Might Adam Silver make the same move that David Stern made seven years ago?
In 2011, Chris Paul was set to make a move to join Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in Los Angeles. The excitement was palpable.
But that move never happened.
Stern said, “NO!” (photo, YouTube)
David Stern, then NBA commissioner, said no. Paul was furious. Basketball fans crucified Stern, whom they felt had overstepped his boundaries.
Flash forward seven years. What might Stern do today if he were still league commissioner?
His concern then–that ‘super teams’ could dictate (perhaps even ruin) the NBA–seems real today. On Monday, LeBron James made a cross-continental move to L.A. and, soon thereafter, DeMarcus Cousins inked a one-year, $5.3 million deal with the Golden State Warriors.
Is the League broken? Are ‘super teams’ ruining the NBA? Should Adam Silver step in?
While some say, no, (these concerns are pure hysteria), a reasonable question still remains: Does the NBA need to take a serious look at its current business model? More specifically, is there a downside to that model that needs to be addressed?
Let’s be clear, the Warriors aren’t the first ‘super team’ in sports or even the NBA’s first ‘super team.’ So what has changed to the point of concluding that we should be concerned now?
While I’d be the first to say that ‘super teams’ aren’t the death of the NBA, I’d also be quick to add that they aren’t good for it, either. Why do I say that? It’s simple: the League has lost balance because of a severe inequity of talent.
In today’s NBA, the have’s really have, and the have not’s really don’t.
What’s going on? It’s massive players’ salaries due largely from TV/media money. In 2016, the NBA’s highly lucrative television deal with ABC/ESPN and Turner went into effect. As far back as 2014 (when the deal was being negotiated), it was foreseen that player salaries would explode and that the NBA was not ready for that–even though there was an attempt to address that.
Courtesy: Sports Illustrated
The League and the Players Association negotiated a deal to gradually introduce the historic TV revenue in what they called “cap smoothing.” In the end, though, the parties were unsuccessful in that quest. That failure set off a chain of events that has led us to where we are today.
It was the enormous increase in cap space that allowed the Warriors to sign Kevin Durant in 2016–while the team kept its core from the 73-win team from the year before. In response (self-protection), GM’s all over the League spent their new-found cap space on huge deals–often for players who would otherwise never command the kind of money they ended up receiving. Want examples? How about Timofey Mozgov and Ian Mahinmi?
Later (in 2017, to be specific), the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) poured salt into an open wound.
Now, having binged in 2016 in response to the Durant trade that no one so coming, the Warriors’ would-be competitors were left without with cap space to keep up.
It’s no wonder some fans feel demoralized.
Courtesy: Clutch Points
But conditions will change again. The Warriors’ deals will expire and, eventually, the team will likely have to break up its core. Other teams will free up cap space. The League will tilt towards equilibrium again.
But that isn’t now. And perhaps that’s one reason why the 2018 NBA Finals had the lowest TV ratings since 2007.
Yes, while there have always been great teams in the NBA, it’s difficult to argue that the League is at its ‘most entertaining’ when there are great teams with good teams in the challenger’s role.
But it’s also probably fair to say that situation isn’t quite the case currently. Why? Five days ago, LeBron James announced he was joining the Lakers. Kawhi Leonard could be joining him soon. Will there be hysteria? Will fans want the League to do something about it?
Yes, it’s a debate. But a debate about whether the League is broken is just talk. The reality is, well, very real–the slipping quality of competition.
If Adam Silver were to make the same move today that David Stern made seven years ago, what would fans say? Are we willing to sacrifice player autonomy for the sake of the League? Can we trust this Commissioner enough?
Kevin Durant can be considered as the second best player if not the best. He will be fully healthy when the season begins because of his conditioning routine. His conditioning routine is top notch and there is no slowing down for the coming season. We will still witness his greatness and see a lot of highlights. With his current team mates, no other teams can contend with them. They will be a champion for several years in the future. No one can keep up with them.