I'm taking a break from following the NBA. Here's why.

[8on]

I've been a fan of the league since Jordan's second three-peat.

I had a kid's size Grant Hill Pistons jersey in 1997 or so. I played the original NBA Jam with my brother on Super Nintendo. I fell in love with Steve Nash and SSOL. I've been following the league for nearly my entire life.

I'm at the point where the game doesn't resonate with me anymore.

First of all, I miss the old style. I don't care that it was worse analytically. I miss the moves of Kobe Bryant, the suspense that came with watching him do all that work, take an impossible shot, and have no idea whether the ball was going in or not. I miss watching Derrick Rose finish with authority. I miss Michael Jordan's hunger and drive. I miss the urgency of seeing who would take the throne after Jordan retired twice, or if he would ever come back. I miss Allen Iverson's passion, Sheed's personality, Reggie's trash talk, KG's intensity, Shaq's brutality, the connection with hip-hop, the underdog dynasty of the Spurs, the consistency and beauty of John Stockton and Steve Nash, and more.

It was beautiful to watch Ray, Paul and KG get together. Neither of them had ever been on a true contender. They joined to play a beautiful brand of basketball, and they finally won. I felt the suspense. I felt the passion. There were younger guys like LeBron and Dwight, but the old guys came through. That's the kind of story I love.

I feel like I'm just expected to be happy for players when they get their money, no matter whether they stay on my team or not. I guess I'm supposed to be happy for AD? LeBron and Rich Paul blitzed the Pelicans and almost got away with it. I'm not happy for them. As a fan of a small market team, I don't empathize with the invaders, or the young players who skip town without the slightest bit of remorse. Every team has the right to field a competitive team with a superstar without ESPN speculating whether stars could do better. It's like being with a really attractive woman, someone who's out of your league, and then turning on the television to watch Rachel Nichols speculate as to whether your girlfriend is going to end up with your best friend, or a total stranger. There's zero chance she could re-sign with me, right? That's "not going to happen." It's offensive to small market fans, i.e. most fans.

I do feel like the league office is trying to prop up the Knicks and Lakers, but they can't seem to get out of their own way. If they were better organizations, perhaps free agents would have gone there in the last six years.

My fondest memory as a fan was Christmas Day 2008. I was fortunate to be able to go to the game at US Airways Arena with my family. This was the Steve Nash/Jason Richardson/Amar'e Stoudemire/Shaq team. I knew we weren't better than the Spurs, but we still had some crazy offensive talent. STAT was still STAT back then. Shaq was huge, and one of my favorite players and personalities. My favorite player of all time was and is Steve Nash. He was just as graceful as advertised. Roger Mason Jr. buried us at the buzzer, and it was a push and pull the entire way. We almost had it, and then we didn't. Still, it was a great game.

For the last couple of years, everyone would tell me that the champion would either be the Warriors, or whichever team had LeBron James. It was annoying to watch the Cavs and Warriors for four straight years, although the 2016 Finals was actually quite suspenseful. There were twists and turns. My heart was on edge. I needed to see the outcome. I needed to know if the 73 win team could knock out LeBron, or if the Cavs could pull it out for the city of Cleveland. I was pulling for the underdog, as I normally do, and they won, and that was great. Since Kevin Durant joined the Warriors, there has been very little suspense. I don't think there has ever been a single team with that much firepower. The media talks about them like they're inevitable, and they have been. It's not that fun for the rest of us.

I've never understood players' thinking with regards to their own mobility between different teams. I understand you have the right to do it at least once. If you have a certain amount of talent, you'll have the right to choose your place of employment and where you situate. That's totally fine, but the sheer number of young players who have no loyalty to a team is mind boggling.

Few will buy your jersey, if they don't think you'll be wearing it for long. You won't have as many loyal fans, if you aren't loyal to a fan base. Jayson Tatum recently remarked that he wouldn't mind being traded to New Orleans. Really, Jayson? Did you have to respond that way? Did you have to fuel speculation? Couldn't you have just not answered that one, instead of making Celtics fans feel more insecure than they already are?

It's stuff like this that made me turn off the TV just now. I know I'm not in the majority, but I'm probably not alone in feeling this way, either. I just need a break. I want players to care about the game the way Michael Jordan does. I want it to feel like battle, not an AAU game. I don't want to see competitors show more love for each other than their own teammates. I want to see players finally get over the hump, instead of giving up when the going gets mildly inconvenient. I'm just done. I don't think the NBA is great right now.

I'm not asking you to agree or disagree. Feel free to react, but that's how I feel.

[VCBC]

[jlokine]

Here's why:

"i'm a suns fan."

[CycklopsGT]

The Lebron Era is one where players simply dogpile on various teams instead of competing. No one even cared about the Warriors game yesterday.

