Justin Verrier

And perhaps this is me personally, just where I am at in terms of my long tenure following the league.

But also I think it's like I hear this from casual fans, hardcore fans, etc.

Like you need to do the hard work that everyone agrees would make it better as opposed to just like assuming that like the money is going to flow regardless.

And that's the only thing that matters here.

I guess I'm backdoor like suggesting a protest because it's like if the money flows based on the attention economy, the way to show that the league isn't doing things right is to like turn it off.

And I'll be honest with you.

I do think we are complicit to a certain extent because we are in this weird phase where like most media feels like it's in some nebulous sort of like community fan driven mode, almost because I would argue Marvel and the nerds have completely upended the way that traditional media should work, where everything is fan service now.

I do think it touches on a lot of like hot button things, especially considering what we do.

I realize it's meta and all that.

But like, I do think I'm not complicit in what the NBA does.

If anything, I'm a consumer.

And I do think like we have a job to speak for the consumer in this.

And I think it's incumbent on us to be like, this is bullshit.

And it's a change.

Like this season, this NBA season, if we're being honest, I think has been subpar.

in large part because of the injuries.

And I just think it's undercut the main source of attraction for the league.

And the thing that it's been selling since the Larry Bird, Magic Johnson era kind of sprung us into where we are now, which is superstars.

We do not get enough superstar play.

And that's tangential to the tanking thing.