One of the recurring complaints I’ve heard throughout the postseason, which has been boosted by the inordinate number of games that were decided in the final seconds, is that too many of the games are on NBATV. Tuesday night in particular - and in the middle of the Game 5 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio - I received several e-mails and phone calls from individuals who live outside Sacramento (Lake Tahoe, Las Vegas) asking why the game wasn’t telecast.
Unfortunately, anyone who hadn’t purchased a cable television program that includes NBATV was left waiting for the highlights later that night on ESPN, Headline News or TNT’s post-game show.
But if you’re a Spurs fan, what are you thinking? The defending world champs are in a potential seven-game series, and they are relegated to playing a pivotal Game 5 on a channel that few people even know exists? Geez, I would be a little offended. I personally don’t understand why the Spurs fail to connect with the viewing audience the way some of the league’s other elite franchises have. Given that the NBA is personality-driven, this probably has more to do with Tim Duncan’s reluctance to reveal much of his personality during television and print interviews. He is terrific in his TV commercials, though.
Anyway, a league spokesman confirmed the good news: NBATV telecast of seven games in the first round - and the playoffs - ends with Thursday’s New Jersey-Indiana game.
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