Whisper it, but NBA fans aren’t too thrilled about how the 2025/26 season has gone so far. For sure, there’s a caveat that sports fans always grumble that things were better “in the past,” and basketball fans can be just as culpable as others. Yet, there is certainly evidence on socials and platforms like Reddit that fans aren’t best pleased. That’s starting to filter though in TV viewership, too. There was a drop across the 2024/25 season in viewers, and we might see a continued decline once we run the numbers on the 2025/26 season.
So, what’s the problem? For one, there is an accusation that there is little in the way of jeopardy across the league. For instance, we have known the candidacy of the vast majority of the Playoff teams broadly since before Christmas. The charge is that there is such a gulf in class between the good teams and the bottom teams that Playoff and Play-In positions have been more or less entrenched all season. Looking at the standings, it’s hard to disagree with.
Some surprises have occurred this season
Of course, that doesn’t mean that individual games can’t be exciting. Moreover, there should still be a sense that anyone can beat anyone. To give an example, consider that one of the NBA’s worst teams, the Indiana Pacers, beat the league’s top team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on their own patch back on January 23. The Pacers were huge NBA moneyline betting underdogs for the game, but pulled it off with a 117-114 victory.
Yet, you can sense somewhat that fans are waiting for the Playoffs to begin at this point. And to be fair, we can cite a few narratives that could ignite the season. Playoffs do depend on narratives – we want stories and subplots to underpin the action on the court. And there are a few of those knocking about that can sell the NBA to the fans, prompting them to tune in and stay engaged.
At the top of the list is the OKC. No team has retained the NBA Championship since the 2017-18 Warriors, and every time there is talk of a dynasty, it falls flat. Fans enjoy seeing dominant teams reach their pinnacle, so if they stay on this trajectory – they’ve been red-hot favorites all season – fans will engage to see if they can hit the heights again.
Some underdogs have been pulling up trees this season
Without sounding contradictory, while fans love dominant teams, they also like to see them toppled, especially by likeable underdogs. And in that scenario, we have the San Antonio Spurs, a team that just keeps getting better and better, and who OKC simply cannot seem to shake off. Neutral fans should love this story: San Antonio hasn’t been in the Playoffs since 2019, but a new team is being built on the backs of young stars like Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama.
Over in the Eastern Conference, there is the resurgence of the 2024 champs, the Boston Celtics. It’s been such an intriguing season for Boston, particularly due to the fact that they were largely written off as true contenders after Jayson Tatum’s long-term injury and roster changes that screamed “we’re rebuilding,” but they are very much in the hunt, and Tatum has made his return, and there is a strong possibility they make the Finals.
Also in the Eastern Conference, there’s the story of the Detroit Pistons, a team that finds itself in the curious position of being top of the Conference standings while not being given much chance of going all the way, at least going by the betting odds. You’ve also got teams like the Atlanta Hawks, proving doubters wrong at every turn.
None of this will automatically guarantee to make the Playoffs thrilling and exciting, but it helps frame talking points for fans. It will be up to the players to keep fans on the edge of their seats throughout the games. But there are some fascinating stories brewing this season, and that’s an important part of sports.
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