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‘You want somebody like Brady, Jordan': LeBron James' divisiveness blamed for making NBA unattractive and hurting ratings
Is LeBron James' leadership driving fans away from the NBA? Explore the impact of his polarizing persona on the league's declining ratings.
This week, Valuetainment's founder and CEO, Patrick Bet-David, took a deep dive into the sports world, enlightening his audience about the dwindling viewership numbers that the National Basketball Association (NBA) is experiencing.
Bet-David, who recently acquired a minority stake in the New York Yankees, bluntly stated that the current NBA offering "absolutely sucks," highlighting the stark contrast with the National Football League (NFL), which has seen a consistent increase in popularity.
The disparity between the two leagues is reflected in the viewership numbers from the Christmas Day games. On December 25, 21.9 million viewers, on average, were glued to their screens for three NFL games (Raiders vs. Chiefs, Ravens vs. 49ers, Giants vs. Eagles).
However, the viewership for three out of five of the NBA's Christmas Day games (Bucks vs. Knicks, Warriors vs. Nuggets, Celtics vs. Lakers, 76ers vs. Heat, and Mavericks vs. Suns) struggled to reach an average of 4.3 million.
In a post he made on Wednesday, Bet-David stated, "Numbers don't lie…The NFL draws more viewership in one game than NBA does in five, combined. That's just embarrassing."
But George Karl, a renowned NBA hall-of-fame coach who both played for the San Antonio Spurs and has coached nine different teams across three separate leagues, quickly challenged this assessment.
Retaling, Karl pointed out, "Here are some other stats for you. 450 million people worldwide play basketball and this number is growing, while only 5 million play American football, and that number is in decline."
Bet-David went further to add, "In my opinion, two things are holding the NBA back: LeBron James and Adam Silver. Why? Because David Stern was a leader who commanded respect. Despite his liberal viewpoints, he was someone you dared not cross.
He continued, "I believe he was an alumnus of one of those liberal schools like Columbia."
Bet-David's views on LeBron James and the NBA's ratings
Bet-David accused Silver of being swayed by the Black Lives Matter movement, labeling the group as a sham. He later stated that he felt James was too polarizing to be the NBA's figurehead.
Asserting his viewpoint, Bet-David said, "LeBron James pioneers division within the NBA. When envisioning the NBA's representative, don't we deserve figures such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, You want a Brady, Jordan. You want a Kobe."
Despite Bet-David's belief that LeBron instigates division within the league, James has been a considerable figure in the NBA for several years.
Expressing his concern, Bet-David said, “LeBron creates conflict. His presence diminishes the beauty of the game, making it unappealing to watch and follow. I ceased my support for the Lakers after he joined the team."
Ranked as one of the greatest players of all time, James has competed in the NBA Finals ten times, holding the prestigious title of the league's highest overall scorer.
Yet, despite his polarizing nature, LeBron James has remained the face of the NBA for a considerable period, achieving remarkable success.
In the span of eight seasons, with him leading both the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, each game amassed over 14 million viewers.
The 2020 NBA Finals, conducted within the NBA bubble due to the COVID-19 pandemic, had a decreased average viewership compared to the 2021 and 2022 NBA Finals.
Bet-David's review, which focused on the impact of LeBron James and Adam Silver on the NBA, failed to acknowledge the league's recent accomplishments and James' notable contributions. Multiple factors, including the pandemic, have contributed to fluctuations in the NBA's ratings.
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