the coverage that ESPN gave was just like an execution- and the the dead man is the NBA

the collusion among the players and agents is flat out disgusting

nobody wants to watch 3 great players on the same team- yay they win- the 25 teams that do everything they can to draw fans are flat out screwed

The NBA was struggling big time, call me in 5 years when it is dead

Talk to me when the ratings come back...

And if they don't win, then 2 of your 3 marquee players become something to laugh at.

Lose - Lose situation for Lebron & the league.

I'll probably watch more NBA basketball than I ever have next year.

It's July and were talking about the NBA. This board is just as active as the Football board right now. This is helping the NBA.

[This message has been edited by Dan Scott (edited 7/8/2010 9:29p).]

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Talk to me when the ratings come back...

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The NFL draft had twice the viewers as Lebron & Kobe's playoff games this year.

Pro wrestling beats most games easily.

The England-Slovenia World Cup game at 8:30 in the morning had better ratings than Game 5 of the finals.

1 team isn't going to change that.

for the next 6 years do you really want to watch a league that has 82 games and no competition?

the Lakers and Spurs can battle next year- then both are done- after that you can hope Oklahoma City can try, but after that the league is a complete an utter abortion

We need to return to the glory days of the mid-00's when the best players were trapped on bad teams and the blue collar Spurs and Pistons were the alpha dogs of the league.

Look at the 80s when the Celtics, Sixers and Lakers hogged all the good players - no one wants that again.

Actually this will help the NBA. Right now the main talk would be the world cup or Tiger Woods and his mistresses. Please, just wait till you have Lebron-Wade versus Kobe in the finals and then talk to me about ratings.

Yeah, that Tim Duncan really ****ing sucked during those years, didn't he?

Or Celtics-Heat? 7 all-star starters out of 10?

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Please, just wait till you have Lebron-Wade versus Kobe in the finals and then talk to me about ratings.

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But I think that is the point. This year they had Celtics vs. Lakers with Kobe/Gasol/Artest vs. Pierce/Allen/Garnett and the ratings and reception for that where lukewarm.

I think they are gambling that a Miami superteam will bring back the excitement. It might but what if Miami doesn't even make the finals. That would make it blow up in the league's face.

Not to mention Miami sports fans are like LA for everything other than Lakers & USC games.

So, banking on fans from OTHER cities to suddenly start lighting up the ratings is pretty wishful thinking.

A superteam in NY, or Chicago, & YES, the ratings would be huge, not Miami.

anybody see the live shot announcement in the Miami bar?

6 straight guys jumping up and down and 20 guys sipping mojitos-


Can't think of a worse sports town to get 3 great players- its comical at best

Lukewarm? They were the best ratings since Jordan!

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Not to mention Miami sports fans are like LA for everything other than Lakers & USC games.

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Exactly. Miami is a ****ty west coast type sports town in S. Florida.

If Stern really wanted this to work he would have rigged it so the Nets got the lottery pick and the James Dolan would have suffered a tragic fatal accident.

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Lukewarm? They were the best ratings since Jordan!

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The market is different than it was 20 years ago. The ratings do not necessarily translate the same today. They were beat by freaking WC soccer in America and the NFL draft.

And that was for the finals. Most games do not do a fraction of that.

[This message has been edited by viva torrente (edited 7/8/2010 9:49p).]

Miami already sold out it's season tickets so what is the problem??

Lebron James was all over CNN, Fox News, and CNBC today. The entire county has an opinion and will want to watch his games. NBA fans will want to watch the teams with 3 superstars, the haters want to watch him lose, the average fan will want to watch to see what it's all about.

maybe ratings will be up sometimes this year, but I doubt it

You have 3 teams in the west, no NY teams, Chicago ain't gonna win and the Texas market is fading fast

the NBA is not about 1 or 2 teams

And the public has the attention span of a gnat.

If the miami trio fails to set the world on fire in terms of titles it will be very bad for the NBA.

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They were beat by freaking WC soccer in America and the NFL draft.

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They were beat by World Cup soccer early in the morning between England & a country with 2 million people. Not the USA, not even Mexico involved.

The majority of NBA fans aren't like the NFL. When their team isn't playing, they don't tend to tune in. That's why WWE wipes the floor with regular season games. Again, 1 team in a shatty sports town is not going to change that.

Miami decided to actually support a pro team for the first time in history, congrats??????????

i wasn't joking about the live shot in Miami-

it was pathetic

Miami will never support anything except cocaine and top flight hookers.

The Miami Heat already have a title and no one cares. The Marlins have won 2 world series and no one cares. The U is a modern day college football powerhouse and no one cares.

To me it is just a bad place to put a super team, especially one with as many questions as miami.

Stern did not game the system well in this case and I think it could really backfire on the league.

I think they really needed Lebron to go to the knicks (as incompetent as they are), nets or cleveland to get the best value for the league.

The Heat might have a superteam but its not like the NBA now only has two teams. In the East there is still Boston, Orlando, Chicago now is stronger and Miami. You have 4 strong teams. The west got weaker but its not like anyone was even close to challenging the Lakers for the next 2 or 3 years. Not to mention OKC is going to be really good in upcoming years.

So you actually want David Stern to intervene where free agents go?

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So you actually want David Stern to intervene where free agents go?

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Why not? It is not like he has a hands off approach to the rest of the league (officiating, cough, cough) when it comes to ensuring the right teams succeed.

Miami is not the most loyal sports town but when the Heat and Dolphins have stud teams the stadiums get packed. Trust me I lived there all my life. The AAA will be packed all year long. Miami loves their Heat. The Marlins on the other hand....

kobe, shaq, malone & payton. miami won't do **** next year. just sayin'.

The NBA is going to die because of next summers lockout. At least the Lakers will be able to win one more before then.

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Look at the 80s when the Celtics, Sixers and Lakers hogged all the good players - no one wants that again.

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Is this serious? You realize that the 80's (and early 90's) were the height of NBA popularity, right? As much as you'd like to think it, nobody outside of San Antonio or Detroit wants the Spurs and Pistons to dominate the NBA.

no the NBA didn't get huge until the 90's

nobody outside of Boston or LA gave a crap about the NBA in the 80's-

hell most of the games were tape delayed

Are you serious? Lakers-celtics and bird-magic in the eighties made the NBA what it is today. Jordan then took that and ran with it. End of story.

nobody watched it- there were no regular season games on TV- NBA was a joke

I love this, now there is a team that can take on the Celtics and Lakers.

I will probably watch much more NBA this year.

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Lebron-Wade versus Kobe in the finals and then talk to me about ratings

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Chalk me up as one that won't watch.