Happy new year everyone!

We hope this year brings you a fat bonus and just as much credit card debt. Go ahead kings and queens…spend the money on clothes.

Note: As Ahmed is recovering from sinus surgery, the next couple of issues will sound similar to our short form videos on Instagram and TikTok.

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#NBA Ratings are down but no it’s not because of three pointers #greenscreenvideo #creatorsearchinsights #fyp #wnba

NO. It’s not JUST because of 3 pointers

Yes, NBA’s ratings are down, and no—3 pointers are not the ONLY reason.

The media has resorted to talking about shooting 3’s, but that’s not the real issue. It’s the lack of tension and rivalry and a lot of other things.

Here’s what’s really hurting the NBA:

• LeBron fatigue—fans have been watching him dominate for two decades.

• The NFL stealing all the attention.

• Too many regular-season games that feel meaningless.

• No clear star to replace LeBron—plus, the ones who might? They’re chill European guys, not big personalities.

• Load management issues (players not playing on certain nights. Blame the 82 game regular season).

It’s a murky narrative, and that’s bad for viewership.

But guys, the game is bigger than ever

Yes! That’s true!

Only, why does that matter if the TV product sucks?

Most fans watch games on television, not arenas. Ratings are in the tank when you have guys who are all friends with each other shooting 3’s on opposite sides of the court.

Okay how would you fix it?

Simple. I would do a few things.

1. Eliminate 3 pointers until the 4th quarter: We want scoring. We want hard hitting, multi-dimensional basketball. This will introduce different strategies across teams and have a bunch of consequences as a result.

2. Smear campaign on load management: If you earn a certain % of the team’s salary cap every year, you should be fined for not checking into a game. Look at what happened with the SF 49ers a couple of weeks ago.

3. Start the season overseas, then bring it back to the states right before Thanksgiving: Yes. This would suck for the players. But the league needs to double down on international growth because it’s loaded with opportunity. It’s also the only way American basketball stands a chance against the NFL in the global attention economy.