When I say that, I’m not talking about revenue or viewership. I’m talking things that can’t be quantified: excitement, and just how well the league is run. Say what you want about the NBA scandals of the past, but under Adam Silver, the NBA has been something other leagues should strive for.
All-Star Weekend vs the Pro Bowl
Every year, people complain about the dunk contest. “It’s not interesting any more, they just do the same thing.” That might be true, but it’s still exciting. Dennis Smith Jr. dunking over J. Cole while wearing his high school uniform, Hamidou Diallo dunking over 7’1″ Shaq. That’s cool and exciting, but the actual game one upped it. Steph Curry’s bounce pass into a Greek Freak alley-oop? One last Dwyane Wade to Lebron alley-oop? Steph even dunked the ball?!?! Those things get you out of your seat and excited. The players are out there having fun, and it seems like they want to be there. But the Pro Bowl? For one, meaningless game, basketball is fun without defense. In football? It looks lazy, especially when these are supposed to be professional athletes. The last time it seemed like someone actually wanted to play defense in the Pro Bowl was the the late, great Sean Taylor. In case you forget what I’m talking about:
That was the last time it seemed like someone was taking the Pro Bowl seriously. During the Pro Bowl, I just go “eh, if nothing else is on, I’ll watch it,” and I’ll have it on in the background while I do something else. The All-Star Game though? I stopped what I was doing to watch because I couldn’t focus on anything else. So, the Pro Bowl is bad, but that’s not necessarily the NFL’s fault, right? Yes, but there is one big issue that the NFL has.
The Half Time Shows
When Maroon 5 was announced as the halftime show for Super Bowl LIII, most people with a brain were confused. You’re in Atlanta, Roger. You could pick Childish Gambino or Migos. If you’re feeling nostalgic, T.I., Ludacris, or even Usher. That would have made more sense than Maroon 5. Some rappers are not happy with the NFL due to their treatment of Colin Kaepernick, which I am not going to get into. I will get into the Super Bowl Halftime show, which is a huge deal. You have about 100 million people watching, and you trot out a band that hasn’t been very relevant in about five years. What are you doing?
On the other hand, the NBA killed it with their choice. Whoever first suggested bringing out J. Cole (who went platinum without any features) deserves a raise. Give that person all the money. A big name artist from North Carolina performing at the All-Star game in Charlotte? Revolutionary. A lot of younger NBA fans like rap too, so this was a perfect pairing. If you haven’t watched his performance, take 10 minutes out of your day and watch it, it’s well worth it.
