The numbers are still coming in. The 2020 NBA season was financially the worst in 20 years. True, it was played during a pandemic and President Donald Trump hates the league without question. That contributed big time.
The Timberwolves again are not carrying their weight. They are dragging way behind. They missed the playoffs for the 15th year in the last 16, which is a league record.
They were last in home attendance when the league shut down because of the coronavirus. They were unable to complete their schedule of 82 games during the re-start in Orlando because they did not qualify.
One of their leading scorers, 23-year-old Malik Beasley, averaging 19 points a game, has been charged with several felonies that include threatening a family member with a gun and aiming a rifle at a couple and their child.
Plymouth police seized a large stash of marijuana from his possession and have filed charges.
The NBA revenues were down 10% across the board in 2020. That’s over one billion dollars. Much of the loss was due to losing China as a business partner. NBA ratings across the board were also down. Thirty teams lost 20-25 games with no fans or suite revenues for the league after the restart with no fans in Orlando, and especially during the playoffs and finals.
Both the Los Angeles Lakers and Dodgers won World Championships. The Dodgers averaged a 27.5 viewership with a peak of 37.0. The Dodgers game six viewership in the World Series was 51% higher than game six of the Lakers’ NBA Finals (8.4 million viewers.
Usually the NBA Finals are in June with only the MLB regular season games. MLB playoffs and World Series are usually in October, as they were even in 2020.
The Timberwolves team has been rumored to be for sale by longtime majority owner Glen Taylor. Speaking of owners, NBA owners on average donate more than $4 million per federal election cycle. They donate to candidates ranging from the far right to the left.
The NBA wants to start the 2021 season with a 72-game schedule with training camps opening on December 1 with the season beginning on December 22, 2020.The traditionally huge popularity of NBA games on Christmas Day would be a welcome ratings boost.
The NBAPA and the NBA owners are currently negotiating a new league collective bargaining agreement. The league start in December is contingent on them reaching an agreement.
Larry Fitzgerald is a longstanding contributing columnist at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. He can be heard weekday mornings on KMOJ Radio 89.9 FM at 8:25 am, on WDGY-AM 740 Monday and Friday at 9:10 am, and at www.Gamedaygold.com. He also commentates on sports 7-8 pm on “Almanac” (TPT channel 2). Follow him on Twitter at FitzBeatSr. Larry welcomes reader responses to info@larry-fitzgerald.com, or visit www.Larry-Fitzgerald.com.