Retraction A Good Thing? LeBron Thinks So

Yesterday, LeBron James stirred the tabloid pot once again yesterday as he suggested that contratraction would be a good thing for the NBA. "Hopefully the league can figure out one way where it can go back to the '80s where you had three or four All-Stars, three or four superstars, three or four Hall of Famers on the same team. The league was great. It wasn't as watered down as it is [now]," James said. This statement comes at an odd time for me as I once disdained the NBA for their sub-par product. What started as a reason to think the NBA was sub-par talent to college basketball was reaffirmed with the search for talent and marquee names to replace Michael Jordan seemed like a lost cause. The San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Piston championship low rated championship runs also reaffirmed that the NBA was producing a sub par form of entertainment.

Fast forward to the present where the NBA is currently producing their finest form of entertainment since Micheal Jordon retired led by none other than LeBron James. With James opting to take his talents to South Beach, the interest NBA skyrocketed and sell outs proceeded to pop up all over the country; an instant jolt to the NBA just as LeBron entered his prime. With this jolt, the talk of 'trio's' begun, more specifically three superstars on one team is the best chance a team can have to win a championship with reference to the superstar teams of the Celtics and Lakers in the 1980's and the 1990's Bulls, Rockets as well as the Detroit Pistons, San Antionio Spurs and the current day Los Angeles Lakers all used this formula to win numerous championships.

For whatever reason, LeBron James was criticized for tryng to follow this formula, but that is not the case. The case is if Carmelo Anthony goes to the Knicks, the NBA's product is going to continue to skyrocket and follow the trend of more superstars on one team in order to win a championship. If this is the case, this would support LeBron James's comments in support of  contraction of NBA teams in order to make a better product on the court. However, I do not know if this is an issue of the product on the court or the dollars in the owners pockets.

I feel that the NBA is currently putting its best product on the court since Micheal Jordon and is not in need of retraction. Teams can get better, just look at what the Atlanta Hawks have been able to do over the five years with proper free agent spending accompanied with home grown talent has produced one of the top five teams in the Eastern Conference. However, I do not know the financial dealings of the NBA and do not know what is truly the best route for the NBA to take. These are uncertain economic times and it appears that the NBA is no different than many of the corporations facing difficult economic times. They would like to lower their work force to save money. With contraction comes serious layoffs such as what will the front office of the Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves do if their team is disbanded. Would it make for a better product? Perhaps, but I do not think it should happen as the interest of the NBA has recovered since MJ retired and they can thank one person: LeBron James.