Is NBA losing attendance. (cheerleader, game, legends, Nets)

[The Juicebox]

Originally Posted by CTownNative

In my opinion the NBA is the best sport,so if it is losing attedence I hope they can get it back up.And something tells me the attendence will go back up.With all the good young talent in the league right now.And with the way the Western Conference is going right now where a 50 win team might not make the playoffs,that will definetly catch people's attention.

Ctown: Just asking why do you think that the NBA is the best sport? Not trying to start anything just like to hear opinions

[CTownNative]

Originally Posted by The Juicebox

Ctown: Just asking why do you think that the NBA is the best sport? Not trying to start anything just like to hear opinions

I think its the most fast paced out of all the major sports,which is good for me because it keeps my attention the whole game.Football keeps my attention too,but basketball is a little bit more fast paced.I follow baseball,but I don't watch very many games.I also think Basketball is the best sport because of the high energy.I like seeing offense,and basketball to me is the best sport to see offense in.

[01Snake]

The Spurs games are always packed. I guess being the champs has that effect.

I pretty much just watch the NBA nowadays. I do not like NCAA b-ball..too boring. As far as other sports, I'll watch the NFL as it get closer to the playoffs. Baseball is horrible to watch as is hockey.

[Frank the Tank]

I really enjoy the NBA playoffs, but the regular season just seems to drag. Maybe it's looking at the past with rose-colored glasses, but I was extremely spoiled growing up in Chicago during the hey-day of MJ and the Bulls where I planned my whole life around watching every single game. It seemed as though guys such as MJ, Magic, Bird, Isiah and Barkley would take the regular season every bit as seriously as the playoffs, so there was a lot more intensity throughout the year. These days, however, it seems like people are just trying to avoid getting injured so that they are ready for the playoffs (not a bad strategy, but it provides for subpar play from November through April).

Ever since MJ left in 1998 (I refuse to acknowledge any thought that he had ever worn, say, a Wizards uniform after that), I've watched a whole lot more college basketball (and I'm talking from the opening tip in November, not just March Madness) since every regular season game has meaning (a great win or bad loss in November can have a major impact as to whether a team gets into the NCAA Tournament in March, while the NBA regular season means little outside of the top seeds that can secure home court advantage throughout the playoffs).

With respect to the OP's question, though, NBA attendance very much depends on the market a team is in. As bad as the Knicks are, the team still sells out every night (since a lot of season ticket holders are businesses). The Bulls, Lakers and Celtics also have no problems selling tickets.

One factor that hasn't been mentioned much is that the NBA is a star-driven league as opposed to a franchise-driven league. In baseball and football, people show up to games just because the New York Yankees or Dallas Cowboys are in town, regardless of how good those teams are in a particular season. There are a number of other franchises in those sports that attract the same type of fervor in any year no matter what (i.e. Red Sox, Cubs, Packers, etc.). In the NBA, though, no one really pays money to see the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they will pay a lot of money to see LeBron James. The star system worked great when the stars were all in huge media markets (MJ and Scottie in Chicago, Magic and Kareem in LA, Bird in Boston, Ewing in NY, etc.), but it doesn't work as well for the league OVERALL when the stars end up in smaller cities (LeBron in Cleveland, Tim Duncan in San Antonio) since market size plays a greater role in the NBA as opposed to the NFL. The resiliency of franchises isn't as strong in the NBA - the Bulls were the hottest ticket in every town whether at home or on the road during the Jordan years, but people outside of Chicago haven't cared much about them since. Even the Lakers, which have the closest thing to a marquee franchise in the NBA, could barely give away tickets in the period between when the Magic/Kareem years ended and the Kobe/Shaq years began. (Further to this, don't be surprised at all to see LeBron in a Knicks or Bulls uniform after his current contract is up for this very reason.)

[jfre81]

Originally Posted by Frank the Tank

One factor that hasn't been mentioned much is that the NBA is a star-driven league as opposed to a franchise-driven league. ....In the NBA, though, no one really pays money to see the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they will pay a lot of money to see LeBron James.

This strikes at the heart of what's wrong with the NBA. Too much emphasis on individuals. David Stern doesn't like to sell franchises. Rather than sell the Lakers they sell Kobe. A Heat-Cavs game is always going to get trumpeted as LeBron vs. Wade before anything else. This worked when you had marketable, likable stars all over the place like MJ or Kareem. That era's long gone, and Stern needs to try something new.

[austinsmom]

Originally Posted by jfre81

This strikes at the heart of what's wrong with the NBA. Too much emphasis on individuals. David Stern doesn't like to sell franchises. Rather than sell the Lakers they sell Kobe. A Heat-Cavs game is always going to get trumpeted as LeBron vs. Wade before anything else. This worked when you had marketable, likable stars all over the place like MJ or Kareem. That era's long gone, and Stern needs to try something new.

You are so right on this! When the Lakers come to town, we don't hear about the Bobcats on the radio....it's Kobe Bryant is coming to town or LeBron or whoever. It's not about the Bobcats. We don't have any marquee players so the NBA isn't much in Charlotte. Although with MJ here, everyone really thought it would get better. He hasn't had much effect though. Hope that changes. My son and hubby love the NBA and I was a huge Hornets fan back in the day. I just can't care about the Bobcats much. Now the Panthers, on the other hand..............

[jfre81]

It's a shame what happened with the Hornets there. That was once a role model franchise for an emerging pro sports market. At least it helped demonstrate to the NFL that they could be successful in the Cackylacky

[mr.man]

The NBA will never again be as great as it was period!!! Those 50 greatest players will never be replaced, the dunk contests will never be topped, it's done, those players had heart, desire,and respect for the game, if you were old enough to witness that era cherish it because you will never, ever see it again!

[Canes2006Champs]

Originally Posted by jfre81

It's a shame what happened with the Hornets there. That was once a role model franchise for an emerging pro sports market. At least it helped demonstrate to the NFL that they could be successful in the Cackylacky

Yeah I agree. Even when the team was terrible, they were selling out. Things began to fall apart when Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning left. Also, If I remember correctly, George Shinn had an affair with one of the teams cheerleaders around the mid-90's that changed his image.Hiring Ray Woolridge was a mistake as well. It was a shame the Coliseum was torn down due to lack of luxury boxes(even though it had like 16 of them, as well as a resturant), but i guess people are willing to pay loads of money to sit in a box.

[jfre81]

I will never forget Hakeem, Clyde Drexler and the Rockets' back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995. Watching Dream and David Robinson go back and forth in a battle between two great players and even greater gentlemen.

It all seems like ancient history now...