The NBA Playoffs are Near

For the first time in several years, I am actually looking forward to watching the NBA Playoffs. My interest in the NBA has waned for three reasons: 1. Michael Jordan's second retirement from the Bulls (I try to block out the Wizards years), 2. The rise of the San Antonio "we only need 82 points to win" Spurs, and 3. The end of the NBA on NBC.

Jordan's retirement really sucked the energy out of the league, especially since he was still playing well at the time. Couple Jordan's retirement with the owner's lockout in 1998 and you get a disgruntled fan base. As my sports law professor says, starting a labor dispute is the easiest way to get fans to stop watching your sport.

The San Antonio Spurs. Boy, where do I begin? First, let me make a disclaimer: I am a Houston Rockets fan and I consider the Spurs to be their biggest rival. However, I think many non-Spurs haters will agree with many of my observations. My first beef with the Spurs is that they have the most boring Hall of Famer in NBA history, Tim Duncan. Even the folks at PBS probably think Tim Duncan is boring. I'm sure many of you will say "so what if he's boring, he wins championships." If I myself was a Spurs fan, I would definitely agree with that statement. However, since I'm not a Spurs fan, I would like to see a more exciting product when I watch them play on tv. My philosophy on the nexus between sports and entertainment is simple: If my team is playing, I don't care if they win by only scoring 79 points, I just want them to win. When my team is not playing on tv, I want to see the most exciting game possible. Commissioner David Stern's biggest Christmas wish was probably for an NBA Finals without the Spurs and the Pistons.


NBC's decision to let go of the NBA television contract was one of the dumbest moves in sports entertainment history. Now they're stuck with hockey, the drug infested Olympics, and poorly scheduled Sunday night NFL games (not to mention a pitful excuse for an NFL highlights show). In its heyday, the NBA on NBC was a great showplace for the game of basketball. They had great theme music (thanks John Tesh), the best play-by-play announcer (Marv Albert), and a less conceited Bob Costas.