Why the 2024-25 NBA Season Has Been the Toughest to Watch in 20 Years
For decades, the NBA has been the pinnacle of sports entertainment, filled with electrifying stars, intense rivalries, and unforgettable moments. But this season? It feels like a slog. Between injuries to marquee players, underperforming star teams, a stagnant trade market, and an overall shift in priorities away from the court, the league has lost much of its charm. Fans are left with a product that’s increasingly difficult to enjoy—and that’s a problem the NBA can’t ignore. Let’s break down why this season is one of the toughest in recent memory and explore what can be done to fix it.
What Is the Draw Anymore?
This is the question I keep asking myself: What is the draw? Why should fans, especially casual ones, tune in to watch an NBA game this season? What are the reasons to cheer for players and teams, to emotionally invest in the league? The answers are becoming harder to find.
I’ve never had so many people ask to watch something else when I flip on an NBA game. In the past, people in the room might have casually watched while scrolling through their phones or chatting, but now I’m regularly hearing, “Can we watch something else?” or “This is boring.” And they’re not wrong. The excitement and unpredictability that used to pull even the most casual fans into a game just aren’t there anymore. You shouldn’t need to be invested in a player’s career arc or a team’s multi-year improvement plan for basketball to be interesting—or, ideally, fun.
The NBA should pull you in naturally. It should spark curiosity about players, teams, and the league as a whole. But instead, many fans are finding the games uninteresting or, worse, a chore to sit through. Alarmingly, I’ve had more friends and family enjoy the WNBA this year—largely because of Caitlin Clark’s anticipated rookie season—than the NBA. While it’s thrilling to see the WNBA gaining momentum, it’s shocking and frankly worrying to see the NBA’s appeal diminish like this. For a league that’s been such a huge part of my life, the difficulty in finding likable, compelling players or teams to root for is disheartening.
Injuries Have Gutted the League’s Star Power
A healthy NBA is an exciting NBA. But this year, injuries to big-name players have sapped the league of its usual primetime appeal. Joel Embiid, Luka Dončić, Paul George, Dejounte Murray, and Zion Williamson—players who define their respective teams—have all spent significant time on the sidelines. Without these stars on the court, games that would normally draw national attention become far less compelling.
The NBA thrives on its star power. Fans tune in to see Embiid’s dominance, Luka’s wizardry, Zion’s explosiveness, and PG’s smooth scoring. When those players are absent, the league’s product suffers. This isn’t just a blip—injuries piling up year after year have made it harder to rely on the regular season as must-watch TV.
What Can Be Done?
The NBA has already taken some steps to address the load management issue, such as introducing a minimum games-played requirement for end-of-the-year awards like MVP or All-NBA honors. While that’s a step in the right direction, it doesn’t do much to motivate max-contract players who already have their long-term money guaranteed. For these players, the financial incentives are already secured, and the awards don’t seem to carry enough weight to push them to play more games. If money is truly the only thing that matters to a majority of the league, then the awards-based approach falls flat.
The real challenge is that it’s hard to hold players accountable for sitting out games without clear proof they’re healthy enough to play. Teams and players can always cite vague or unprovable injuries, and fining them becomes nearly impossible unless there’s blatant acknowledgment of wrongdoing. The league has no real recourse unless players or teams openly admit to resting for non-medical reasons, and that just isn’t going to happen.
Scheduling changes could help reduce the need for rest, such as eliminating back-to-back games entirely. But with the current 82-game schedule, that’s simply not feasible. The season would need to be shortened to make such adjustments, and that’s where the next roadblock appears: money. TV broadcast partners, who are locked into lucrative contracts, wouldn’t accept fewer games because it means less content for the millions of dollars they’ve already invested. On top of that, team owners have no interest in giving up the revenue that each home game brings in. For many of these billionaires, owning a team is less about the love of basketball and more about hoarding revenue like a dragon guarding its gold. They’re unwilling to sacrifice even a sliver of profit, even if it would improve the product and the long-term health of the league.
Ultimately, the NBA faces a structural issue rooted in financial incentives and a lack of enforceable accountability. If guaranteed contracts continue to be a safety net for players and owners remain laser-focused on maximizing revenue per game, it’s hard to see how the league can incentivize its stars to play more. The NBA needs to find a way to shift its priorities, but given the league’s economic framework and the entrenched interests of all parties involved, that’s much easier said than done.
