Basketball Heads, What was wrong with the NBA in the 1970s?

[Duece]

I hear so much about the Bird and Magic saving the NBA in the 80s...But what was wrong with the NBA in the 70s and before?

Looking back at the 70s with all the crazy Afro's and dunks you would think NBA would've been great what was the problem before the 1979-1980 season?

 

[InFullStride]

I dare venture that most folks can't give a personal recollection of the condition of the NBA back in the early to mid 70's. That was nearly 40 years ago. I will offer my best effort by simply saying that the NBA was not the only league in town back then. There was also the ABA. The leagues had to share the talent and commitment of the fans.

Anyway.

I remember the introduction of Bird and Magic into the NBA. They didn't save the league. They took the popularity to a new height.

They were college rivals with bright NBA futures. Magic won the NCAA championship in college over Bird - 1979. They took that competitiveness into the NBA. Magic won his 1st Nba championship in 1980. Bird won his 1st NBA championship the following year in 1981.

You have to also be aware that they went to the 2 titan teams in the NBA that represented flashiness vs functionality, a perceived East coast and West coast rivalry, blue collar vs hollywood rivalry, and black vs white rivalry.

Boston owed the Lakers throughout the 60's. The tide was about to turn in the 80's

That dynamic duo allowed their franchise's historic rivalry to take center stage again. The Lakers and Boston competed against each other in the NBA finals 3 times during the 80's.

Magic won 5 championships with Lakers and Bird won 3 with Boston.
Again, they didn't save the league. They took it to a whole new level of attractiveness by the nature of their personal rivalry.

Then came Michael Jordan.

 

[JIMMY SWAGGER]

I dare venture that most folks can't give a personal recollection of the condition of the NBA back in the early to mid 70's. That was nearly 40 years ago. I will offer my best effort by simply saying that the NBA was not the only league in town back then. There was also the ABA. The leagues had to share the talent and commitment of the fans.

Anyway.

I remember the introduction of Bird and Magic into the NBA. They didn't save the league. They took the popularity to a new height.

They were college rivals with bright NBA futures. Magic won the NCAA championship in college over Bird - 1979. They took that competitiveness into the NBA. Magic won his 1st Nba championship in 1980. Bird won his 1st NBA championship the following year in 1981.

You have to also be aware that they went to the 2 titan teams in the NBA that represented flashiness vs functionality, a perceived East coast and West coast rivalry, blue collar vs hollywood rivalry, and black vs white rivalry.

Boston owed the Lakers throughout the 60's. The tide was about to turn in the 80's

That dynamic duo allowed their franchise's historic rivalry to take center stage again. The Lakers and Boston competed against each other in the NBA finals 3 times during the 80's.

Magic won 5 championships with Lakers and Bird won 3 with Boston.
Again, they didn't save the league. They took it to a whole new level of attractiveness by the nature of their personal rivalry.

Then came Michael Jordan.

I disagree with you there. They did save the league. The league had stars but it did not have star power. Do you relaize that the season before Bird and Magic came to the league, there was talk of bankruptcy? I remember going to a game at the old Boston Garden with my uncle and the Cs were playing the Bucks and Bob Lanier. You could walk up to the box office and get two tickets with no problem. The next year we tried doing that again and we were told to beat it. You couldn't walk up for tickets until the 94 season. Back then the owners were shady, players were on drugs, and no one had real interest in the league. When MJ came, he just added icing to the cake. The cake had already been baked by Maj and Bird.

 

[InFullStride]

I disagree with you there. They did save the league. The league had stars but it did not have star power. Do you relaize that the season before Bird and Magic came to the league, there was talk of bankruptcy? I remember going to a game at the old Boston Garden with my uncle and the Cs were playing the Bucks and Bob Lanier. You could walk up to the box office and get two tickets with no problem. The next year we tried doing that again and we were told to beat it. You couldn't walk up for tickets until the 94 season. Back then the owners were shady, players were on drugs, and no one had real interest in the league. When MJ came, he just added icing to the cake. The cake had already been baked by Maj and Bird.

Boston was last in their division that year. Of course their attendance would be down. That doesn't mean the league was going under. We went to Bulls games and sat where ever we wanted until MJ's second season in the league - 1985-86.

I already stated that the ABA diluted the talent pool and splintered the professional basketball fans into 2 camps. The ABA operated from 67 thru 76. That was the period that weakened the strength of the NBA product. But the leagues merged in 76 and NBA basketball quickly became a powerhouse in a few short years.

Before Magic joined the Lakers, they had Kareem, Norm Nixon, Michael Cooper, Jamal Wilkes (remember Cornbread, Earl and Me with a young Larry Fishburne) and Adrian Dantley. Showtime was already in place.

Dr J, George Gervin, David Thompson, Kareem, Darryl Dawkins, Artis Gilmore, Moses Malone, Rick Barry, Walt Fraizer, Bill Walton, Elvin Hayes and Willis Reed were all in the league during the 70's. Of course the league had star power. Moreover, the league hadn't morphed into a star driven league yet. It was team oriented and it worked.

 

[Brother Blues]

What was wrong??...just about everything.

