The NBA is Faster, Flashier… and Worse? How Tech is Changing the Game
A Personal Take by Peter T. Masters
Fun fact about me — I love NBA basketball! Over 25 years ago, my wife surprised me with
tickets to my first NBA game at Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of basketball. The energy,
the crowd, the intensity—it was unforgettable. Even though I was never a Knicks fan,
that night reminded me why I fell in love with the sport in the first place.
Fast forward to today, and the NBA looks completely different. The game is faster,
flashier, and more tech-driven than ever. But here’s the real question: is all this
change making the NBA better or just making it more marketable?
The Social Media Effect: Hype Over Substance?
Social media has become the NBA’s unofficial marketing machine, fueling engagement and elevating
players to global status. But has it changed the way the game is played—and watched—for the worse?
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Players Chasing Viral Moments: Let’s be honest—some players are out here auditioning for
SportsCenter’s Top 10 more than they’re playing team basketball. If it’s not a deep three from the logo,
a flashy dunk, or a dramatic flop, players seem to think, is it even worth doing?
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Fans Watching Highlights Over Full Games: Attention spans are shrinking, and full-game viewership
is suffering. Why commit two and a half hours when you can catch the best moments in 90 seconds on X
(formally Twitter)?
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Drama Over Performance: Trade rumors, player feuds, and Instagram subtweets sometimes get more
attention than the actual games. Has the NBA turned into a soap opera with sneakers?
The Fragmented Viewing Experience: Too Many Platforms, Too Much Hassle
Remember when you could just turn on TNT or ESPN and watch a game? Now, games are scattered across ESPN, TNT, Amazon,
NBA League Pass, regional networks, and paywalled platforms. Trying to watch your team play feels like solving a
puzzle with missing pieces.
How Network Partners Can Fix This
The NBA’s network partners aren’t the villains here—they’re just playing the rights game. But instead of making
fans chase games across multiple subscriptions, there are alternatives:
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Offer a unified streaming option — One affordable platform with all games, instead of making
fans subscribe to three different services.
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Have flexible pricing models — Pay-per-game or team-specific packages instead of forcing
full-season subscriptions.
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Keep traditional TV relevant — Big rivalry games should be must-watch TV events, making
them special instead of just another night on the schedule.
If networks and the NBA don’t adjust, they risk pushing away longtime fans—because no one wants to pay for
six different services just to follow their favorite team.
Rule Changes and the Death of Defense
If you watched the NBA in the 90s and early 2000s, you remember when teams actually had to work for points. Today,
hand-checking is gone, defense is softer than hotel pillows, and analytics encourage three-pointers over real strategy.
Scoring is up, but so is predictability. When half the league plays the same “threes and layups” style, where’s the
variety? Where’s the grit? Defense used to be an art form—now it’s an afterthought.
How Can the NBA Fix This?
The NBA needs to rethink its approach before more fans tune out. Here’s what could help:
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Make Games Easier to Watch — Stop the subscription madness. A single, affordable streaming
option (with network partnerships) would go a long way.
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Balance Analytics with Real Basketball — Not every team needs to shoot like the 2016
Warriors. Let’s bring back variety in offensive playstyles and allow for more defensive physicality.
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Reinvent Social Media Engagement — Reward fans for watching full games by integrating
real-time Q&As, exclusive content, or game-based challenges.
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Reduce Replay Reviews and Stoppages — Fans love action, not constant stoppages.
Let’s speed up replay reviews and keep the game flowing.
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Enhance Fan Experiences — Use AR/VR technology to make at-home viewing more
immersive, and schedule marquee matchups that actually feel like events.
Final Thoughts
The NBA is walking a tightrope between tradition and entertainment. Scoring is up, but has defense
suffered too much? More people have access to games, but has the viewing experience been ruined
by too many platforms? Social media keeps fans engaged, but is it taking away from actually watching
the game?
As a longtime fan, I miss the unpredictability of the old NBA. The rivalries, the physicality, the
artistry of the mid-range game. I love technology, it's my passion. But has it made the NBA worse instead of better?
The NBA, its broadcast partners, and social media platforms need to find common ground—because if things
don’t change, the league might end up with millions of social media followers… but fewer actual fans.
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