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New York Times
13 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
With NBA Finals Game 7, league gets the night and spotlight it's been seeking
When the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers tip off in a winner-take-all game Sunday for the NBA title, it will not just be a coda to one of the most thrilling NBA seasons in recent memory. Game 7 will also be a capstone to a years-long drive by the league to make this kind of scenario possible. Advertisement This is the game that the NBA has long wanted. The NBA and commissioner Adam Silver have spent the last decade trying to make things more competitive and more egalitarian. To make market size less determinative and chaos more predictable. The league has centralized its media strategy and nationalized its opportunity, where any team with enough luck, pluck and competence has a chance to make a title run. It is the NFL-ification of the NBA, for better or for worse. The NBA came to prominence as a mostly bi-coastal and big-city league. This year, it has the smallest market finals ever, a testament to the effects of successive collective bargaining agreements and what the league wants to entrench, Mark Walter's billions notwithstanding. The 2023 CBA installed a second-apron payroll threshold, which is considered a hard cap by many around the league. It imposed punitive monetary penalties for luxury-tax repeaters. It pushed to squeeze teams into the financial middle. 'It was very intentional,' Silver said when the NBA Finals started. 'It didn't begin with me. It began with (longtime commissioner) David (Stern) and successive collective bargaining agreements that we set out to create a system that allowed for more competition in the league, with the goal being having 30 teams all in position, if well managed, to compete for championships. That's what we're seeing here. The goal is that market size essentially becomes irrelevant.' Whether it's the Thunder or the Pacers, the NBA will have its seventh different champion in seven years. Eleven teams have made the finals since 2019; eight teams reached the finals in the 13 years before that. It is fitting that this series will give us the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 2016. That night was the apotheosis of the superteam era. LeBron James won a title as the centerpiece of a constellation of stars for a second franchise. The Golden State Warriors, after they lost, added Kevin Durant to a 73-win team a few weeks later. Advertisement The Thunder may well add a championship to a 68-win regular season, but they are about to enter a few years of hard financial and team-building questions. If they don't win, they can add months of soul searching to that list. The Pacers, if they win, will be one of the most unlikely champions ever: a No. 4 seed that upset a 64-win team (Cleveland Cavaliers) and the country's biggest media market (New York Knicks) in successive rounds. If they beat Oklahoma City, it will be the biggest upset in finals history, as no team has ever won a ring with a bigger difference in regular-season victories (18). This series was supposed to be a Thunder coronation; instead, it is the final chapter in one of the most dramatic playoffs ever. The on-court product has not suffered, and the basketball has been amazing. The league is in its parity era and loving it. There are trade-offs, of course. Big markets and big fan bases still help business the most. The TV ratings for this series have been at record lows, and there has been plenty of clamoring for better production of the game itself. While the NFL can throw any two teams into its championship and get dozens of millions of people to care, other professional sports leagues can't. Dynasties built the NBA, and some argue are still best for it, but those are now harder to build and to maintain. The league already has its next media-rights deal, with $76 billion accounted for, and next season will begin its arrangements with ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Amazon Prime Video. But the league needs to consider where it's going in the future, where ratings won't be the only thing that matters. The NBA will have to drive Peacock subscriptions and get people to pay for, potentially, a local league pass in their market. For that, it matters whether the neighborhood team is not only competitive but also has a chance to win big. A Thunder-Pacers finals sells hope. Advertisement It also sells Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton, and Jalen Williams and Pascal Siakam. Gilgeous-Alexander may win MVP and a title in the same season, which can turbocharge his profile. Haliburton can conclude a hero's tale, not just with his litany of game-winning daggers but by helping the Pacers notch their final two wins on a creaky calf. The NBA needs a reliable cast of stars, now and certainly in a few years when James, Steph Curry and Durant retire. The next generation of stars isn't as big and isn't as culturally relevant. Time will tell whether that's for now or for good. Maybe Victor Wembanyama can be the next global pillar, but reaching that level seems harder. The monoculture is dead, and the league's media partners have focused their broadcasts and shows on drama instead of promotion. On Sunday, though, what matters is the game, the Larry O'Brien Trophy and the team that will lift it at the end of the night. This is what the NBA has been looking forward to, and now, it gets to revel in it. (Top photo of Adam Silver: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
