Everyone has heard of the National Basketball Association (NBA), based in North America, as a professional basketball league. It has a long history and is admired by people worldwide. Many boys take after NBA stars; a lot of them dream of becoming a part of this league, and millions of people await to get NBA tickets every time the season is open.
Although NBA https://www.koobit.com/nba-c28 is a separate institution, it is recognized by FIBA. It is regarded as the third wealthiest professional league in the sports industry in the USA while being in the top four worldwide. However, it hasn’t always been that popular. Not all the time, NBA tickets were sold out prior to matches. There was a significant shift in its popularity between 1979 and 1998.
You’ve all heard of Michael Jordan (of course!), Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, David Stern, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, Christian Laettner, and others who formed the Dream Team known and loved all over the world. Some people say that it’s Chicago Bulls and their Dream Team who have promoted NBA not only in America but also in Europe. Especially Michael Jordan! He is a legend in basketball history, being a six-time NBA champion. Sounds like a dream, don’t you think?
There are a lot of pieces of information, news, and videos of the Chicago Bulls traveling around the world and being welcomed by people who live so far away from the USA. So, what is the reason for such popularity of the NBA and its stars even overseas? The basketball culture has a strong influence on society. Basketball players’ athletic achievements expand the meaning of basketball as just a sports game. Since the 90s, it has become more of a tradition or culture to attend basketball games and cheer for teams even if you are from another city or even country.
Apart from popularizing basketball as a game, NBA hypes a healthy way of life, certain clothes and footwear, loyalty, and devotion. The most known example is Jordans sneakers by Nike, created in honor of Michael Jordan. One more impact is about changing the concept of stardom. Or, better to say, superstardom. Most NBA stars promote healthy and sound popularity, still remaining regular citizens. The only thing is that they pinpoint the importance of hard work, a winning mentality, and following rules.
There are a lot of words going about the uselessness of all investments made into the NBA. However, think of thousands, if not millions, workplaces, billions of charity donations, billions of taxes brought to the country, and the overall increase in players’ welfare. This impact is tremendous.
If we compare NBA and NFL, NBA stars are more popular and followed by people (for example, the number of followers on Instagram or Twitter) than NFL ones, even though NFL is bigger and more watched in the country. It proves that people tend to choose their role models mostly from NBA players. The most influential basketball star is considered Michael Jordan (what a surprise). Moreover, the NBA organization has a wide range of social activities. They tend to actively express their opinions on social matters, including social injustice, LGBT rights, racial issues, etc. All these things add up to the organization’s trustworthiness. No wonder people love attending their basketball matches!
Coming back to current times, what is important to know about NBA? The 2021-2022 season is still going on. Predictions are being made, and tickets are being sold. After a few years of isolation spent at home, people strive to attend all those matches. With playoffs going on, experts started making predictions on the season’s winners. As it is predicted, Golden State Warriors are to take the third place, Utah Jazz – the second, and Milwaukee Bucks – the first. Other rankings suggest that the third place will go to Phoenix Suns, the second – Golden State Warriors, and the first – Utah Jazz. As we have discussed a lot about NBA and its players’ popularity and implications, let’s take a look at the current achievements of the leading teams.
If talking about the Utah Jazz, it is worth mentioning that they have kept a brilliant consistency in defense, offense, and records. When it comes to Golden State Warriors, they are exclusive because of their outstanding players. Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Steve Kerr. If it’s not a Dream Team, then what is it? Even though they lack some firepower to beat everyone, the Phoenix Suns are fantastic as contenders. Chicago Bulls do not come up among the top three teams; however, they have made a comeback by winning the Eastern Conference (by the way, they won eight straight games). Milwaukee Bucks are jokingly called “bullies” as they have no obstacles on their way to success (considering the fact that their players are getting back on track, we can expect a lot from them). Miami Heat is worth mentioning as well; they stand out by their ability to play the game the way they want it to. One more team we’d like to talk about is the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are unpredictable as they have turned from a kind of invisible team to a defensive power that could change the course of events in the playoffs.
To conclude, we’d like to say that NBA season 2021-2022 commemorates its 75th anniversary. For these 75 years, NBA has been a vital part of American culture and society, making sports popular worldwide and sometimes even changing people’s lives. Our recommendation – do not miss a chance to attend the NBA playoffs and become part of history. You will certainly have a whale of a time, so make sure to get your tickets on time!