[TheDavinciCHODE]

I get that a lot of the off-court stuff with the NBA is tough to swallow and we focus on too much more outside of bball now.

But I have the same memory span of basketball as you do and I can say 100% without a doubt that the game was nowhere near as good in the 90s and 2000s as you're remembering. A lot of the basketball was UNBEARABLE.

I get what you mean about watching Kobe do the work and the suspense of seeing the moves and what not, but a lot of his shots made me throw up my hands. And Kobe is what? A career 40% shooter or something? The ball really didn't go in that often.

And these playoffs have proven that 3s mean nothing if you don't have everything else. They've been tough, physical, played in the mid range and around the bucket, etc.

I do 100% agree with the issues of loyal fan bases and loving teams with "homegrown" players. That's a big issue for me and as a Knicks fan one that's going to be challenged with this offseason dreams of KD and Kyrie, but basketball is definitely better as a game now than it ever has been.

do you really think the 2008 Celtics played "beautiful" basketball? I loved that team, but there was nothing beautiful about it man. That's your memory overhyping the past like we all do.

They played KENDRICK PERKINS AT CENTER!!!!

[GildedState]

I'm sure you missed the days of bad offense and the Pistons and Spurs role players pushing and mugging people.

[LordCovington33]

Your attempt at and-1s is quite transparent.

[The Laker Kid]

Just root for whoever is winning. Then you will never be heartbroken.

[Usual Suspects]

I get that a lot of the off-court stuff with the NBA is tough to swallow and we focus on too much more outside of bball now.

But I have the same memory span of basketball as you do and I can say 100% without a doubt that the game was nowhere near as good in the 90s and 2000s as you're remembering. A lot of the basketball was UNBEARABLE.

I get what you mean about watching Kobe do the work and the suspense of seeing the moves and what not, but a lot of his shots made me throw up my hands. And Kobe is what? A career 40% shooter or something? The ball really didn't go in that often.

And these playoffs have proven that 3s mean nothing if you don't have everything else. They've been tough, physical, played in the mid range and around the bucket, etc.

I do 100% agree with the issues of loyal fan bases and loving teams with "homegrown" players. That's a big issue for me and as a Knicks fan one that's going to be challenged with this offseason dreams of KD and Kyrie, but basketball is definitely better as a game now than it ever has been.

do you really think the 2008 Celtics played "beautiful" basketball? I loved that team, but there was nothing beautiful about it man. That's your memory overhyping the past like we all do.

They played KENDRICK PERKINS AT CENTER!!!!

This times a million.

Some people need to take off their rose-colored glasses.

[Dajadeed]

Watching the Warriors win without KD makes me lose so much respect for him. An all time loser move.

Having said that, I’ll never quit the NBA. The skill level is ridiculous. KD will hopefully go somewhere else next year and open things up more.

[Wolfy1983]

Next thread: I am going to continue to watch the NBA. Here's why

[LordCovington33]

I have bought four jerseys over the last three years. Covington, Simmons, Fultz and Butler. Only two now play for my team. But you cannot expect loyalty from players when you got GMs like Danny Ainge trading you in a heartbeat and their fans only caring if they won the trade.

[life_saver]

ok.. ??

[8on]

I'm sure you missed the days of bad offense and the Pistons and Spurs role players pushing and mugging people.

I do. Misses aren't the end of the world. When both teams can score 150, each point requires less time, effort, and heart. I'm not that impressed watching Dame pull up from 35 feet with no one on him. So what? It's hard, but it doesn't add anything to the experience as a viewer.

[Plutonashfan]

WIsh there was a downvote button

[Vladimir777]

I think there was some good points in the OP. No need for you guys to mock someone for being honest.

Reading about all the off-the-court stuff, especially with how much people talk about it on here, is definitely stressful. I just don’t get into the whole financial side, the trading, etc., and with this whole free agency era, it does seem like it’s here to stay.

I love LeBron and want the best for him, but he really did help create this whole super team era.

And Kevin Durant definitely ruined the enjoyability of the league for me. I don’t blame him. He did what was best for him. But ****, we all knew who was going to win the last three seasons in a row. How lame is that? Why even play the games?

[Noctilux]

You would have not made this post today if the Suns had won Zion lottery yesterday. BTW, how do you feel about your Suns tanking?

[Kurt Heimlich]

Eh does the NBA really take up that much of your life that you need to make this declaration? If so then maybe a break isnt the worst idea. Read, travel, learn new things, meet new people.

[infinite11285]

.

There's a lot wrong with the premise of your core issues with the league; however, what exactly is the point of this thread? Why do you feel how you feel should impact anyone else's viewing experience? Insinuating you don't care how anyone else feels about your opinion comes off as passive aggressive and disingenuous when considering you cared enough to open the thread in the first place.

[infinite11285]

Next thread: I am going to continue to watch the NBA. Here's why

Authored by a Pels fan.