Everyone and their mother has a take on the NBA’s declining viewership.
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has taken responsibility for the drop, admitting he’d rather watch something else. Meanwhile, Magic Johnson believes the issue stems from stars not having enough animosity toward one another. At the same time, Los Angeles Lakers head coach J.J. Redick suggests that critical broadcasters and social media discourse are largely to blame for the league’s ratings slump.
Regardless of the cause, it’s a problem that isn’t going away anytime soon.
And speaking of social media, Kevin Durant, the master of the craft, has his own theory for why viewership is down across the board. But first, much like LeBron James, he wanted to establish that Christmas belonged to the NBA, even if the rest of the season tells a different story.
“This is a day where fans don’t have much going on and all sitting around the [Christmas] tree and fireplace and [in the] kitchen watching games together,” the Phoenix Suns star said after a 110-100 win over the Denver Nuggets. “It’s nothing there to distract them from watching the games. And the NBA emphasizes how special the moment is; they don’t take today for granted. The fans didn’t take today for granted. So, that’s why viewership was up today; everybody’s more excited to watch basketball today.
“It’s cool, man. It’s a weird dialogue around the league and viewership. It’s not just — and I see a lot of people blaming the players for it. Something that big, it’s not just one component of why it’s going that way. I feel like it’s a lot of different reasons why viewership may be down, but that’s another discussion. But today was stepping in the right direction in [getting] people excited again for the game of basketball.
“Hopefully, it’s not just ’cause it’s Christmas. Hopefully, [the fans] stay invested in the game, investing in each player and each team throughout the rest of the season, not just the playoffs and the finals and games in January. I want to see the viewership; I want to see it get back up. So, this league ain’t going nowhere, but we’re in a rough patch when it comes to that.”
“It’s a weird dialogue around the league and viewership and I see a lot of people blaming the players for it. Something that big, it’s not just one component on why it’s going that way.”
Kevin Durant on viewership being down in NBA. #Suns #NBAChristmasDay pic.twitter.com/DLzcJutQMB
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 26, 2024
Why does Kevin Durant think the blame shifts toward the players?
“We the most visible. It’s easy to — you don’t get to see the executives and the analytics guys or the [general manager]; you see us,” Durant said. “You see us all the time, so it’s kind of easy to throw at us. And we make so much money, people look at us like we can take it. Like I said, it’s more than just one factor on why this league is great — and it’s not just players-wise it’s great. It’s not just players-wise why viewership’s not up, too.
“We all play a part in why the league is what it is. Us in here, the people that were in the stands tonight, players on the floor, we all play a part in pushing the league forward.”
When a reporter mentioned that it seemed like this conversation mattered to Kevin Durant, he quickly established just how much it truly does.
“Yeah, it does. Because when you think about it, I played for a city in Oklahoma City that didn’t have an NBA team,” said Durant. “And you see the impact that an NBA team has the city and the state, so, I know how important that is. I know how it changes lives and inspires lives. It does a lot for people, you know? So, I take this serious. I’m locked in as to why people don’t want to watch us play no more, or why they don’t like the 3-point line or what the real problem is.
“I try to think about it understanding because I love this game, and I want to see it keep going.”
“You see us all the time so it’s kind of easy to throw it at us, and we make so much money. People look at us like, we can take it.”
Kevin Durant continuing to address #NBA viewership being down.
“I take this serious. I’m locked in as to why people don’t want to watch us play.” https://t.co/VeMonE94Cw pic.twitter.com/tXq85gqJKH
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) December 26, 2024
As the league navigates this “rough patch,” which Mike Francesa doesn’t want to hear blamed on cable, the game’s future is clearly tied to more than just the players.
And it’ll take more than blame to turn things around.
[Duane Rankin on X]
