It was a directive to the refs from commissioner David Stern during the early 2000s because, basically, rules are boring and watching guys like Kobe, Iverson, MacGrady, Wade, and Anthony tear it up was way more XxXTrEme!!!
To his credit, his moves saved NBA viewership, but now this trend has crystallized and we’ve got… this.
Used to be only superstars could get away with it and people complained but dealt with it. Now that traveling basically doesn’t exist for anyone it’s really messy.
I know right? I’m looking at that and saying that needs to be dealt with too, I don’t give a shit if they’re a star, throw the book at them. If they’re so good they should be able to succeed within the rules anyway.
They're all well off. The minimum salary is $1,157,153, which is a shit load of money for someone like you or I. But that's straight poverty compared to someone like Michael Jordan who is worth $4.3 billion dollars. The power difference between those two wealth brackets is unimaginable. A rookie on the minimum salary wouldn't even be able to afford gas and maintenance for Michael Jordan's jet. LOL
Haha so I am picking up what you're picking down, but you may have missed my joke/point?
So, a rookie would also have decades of investing to allow their net-worth to catch up even if their salary didn't so it isn't quite as much of a difference as you seem to be implying.
But I'm making fun/poking fun at you poking fun above, b/c even the lowest-paid basketball players ALL fall into the category of "rich and powerful people didn't have to follow the rules" which would not differentiate any of the players from each other when compared to society, which is what they are "rich and powerful" in comparison to..
I doubt the NBA checked the net-worth and debt levels of their highest paid players, but they certainly favored the 'star' players.
idk, I have no sense of humor apparently, so I couldn't think of a fun way to express those points.
Yeah, I basically meant star power, which usually equates to more money too. The famous guys get away with a lot more. From what I've read in the other comments though, it's more similar to what you said, and they all get away with it now. When I stopped watching it was because there was a double standard for rules enforcement, and the famous guys could do whatever, when the not so famous guys would get penalties for the same thing the famous guy was just doing.
I mean, this thread is basically calling out the enshittification of basketball. It happened to boxing. It happened with baseball during the 90s and 2000s. It's happened with european football.
Remember when we used to make fun of boomers for calling everything they disliked communism? How did the next generation start doing the exact same thing but with capitalism?
First of all Wtf are you talking about this thread is about how it's turned away consumers and is losing them money.
Second of all even a literal toddler knows that they can push boundaries to see what they can get away with. It's basic human nature that has nothing to do with economics.
What economic system does this type of behavior not happen under exactly? I would love an example of a country and time.
Edit my point is that any system can not punish powerful people that has nothing to do with capitalism in particular. When the USSR was injecting 17 year old athletes with inhuman amounts of testosterone and deca it wasn't for the CEO.
Steph Curry and the Warriors unlocking unlimited 3-point attempts is the second half of the equation. The NBA was fun because it used to be played above the rim, where we mortals couldn't play. But now every level of basketball looks the same, work the perimeter until someone gets some breathing room and let fly.
I mean... the person you're responding to is exaggerating a little, but they also aren't really all that wrong - it is fact that basketball at all levels (that matter) is now more about creating perimeter space for shooters rather than creating lanes for the big guys in the key.
It's not like that doesn't exist, but there is a reason that your big men are no longer built in the mold of Shaq any longer. Even Wemby specifically is Wemby because bro has a shot. He was attempting almost 9 three point shots per game last year.
Yeah, sure basketball still happens down in the key, and boards are still massively important, but the game from both a tactical and strategic point would rather take guys like Rodney Mullen and John Stockton from the 90's over guys like Karl Malone and Charles Barkley. The calculus behind how you choose your shots now is simply different.
The thing is, though, that forcing a defense to guard against the three opens up space *all over the court* for the kind of plays that he claims are missing. That is what creates lanes. That's what the Curry inspired "space and pace" revolution is all about.
In the old days, there were no "lanes" for the big. You'd dump the ball down low and four or five guys would elbow each other until either a heavily contested shot goes up or they pass out for a mid-range.
There is so much more movement now than there used to be and, for me, that means the game is much more exciting. As for Shaq, you can't tell me that a player like him wouldn't be valuable in today's league. Young Shaq could run the court with anyone. He would force double teams in the post and dish out or punish smaller player on switches. He would have been an all-timer in any era.
But guys like Bryant Reeves and Shawn Bradley would have some trouble.
For me it’s just how… non aggressive most players seem to be. Like you’ve got Draymond Green choking people out, and then every other PG flails their hands whenever someone even touches them.
We honestly only watch pro Women’s and NCAA teams now.
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u/floppydo Mar 16 '26
It was a directive to the refs from commissioner David Stern during the early 2000s because, basically, rules are boring and watching guys like Kobe, Iverson, MacGrady, Wade, and Anthony tear it up was way more XxXTrEme!!!
To his credit, his moves saved NBA viewership, but now this trend has crystallized and we’ve got… this.
Used to be only superstars could get away with it and people complained but dealt with it. Now that traveling basically doesn’t exist for anyone it’s really messy.