As if the NBA needed another reason to avoid a lockout (besides being in the midst of all-time highs in both popularity and star power), ESPN announced via press release that this past Thursday's draft was the highest-rated draft since 1996. Averaging over 3 million viewers (a 2.4 rating), the foreigner-heavy, talent-deprived selection show was not quite boring enough to keep basketball fans away. Throw in the fact that ESPN did a poor job of producing the show (dull/uninformed hosts, failure to keep the audience apprised of trades in a timely manner, technical difficulties, etc.), and the high ratings serve as yet another piece of evidence suggesting that a work stoppage (or, at the very least, missing regular season games) must be avoided at any and all costs.
While it is important that both sides are content with the new CBA that they eventually
agree to, it is imperative that such an agreement is reached soon. A mutually-beneficial economic plan will be rendered useless if the league has already alienated its fanbase with another work stoppage.
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