The Unseen Costs of the NBA Lockout

Good news, everyone: If you cock your head and squint, you'll see that the painfully long, completely unnecessary lockout actually wasn't so bad after all.

NBA commissioner David Stern stopped by 1320 KFAN in Salt Lake City to talk Jazz and the state of the league. He had this to say when asked about basketball fans' collective response to the league's post-lockout return (transcription via Sports Radio Interviews):

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"The truth is it has been great. The five games on Christmas Day, not the most popular in some quarters, some communities, and with some coaches, but was a way to say we we’re back and it was like stark and sparkling and we’re up in viewing because all of our network partners were up a wee bit in attendance over a very good year last year. We’re up in social media, sales of merchandise, and everything is absolutely and unbelievably good. Maybe we don’t deserve it and I would accept that. It is not dawning on everybody that this was a good deal. For their part, the players unlike coming out of the lockout in hockey, they didn’t give up anything in their existing contracts, they didn’t have to suffer givebacks of their existing contracts, but on the other hand going forward we’re going to save 12 percent per year on our largest cost, the player services."

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We're all very happy to hear that, Mr. Stern.

I'm sure many would concur that the league and its owners hardly deserve fans' renewed patronage. But because we're a sad bunch of hopeless addicts, we tune in to broadcasts, talk endlessly about this game and its players in any forum available, and even spending their hard-earned cash for NBA tickets and merchandise.

It's all a shame considering how ridiculous the entire lockout process turned out to be. But it's worth noting that Stern's smirk still isn't quite as pronounced as it could have been. 

Fans may still be shelling out for a chance to be a part of the NBA experience, but such was almost guaranteed in light of the league's record-setting marks last season. There was no question that the league was on an upward tilt, vaulting into greater relevance in virtually every sphere of consumption.

The NBA will likely never catch the NFL in terms of domestic significance and impact, but the sport of peach basket makers had nonetheless carved out its own substantial corner of the public consciousness, and was justifiably marked for further growth. 

Stern and the league still hold dominion over that same realm, but the NBA lost some unquantifiable amount of its steam by sidelining a fantastic game to bicker over BRI and salary cap exceptions.

Basketball fans have and will continue to to flock to the best product available, but that wee attendance increase could have been a substantial leap. The social media chatter could be even more dominant.

Everything is absolutely and unbelievably good because the finest sports league on the planet is still dramatic and fun in spite of itself. With a more reasonable negotiating anchor, it could be that much better.

It's all rainbows and sugar plums, Mr. Stern. To avoid being disingenuous, perhaps it's best that we weigh the current state of the game not only in terms of what has been gained, but what was ultimately—if only temporarily—lost.