Although the TV ratings for the NBA have continued to improve year in and year out, Kevin Durant’s move from Oklahoma City to Golden State will be the factor that will dramatically influence these ratings for the better. The NBA has always thrived when there is a team that should be actively rooted against. When LeBron was in Miami, when the Pistons were still the Bad Boys, and when other teams gave fans reasons to hate them.
It has been a dramatic change, not only for Kevin Durant, but also the entire roster of the Warriors as they have joined forces to create their super team. In years past, Kevin Durant has been praised worldwide for his incredible, efficient play and the passion he displayed in his MVP acceptance speech. The Warriors have been a beloved team, coming off of two incredible trips to the finals, one resulting in a championship banner. Although the Dubs are fresh off of wildly beloved 2-time MVP Stephen Curry leading them to an NBA record 73 wins, it “don’t mean a thing without the ring”, as the 1996 Chicago Bulls would tell you. So, for a team that was a mere minute away from a second straight title to go out and grab a top 3 player in the world in Kevin Durant, it was seen as a weak move in order to overcome the challenges that LeBron James presents.
Nonetheless, this villainous move by KD is actually great for expanding interest in the league. Game 7 of the 2016 Finals was the most viewed Game 7 in NBA history, and they drew that many viewers primarily due to the rivalry aspect between the Warriors and Cavaliers, the 2 teams that seem to be on a collision course in the finals year in and year out. By adding a common enemy to most basketball fans of the caliber of Kevin Durant, the NBA guaranteed that they will break those viewing numbers in 2017. Not only will it be Kevin Durant’s defining moment, as he joined Golden State for “easy” championship rings, but it will also be the tiebreaker between the two teams, who each have one win against one another. Barring any freak injuries, this finals matchup is certain.
You can get a snap-shot view of the coming success of the NBA just by looking at the response to the Christmas Day rematch of the Cavaliers and the Warriors, in Cleveland. The energy of the game was absolutely explosive, as it was a packed crowd that all seemed to be completely engrossed for the full 48 minutes of play. Judging based on the theatrics of that entire game, start to finish, the coming Finals matchup should be quite the show. Adding KD to the warriors not only makes them an infinitely better team, but it also adds that much star-power to the matchup. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, Klay Thompson, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, AND Kevin Durant? All in the same game? That’s almost the Eastern Conference all star team versus the Western, except in games that matter. The NBA stands to gain more than they lose from this move, maybe some parity for the regular season among the Western Conference, but it is a worthy sacrifice for the coming legendary 2017 NBA Finals.
