Hoops Habit
Fansided

Message to Adam Silver: If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It

By Matthew Medley

June 2, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to media before the Golden State Warriors play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game one of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
June 2, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to media before the Golden State Warriors play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game one of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) stares at Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the fourth quarter in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 115-101. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 16, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) stares at Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the fourth quarter in game six of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 115-101. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

What Makes the NBA So Appealing in 2016?

There are two problems with Silver’s line of thinking.

For starters, when has the league ever been more popular than it is today? The reason people were viewing the NBA Finals in record numbers is that there were two “super teams” with multiple superstars squaring off against each other.

Game 7 of the NBA Finals brought in 30.8 million viewers, peaking at 44.5 million viewers between 10:30 and 10:40 p.m. when the Cavaliers were closing out the game.

The series as a whole averaged 20.1 million viewers per game, making it the most-watched since Jordan and the Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz in 1998.

Why was this series viewed in such magnitude?

Star power. LeBron vs. Stephen Curry. The Cavs’ Big Three against the 73-9 juggernauts.

However, this is not a new experience in the NBA.

Even leading up to this point, the formation of the Miami Heat super team in 2010, although it made it a forgone conclusion which team would represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals, also made for some of the most marketable and intriguing matchups.

Whether people loved or hated the Heat, they watched. It’d be foolish to think that didn’t play a part in the NBA’s new $24 billion TV deal, which is now paying out role players upwards of $15 million per season.

As much as it is a tough time to be a fan of a smaller-market or less-talented team, that is why it is as important as ever now to have a strong front office that makes the right moves, particularly in the NBA Draft.

Next: The Importance Of Drafting Well