Magic Johnson blames NBA ratings decline on stars yukking it up: ‘They don’t hate each other’

With NBA TV ratings in decline, Magic Johnson believes players from opposing teams need to get back to hating each other.

Everybody has a theory on why NBA viewership is down. Commissioner Adam Silver blames the demise of cable television, Shaquille O’Neal faults the three-point shot, Mike Francesa points to load management, Joe Mazzulla blames himself. Johnson, however, joined FS1’s Speak with Joy Taylor, Keyshawn Johnson and Paul Pierce this week, where he blamed the absence of rivalries.

“They don’t hate each other. I hated Larry and every Celtic,” Johnson said after Pierce questioned what happened to rivalries in the NBA. “I really don’t like you but you’re my little brother. Now I love you because you’re out of that green & white. That’s what it was. The Celtics and Lakers hated each other. It made for great TV and people tuning in…now everybody’s shaking each other’s hand. Everybody likes each other, won’t go at each other really hard.”

“It’s gotta get back to that. And there’s a reason why the number, viewerships are going down. And these guys better wake up and say, ‘Hey, man. We gotta change this.’ And also, load management. The guys gotta play.”

It’s a reasonable theory, the NBA was fiercer and more physical when opposing players appeared to have more disdain for each other. Great rivalries undoubtedly bring more attention and viewers to the game, in any sport. But friends can be competitive, and players who are friendly off the court can still have an entertaining rivalry. Similarly, sibling rivalries, for example, shouldn’t assume the siblings hate each other.

The reason there are less rivalries would seem to be less about hate and more about the increased level of player movement throughout the NBA today than there was in Johnson’s era. Rivalries are usually built off repeat playoff matchups and the same teams competing for a championship year after year. But with players changing teams more regularly, those historic rivalries have become less common.

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