A major weakness of the NBA today is the lack of new faces to represent the league. During the 1980s and 1990s, Michael Jordan was the face of the NBA; in the 2000s, it was Kobe Bryant, followed by LeBron James. Today, LeBron is 40 years old, and while it is commendable that he is still playing, it is baffling that he remains the league’s biggest star. Although there are superstars like Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, they have not become the defining faces of the NBA. Why? One reason is that they are not Americans but international players. Another reason is that, like American stars such as Jayson Tatum, Stephen Curry, and Joel Embiid, they lack the charisma or the level of play needed to captivate the public’s imagination. While they are among the best players in the league, they have not brought anything revolutionary to the game.
Lack of Superstar Engagement
Overpaid basketball stars who perform below expectations or are frequently injured further frustrate fans and diminish the quality of play. Kemba Walker, for example, became a shadow of his former self after several injuries. Players like Victor Oladipo, Joel Embiid, and Paul George, who suffered serious injuries, have struggled to regain their previous form. Fans feel that players care more about their salaries than about playing basketball. These situations erode fan trust in the league, as large contracts are not justified by performances on the court.
Too Many Games
The NBA’s 82-game regular season is often cited as a major reason for the decline in viewership. It is simply too many games, especially since most regular-season matches only determine playoff seeding and home-court advantage. Many games are not meaningful, and coaches and players frequently rest key players to preserve them for more important matchups or the playoffs. The NBA’s lengthy season is in stark contrast to the NFL’s 17-game schedule, where every game is crucial. That’s one of the reasons why the NFL is the most popular sport in America. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has partially recognized the problem, introducing the play-in tournament and the NBA In-Season Tournament. However, these changes have not addressed the core issue: the NBA regular season has become boring.
Loss of Team Identity
In recent years, the NBA has made it more difficult for fans to follow basketball by creating visual chaos. With a plethora of alternate jerseys and changing court designs from game to game, viewers struggle to identify which team is playing at home and which is the visitor. In the past, the home team wore lighter jerseys, while the away team wore darker ones, but those rules no longer apply. Games on TV sometimes look more like fashion shows than competitive sports battles. Constant changes to teams’ visual identities diminish the sense of tradition and recognition, making it harder for fans to connect with their teams.
Mixing Basketball with Politics
The NBA’s involvement in political and social issues—such as its vocal support for the left-wing Black Lives Matter movement in 2020—exposed the league to criticism from conservative America and alienated some right-leaning viewers. Mixing basketball with politics has become one of the most controversial topics in modern sports, polarizing fans. While some welcomed the players’ and league’s activism, others believed that sports should remain a neutral zone, focused solely on the game. This shift toward activism led to a noticeable decline in viewership and raised the question of whether athletes should engage in politics. More recently, the NBA has toned down its political involvement, but LeBron James and Stephen Curry publicly endorsed Kamala Harris in the 2024 elections, leading to renewed criticism.
Potential Solutions
If current trends continue, the NBA will become a third-tier sport in America, falling behind the NFL, MLB, and NHL. Three-point shooting should not be eliminated, but it must be reintegrated with other styles of play. One solution is a return to inside scoring and mid-range play. The closer players are to the basket, the easier they score—it’s simple math that team analytics experts seem unwilling to accept. Dominant big men like Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan, and Hakeem Olajuwon thrived because they controlled the paint, punished defenses, and drew fouls. Reviving mid-range and post play would be refreshing for fans, making the game more dynamic, physical, and unpredictable. It would increase drama, create more buzzer-beaters, and force defenses to balance between protecting the paint and guarding perimeter shooters. This would enhance tactical complexity and add an element of surprise to games.
Strengthening defense and allowing referees to tolerate more physicality would restore the intensity and rhythm that fans love. Player salaries should not necessarily be cut, but they should be partially tied to performance. Today, players earn tens of millions of dollars annually, regardless of whether they play well, poorly, or not at all. This system is flawed because many players lose their “hunger” for the game since their income is guaranteed. Millions should be earned through outstanding performances. Fans do not want to watch multimillionaires who play poorly. One way or another, if the NBA wants to maintain its prestige, changes will have to be made in the future.
Author: Matija Šerić
Featured image: Unsplash