Washington Post
06-06-2025
- Business
- Washington Post
NBA set to have 9th franchise win a title in Adam Silver's 12 seasons as commissioner. Parity reigns
OKLAHOMA CITY — In the entirety of David Stern's 30-year tenure as the NBA's commissioner, eight different franchises won a championship. Adam Silver is in Year 12 of his run overseeing the league — and a ninth different franchise is about to win a title on his watch. The parity era in the league is not new, and it most certainly lives on this year, with either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Indiana Pacers set to become NBA champions. The winning team in these NBA Finals will be the seventh different champion in the last seven seasons, a run the likes of which the league has never experienced before. 'We set out to create a system that allowed for more competition around the league,' Silver said Thursday night in his annual news conference before Game 1 of the finals. 'The goal being to have 30 teams all in the position, if well managed, to compete for championships. And that's what we're seeing here.' In Stern's 30 years, the eight championship-winning franchises were the Los Angeles Lakers (eight times), Chicago (six), San Antonio (four), Boston (three), Miami (three), Detroit (three), Houston (twice) and Dallas (once). For Silver, the chart looks much different. Golden State has won four titles since he became commissioner, and Milwaukee, Cleveland, Boston, the Lakers, Denver, Toronto and San Antonio have one. Oklahoma City or Indiana will be the next entry on that list. 'David used to joke early on in his tenure as commissioner,' Silver said. 'He said his job was to go back and forth between Boston and L.A. handing out championship trophies.' And this run — seven champions in seven years — started in 2019, immediately after Cleveland and Golden State played in four consecutive finals and the league heard plenty of grumbling about a lack of unpredictability. In that seven-year span, 11 different franchises (out of a maximum of 14, obviously) have been to the finals at least once, with the Thunder and Pacers the newest names on that list. 'It's healthy for the league for all 30 teams to be constantly positioning,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'If you're good, you have to navigate being good. If you're not good, there's systematic things that can help you. I think generally that's good for the league. We're not focused on what's good for the league. We're focused on what's good for the Thunder. We're trying to operate within that environment.' In other matters covered by Silver on Thursday: There is a board of governors meeting in Las Vegas next month, and Silver thinks it's likely that those owners will decide at that time whether or not to take the next official step toward expanding the league in the coming years. Officially exploring the notion of adding teams seems likely. 'It will be on the agenda to take the temperature of the room,' Silver said. 'We have committees that are already talking about it, but my sense is at that meeting they're going to give direction to me and my colleagues at the league office that we should continue to explore.' That does not mean it will definitely happen, even though there are certain markets — Seattle and Las Vegas among them — that are known to want NBA teams. 'I'd say the current sense is we should be exploring it,' Silver said. 'I don't think it's automatic.' Silver said he and the league office have gotten numerous calls from groups about potential expansion, with the standard response — until now — being that the NBA appreciates the interest but isn't ready for any real talks. That's what will likely change, with the plan — if the owners give the go-ahead — set to include engagement with outside advisors evaluating market opportunities, media opportunities and other factors. Speaking on the topic of next year's All-Star Game for a second straight day, Silver said he hasn't given up on finding a formula that works. Silver revealed in an interview on FS1 on Wednesday that a U.S. vs. the world game is possible in some form for next year's All-Star Game, which will be aired in mid-February on NBC — smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics, also on NBC. So, the U.S. vs. World theme would fit perfectly with Olympic coverage. 'I think we're on to something,' Silver said. The idea — U.S. vs. World — has been bandied about for months, and top international players like San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo have said they would be intrigued by such an idea. 'We are looking at something that brings an international flavor into All-Star competition,' Silver said. 'We're still experimenting internally with different formats and talking with the players' association about that. I don't think straight-up U.S. vs. World makes sense, but that's not what they did in the NHL either.' Silver was referring to the 4 Nations Face-off, which was a smashing success during a stoppage during the NHL season this past February. After a postseason where injuries hit a number of top stars — Boston's Jayson Tatum, Golden State's Stephen Curry and Milwaukee's Damian Lillard among them — Silver said the league isn't looking at reducing the current 82-game regular season in an effort to lower workload on players. 'Money's part of it. There's no question about it. We're a business,' Silver said. 'But having said that, I don't really see the benefit to reducing the number of games. ... We have absolutely no data to suggest that.' ___ AP NBA:
