St. John’s head basketball coach Rick Pitino feels the NBA needs to go back to its level of physicality during the 1980s and 1990s, when he was coaching the New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, to save its struggling product. As Pitino pointed out, the Association has lost nearly a third of its viewers during the 2024-25 regular season.
“It has been reported that the NBA ratings are down 28% this year alone. Suggestion, bring back hand checking and more physicality. The players are too strong, too quick, and have become amazing shooters,” Pitino tweeted Wednesday night.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the issue, downplaying the television ratings amidst record viewership on social media.
“If you look at other data points, in terms of our business, for example, we’ve just come off the last two years of the highest attendance in the history of this league,” Silver said, according to The Athletic. “We’re at a point where our social media audience is at the highest of any league and continuing to grow exponentially. So, it’s not a lack of interest in this game.
“We’re almost at the inflection point where people are watching more programming on streaming than they are in traditional television. And it’s a reason why for our new television deals, which will enter into next year, every game is going to be available on a streaming service.
“And as we move to streaming service, putting aside how the actual game is played on the floor, it’s going to allow us from a production standpoint to do all kinds of things that you can’t do through traditional television. All kinds of new functionality, all kinds of new options and screens that are available.”
Certainly, the NBA moving back in that direction helps Pitino’s case with NBA front offices. But at 72 years old, Pitino may just be calling it as he sees it, not advocating for a job. More than likely, Pitino isn’t looking for a return to the pros. If anything, one last run with Louisville or Kentucky seems like the only big move he’d make right now.
St. John’s is 9-2 and looks like a legitimate threat to win the Big East. If nothing else, the Red Storm being a bubble team is within the realm of possibility at their current pace.
Conference play will continue to answer any resume questions the Johnnies may have.
