NBA’s Popularity Decline: A Closer Look
The NBA has seen a drop in its popularity lately, and there are several reasons for this shift. One significant factor is the league’s strong embrace of left-leaning politics, especially surrounding the 2020 season. Many prominent players and coaches participated in various initiatives and openly expressed their political views.
Unsurprisingly, this has alienated a segment of the fanbase. Viewer ratings and overall interest have taken a hit as a result. But it’s not just politics driving the decline. There’s also a noticeable lack of excitement in the game itself, which, along with certain perceived failures, has dampened enthusiasm.
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A prime example of the league’s struggles is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (often referred to as SGA). He’s currently the reigning MVP and played a key role in leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to the NBA Finals from 2024 to 2025, where they defeated the Indiana Pacers to win the championship. Recently, the Thunder found themselves just two wins away from returning to the Finals, thanks to a tied series with the San Antonio Spurs.
SGA has a well-deserved reputation for his skills on the court. Notably, he’s been known to use theatrics to draw fouls in his favor. A recent analysis by Tom Haberstroh of Yahoo! Sports examined whether the public’s perception of SGA’s “flopping” matched the reality of his gameplay.
In his articles, Haberstroh discussed SGA’s tendency to fall during shooting attempts as a way to signal for foul calls. The numbers support this; SGA falls more frequently during shot attempts than any other player in the league—by a significant margin.
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Haberstroh’s research revealed that during the playoffs, SGA missed 20 of his 187 field goal attempts—a rate of about 10.7%. He tracked other guards like James Harden, Jalen Brunson, and Donovan Mitchell as well. Interestingly, Harden had 19 misses out of 219 attempts, or 8.7%, while Brunson and Mitchell scored lower. Victor Wembanyama managed to avoid falling more than once, with a mere 0.6% probability of getting fouled.
So, how often does SGA’s knack for falling work to his advantage? Quite a lot, it turns out. He received foul calls on 37 of his postseason shot attempts, with 19 misses. This means he frequently ends up on the ground—more so than others. Haberstroh noted that SGA’s missed shots represented the highest fall rate on foul shots compared to his peers.
Astoundingly, SGA missed 17.4% of all his shot attempts. Another analysis suggested that as the postseason has progressed, his point production has actually increased—from 11 in the first round to 13 in the second, and 22 against the Spurs.
This strategy has proven beneficial; he’s drawing fouls about 50% of the time he’s on the court in the playoffs. This advantage is even more pronounced when compared to Brunson and Mitchell, who receive foul calls less frequently.
Haberstroh’s findings confirm that SGA’s frequent falls are indeed a noticeable tactic. While not all falls may be calculated acts of deceit, plenty of footage shows him consciously looking for contact—and making the most of it.
In essence, while such gameplay might draw criticism for lacking excitement and the essence of quality basketball, it’s evident that this tactic is embedded in the current NBA landscape—particularly for players like SGA. It’s no wonder that fewer people are tuning in to watch the games.
