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

[Capn'O]

Weird timing. The last few playoffs have been awful. These have been FIRE.

[Capn'O]

Suns fans have no basis to complain, you had great teams for years. Back when the Warriors were fielding such monsters as Todd Fuller and Les Jepsen.

You had superstars like Barkley and Nash land in your lap

Les Jaspen, more problems I always say.

[xdrta+]

Regarding players' actions:
Social media, the style of sports media and players getting ridiculously overpaid. You can't blame the players giving those kind of statements when Media keep fishing for hot takes. If they don't answer it, then it could also be open to a lot of speculation. Kind of how FBI interrogates suspects.

I've said it before, as you increase the salary the value of a championship decreases. These days players value money and where they want to spend that money over winning championships.

The players are overpaid? Yeah, they should cut all the players salaries so the owners can make more money. That sounds fair. The NBA is entertainment, and the players are the talent. Do you know how much some talent in the entertainment business make? A lot more than basketball players.

[Johnny Bball]

Player movement, ignore obvious flaws in officiating, and the cost that has become astronomical will be the reason why I stop buying seasons, likely next year. If it wasn't for a different kind of year, that would have happened already. And as for altogether, I sense that the NBA doesn't want to hear what fans don't like and one day it will just happen on a larger scale.

[76ciology]

Regarding players' actions:
Social media, the style of sports media and players getting ridiculously overpaid. You can't blame the players giving those kind of statements when Media keep fishing for hot takes. If they don't answer it, then it could also be open to a lot of speculation. Kind of how FBI interrogates suspects.

I've said it before, as you increase the salary the value of a championship decreases. These days players value money and where they want to spend that money over winning championships.

The players are overpaid? Yeah, they should cut all the players salaries so the owners can make more money. That sounds fair. The NBA is entertainment, and the players are the talent. Do you know how much some talent in the entertainment business make? A lot more than basketball players.

Do you also know the expense these owners have to spent and the amount of money in terms of risks when business aren’t doing well?

Exaggerating to make my point.. who would play his heart out for a championship and the bonuses that goes along with it between a player guaranteed to be paid for $100M and a player paid for $1$

[bleeds_purple]

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.

The thing is, they are both right. Enjoying entertainment is largely subjective. Some people love a TV show; other people hate the same show. What makes you think basketball is any different?

[homecourtloss]

I don't think the NBA is great right now.

.

I completely disagree. I’m 42 and have watched and attended NBA games since I was 8. I mention this in anticipation of the inevitable “Didn’t see the glory of the ‘80s and ‘90s Ball” contingent.

The NBA has more talent now than it has ever had, and it’s by a fairly large margin as well. The worldwide talent pool is so large right now, and it’s making the game better. You talk about late ‘90s and the 2000s—the talent today is a night and day difference. Go look at the rosters of the ‘80s and ‘90s, watch a few of those games.

As for talking a break from watching, go right ahead, but you’ll be missing out. Also, most people who say “I’m leaving” or “taking a break” don’t stay away very long.

[PizzaSteve]

We all get older. Embrace it. Fan since around 1969. After 40 years of being a joke, one exception, my franchise is the most hated dynasty. Never in my wildest dreams.

[Cactus Jack]

If the NBA no longer appeals to you as an entertainment product, just find other **** to do. Life's short.

Yeah, I don't watch the Regular Season anymore. Especially during the Football season. Very little interest.

When we lost the Sonics, I stopped watching for a period. Mostly out of anger & well...sadness.

OP will be back at some point. Because the NBA is frankly downright entertaining. Great reality TV.

[Mulhollanddrive]

I doubt this thread exists if Phoenix won Zion yesterday.

[Chuck Everett]

Honestly, the issue right now is the media and how they cover the game. Too much gossip, not enough basketball. Siakam turns into a stud, yet all anyone wants to talk about is if Kawhi will leave. Why not talk about it after the playoffs are over?

Then I remember one thing. Traditional media is on its last legs. These guys livelihoods depend on this madness. So I simply tune it out. I go to one site which aggregates all of the NBA transactional news for me and I come to RealGM or Reddit to talk about the actual games.

I have only ever cared about basketball from a standpoint of winning and losing. Other people care about shoe endorsements like they are getting a cut from the players' or Nike themselves. I find that strange.

[Promezclan]

Keep us updated on your thought processes!

[Knicks7Tape]

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[Myth]

The OP's post seems very confusing. So many of the things he complained about fit with the Suns team that he was a fan of. The Nash led Suns is a huge reason the style of play of the Warriors exist. He hates players bouncing around teams searching for championships, but his favorite moment included a team that consistent of Steve Nash and Shaq. Then non-Suns related: He misses the good ole days of Derrick Rose? That was the same era as LeBron building superteams of people in their prime. He hates the idea of the feeling of an inevitable championship for a specific team, but was a fan of the NBA during the era of MJ Bulls and early 2000s Lakers. As others have pointed out, this really does feel like it boils down to "I don't like the Warriors so this isn't fun for me, and the Suns aren't relevant currently, so I'm out."

That is fine if you are out for the following reason, but this does have the feeling of the OP not caring as much about basketball as he does specific rooting interests.

[KayDee35]

I don't blame you. Kawhi took a break from the NBA too and then this happened.

[OrlandoNed]

Cool story.

[jbent87]

Here's why:

"i'm a suns fan."

looked at the OPs allegiance and the first few sentences about the game not being played the right way anymore and then stopped lol. Dude has the worst run organization in sports and is blaming the league, not his team, for his issues with the game.

[Johnny Bball]

How about instead of announcing you're going to leave in a hyper narcissistic and desperate cry for attention, you just leave?
.

You mean like ...The Decision. And the subsequent two times..

[ken6199]

OP, I can feel your passion and I love it, seems like you can channel it in a better way. At the end of the day this is just an entertainment unless you are actually in the basketball profession yourself. If you can enjoy it, great. If not, don't let it ruin your life.

[zimpy27]

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