The recent conversation dominating NBA circles is its television ratings and why they have been down to begin the 2024-25 season.
It’s a controversial topic that’s had numerous people chime in, with head coaches like JJ Redick and stars like LeBron James letting their opinions be known.
Some believe it’s due to the league not doing a good job of marketing its up-and-coming stars, while others lament the style of play which has devolved into even more 3-point shooting.
There’s no one answer to define the dip, and it is instead a multifaceted issue that the NBA needs to carefully look into to prevent its popularity from getting worse going forward.
NBA legend Charles Barkley has been critical of the league for quite some time due to the playing style and stars wanting to team up with each other instead of competing against each other.
Barkley also believes that the ratings could improve if the NBA decided to switch up the starting date for the regular season.
“The best ratings we’ve ever had was the year we went on strike and started on Christmas. I think we need to seriously consider starting at Christmas because you are wasting your time going up against the NFL and college football. They own the weekends now,” Barkley said, via Legion Hoops.
Charles Barkley thinks the NBA should consider starting the season on Christmas Day:
“The best ratings we’ve ever had was the year we went on strike and started on Christmas. I think we need to seriously consider starting at Christmas because you are wasting your time going up… pic.twitter.com/bu73PFCGqE
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 21, 2024
Barkley has a strong point about football being the main draw during the fall, though the NBA likely would never consider shortening its regular season.
It’s a complicated issue that will require years of review, and it’ll be interesting to see what the league comes up with as a solution.
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