| | | The NBA has been getting a lot of press lately -- for all the wrong reasons. All of a sudden, the Game of the '90s, Michael's Game, can't turn around without getting whistled for a flagrant foul. What's the deal?
|  | | Would you pay to see Shaq drive around the ever-expanding Shawn Kemp? |
That's what Page 2 wondered. So we decided to devote most of the next three days to investigating -- and trying to explain -- some of the following disquieting events and trends:
The Denver Nuggets decide, unanimously, to boycott a practice -- and seriously consider boycotting a game -- to protest what they feel are the overly harsh criticisms of their mediocre play by coach Dan Issel.
Despite owning the best record in the league, the Philadelphia 76ers come pretty close to tearing themselves apart. First, star guard and leading scorer Allen Iverson attacks Larry Brown's coaching in front of the rest of the team, then the notoriously oversensitive Brown takes a two-day midseason leave, during which he apparently considered quitting. Later, after a therapeutic meeting overseen by flamboyant Sixers owner Pat Croce, the two make up for the umpteenth time, though the Where-Is-Larry-Going-Next? watch will remain in force for the rest of the season.
Rick Pitino, whose five-year plan for the Celtics probably should have included a different GM, calls a press conference to announce that he is not quitting as Boston coach, during which he suggests that he might soon offer his resignation if the players on this once-proud team don't start playing a little D.
After sucker-punching out the Clippers' Jeff McInnis at a morning shootaround, Charles Oakley, the easily-irritated strong forward of the Raptors, offers this assessment of the NBA and its disrespectful youngsters: "The league is garbage. I don't think the fans are getting their money's worth. A lot of guys do the pretty things. They want to dunk and get tattoos. That's the league now -- saggy jeans. People are probably going to stay home and watch regular TV. I don't blame them."
Before the season even starts, Iverson records a rap album that manages to offend women, gays and non-criminals of all ages, religions and sexual persuasions. He apologizes and offers to soften some of the more offensive lyrics, but later decides not too, citing the First Amendment and freedom of artistic expression.
The Eastern Conference is so devoid of legitimate centers that the Heat's Alonzo Mourning takes the early lead in All-Star team voting, despite the fact he has a kidney disease that will keep him out for the entire season.
Though they don't have a legitimate center or power forward, their only decent natural point guard is seriously injured, and at least three starters -- Latrell Sprewell, Marcus Camby and Larry Johnson -- will spend most of the season out of position, the New York Knicks are considered one of three or four legitimate contenders for the Eastern Conference title.
Despite the fact they are two of the league's brightest and most promotable stars, that both make more money than God, that they are more well-known than many heads of state, and that they combined to lead the L.A. Lakers to the NBA Championship last year, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal still can't seem to get along with only one ball, leaving fans to wonder, "What do these guys want?"
Shawn Kemp and Derrick Coleman are not only still active, but are considered potential keys to the championship aspirations of the Portland Trail Blazers and the Charlotte Hornets, respectively. They are both also still fat.
Despite the finest professional help -- the encouragement of hot-head coach Mike Dunleavy and the advice of professional media people everywhere -- Rasheed Wallace of the Blazers, one of the best players in the league, still can't cure his addiction for technical fouls.
Ratings are down, and sinking fast. NBC, which is now in the third year of a four-year, $1.75 billion deal, saw its regular-season national ratings drop 29 percent last year as compared with the '97-'98 season. More significantly, the ratings for the Finals in the first two years of the new package were the worst since 1981.
Ticket sales are down slightly, but real attendance is way down, as evidenced by the large number of empty seats at most televised games. And the fans who do go are of inferior quality. "The white-collarization of the NBA in-arena fans has resulted in a far more stoic and less emotional experience in many arenas," says David Carter of the Sports Business Group. "Concerned as much with business development as watching the game, corporate fans continue to finance the NBA while simultaneously sucking the life out of many arenas. Also, when corporate customers can't make the games, they might be less able to see that the tickets get used."
Sales of NBA merchandise are severely depressed.
Columnists, admittedly mostly white and middle-aged, are writing more about What's Wrong with the NBA? than about the games, the scoring races and record-setting performances.
Even St. Michael is acting badly, dissing his own team -- the woefully overpaid Washington Wizards -- in an attempt to distance himself from them, while failing even to show up to watch most of their games. In fact, some of his recent public comments could be construed to imply he believes the NHL has more of a future than the NBA.
Otherwise, everything is pretty fine in the Wonderful League that David Stern Created.
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