The playoffs have been much more interesting without the spectacle that is LeBron James hovering over them.
That's not a knock on Bron. He's incredible and has earned our undivided attention when he's on the court. But, for the first time in what feels like forever, the NBA's other stars are finally getting some breathing room. We're able to talk about Giannis Antetokounmpo's quest to become an all-time great or Luka Doncic's incredible early career playoff dominance that mirrors Michael Jordan's. We can focus on the old guard vs. the new with Steph Curry and Ja Morant and talk about players like Joel Embiid and Jayson Tatum fighting to finally get over the hump.
These stories, these players. They're all so interesting. And we've had so much room to explore them. It's been a joy to watch in my opinion.
On a related note, the TV ratings for the playoffs are soaring:
https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2022/05/04/nba-playoff-ratings-continue-to-soar-without-lebron-james/
The NBA has continued to enjoy higher TV ratings as the playoffs continue with the L.A. Lakers and LeBron James sitting on the sidelines, down and out of contention.
For now, the league’s three years of bottom-dwelling TV ratings have come to an end, and the NBA Playoffs have been earning record ratings, besting decades of dismal showings.
The first few games had already resulted in the best ratings in 20 years, and that good fortune seems to have continued as the games rolled on to the final championship contest.
I don't usually cite politically-oriented sources like Breitbart, but that's where the ratings story was so I had to use that article.
No one plays forever. Next year will be LeBron's 20th season and he will be 38 years old.
He's not done, but it is nice to see that the Association appears to be in good shape even as Bron sits out this year's playoffs. That, to me, is a positive sign for the league's future.
