Lately the sports news has been rocked by NBA superstars switching scenes. This isn't something that rarely happens, or just occurs out of the blue. NBA trades come and go just like the trade deadline. However the shockwaves that are being felt from these trades is nothing that we have seen in the past.
We start in South Beach. Everyone, from heartbroken CAVS fans to excitement and potential filled Heat fans, remember when Lebron James made a mockery of the NBA with his hourlong drama filled segment, "The Decision". This is the most notable shift of power between teams in the NBA. Now, Carmelo Anthony was dealt to the New York Knicks, which have an all-star that just joined their team over the summer as well, Amare Stoudamire. These three instances have shown that the NBA is becoming less and less of what other competitive sports bring to the table, parity.
Sports fans will always be segmented into 3 types. 1. The bandwagon fan that likes a winner and hates to risk anything that isn't a sure thing. 2. The flip-flop fan that doesn't want to have to choose sides and just likes the game for the game itself. 3. The die-hard fan that has been following their favorite team for a number of years and can actually name people on the team besides the star players (if you can only name the stars then put yourself into the first category). No matter what type of fan you are, sports are bigger than you and I, but that's what we love about it. Anything and everything, can and does happen in sports. Who doesn't love, the underdogs of Northern Iowa taking down powerhouse Kansas or the likes of VCU beating Duke a couple of years ago in the NCAA Tournament? Every fan loves those moments (even the fans of the losing side aren't that upset because no one could have predicted what would happen). This is why no one has come close to having a perfect bracket for March Madness, which would be worth a cool $1 Million. What brings fans to the yard, it's not the kool-aid, it's the parity. "What does this have to do with what has taken place of the past couple of days?" Well...
People watch sports for the uncertainy of what is going to happen next. However, now NBA superstars are trying to play the part of creator, where they are trying to stack the books in their favor (trying to win a NBA Championship). I am not upset at the players for doing this. Lebron, Chris Bosh, Stoudamire, Anthony, and Deron Williams, all came into the league to a team that wasn't that great, but they gave them their time, passion, and effort then decided to move on. I am ok with that on a personal note, but the problem lies from the pure sports fan's point of view.
If the league made changes to the deadline period it would change the outlook to the fans. How? Think of it this way. Every fan of whatever team you root for knows what your team is all about. Doesn't matter if it is hockey, basketball, baseball, soccer it is all the same. You have those teams that are garbage and their owners that are only thinking about the money in their pockets (also known as "rebuilding") Then you got the mediocre teams that win against the teams it should, but loses to the elite teams. Lastly, there is the elite teams that have the best chance (no certainities in sports remember) at winning. For most sports all three levels have about the same amount of teams in each section. Of course, the least amount of rebuilders you have the better, but maybe one day those teams wake up to be mediocre. This is what generates parity. And every fan knows well before the season starts where you team is on the totem pole. However, when trades occur mid-season the outlook for a team can change instantly.
For instance, the Denver Nuggets. Since acquiring Anthony in the 2003 NBA Draft, the Nuggets have been one of the better teams in the league. They have come close to playing for the title, but just weren't able to reach the peak (Lost in Western Finals to Lakers a couple years back). So, all the fans in Denver are expecting another great season and finish in the top 10 of the league. Yes, there have been talks about Carmelo leaving, but he is still with the team. Then comes the news that Anthony has been traded to the Knicks along with a host of other players, including Chauncey Billups another perninnal all-star. So, now the team has gone from the top of the totem pole to the bottom in one fell scoop. How you think those season ticket holders (the customers if you may) feel. Thats my outrage. Not just my opinion, but many analyst believe the same thing. Ask Jon Barry, Jeff Van Gundy. The NBA is turning into a few elite teams against the rest of the NBA. Not great for the NBA as a business and not great for the fans of the NBA.
This would be the main difference between NBA and college. There are a lot more fans of college basketball then NBA. Why? There are so many different colleges out there that the talent is so spread out to can't help, but have parity. That's why you see the upsets. Same with the NFL. Spread out the wealth and the whole league prospers. The NBA has always been about 1 on 1 offense with superstar versus superstar. Now add in superstar versus average talent. You think people are going to pay to show up for that? I think not.
People enjoy close games that come down to buzzer beaters. Ratings come from back and forth games among teams. We turn the channel when the game is a blowout. We want the nail-bitter of a game instead. Baseball fans love that the low paying Rays beat the Yankees and Red Sox. You need those fans from the bottom rung teams, you need them more than the superstar teams. People want to see superstar versus superstar. Thats how you fill the seats. Not superstar against a player that wasn't even drafted out of college. Parity is what sports is all about and parity is what we are getting away from because of the recent NBA superstar trades.
I don't hate the players, I hate the game that is the "NBA trade deadline".
