The NBA

I remember when the basketball was enough.  I remember when there didn't have to be an additional "show."  Sure, the All-Star game was never about competition as much as it was about showing off the best of the best, but that was still all you needed.  Slam dunk contests didn't need phone booths and 12 foot special-built goals and custom shoes.  Okay, maybe they did need the custom shoes.  But you get the idea.  

This article likes to blame "this economy" for the necessity of the new "show".  But the truth is the NBA was already dying on the vine before "this economy" ever hit and fortunately for the NBA they can point to the economy now and use that as the excuse as to how to figure out how to reinvent themselves.  Lebron James is the next Michael Jordan, but he'll need some management somewhere to figure out how to build a championship team around him if he is to help rebuild the NBA like Jordan did.  I'm not sure they have any smart enough management left who can also figure out how to even get Lebron on their team let alone build enough compliments around him to get it done.  I wish them luck, but I'm not sure it's possible with current contracts in this economy.