There was rampant drug use,the fans were alienated,the style of play was not about team,but me,me,me...

The league was so fucked up,the FINALS WERE ON TAPE-DELAY....imagine that!!!
The only game you see on tv was,maybe a Sunday afternoon...which could be blacked out in your area.

Shit was truly the dark ages...

 

[JIMMY SWAGGER]

Boston was last in their division that year. Of course their attendance would be down. That doesn't mean the league was going under. We went to Bulls games and sat where ever we wanted until MJ's second season in the league - 1985-86.

I already stated that the ABA diluted the talent pool and splintered the professional basketball fans into 2 camps. The ABA operated from 67 thru 76. That was the period that weakened the strength of the NBA product. But the leagues merged in 76 and NBA basketball quickly became a powerhouse in a few short years.

Before Magic joined the Lakers, they had Kareem, Norm Nixon, Michael Cooper, Jamal Wilkes (remember Cornbread, Earl and Me with a young Larry Fishburne) and Adrian Dantley. Showtime was already in place.

Dr J, George Gervin, David Thompson, Kareem, Darryl Dawkins, Artis Gilmore, Moses Malone, Rick Barry, Walt Fraizer, Bill Walton, Elvin Hayes and Willis Reed were all in the league during the 70's. Of course the league had star power. Moreover, the league hadn't morphed into a star driven league yet. It was team oriented and it worked.

Yes the Cs were last but none of the players you mentioned would have sold out the bulding when they came to Boston. You could be 0-82: when Bird or Magic came to town it was sell out. The only cat on there you named with star power was Dr. J and he wasn't even the most popular dude on the team b/c of Dawkins. None of those players that you mentioned sold out home and road arenas just by showing up. Do you know that Bird's 60 pt game against the Hawks still holds the record for the most watched live pro basketball game in New Orleans? And N.O didnt even have a team. David Thompson was my man but he didnt even remember the 70s because he was strung out on coke. Again you named stars but no one with the star power of Bird and Magic.

 

[OnnaReal]

There was a short period of crossover from having great standbys like "Lew Alcindor", Walt Frasier, Earl the Pearl, Willis Reed, Dr J., "I fucked 10000 Women!", Pistol Pete, Bill Russell, Havlicek, West, Unseld, and many more of the early 70's era were leaving the league.

Haven't seen many of you put up "highlights" of Lanier, [Throw it Down, man, Throw it Down!] Walton, Danny Ainge, or the twin brothers playing on different teams [I don't even remember their names] who were "Marquee Stars" of the late 70's, leading up the the great college classes of the same era; Georgetown, Houston, NC, Duke and the like.

The league dipped in the late 70's, early eighties, Magic and Bird brought back rivalry and, with Barkley in the middle, started the East V. West broadcast imagery that started the NBA on the path it still follows today.

imho

 

[InFullStride]

Yes the Cs were last but none of the players you mentioned would have sold out the bulding when they came to Boston. You could be 0-82: when Bird or Magic came to town it was sell out. The only cat on there you named with star power was Dr. J and he wasn't even the most popular dude on the team b/c of Dawkins. None of those players that you mentioned sold out home and road arenas just by showing up. Do you know that Bird's 60 pt game against the Hawks still holds the record for the most watched live pro basketball game in New Orleans? And N.O didnt even have a team. David Thompson was my man but he didnt even remember the 70s because he was strung out on coke. Again you named stars but no one with the star power of Bird and Magic.

Dude, I don't know what you are disagreeing with.

I named the Stars in the league because you stated that there was none. I was not putting them on the same popularity level as Magic and Bird. They were never marketed to be bigger than the team they played on.

I said that Magic and Bird took the league to a higher level. I agree that the prominence of the current NBA was unheard of or unimaginable in the 70's.

Football is much bigger today than it was back in the 70's. It didn't need saving.

It's 2010 and the NHL, as a league, has weak attendance and practically no tv audience but it ain't going anywhere either.

The OP asked if they saved the league. I am saying, no. The league would have survived if Magic and Bird would have both suffered a heartache during the NCAA championship game.

To say that no one had interest in the league is an exaggeration. My family was deep into basketball. We travel to see games in Milwaukee and Detroit. We went to home games in Chicago. Home games that didn't sell out just because Magic and the Lakers came to town. They didn't sell out with Dr J and the Sixers came to town or when Bird and the Celtics came to town.

I repeat. The Bulls didn't start to consistently sell out until the 85 season. Magic and Bird had been in the league for years and had won championships already.

Basketball was even better and more exciting when it was marketed as Magic and the Lakers vs Bird and the Celtics. But every team at that point began to be marketed with a marquee player as the personality of the team. Marquee matchups became the norm.

 

[RunawaySlave]

There really wasn't anything wrong with the NBA back then that is not wrong with it now, EXCEPT that there were NO WHITE STARS on the rise. There were NO Europeans and NO South Americans. What was "wrong" with the NBA was that the African American was clearly the most dominant player in the league. Don't know the exact percentages, but it was at least 75% of players. Meaning 3 out of every 4 players was a black man. That's not a problem to us, but white folks didn't like it....

