Do you have less interest in the playoffs when the major market teams don''t make it? (draft, jersey)

[gtc08]

think the knicks up until recently, and the celtics before the big 3 arrived.

imagine LA not making it somehow this year. would that make you less interested?

for me, i like the teams that come out of nowhere, like when golden state beat dallas as an 8 seed a few years ago.

[Orangeish]

Half the teams in the league make the post season. I really doubt all the major market teams would get skunked.

Besides the NBA is about star power more than any other league. The names on the back of the jersey mean more to the casual fan in this league than any other.

[Mathguy]

I would also chime in that even the phrase "Major Market" doesn't have the meaning in basketball that it has in baseball.

Lebron became a legend playing in Cleveland.
Durant is the likely MVP front-runner playing in OKC.

Strict payroll caps and taxes mean that the little guys can compete with the bigs as evidenced by the loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong drought of success that is the Knicks. lol.

It's the internet age. The young kids out there are following the action via the web and many of them have probably never read a newspaper in their lives. The game has changed and as noted the league is star-power moreso than teams at least with the younger crowd.

[Roman77]

I think the overall exposure the NBA gets nowadays has transcended the whole 'big market' thing. This might have been an issue prior to the past decade, not so much now. Lebron's national profile hasn't exactly grown moving from Cleveland to Miami. Perhaps Durant would become more of a household name moving to somewhere like New York, maybe not, but I think having multiple playoff appearances and a finals appearance has done as much for his national profile as moving to a 'larger' market would. Has Melo's profile grown significantly moving from Denver to NYC? Hmmmm.....not really as he was already a household name among NBA fans and the Nuggets showed up enough on national TV when he was there.

OKC is an easy enough team to root for as they were built shrewdly through the draft and/or trades and are effectively growing up before our eyes. Even the whole 'Durant/Westbrook' thing appears to have subsided.....I don't think being in a small market has hurt their appeal any.

[kidphilly]

I have less interest when the Sixers are not party of it. For me the interest level starts (though doesnt end) with my team

On the size of the market, well I like good teams and good match ups

I also like to root against the Knicks, Celtics, and Lakers personally

[Deezus]

I'm excited when the Knicks and Laker and Heat underperform--or choke in the playoffs. Celtics I've always liked though...

[NJ07035]

Originally Posted by Deezus

I'm excited when the Knicks and Laker and Heat underperform--or choke in the playoffs. Celtics I've always liked though...

To rephrase the OP question, using the teams above:

Do you have less interest in the playoffs when the media-favorite teams don't make it?

As good as OKC is, there is something about rooting AGAINST certain teams. Golden State beating Memphis would not be as attractive to many as Golden State beating the Lakers, similar to Indiana beating Atlanta vs. Indiana beating Miami. In the first scenario, the casual fan may have no real interest either way, where in each second scenario there may be more interest in seeing one team lose as opposed to seeing the other team win.

[Orangeish]

Would you consider Miami a 'major market?' It's certinaly no basketball hotspot. Its rooting against for LeBron and Wade that is appealing to people