In today’s era of player empowerment, people are in favor of superstars switching teams and player mobility in general. But ring chasing has become the new norm. Players are teaming up to create concentrated power centers in the NBA, and it is ruining the league.
The first super team that began to ruin the league got together in Miami. At least with past super teams such as the Bulls of the 90s, the Celtics of the 60s, 80s, and 2000s, and the Lakers of the 80s and 2000s, the teams were built on trades. LeBron James and Chris Bosh signed with the Heat, which started to weaken NBA parity.
Before, teams had shots to win the title by drafting within and re-signing their stars. Now, players just want to be buddy-buddy with each other, and fans can’t identify with them. Players always seemingly have one foot out the door, and teams are forced to cater to a diva superstar’s every whim. Fans root for teams most times, not singular players. With players jumping ship every two or three years, fans are just watching a product marked by turmoil and drama.
Tampering is rampant, and for what it’s worth, players are constantly trying to recruit each other to join up in a random city but it always goes unpunished.
Let’s not forget the NBA’s past either. Tim Donaghey’s admissions are still fresh in people’s minds. The NBA, more than any other league, is often regarded as a ‘fixed’ sport. Superstars get all the calls, and if there is a team like the Warriors with five All-Stars, more often than not they will have the benefit of the doubt when it comes to getting whistles. LeBron James, for instance, gets almost every call. He has only fouled out once in his career, despite getting away with charges or offensive fouls every other possession down the court.
Finally, it is worth noting the players’ egos. Players want money. They want to cash in and get as much money as possible. This is what makes the Warriors interesting. For this three-year stretch with Kevin Durant, there has been an eclectic mix of players who will sacrifice, while also not being paid huge amounts of money, especially in regards to the role players. Look no further than DeMarcus Cousins, who took about a quarter of the money he could’ve made on the open market to ring chase and ruin the season for the casual NBA fan.
Fans see teams who have massive advantages for no reason other than the players are friends and picked a random city to team up in, with a league that is fixed towards certain teams and players and their teams are unable to convince players to come to their city because of the massive talent discrepancy. It’s no wonder the ratings are down for the NBA Playoffs; fans have grown sick of the Warriors. It’s time to acknowledge that super teams are destroying NBA parity, and ratings and bottom lines will suffer as a result.
