Show r t LH y j I I f j f f The sobering state of the John Renshaw Sports Editor Not long ago the National Basketball Association seemed to be in trouble Reports of attendance attendance attendance atten atten- dance revenue and television ratings were down With the being a sport which focuses on individual players the could not find many stars to relate to the average fan After the retirement of Michael Jordan in 1998 and then thena a labor dispute in 1999 where half the season was lost fans started to be turned off by the Overpaid players who didn't didn't didn't did did- nt give it a percent every play and even greedier owners its ratings went down in almost every major category Some theories have risen inthis in inthis inthis this decade as to why the was on the decline The average fan was a middle-aged middle white male who didn't see to eye-to-eye with the average player For the most part players grew up in the hop hip-hop generation generation generation genera genera- tion where as middle-aged middle white men appeared to be turned off with the disrespect that the players play play- ers would have for the game Rule changes seemed to affect the way the game was being played At the height of its success success success suc suc- cess in the 96 1995 season when I attendance 25 fans average fans per game teams c ld n t play any zone defense It was strictly to man-to-man defense and made it difficult to guard outstanding individual players Teams could use their strengths and abuse their opponents opponent's opponents opponent's opponents opponent's nent's weaknesses But in 2002 the adopted a new policy allowing teams to play a weak- weak zone defense where teams could now double or even triple teaman team teaman an opponents opponent's best player Add on rising ticket prices it did turn off fans But the has seemed to I have proven its critics wrong According to the has set to back-to-back attendance attendance attendance atten atten- dance records After averaging fans per game last season the highest in nine seasons it did even better during the 2005 06 season with per game For the season people people people peo peo- attended games which is an time all-time best The has not turned away from the hop hip-hop image that the players bring and it seems to be paying off Marketing young players such as LeBron James and Dwyane Wade the has hasa a group of young talented players that they will continue to market for a long time to come Adding to the rising ratings has been this seasons season's play play- offs Entering the third round four series' series have gone the dis- dis dis dis- tance After being down 3 1 in their first t round series Phoenix battled back against the Lakers and eventually won the series 4 3 In the second round three series' series would go to seven games including Detroit vs Cleveland Dallas vs San Antonio and Phoenix vs Clippers After a fierce second round television ratings are up including earning a 46 Nielson rating the highest for any ny NB pl playoff yo f fe game ame e on cable V q r I The has has' proven it has no not lost touch with its fans and looks to continue improving its it's product prod prod- on and off the court |