TEN THINGS. That I Can Hardly Stand to Hear; By Tim Shea

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Anyone who follows basketball is familiar with the ten discussion points I’ve listed below. They simultaneously hold significance and insignificance. However, for professional sports leagues, these ten topics serve a clear purpose: to spark controversy and generate “interest” while building the “market” and to keep the fans “engaged” while they are away from the arenas

For the leagues, controversy is profitable. It helps cover costs. Arenas, utilities, operational expenses, staff, and player salaries, while it also enriches the millionaire and billionaire franchise owners.

For us, the fans of the game, these topics are about as useful as ice cubes in the Arctic or sunglasses at night. To quote Alanis Morrissette, they embody the irony of being stuck in traffic when you’re already late or a No Smoking sign during your cigarette break.

Yes. Remember this: In sports, controversy is lucrative.

The topics listed below should actually encourage us, as sports fans, to find insight into ourselves and recognize the inherent humor of our everyday lives.

Here are my ten contemporary and controversial topics, that I can hardly stand to hear, of modern basketball, reflecting both the NBA and the global basketball scene:

1. Load Management

What it is: NBA players (especially stars) sitting out games to preserve health.
Why it’s controversial: Fans pay to see stars play, but teams prioritize long-term performance as do the owners and GM’s.
Recent debates: Should the NBA shorten the season?
My Take: Should there be stricter rules in allowing this? Should the ticket prices be adjusted to see the less talented players? Do you pay the price for Broadway theatre tickets to see an off Broadway show?

2. Player Empowerment vs. Loyalty

What it is: Players have more power to demand trades and choose their teams.
Controversy: Is this good for the league’s balance or hurting small-market teams?
Examples: James Harden, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard or the most recent Jimmy Butler trade demand.
My Take: Isn’t it ironic when you argue the point about who is right and who is wrong between the club and a player when the player decides to leave and nobody cares what we think? Nobody!

3. Analytics vs. “Eye Test”

What it is: Teams relying more on stats (e.g. shot charts, efficiency).
Debate: Is this ruining the traditional beauty and instinct of the game?
Examples: The rise of 3-point shooting and decline of mid-range shots.
My Take: Is it folly that you can interpret Statistics as having your feet in a heated oven and your head in a freezer and then get the average temperature?

Bottom line? The use of stats has become absurd.

4. Style of Play: Too Many Threes?

Modern trend: Teams now shoot 40+ threes a game.
Backlash: Some fans say it’s boring and lacks variety.
Pushback: Others argue it’s smart and makes the game more exciting.
My Take: Let’s have a four point shot and then a five point shot! Why not? Free Throws from the top of the key are double the points and if you can bounce the ball off your head then it’s worth three points.

5. Injuries & Overuse

Issue: More games and faster pace = more injuries.
Solutions debated: Should the NBA reduce games? Better medical science?
Related to: Load management, preseason tours, and youth sports burnout.
My Take: People think that because NBA athletes are paid high salaries they should become machines. Never going to happen. The human body, like the human mind, can only stand so much. And as Antoni Daimiel once said to me. The NBA players have a vacation every game… on Defense.

6. Globalization of the Game

Positive: NBA is more international than ever (Jokic, Giannis, Doncic).
Debates: Is the U.S. still dominant? Should international leagues be respected more?
My Take: The worldwide use of the moving screens, the Pick and Roll, the carrying of the ball and boxing out becoming professional wrestling under the basket. These have become globalized. Boring.

7. Social Justice & Political Statements

Examples: BLM messages on jerseys, LeBron speaking out, team protests.
Support: Many praise athletes using their platform.
Criticism: Some fans say “keep politics out of sports.”
My Take: Freedom of Speech. We have mouths and brains. We should use them. More importantly, worry about “keeping religion out of state”.

8. Hall of Fame & GOAT Debates

Ongoing debates: LeBron vs. MJ, who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame?
Controversy: Generational bias, ring-counting, individual vs. team success.
My Take: Get real people!! Decades Differences. Wilt, Jerry, Oscar, MJ, Lebron. Useless. “GOATS”. Answer this…Is the ocean deep green or is the sky really blue?

9. Technology & Officiating

New tools: Replay review, coach’s challenge, AI refereeing in development.
Issues: Slows down the game, inconsistent calls, human vs. machine judgment.
My Take: It’s ridiculous and must be reviewed. The athletes commit errors, miss shots and make mistakes. It’s called sport, not science. The referees are part of the game and let them continue to be part of the game. To err is human. Amen.

10. NIL & College-to-Pro Pathways

New rule: NCAA players can make money (NIL deals).
Controversy: Could weaken college basketball, or create inequality?
Alternatives: G League Ignite, Overtime Elite, skipping college.
My Take: For decades all the schools in America have made money through the use of their sports programs. The only ones that did not make money and were labeled Amateurs’ were the athletes. It’s about time that changed and that time is now. Way overdue.

We all work hard for our money. Many often have to carefully prioritize where to spend it.

An ex-NYK confederate and colleague once said this to me.

“The NBA are above all, masters at one thing. Their ingenuity is convincing and is capable of hypnotizing a grown mans’ right hand to drop down and go into his back pocket to find his wallet, take it out and hand over his money”. Sheer Genius!

It’s just a pastime to play a sport, but being a fan of a professional team, including now schools, is another can of beans.

The above ten things that I can hardly stand to hear bring to mind the closing scene of the movie “Killing Me Softly’ and are delivered by Brad Pitt contesting to his supervisor..

So if you can see through the sports’ leagues ploy you will agree with him.

I quote him.

“I’m living in America and in America you’re on your own.

America is not a country, it’s just a business. Now fuckin pay me!”