NBA
LeBron James worried about alarming NBA trend
With three-point shooting rates up on last season, the Lakers star is concerned that fans could lose interest in the game.
Some issues start off gradually and, before you know it, they are already out of control and of the utmost importance. When even the head of a competition and the one who is still its most respected voice in active service also speaks about it, it means it’s something that demands attention.
If Adam Silver and LeBron James, each in their own way, agree that there may be a problem with the way basketball is being played and how it is no longer attracting fans, you can safely assume that the problem is real.
LeBron James' views on NBA three-point shooting rates
The major talking point n recent weeks concerns the style of play that has been played on NBA courts for years - to be specific, the number of three-pointers that are attempted per game. The consequence is that people seem to be getting tired of that way of playing. LeBron was asked about the current state of the NBA, as well as the changes to the All Star format, and he responded: “It’s not just the All Star, it’s our sport in general. They shoot a lot of damn threes, so it’s a conversation that goes way beyond the All Star.”
Teams are increasing their three-point shooting rates. This season, the attempt rate stands at 37.5 per game, up from 35.1 last season.
A few days ago, it was Shaquille O’Neal who made reference to the three-point issue, linking it to the drop in audiences this season and pointing to a culprit as the initiator of everything: “Stephen Curry has ruined basketball.”
Curry is the image of basketball as it has been played for a decade. One that increasingly has the three-point line in mind as a measure of success. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, who had the best regular season record in history (73-9), shot 31.6 three-pointers per game, first in the League that season. This year they are second to last, only ahead of the Denver Nuggets, who shoot 30.4. The team shooting the most three-pointers right now, the champion Boston Celtics, are shooting 51.1 per game.
“The answer is yes. We are having a lot of discussions about the style of basketball being played,” Silver accepted during the NBA Cup in Las Vegas. “I wouldn’t boil it down to the so-called three-point shooting problem. I think we look more holistically at the skill level on the court, the diversity of the offenses, the reception of the game by the fans...”
Another attempt to revitalize the All Star
Another piece of news that has come to light in recent years and is aimed at solving another of the endless problems that have plagued the NBA for years is the change in the format of the All-Star Game.
This season, the 24 players chosen will be divided into four teams and another team will be added with another eight players from those who will play in the game between rookies and second-year players. The four teams will face each other in two semi-finals and the winners will face each other in the final. Neither game will be timed out and will end when one of the two opponents reaches 40 points.
Although some of LeBron‘s teammates, such as Anthony Davis, have openly said that they don’t like this model, he has not been as critical.
“Something has to change. We’ll see when we get there, it’s something different. Obviously, every time you make any type of change, there are going to be people who want to give back the money. I have my ideas of what could work, but you have to do something. The last few years have not been a great All-Star Game.”