The NBA has received its fair share of ridicule and low blows from critics, fans and know-it-alls the past few years.
And, sometimes, with good reason.
Crooked refs, players mired on the IR raking in millions for nothing, and a few bad apples don’t exactly equal a Hallmark card.
Yet lost in all the vague end-of-the world proclamations and armchair social criticism from the uninformed is the fact that the NBA is on a roll.
And it has nothing to do with attendance, global interest or TV ratings.
It has to do with basketball.
Yeah, I know, it’s easy to forget – the NBA is a basketball league.
But the last few years, the ball has been darn good.
And it’s getting better.
The Hawks, Trail Blazers and Raptors – teams that just a few seasons back were nearly unwatchable – are on the rise.
The Celtics and Lakers are serious contenders again.
The Warriors, Suns, Jazz and Hornets are a blast.
And die-hards like the Pistons, Spurs and Mavericks have all made enough minor adjustments to stay competitive throughout the decade.
Add in the current fascinating mixture of young talent, international stars and big-name veterans with the recent flurry of blockbuster trades, and the second half of the 2007-08 season should be one for the books.
Yeah, there are still major issues the league has failed to address – guaranteed contracts and overpriced tickets lead the charge.
But the world’s most professional basketball league finally looks … professional again.