Nope, not my booty, but this info may make yours a bit uncomfortable,
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OST-JORDAN DECLINE
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The retirement of Michael Jordan set in motion the decline in NBA ratings which continues today. Ratings for the
1999 NBA Finals
(which in fairness, came after a lockout shortened season) were down significantly from the previous year, from an 18.7 to an 11.3. Primetime regular season games, which had become fairly routine (and highly-rated) during the Jordan years, set record lows for NBC once Jordan retired. With the rise of the
Los Angeles Lakers
in the early part of the 2000s (decade), ratings improved, but never to the level of the 1980s or 1990s.The highest NBA Finals ratings on NBC after Jordan left was the 2001 Finals, which featured the dominant and then-defending champion Lakers with Shaq and
Kobe Bryant
versus the polarizing
Allen Iverson
and the underdog
Philadelphia 76ers
. The ratings for that series were a 12.1, still down 35 percent from 1998. NBC's last Finals, in 2002, came after a resurgence in playoff ratings (including a 14.2 rating for Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals). However, the Finals itself registered the lowest ratings the event had seen since 1981, topping out at a 10.2 average.
If you are going to talk about the greats and then their place in history, you must talk about the era in which they played, and the impact they had on the game.
Mikan was the best of his era, and he changed the game.
Wilt was the best of his era, and he changed the game.
Russ was the greatest winner of his era, and he too changed the game.
Oscar, changed the game.
Kareem, the all time greatest scorer, changed the game.
Doc, carried two leagues, introduced showmanship and athletic excitement, then changed the game and how it was watched.
We all know how Magic and Larry, and then Mike changed the game...
...so what has Kobe Bryant done above being able to score the ball? How does that put him in the top ten?