Fewer people are watching the NBA than in previous years, including some of the sport’s top names.

According to Sports Media Watch, ratings for NBA games on ABC, ESPN, TNT and NBA TV are down 25% through Saturday, and there are plenty of ideas as to why.

Three-point preference and lack of defense are the two main flaws pointed out by observers.

And it turns out that players are resting more often than they used to and that the regular season has been watered down in recent years.

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Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at TD Garden in Boston on October 28. (Paul Rutherford/Imagn Images)

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about the declining ratings, and you’d think the reigning champions’ coach would defend his game – but that wasn’t the case.

“Also, I don’t watch NBA games. “I’m just as much of a problem as anyone else,” Mazzulla admitted, adding that he “would rather look at something else.”

“I don’t like watching the games.”

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla looks on during the game against the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden in Boston on January 19, 2023. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Former NBA coach Rick PITINO has the idea of ​​improving the ratings

NBA commissioner Adam Silver recently suggested that “the decline of cable television” was one reason for the lower ratings.

“Our young audience doesn’t subscribe to cable, and those fans can’t find our games,” he said.

The league has tried to rejuvenate the regular season by introducing the NBA Cup, which ended this week with the Milwaukee Bucks winning in Las Vegas. However, despite the money involved, most fans don’t take the NBA Cup seriously.

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla and forward Jayson Tatum watch from the sidelines during their game against the Denver Nuggets at TD Garden in Boston on Jan. 19. (David Butler II/USA Today Sports)

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It should be noted that TV ratings for men’s college basketball and the NHL were also down 21% and 28%, respectively, compared to last season. Women’s college basketball is also down 38%, but former Iowa star Caitlin Clark also posted historic numbers that were bound to decline.

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