Young Stars Aren’t Stealing the Show Either
While veteran stars sitting out is frustrating, the absence of healthy, exciting young talent makes it even worse. Rising stars like Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jaden Ivey, and Derrick Lively II have dealt with injuries or setbacks, leaving fans with fewer reasons to tune in. Watching young players improve throughout the season is one of the great joys of being a fan. But this year, that narrative just isn’t there.
When the league’s future stars can’t stay healthy, it’s hard to build excitement. There’s no sense of momentum or development, and fans are left wondering what could have been instead of celebrating what is.
Star Teams Are Underperforming
Adding to the frustration, many of the NBA’s marquee franchises are simply not living up to expectations. The Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Dallas Mavericks—teams loaded with talent and championship aspirations—have all struggled to find consistency.
Whether it’s injuries, roster issues, or a lack of urgency, these teams have failed to deliver the high-quality basketball fans expect. Watching the Lakers stumble through another uneven season or the Warriors fail to recapture their former dominance makes it hard to stay invested. When the league’s biggest brands falter, the product as a whole suffers.
A Stagnant Trade Market
The NBA trade deadline is usually one of the most exciting times of the year, but this season, it’s shaping up to be a dud. The new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has made trades incredibly difficult to execute, particularly for teams over the salary cap. Owners wanted to stifle player movement, and they’ve succeeded—too well.
Stars can’t be moved without teams gutting their futures, giving up multiple draft picks and young players just to match salaries and value. Contending teams can’t make the final moves they need to push for a title, and rebuilding teams are stuck holding onto assets they can’t trade. The result is a dry trade market that leaves fans frustrated and disengaged.
What Can Be Done?
The NBA should explore modifying the CBA to make trades more feasible. Introducing more flexibility in salary matching or creating incentives for trading contracts could reignite the trade market. For example, allowing teams over the cap to include trade exceptions or amnesty clauses could make deals more dynamic.
Load Management and Apathy Are Killing Fan Engagement
Another issue that’s made this season tough to watch is the growing prevalence of load management. Stars are sitting out more games than ever, turning regular-season matchups into a gamble. You never know if the players you tuned in to see will actually suit up.
Even when players are on the court, there’s often a noticeable lack of urgency. Too many stars treat the regular season as a warm-up for the playoffs, and it shows. Games feel less competitive, less meaningful, and less fun to watch. Casual fans are tuning out, and even hardcore fans are finding it harder to stay engaged.
What Can Be Done? The league needs to take stronger action against unnecessary load management. While resting players is necessary in some cases, clearer guidelines—such as minimum appearance requirements or fines for resting stars during nationally televised games—could help ensure fans get what they paid for.
The Game Itself Has Changed—for the Worse
Stylistically, the NBA has become overly reliant on isolation plays and three-point shooting. While today’s players are more skilled than ever, the game has lost much of its variety and artistry. Gone are the days of dynamic ball movement, mid-range mastery, and dominant post play. Instead, it’s a steady diet of iso-ball and three-point barrages.
What Can Be Done? The league could consider introducing minor rule changes to rebalance the game. For example, slightly reducing the three-point line’s effectiveness or incentivizing post play with different foul rules could reintroduce some variety to the sport.
Off-Court Drama Overshadows the Game
To make matters worse, many of the league’s stars seem more focused on their off-court pursuits than their on-court performance. Players like Paul George and Jimmy Butler are more interesting on their podcasts or social media than they are on the court. While building a brand is important, it’s frustrating for fans when it feels like basketball isn’t the top priority.
What Can Be Done? The league should emphasize on-court achievements through media coverage and marketing. Highlighting hardworking players who prioritize the game, such as Nikola Jokić or Giannis Antetokounmpo, could shift the narrative back to basketball.
Bright Spots to Build On
While this season has been frustrating, it’s not without its bright spots. Victor Wembanyama’s rookie season has been a spectacle, and the Denver Nuggets continue to shine as a model franchise. The growing popularity of the WNBA is also proof that basketball fans are still hungry for great stories—they just need a product that engages them.
The NBA Needs to Reignite Its Spark
The NBA is at a crossroads. Right now, the league feels stagnant, weighed down by injuries, underwhelming teams, and structural issues that make trades nearly impossible. Fans are checking out, and that’s not something the league can afford to ignore.
The NBA needs to innovate—whether through changes to the CBA, addressing load management, or diversifying the style of play on the court. Basketball should draw you in naturally, inspiring curiosity about the players and teams on the court. It shouldn’t feel like an obligation to care. If this season is any indication, the league has some serious work to do to recapture its magic—and it needs to start now.
