My Theory on Why NBA Viewership is Down

The boring generation is to blame

Happy New Year, everyone.

A lot of basketball discourse this holiday season focused on the NBA ratings decline. A lot less people are watching NBA basketball these days, and it’s the culmination of a trend that started a few years ago.

Articles have been written, tweets have been tweeted, and talking heads have posited why fewer fans are watching NBA basketball. The opinions vary. (Kevin Durant and LeBron James also addressed the subject publicly).

One hypothesis is that the modern game features too much three-point shooting. Another is that the league is too soft. Or the league is too political. Or that the league isn’t marketing its young players well enough. The list of theories goes on and on.

I’ve written about this before, and I’ll say it again: star players constantly moving teams negatively affects fan interest and viewership. Player movement isn’t novel anymore, like it was when LeBron made The Decision to join the Miami Heat back in 2010.

Fortunately, most of the NBA’s best players aren’t demanding a trade every few months. This newer development is a win for the league.

Players like Magic, Bird, MJ, Kobe and Steph resonate for more reasons than one. Entire regions of the country would jump in front of a bullet for those guys. Many, including me, will be lifelong NBA fans because of them. Those guys were loyal. And millions of fans are loyal to them, and the NBA, in return.

Kids in Indiana are probably hoping Tyrese Halliburton stays a Pacer for life - unlike previously anointed franchise savior Paul George. Fans in central Florida should hope Paolo Banchero stays in Orlando - unlike former number-one-pick Dwight Howard. If those guys stay home, those regions are more likely to love them and the sport of basketball forever.

Despite less player movement over the last couple of seasons, the NBA has a new problem. And it’s straightforward.

Most of its young stars are boring. They lack charisma, personality, energy, or anything unique.

Think about the history of the league. Magic’s charm. Bird’s stoicness. And how much their clashing personalities contributed to the sport’s best rivalry.

MJ is the biggest alpha ever to step foot on a basketball court. Kobe was the Mamba, mentality and all. LeBron was the perfect prodigy who still managed to exceed everyone’s wildest expectations. Curry’s showmanship and sense of joy are unrivaled. Durant’s imperfectness off the court, despite his lab-made skillset, is fodder for conversation, debate, etc.

All these guys were, and are, unique.

Now we have guys like Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, and Shai Gilgeous Alexander operating with a too-cool-for-school attitude in every camera-facing moment. They’re the #BoringBros.

Remember when Jayson Tatum audaciously chest-bumped LeBron James after dunking on him in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals? Tatum was 20 years old – and that chest bump remains his most authentic moment to date. (his plagiarism tour after winning the 2024 NBA Finals was the exact opposite of authentic).

Davis, Tatum, and Gilgeous-Alexander are three of the top ten players in the league. All three play for marquee franchises and/or the NBA’s best teams.

Sure, these guys have a half-decade or so left to make their mark on the league. But I’m dubious they do the way generations before them did. They’re bland. Un-unique. Boring.

Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant are brighter stars than them despite being less accomplished and playing for small-market teams. Why? Edwards is charismatic, funny, and most importantly, authentic. His outward and unabashed competitiveness is a primary reason people were making MJ comparisons last Spring. Morant is also a fiery competitor. Like Durant, he’s also “imperfect” off the court. Both Edwards and Morant are far more unique than the #BoringBros.

A mean mug from Davis or Tatum every few games isn’t enough. Does someone really need to tell them that? Perhaps their agent or someone in their inner circle can give them a PR lesson.

If you’re telling yourself ‘They don’t need to care, they’re rich as heck’. Well, I’m not here to tell you if they should or shouldn’t care about the NBA’s popularity.

I’m writing about why it’s more unpopular than in previous decades. The Instagram generation of 25 – 30-year-old superstars is boring, uninteresting, and ultimately, unmarketable. It’s affecting the league.

Time is a commodity people never get back. I think former NBA fans have tuned out because a frown every week isn’t enough to keep them entertained. People want entertainment. They want something that feels authentic.

A side note… when the best player in the league, Nikola Jokic, has a reputation of caring more about his horses than NBA basketball, perhaps we need an antithesis Robin personality more than ever before. Right now, that seems to be Anthony Edwards or the old heads.

For now, we have the #BoringBros, a generation of NBA superstars who have turned off millions of fans already.