[valentine]

What will be the major storylines in 2016/2017 to ensure the leagues popularity continues to grow.

The NBA is driven by storylines and superstars. David Stern relied on Larry vs Magic to pull the league out of the dumps, and then rode MJ all the way to the bank (3 times). 

Adam Silver got off to a hot start. His approval rating went through the roof when he banned Donald Sterling after the racism scandal. 

Then LBJ returned to Cleveland which fans gobbled up. The Dubs gave a season-long chase for 73 wins which saturated ESPN programming and the Kobe farewell tour was another ongoing storyline that generated major fan interest for months.

But what can match those events this year to ensure stakeholders are satisfied. Fans need to be invested in something from the start of the season…right until the end. Otherwise, theyll switch to something else (especially casual fans).

‘Believeland’ isnt as interesting now that the curse is broken. The Dubs could win 74 games…but it wouldnt match last seasons hype. No Kobe to draw interest in LA. 

Did Adam Silver play all its aces last season? Or does he have another trick up his sleeve.

The inevidible Cavs vs Dubs III will be a ratings bonanza, but what else will the league do to take viewership to a new level.

Thoughts?

 

[AwardedBallerParticipant]

 A quick question, if you feel it’s so rigged why watch? 

Then my next question is if it’s rigged why is the USA so dominant in basketball worldwide?

The next question is if you think it’s so rigged why do you predict all these Australian players will be the next stars in the NBA? 

 

[Hype Machine]

Lol man…my thread intentionally avoided discussing any of those things.

Stay on point…

[AwardedBallerParticipant]

 These are valid points if you genuinely think it’s rigged though.

[mcbaileyParticipant]

 You avoided using the word "rigged."

 

Having said that, the entire point of your post was that the NBA is rigged. If you didn’t mean to imply that, you shouldn’t have used phrasing like "up his sleeve" and "ensure the league’s popularity continues to grow." 

 

If that wasn’t even your point, then the answer to your question is "nothing" and the topic is pointless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MopgrassParticipant]

 The players make storylines happen. 

[AwardedBallerParticipant]

 I wasn’t trying to ask these questions to be like a smartalec or anything, they are serious questions.

It doesn’t make sense to me how people who play basketball under a rigged regime would be better than a bunch of other nations who have players who are playing the "real" brand of basketball.

Secondly, if I knew something was rigged I would look at it’s prior history as to see what the trends are. For example in the WWE, it’s noted that Vince McMahon pushes meat heads with little wrestling ability, so to predict that a wrestler like Ryback would get pushed by the WWE would be a good prediction.

Nothing from the NBA’s past says that Australians will be star players in the NBA.

Personally I like your posts HypeMachine, they bring some personality and laughter to the forum. Something I don’t think that there is a lot of here.

 

 

 

 

[Hype Machine]

As for the league being rigged….I believe its more systematic in the NBA than most other leagues around the world. 

It works…. and this is the entertainment business after all. First and Foremost, everyone is under pressure to get paid. But along the way, the sport loses its integrity. I don’t want to go into specifics about individual players or scenarios. 

But they write one hell of a story along the way. And the basketball action amid all the smoke and mirrors is great too. Who doesn’t love watching Lebron, Irving, Curry, KD etc all on the court at once. That’s why I pay my cable tv subscription fees!

Take for example the Cavs…..the whole situation with Lebron returning and all those #1 picks while he was gone just has a bad smell about it. And you ask why teams who are legitimately trying their hardest can’t beat them? It’s because the entire league is working against them so Lebron can make the Finals. And as long as its GSW vs CLE in the Finals, everyone gets paid.

As for my tendency to hype Aussie players…..I’m just a homer with no ability to be objective. 

[ThenilonatorParticipant]

Haha glad you didn’t go into specifics about individuals or scenarios”!
Try telling all the coaches and players who lost their jobs from last years NBA that they were a part of letting the Cavs cruise to the finals! I agree that some situations, particularly around drafting look suspicious by I would be never allow myself to believe that there is systematic rigging between players, coaches and officials. Sure there are bad eggs but even if there are corrupt guys they are more than likely rigging games for monetary (gambling) purposes, not to let the cavs win a ring!

[McDunkin]

The Utah Jazz can be called "Youthful"  that’s s miracle in my book

[DolanCareParticipant]

Controlling media narratives in sports isn’t as easy as it use to be. Too many podcasts and forums, like this one, that operate outside of ESPN, FOX, CBS and NBC. 

For everyone player the NBA builds up, one tweet or scandal can bring them back down. 

 

 

[BiggysmallsParticipant]

 Glad the thread was essentially tanked by the notion of rigged vs not rigged

I do think Hype is onto something though in that there aren’t as many obvious major storylines this year. 

I’m sure everything LeBron does will be followed papparzi style but sinc they won it all last year, there might not as much fake drama surrounding them. 

Kobe is gone – thank goodness. But he was all the Lakers had for a while. 

I think the main storyline will be the Warriors again and rather than it being them chasing regular season history, it’ll be more of a "villain" type story. They’ll be the goliath and the league is looking for a David.

Don’t really care if its rigged, but I am curious to see what storylines emerge – and I’m sure I’ll get sick of them by midseason cuz it’ll all be pointless in the end. 

 

 

 

 

 

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