If you actually enjoy the NBA, you are either a bandwagon fan or the most miserable fan on the planet. But I seriously can’t blame a person for being a bandwagon NBA fan; why be a fan of a league that is about as loyal to its players as the players are to it? I am a firm believer in only rooting for and loving one team, but when it comes to the NBA it is almost impossible to just root for one team, and that is a problem. Let’s forget that most championships in the NBA are won by super teams and dynasties (Celtics, Pistons, Lakers, Bulls, Spurs, Heat, Warriors, Rockets). Let’s talk about the ridiculousness of the trade deadline.
Trades are some of the most exciting things to behold in sports. You either love them or you hate them, but in the NBA all the trades are just cringe worthy. Most trades are carried out in “3 way deals,” which in itself is dumb. Most NBA rosters by seasons end are drastically changed from what they looked like when the season began (especially if you are on a team with LeBron James). So, I can’t really blame people for liking multiple teams and /or being a bandwagon fan (Warriors fans be honest, you didn’t like the Warriors before they caught fire, and that is okay; just don’t lie to yourself).
Now let’s talk about loyalty and the fact that there is none. Most people get mad when the franchise player goes a signs with another team or asks for a trade (Kristaps Porzingis), but can you really blame them? They will most likely be traded within that season anyway for veterans on their way out and first round picks in drafts that are three to five years away (Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics). I mean for Pete’s sake, the Dallas Mavericks, who may actually be one of the most loyal teams in the NBA, traded Harrison Barnes in the middle of a game to the Sacramento Kings! That is blasphemous. I think Harrison Barnes will actually do really good things with a re-surging and young Sacramento Kings team (for Vlade Divac’s sake), but my gosh, that is ridiculous. At least pull a New Orleans Pelicans and do it after the game in the locker room during an interview!
The NBA is trash and needs fixing; I’m not complaining about the super teams and dynasties (though they do need fixed too), but just the loyalty in the NBA. I don’t know how you would go about that; maybe not being able to trade players in their rookie contracts? I have no idea. But something needs to be done, because this is just pathetic.
