1 of 9

Write now Article Tools

Every Saturday I heard my favorite song: "You'll see the best in basketball when you watch the NBA, when you watch the NBA on CBS." Every time it played my heart rate accelerated and my basketball glands secreted. It was time for the NBA game of the week.

MODERN TV COVERAGE

It's hard to imagine getting excited over a televised basketball game nowadays. On any given day between October and May, networks broadcast dozens of games: NBA games, college games, women's games, even high school games; and if you don't have time to watch all those games, you can watch the highlights.

CHANGED VIEWING HABITS

An abundance of games and a bevy of highlights have transformed the way fans watch. Instead of watching a lot of a little, fans watch a little of a lot. Why spend two hours watching one game when you can spend two hours watching parts of ten games?

Why spend two hours watching parts of ten games when you can spend an hour watching highlights of fifty games. A few dunks, a couple of threes, a behind the back pass, a blocked shot or two, and a celebratory fist pump or chest bump satisfy the highlight thirsty fanatic.

LOSS OF FUNDAMENTALS

Who has time to notice good ball movement or good help defense? Thirty-seconds goes quickly. Show the alley-oop. Show the half court shot. Show the trash-talking. Save the teamwork for the purists, who long for the days of black and white TV, three minutes highlighting the local team, and a scoreboard scroll-down on the 11 o'clock news.

THE ME GENERATION

No real fan wants a return to the past: not knowing the scores until the next morning, day old highlights, or watching the NBA finals on tape delay, but how about a return to the days when players played for the name on the front of the jersey, not the one on the back.

Fans are now witnessing a generation of TV players, a generation of "Me V" players. The spectacular and the high degree of difficulty make the highlight reel. The crisp chest pass or the solid help defense remain in the arena, unlooked upon. The no look pass and the drive in traffic repeats itself for at least 24 hours, if it's successful. If not, oh well; it's worth the risk.

MILLIONS OF VIEWERS

I'll be watching tonight. I might even notice the fundamental pivot or the solid screen. I might be changing the channel. If I miss the dunk, no worries, I'll see it on the highlights. I might even call my brother to talk about it. Good team defense might win my team the game, but it won't win the highlights.

Teamwork might win a championship, but it won't win the Nike endorsement. A behind the head pass might end up out of bounds, or on TV. Winning the game, good. Winning the highlight reel, better.

Learn more about this author, Trent Lorcher.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How television has changed the game of basketball?
We want to hear your view. Write now!