The two years before Magic and Bird arrived the coach of the championship teams was Lenny Wilkens. At Attles had won a title a season or two earlier. Black was the "new black". To be fair, some of the shit that they SAY was wrong is some of the same stuff going on right now. Too much one on one play. Players who don't start playing hard until the last quarter. The only difference is the hue of the players

 

[JIMMY SWAGGER]

Dude, I don't know what you are disagreeing with.

I named the Stars in the league because you stated that there was none. I was not putting them on the same popularity level as Magic and Bird. They were never marketed to be bigger than the team they played on.

I said that Magic and Bird took the league to a higher level. I agree that the prominence of the current NBA was unheard of or unimaginable in the 70's.

Football is much bigger today than it was back in the 70's. It didn't need saving.

It's 2010 and the NHL, as a league, has weak attendance and practically no tv audience but it ain't going anywhere either.

The OP asked if they saved the league. I am saying, no. The league would have survived if Magic and Bird would have both suffered a heartache during the NCAA championship game.

To say that no one had interest in the league is an exaggeration. My family was deep into basketball. We travel to see games in Milwaukee and Detroit. We went to home games in Chicago. Home games that didn't sell out just because Magic and the Lakers came to town. They didn't sell out with Dr J and the Sixers came to town or when Bird and the Celtics came to town.

I repeat. The Bulls didn't start to consistently sell out until the 85 season. Magic and Bird had been in the league for years and had won championships already.

Basketball was even better and more exciting when it was marketed as Magic and the Lakers vs Bird and the Celtics. But every team at that point began to be marketed with a marquee player as the personality of the team. Marquee matchups became the norm.

What I'm disagreeing with is whether you know the difference between stars and superstars or star power. I grew up on basketball and played basketball right through college. So, I would have gone through thick and then to see a basketball game here in the US or in Europe. However the difference between star and star power is the ability to make your name a household name and to have people come to your game who have no clue what is going on but is there to see that one person. Do you think someone with no knowledge of basketball got to see Willis Reed or Artis Gilmore or David Thompson for that matter. No. For example in todays basketball, a star = Brandon Roy or Deron Williams, a superstar = Lebron or Kobe. Brandon Roy is not selling out any building on name alone but Kobe and Lebron will.

The NBA went onthe verge of bankruptcy to turning a profit within three years of Bird and Magic's arrival. Is that coincidence? Nah, I don't think so.

 

[AGYMAH]

I disagree with you there. They did save the league. The league had stars but it did not have star power. Do you relaize that the season before Bird and Magic came to the league, there was talk of bankruptcy? I remember going to a game at the old Boston Garden with my uncle and the Cs were playing the Bucks and Bob Lanier. You could walk up to the box office and get two tickets with no problem. The next year we tried doing that again and we were told to beat it. You couldn't walk up for tickets until the 94 season. Back then the owners were shady, players were on drugs, and no one had real interest in the league. When MJ came, he just added icing to the cake. The cake had already been baked by Maj and Bird.

Co-Sign. I remember before they (Bird and Magic) came along. Playoff games were tape delay and came on after the 11 o'clock news.

 

[jms]

What was wrong??...just about everything.

There was rampant drug use,the fans were alienated,the style of play was not about team,but me,me,me...

The league was so fucked up,the FINALS WERE ON TAPE-DELAY....imagine that!!!
The only game you see on tv was,maybe a Sunday afternoon...which could be blacked out in your area.

Shit was truly the dark ages...

They also supposedly had fights almost every game.

 

[InFullStride]

What I'm disagreeing with is whether you know the difference between stars and superstars or star power. I grew up on basketball and played basketball right through college. So, I would have gone through thick and then to see a basketball game here in the US or in Europe. However the difference between star and star power is the ability to make your name a household name and to have people come to your game who have no clue what is going on but is there to see that one person. Do you think someone with no knowledge of basketball got to see Willis Reed or Artis Gilmore or David Thompson for that matter. No. For example in todays basketball, a star = Brandon Roy or Deron Williams, a superstar = Lebron or Kobe. Brandon Roy is not selling out any building on name alone but Kobe and Lebron will.

The NBA went onthe verge of bankruptcy to turning a profit within three years of Bird and Magic's arrival. Is that coincidence? Nah, I don't think so.

The superstar status of Magic and Bird was the product of a purposeful marketing campaign. The league adopted a new approach to marketing itself and utilized Magic and Bird to achieve its objective.

I have stated this several times.

Lebron was a superstar before he took his 1st shot in the NBA. That was by design. Still, superstar Lebron isn't saving the league. As a team, Cleveland is barely profitable. During the 08-09 season, 12 teams lost money.

Is the league on the verge of bankruptcy with all of merchandising and all these mega TV contracts which includes domestic and international viewers?

Dude, you are exaggerating the condition of the league back then and ignoring the obvious steps the league made to increase its popularity and profitability.

Don't tell me verge of bankruptcy. What does that even mean in the real world, because the league didn't go that route. Owners didn't cut salaries. No team had to be contracted to make the league viable. No government bailout were dispensed.