Hamilton Spectator
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
NBA set to have 9th franchise win a title in Adam Silver's 12 seasons as commissioner. Parity reigns
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — In the entirety of David Stern's 30-year tenure as the NBA's commissioner, eight different franchises won a championship. Adam Silver is in Year 12 of his run overseeing the league — and a ninth different franchise is about to win a title on his watch. The parity era in the league is not new, and it most certainly lives on this year, with either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Indiana Pacers set to become NBA champions. The winning team in these NBA Finals will be the seventh different champion in the last seven seasons, a run the likes of which the league has never experienced before. 'We set out to create a system that allowed for more competition around the league,' Silver said Thursday night in his annual news conference before Game 1 of the finals. 'The goal being to have 30 teams all in the position, if well managed, to compete for championships. And that's what we're seeing here.' In Stern's 30 years, the eight championship-winning franchises were the Los Angeles Lakers (eight times), Chicago (six), San Antonio (four), Boston (three), Miami (three), Detroit (three), Houston (twice) and Dallas (once). For Silver, the chart looks much different. Golden State has won four titles since he became commissioner, and Milwaukee, Cleveland, Boston, the Lakers, Denver, Toronto and San Antonio have one. Oklahoma City or Indiana will be the next entry on that list. 'David used to joke early on in his tenure as commissioner,' Silver said. 'He said his job was to go back and forth between Boston and L.A. handing out championship trophies.' And this run — seven champions in seven years — started in 2019, immediately after Cleveland and Golden State played in four consecutive finals and the league heard plenty of grumbling about a lack of unpredictability. In that seven-year span, 11 different franchises (out of a maximum of 14, obviously) have been to the finals at least once, with the Thunder and Pacers the newest names on that list. 'It's healthy for the league for all 30 teams to be constantly positioning,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'If you're good, you have to navigate being good. If you're not good, there's systematic things that can help you. I think generally that's good for the league. We're not focused on what's good for the league. We're focused on what's good for the Thunder. We're trying to operate within that environment.' In other matters covered by Silver on Thursday: Expansion There is a board of governors meeting in Las Vegas next month, and Silver thinks it's likely that those owners will decide at that time whether or not to take the next official step toward expanding the league in the coming years. Officially exploring the notion of adding teams seems likely. 'It will be on the agenda to take the temperature of the room,' Silver said. 'We have committees that are already talking about it, but my sense is at that meeting they're going to give direction to me and my colleagues at the league office that we should continue to explore.' That does not mean it will definitely happen, even though there are certain markets — Seattle and Las Vegas among them — that are known to want NBA teams. 'I'd say the current sense is we should be exploring it,' Silver said. 'I don't think it's automatic.' Silver said he and the league office have gotten numerous calls from groups about potential expansion, with the standard response — until now — being that the NBA appreciates the interest but isn't ready for any real talks. That's what will likely change, with the plan — if the owners give the go-ahead — set to include engagement with outside advisors evaluating market opportunities, media opportunities and other factors. All-Star Game Speaking on the topic of next year's All-Star Game for a second straight day, Silver said he hasn't given up on finding a formula that works. Silver revealed in an interview on FS1 on Wednesday that a U.S. vs. the world game is possible in some form for next year's All-Star Game, which will be aired in mid-February on NBC — smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics, also on NBC. So, the U.S. vs. World theme would fit perfectly with Olympic coverage. 