On Tuesday night, the Emirates NBA Cup 2024 tipped off and the league appears to be learning from mistakes evident in the inaugural season.
The NBA implemented the annual in-season tournament in 2023 as part of the league’s vision to boost ratings. In theory, this would foster a greater sense of competition during the regular season and grant an opportunity to level the playing field for teams with smaller media markets.
The tournament granted the league a temporary increase in ratings, most notably in the case of the championship game, where the Los Angeles Lakers were crowned victors in front of nearly 6 million viewers.
Still, it did little to retain viewership from fans who err on the side of casual consumers.
One popular theory as to why viewership is down was recently advanced by Shaquille O’Neal. He suggested the decline is the result of many NBA teams shifting their playing style to adopt high-volume 3-point shooting as a response to the Golden State Warriors dynasty, championed by revolutionary sharpshooter Steph Curry.
While I’m inclined to agree that repetitive tactics and plays make for a more “boring” game, Shaq also joked in poor taste about Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese just last month. He said the WNBA would produce more entertainment if the rims were lowered so that players were more likely to dunk, or if Reese played in shorter shorts.
In October, the WNBA concluded a historic season, driven by storylines about growing the game in response to the fan frenzy surrounding then-rookies Reese and Caitlin Clark, as well as superstars such as A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu.
It’s remarkable how the onus of making the league more accessible and enticing to newcomers is largely placed on WNBA personnel and advocates for women’s basketball. The NBA has been around much longer yet receives far less criticism for its own struggles to increase and maintain viewership.
The average fan has instant access to comprehensive game recaps and historic moments –– just take a quick skim through headlines and viral moments. But the majority of NBA fans are unable to witness feats in real time, as most regular season games are locally broadcasted.
What the non-watching fan doesn’t see reflected in game recaps are the subtle examples of chemistry that the Cleveland Cavaliers have exhibited to achieve a perfect record 12 games into the season. Those fans can’t see evidence of their team’s confidence and commitment on both sides of the ball.
The challenge for the NBA is giving fans a reason to watch games for activities that cannot be accounted for by concise statistical analysis. Many fans have shifted from “that boy nice” eyeball test defenses to relying upon stat lines in casual debates, and this phenomenon has only progressed with the rise of sports betting.
Intangible contributions and statistical analysis should work in tandem to paint a picture, which is the task of those who know the ball: storytelling.
For example, Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart earned an ejection for his flagrant foul 2 on Giannis Antetokounmpo last night. Fans who recognize the ejection simply for its impact on the parlay do themselves a disservice.
Instead, fans who seek to be present and understand the game intimately can predict the consequences and implications of Stewart’s behavior, all while being impressed by Antetokounmpo’s ability to score 59 points in spite of the incident.
One way to resolve part of the resonance problem could be for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to share his interpretation of what differentiates beef from harm and to show why the former may be good for the game while the latter demands action and investigation.
While players have contractual obligations, league management understates the importance of their role in revenue production, which ensures consumers have a reason to keep coming back.
On Media Day ahead of the 2023-24 season, Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart said “nobody cares” about the in-season tournament, as he and his peers were more concerned with participating in postseason play.
Even if this sentiment predated the first NBA Cup, I appreciate Smart’s transparency. Players don’t have to make us care. The league is responsible for marketing its product in a way that shows us why we should care, which can’t be achieved if the NBA continues to spend more time investing in appearances as opposed to storylines.
Fans who want the NBA to usher in a new era of excitement won’t buy into the tournament’s flashy new court designs or financial incentives, like players receiving a bonus. Fans are looking to be captivated by what happens on the court, and for there to be playoff implications as a result of the addition of the Cup.
If feelings such as passion and vengeance took center stage –– such as what occurred in the highly anticipated Warriors-Mavericks game on the tournament’s opening night –– fans would have a lot more to look forward to.
