The NBA really needs to do something about the end of games. In this particular contest between the Heat and the Mavs (which somehow lacked the intensity of their Finals matchups…), in between a few clutch shots, there were just way too many free throws, way too many stoppages, and way too much standing around. Even if you have to keep all these components around, at least speed them up! No more lollygagging at the stripe, no more 20-second timeouts that last for minutes, just play the damn game.
I must be one of those low-attention span Millennials that Adam Silver was talking about. And so what if I am? You’re telling me that other generations think this crap is hunky-dory? I doubt it. Because it isn’t hunky-dory. It is the furthest thing from hunky-dory imaginable.
It’s easy to forget that the primary goal of the NBA and sports in general is entertainment. Maybe the only goal. The concept of “the spirit of the game” is an illusion. The only spirit of the game is people trading cash for entertainment. And the NBA could make more cash and draw more fans if the last minute of close games didn’t take half an hour.