'I think we're on to something,' Silver said. The idea — U.S. vs. World — has been bandied about for months, and top international players like San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo have said they would be intrigued by such an idea. 'We are looking at something that brings an international flavor into All-Star competition,' Silver said. 'We're still experimenting internally with different formats and talking with the players' association about that. I don't think straight-up U.S. vs. World makes sense, but that's not what they did in the NHL either.' Silver was referring to the 4 Nations Face-off, which was a smashing success during a stoppage during the NHL season this past February. Season length After a postseason where injuries hit a number of top stars — Boston's Jayson Tatum, Golden State's Stephen Curry and Milwaukee's Damian Lillard among them — Silver said the league isn't looking at reducing the current 82-game regular season in an effort to lower workload on players. 'Money's part of it. There's no question about it. We're a business,' Silver said. 'But having said that, I don't really see the benefit to reducing the number of games. ... We have absolutely no data to suggest that.' ___ AP NBA:
San Francisco Chronicle
06-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
NBA set to have 9th franchise win a title in Adam Silver's 12 seasons as commissioner. Parity reigns
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — In the entirety of David Stern's 30-year tenure as the NBA's commissioner, eight different franchises won a championship. Adam Silver is in Year 12 of his run overseeing the league — and a ninth different franchise is about to win a title on his watch. The parity era in the league is not new, and it most certainly lives on this year, with either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Indiana Pacers set to become NBA champions. The winning team in these NBA Finals will be the seventh different champion in the last seven seasons, a run the likes of which the league has never experienced before. 'We set out to create a system that allowed for more competition around the league," Silver said Thursday night in his annual news conference before Game 1 of the finals. 'The goal being to have 30 teams all in the position, if well managed, to compete for championships. And that's what we're seeing here.' In Stern's 30 years, the eight championship-winning franchises were the Los Angeles Lakers (eight times), Chicago (six), San Antonio (four), Boston (three), Miami (three), Detroit (three), Houston (twice) and Dallas (once). For Silver, the chart looks much different. Golden State has won four titles since he became commissioner, and Milwaukee, Cleveland, Boston, the Lakers, Denver, Toronto and San Antonio have one. Oklahoma City or Indiana will be the next entry on that list. 'David used to joke early on in his tenure as commissioner," Silver said. "He said his job was to go back and forth between Boston and L.A. handing out championship trophies.' And this run — seven champions in seven years — started in 2019, immediately after Cleveland and Golden State played in four consecutive finals and the league heard plenty of grumbling about a lack of unpredictability. In that seven-year span, 11 different franchises (out of a maximum of 14, obviously) have been to the finals at least once, with the Thunder and Pacers the newest names on that list. 'It's healthy for the league for all 30 teams to be constantly positioning,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'If you're good, you have to navigate being good. If you're not good, there's systematic things that can help you. I think generally that's good for the league. We're not focused on what's good for the league. We're focused on what's good for the Thunder. We're trying to operate within that environment.' In other matters covered by Silver on Thursday: Expansion There is a board of governors meeting in Las Vegas next month, and Silver thinks it's likely that those owners will decide at that time whether or not to take the next official step toward expanding the league in the coming years. Officially exploring the notion of adding teams seems likely. 'It will be on the agenda to take the temperature of the room," Silver said. "We have committees that are already talking about it, but my sense is at that meeting they're going to give direction to me and my colleagues at the league office that we should continue to explore.' That does not mean it will definitely happen, even though there are certain markets — Seattle and Las Vegas among them — that are known to want NBA teams. "I'd say the current sense is we should be exploring it,' Silver said. 'I don't think it's automatic.' Silver said he and the league office have gotten numerous calls from groups about potential expansion, with the standard response — until now — being that the NBA appreciates the interest but isn't ready for any real talks. That's what will likely change, with the plan — if the owners give the go-ahead — set to include engagement with outside advisors evaluating market opportunities, media opportunities and other factors. All-Star Game Speaking on the topic of next year's All-Star Game for a second straight day, Silver said he hasn't given up on finding a formula that works. Silver revealed in an interview on FS1 on Wednesday that a U.S. vs. the world game is possible in some form for next year's All-Star Game, which will be aired in mid-February on NBC — smack in the middle of the Winter Olympics, also on NBC. So, the U.S. vs. World theme would fit perfectly with Olympic coverage. 