“NBA-Do They Care”

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It happened twice inside of a week.

It’s happened in the past in the NBA, and it’s brought a rebuke and then a fine from the league office. And yet it keeps happening.

The elite in the NBA west were supposed to play this past week in San Antonio. The former champion Golden State Warriors, against the legendary Spurs, closest thing we have seen to a dynasty in a long time.

Exciting sneak preview of maybe the NBA Western finals? But it didn’t happen.

Golden State sat its stars. Already without an injured Kevin Durant, coach Steve Kerr did not dress Draymond Green, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.

San Antonio, ailing with injuries, did not have Kawahi Leonard,Pao Gasol nor LaMarcus Aldridge, all out and hurt.

End result a game that looked like something out of preseason in mid-October.

Of course Spurs coach Greg Popovich has pulled that stunt down the stretch a couple of years in a row, leading to the playoff games. His response was, if the NBA does not want to put it players at risk from injuries due to fatigue, don’t make us play 3-games in a 3-nights, or 4-in-5.

Then the Cavaliers did it on Saturday night in Los Angeles. Clippers vs the Cavaliers. Cleveland coach Tyronne Lue was there, but his stars were not, at least not in uniform.

A designated rest night for LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyree Irving. The Clippers won a lopsided game against a bunch of Cleveland fill-ins.

You won’t lament the guys who pay courtside costs of 1,000-a seat. But what about the fans, who shell out 90-dollars, or 60-dollars for 35, to sit in the upper deck. The average ticket price in the NBA is 97-dollars.

It might be their only game of the season, and I bet they come from families-backgrounds, where entertainment dollars are few and far between.

They bought tickets expecting to see LeBron lineup against Blake Griffin. They got LeBron dressed in his suit, sitting on the bench, next to the other members of the Cleveland Big 3, who won rings last year, all watching, not playing.

The fans showed up, and they were the ones paying.

Coaches site the health of the players for moves like this. How about the financial health of the fans too?

Just another example of corporate greed of pro sports. The Cavs-Warriors-Spurs won’t think much about it. They have another game to get to.

The league won’t think much either, too busy counting profits at the gate for tickets sold.

It would be nice if the fans got some consideration too.

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