The NBA’s ratings are suffering and it may be a result of the Golden State Warriors downfall.
The Golden State Warriors were accused of “ruining the NBA” for years, but now, it’s clear they were doing the exact opposite.
Fans were outraged when Kevin Durant joined the Dubs directly after their record-breaking 73-9 season. With the deck stacked so heavily in the Warriors favor, why would anyone bother watching the NBA in 2016-17?
Well, apparently everyone wanted to watch the Durant led Warriors. The 2017 NBA Finals featured a matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third year in a row but brought in the most views of any Finals series since Michael Jordan‘s last title run in 1998.
The Dubs dominance was impossible to ignore. Never before had the league seen a group of superstars team up in the middle of their prime.
Two prolific MVP’s in Durant and Stephen Curry were complemented by one of the greatest shooters of all-time in Klay Thompson and the Defensive Player of the Year, Draymond Green. With all of these stars combined, nothing stood in the Warriors path.
Although hardcore fans complained about the lack of parity, the dynasty was something that brought in more ratings than anything else. Casual fans don’t want to watch a league where there is no clear cut favorite, they want a David vs Goliath showdown.
Now that the Warriors have fallen off, the league is more open than ever before. Aside from the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, no team in either conference has appeared to be head and shoulders above the rest. The MVP race is tight as well, with James Harden, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo in a deadlock.
As a result, the NBA’s ratings are down. The lack of a dominant dynasty such as the Warriors has to have a direct impact on this trend.