spurs-detroit finals rematch if you want to see some damn good basketball at the highest level in its purest form.

[UPINTHEMGUTS]

jesus christ stop all the nostalgic whining for 'the good old days'
you all sound like a bunch of senile old men. yes there were classic battles back in the day but theres nothing wrong with the NBA today. granted last year's playoffs were a huge fluke due to league tampering but now its back to normal as good as ever.

did any of you watch golden state crucify dallas? that was one of the best series ive ever seen, the games were awesome.
or how bout the spurs-suns series, that one was good too.

wait till the spurs-detroit finals rematch if you want to see some damn good basketball at the highest level in its purest form.

What are you smoking, dude? How do you think the NBA stacks up against Baseball and the NFL in terms of popularity?? Here's your answer----no comparison. That right there should tell you that in no way shape or form is the NBA any where near as popular or as good as it once was.

You mentioned the Golden State/Dallas series. One example(and a long overdue one, I might add). Name me some more. Can you?

[UPINTHEMGUTS]

jesus christ stop all the nostalgic whining for 'the good old days'
you all sound like a bunch of senile old men. yes there were classic battles back in the day but theres nothing wrong with the NBA today. granted last year's playoffs were a huge fluke due to league tampering but now its back to normal as good as ever.

did any of you watch golden state crucify dallas? that was one of the best series ive ever seen, the games were awesome.
or how bout the spurs-suns series, that one was good too.

wait till the spurs-detroit finals rematch if you want to see some damn good basketball at the highest level in its purest form.

Matrix, I love watching a series like that. Both teams play great, hard nosed defense and play to win. I'm just debating your claim that the NBA today is just as good as it was a decade a go.

[Sergio Rules 77]

I think the NBA is probably on par with where it was a decade ago, but definitely not two decades ago. I have over 200 games from 1972 to the present day on tape and the NBA was at it's best in the years 84-92. I was watching the games the other night where Sleepy Floyd scored 29 points against the Lakers and where Ralph Sampson hit that shot to beat the Lakers in '86.

The quality of play in those games was staggering, most guys on the court just never missed shots between 15-18 feet. Nowdays, guys are lucky to hit 5-10 from that range. I would say the defense was slightly better today but not much more. It's no secret that expansion is killing the level of play in the NBA and the quality would be improved significantly if 2-3 teams were culled.

SERGIO!!!!

[pumpster]

I think the NBA is probably on par with where it was a decade ago, but definitely not two decades ago. I have over 200 games from 1972 to the present day on tape and the NBA was at it's best in the years 84-92. I was watching the games the other night where Sleepy Floyd scored 29 points against the Lakers and where Ralph Sampson hit that shot to beat the Lakers in '86.

I don't see how you can start at '84 instead of '80.

[Tre]

Refuse to watch Spurs-Jazz and if the Spurs advance, I will not watch the Finals either.

I will watch part of Game 2 of the Eastern finals tonite, tho.

I don't watch during the regular season, but I typically enjoy the NBA playoffs. 

[Sergio Rules 77]

I don't see how you can start at '84 instead of '80.

IMO the game got a lot more athletic in '84 with guys like Jordan & Dominique, but at the same time, maintained great fundamentals. Unfortunately, it also led to the downfall of the NBA because all kids wanted to do was dunk a ball instead of shoot it. That's why the US no longer dominates basketball because you've got all these guys like Lebron & Carmello with amazing athletic ability but not as fundamentally sound as plyers from other countries.

SERGIO!!!!

[pumpster]

IMO the game got a lot more athletic in '84 with guys like Jordan & Dominique, but at the same time, maintained great fundamentals.

True, but as far as the best teams, it was the 80s because the 90s there was no counter-balance to Chicago.

[Camel Jockey]

I thinks these wannabe gangster players of the current NBA have ruined everything.

For one, they're more about individual accomplishment over selflessness and the team concept.

They're always getting into trouble.

They're stupid.

I think everyone should get the picture..

[Sergio Rules 77]

I thinks these wannabe gangster players of the current NBA have ruined everything.

For one, they're more about individual accomplishment over selflessness and the team concept.

They're always getting into trouble.

They're stupid.

I think everyone should get the picture..

The way the NBA is now, the logo (which is of a silhouetted Jerry West) should have cornrows and a pistol coming out of his back pocket.

SERGIO!!!!