'I think we're on to something,' Silver said. The idea — U.S. vs. World — has been bandied about for months, and top international players like San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo have said they would be intrigued by such an idea. 'We are looking at something that brings an international flavor into All-Star competition,' Silver said. 'We're still experimenting internally with different formats and talking with the players' association about that. I don't think straight-up U.S. vs. World makes sense, but that's not what they did in the NHL either.' Silver was referring to the 4 Nations Face-off, which was a smashing success during a stoppage during the NHL season this past February. Season length After a postseason where injuries hit a number of top stars — Boston's Jayson Tatum, Golden State's Stephen Curry and Milwaukee's Damian Lillard among them — Silver said the league isn't looking at reducing the current 82-game regular season in an effort to lower workload on players. 'Money's part of it. There's no question about it. We're a business,' Silver said. 'But having said that, I don't really see the benefit to reducing the number of games. ... We have absolutely no data to suggest that."
Fox Sports
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
NBA set to have 9th franchise win a title in Adam Silver's 12 seasons as commissioner. Parity reigns
Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — In the entirety of David Stern's 30-year tenure as the NBA's commissioner, eight different franchises won a championship. Adam Silver is in Year 12 of his run overseeing the league — and a ninth different franchise is about to win a title on his watch. The parity era in the league is not new, and it most certainly lives on this year, with either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Indiana Pacers set to become NBA champions. The winning team in these NBA Finals will be the seventh different champion in the last seven seasons, a run the likes of which the league has never experienced before. 'We set out to create a system that allowed for more competition around the league," Silver said Thursday night in his annual news conference before Game 1 of the finals. 'The goal being to have 30 teams all in the position, if well managed, to compete for championships. And that's what we're seeing here.' In Stern's 30 years, the eight championship-winning franchises were the Los Angeles Lakers (eight times), Chicago (six), San Antonio (four), Boston (three), Miami (three), Detroit (three), Houston (twice) and Dallas (once). For Silver, the chart looks much different. Golden State has won four titles since he became commissioner, and Milwaukee, Cleveland, Boston, the Lakers, Denver, Toronto and San Antonio have one. Oklahoma City or Indiana will be the next entry on that list. 'David used to joke early on in his tenure as commissioner," Silver said. "He said his job was to go back and forth between Boston and L.A. handing out championship trophies.' And this run — seven champions in seven years — started in 2019, immediately after Cleveland and Golden State played in four consecutive finals and the league heard plenty of grumbling about a lack of unpredictability. In that seven-year span, 11 different franchises (out of a maximum of 14, obviously) have been to the finals at least once, with the Thunder and Pacers the newest names on that list. 'It's healthy for the league for all 30 teams to be constantly positioning,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'If you're good, you have to navigate being good. If you're not good, there's systematic things that can help you. I think generally that's good for the league. We're not focused on what's good for the league. We're focused on what's good for the Thunder. We're trying to operate within that environment.' In other matters covered by Silver on Thursday: Expansion There is a board of governors meeting in Las Vegas next month, and Silver thinks it's likely that those owners will decide at that time whether or not to take the next official step toward expanding the league in the coming years. Officially exploring the notion of adding teams seems likely. 'It will be on the agenda to take the temperature of the room," Silver said. "We have committees that are already talking about it, but my sense is at that meeting they're going to give direction to me and my colleagues at the league office that we should continue to explore.' That does not mean it will definitely happen, even though there are certain markets — Seattle and Las Vegas among them — that are known to want NBA teams. "I'd say the current sense is we should be exploring it,' Silver said. 'I don't think it's automatic.' ___ AP NBA: recommended
