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Making Basketball Great Again

Real World Basketball Series

My thoughts on the dismal state of basketball, and what can be done to bring it back. I sent this letter off to the NBA, but they never responded. Their lost. Part three of my series was on Making American sports great, the others were on Baseball and American Football. I will send them out to the NBA, NFL and MLB and post any responses I receive.

Letter to NBA

Commissioner

The NBA is in crisis. Its long-term viability as America’s pastime is in serious question as fewer people especially younger viewers are basketball fans or players. It is sad to say that more people watch soccer, and even cricket in the U.S. than watch basketball. The solution is for the NBA to take bold steps to restore Basketball as the world’s favorite sport.

Here’s my proposal to turn the NBA/WNBA around. It requires bold action, and considerable investment of time and resources to grow the sport.

There are five basic elements to my proposal.

Expand the League into a world-wide league

Make games affordable and accessible’

NBA teams should adopt school districts and colleges and fully fund Basketball programs

NBA championship should represent the US in international play

the NBA championship should be replaced a a world cup of Basketball

First, a dramatic expansion of basketball so that there are major league team teams in every state in the US, every province in Canada, and Mexico, and in Cuba, the DR, Nicaragua, USVI, and Venezuela. That would mean expanding the number of teams to 70 teams from the 35 teams that exist today.

Followed by an Asian Baseball league and a European Baseball league, with 70 teams each.

This would not be as difficult to accomplish as you might first think. You would make sure that there is a major league team in each state in the U.S., each Canadian province, each Mexican State, and in the basketball-playing countries of Africa, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe as well, making it a real-world sport.

Each team would play mostly in its region which will be as follows:

Northwest League

Southwest League

South East League

Northeast League

Central League

And Caribbean/Mexican League

Africa League

Asia League

European League

This would make it more affordable for teams to travel as they would mostly be playing against teams in their region.

The leagues would be adjusted a bit to ensure that they are all about the same number of teams.

And there would be intense regional rivals for example in the Bay area there would be regular games between SF and Oakland.

There would also be an expansion to ensure that all major markets have a team. For example in California, we would add a team in Sacramento and San Jose. We would add a team in Las Vegas, Oakland, and elsewhere. Particularly those cities that don’t have an NBA team such

Austin, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Colombus, Louisville, Kansas City, Louisville, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Seattle. I would also add teams in Canada and Mexico.

At the end of the season, the North American champion would be crowned and that champion would advance to the real Basketball Championship game which will be a World- cup format with 64 national teams (the national champions) competing with the four final games played in the U.S. which will remain as the spiritual home of basketball.

Second, each team would adopt a local school district and local college.

To grow basketball’s future fan base, each team would adopt a local school district and local college fully funding baseball programs in the local school and college, including scholarships for talented students to go to college.

This would also involve players and team officials serving as coaches and advisors in the local schools helping them develop and expand their basketball programs.

The NBA would also recruit for their teams from the local colleges that they sponsor. The NBA would also only accept players athletes who have finished their college programs with a degree setting an example to the other major sports franchises that the NBA values education and wants to ensure that their athletes finish their education before beginning their professional sporting careers.

I think that the NFL, MBA, MLS, and Hockey should follow suit. It is disgusting that major league sports take student athletes before they graduate and then after a few years spit them out without them having had a chance to earn their degrees.

The NBA should step up to the plate and say,

If you want to play in the majors, you must finish your degree before your first game, or within one year or we will cut you from playing. That would help the student-athletes, and well be the right thing to do.

Third, each team would guarantee that a certain percentage of their tickets would be affordable.

Attending a major sports event costs too much money. To grow the fan base, each team would sell half-price tickets on game day and one hour before the game sell the remaining tickets for five dollars, thus making baseball affordable to everyone. And they would treat the families of their school programs and college programs to free baseball games. And they would also each week sponsor free tickets for those in need – people living in shelters, people living with chronic illnesses, etc.

Broadcast the Games for free everywhere

Greatly expands broadcasting so that the games are available worldwide for free.

Fourth, the World Series would be replaced by a world cup format.

All countries that play basketball would be invited to participate in the World Basketball Championship series. At the end of the season in June, the national teams from at least 64 countries would play in the World Championship Series, which will be held every year. The winner of each national championship would represent their country in the real-world series. The opening games will be played worldwide, with the finals in the U.S. with the top-ranked US teams hosting the top-ranked international teams.

If the NBA were to take these steps, they would dramatically turn the sport around.

Thank you for taking the time to read my proposal, I look forward to hearing back from your staff and I hope that you can implement some of my ideas, I hope that NBA will continue to expand and prosper.

Jake Aller

lifelong Golden State Warriors fan

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