Commissioner Adam Silver Thinks That Super Teams Are Good For The NBA, Wants More
The 2017 NBA Finals were arguably the most exciting display of basketball fans have seen in a while — if ever. The league can attribute this compelling display of skill to one simple thing: super teams. And according to NBA commissioner Adam Silver, that's exactly what the association needs.
Last summer, when questioned about the Warriors addition of Durant, Silver was strongly against it. In a press conference at the 2016 Las Vegas Summer League, he said, "I don't think to have two super teams is good for the league."
When asked about it this month, he flip-flopped.
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Before Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Silver told the Washington Post Wednesday that the league should look to form more teams that can make a solid run deep into the playoffs.
"[A]n incredible free agent was added to that squad," he said. "All the focus seems to be on, 'They’re too good' as opposed to, 'What is it we should be doing to create more great teams in this league?'"
He added, "Rather than talking about how to break up or knock down a championship-caliber team, my focus should be on how we do a better job developing more great players in this league."
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Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors won an NBA title Monday and did so in spectacular fashion. With the addition of the superstar forward, the Warriors became even more of a threat since last year when they won a record-breaking 73 games. They did so by cultivating talent through the NBA draft and picking players like Stephen Curry in 2009 and Klay Thompson in 2011.
Silver’s stance on super teams changed, and rightfully so as the NBA is thriving. According to research from Guggenheim Securities, viewership was up 400 percent thanks to the Warriors — greater numbers than the pre-finals audience. Like Silver, the number of views also suggest that super teams are good for the league.
"My answer is, let’s create more great teams, rather than completely focus on one incredible team and whether that’s seemingly unfair to the other team. I think it’s the nature of competition. Ultimately, it’s about raising the bar for all the teams in this league and celebrating excellence," Silver said.
However, the league may be trying to suppress the number of super teams that exist. The NBA Players Association and the NBA itself authorized changes to the CBA agreement last December. These changes are designed to inhibit stars from teaming up, which went into effect this year. Teams can give players more money under the salary cap. The new agreement also allows them to consult with their home-based players quicker, making it easier to re-sign talent they already have.
“Of course, over time, we’ll continue to look at the CBA,” he said. “And if there are additional changes we need to make to promote competitive balance, we will.”
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