Why the NBA Needs to Wake Up About “Big Market” Bias
Fri Jun 06 2025
People keep saying we need a "big market" team in the NBA Finals to keep fans interested. But like Shaq said, “Social media is the market now… nobody cares what city you're in anymore.”
OKC is playing high-level ball. San Antonio won 5 rings without NY, LA, or Chicago. in the NFL, Green Bay, KC, and New England built NFL dynasties. The A’s, Reds, Pirates, and Twins all had their runs in MLB.
Meanwhile, the NBA kept pushing:
Lakers – 39 national games
Warriors – 36
Celtics/Knicks – 34
Mavs/Suns – 30
But the best records this year?
Celtics, Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Bucks.
Only one is a so-called “big market.”
Why does this obsession with "big media markets" still exist when most people outside those cities couldn’t care less? It’s crazy to me that some people still think the world revolves around New York or LA. News flash: that ship sailed decades ago. At this point, do fans really care where a team plays, or are we all just here for great basketball? I'm for the latter.
I’m Clayton Craddock—a father, business owner, musician, and truth-seeker who believes in asking hard questions and thinking independently. I share my thoughts on ‘Deep Cuts’ to challenge the status quo and dig beneath the surface.
If you would like to connect, please get in touch with me at Clayton@claytoncraddock.com
Get full access to Clayton Craddock's Deep Cuts at thinkthingsthrough.substack.com/subscribe
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People keep saying we need a "big market" team in the NBA Finals to keep fans interested. But like Shaq said, “Social media is the market now… nobody cares what city you're in anymore.” OKC is playing high-level ball. San Antonio won 5 rings without NY, LA, or Chicago. in the NFL, Green Bay, KC, and New England built NFL dynasties. The A’s, Reds, Pirates, and Twins all had their runs in MLB. Meanwhile, the NBA kept pushing: Lakers – 39 national games Warriors – 36 Celtics/Knicks – 34 Mavs/Suns – 30 But the best records this year? Celtics, Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Bucks. Only one is a so-called “big market.” Why does this obsession with "big media markets" still exist when most people outside those cities couldn’t care less? It’s crazy to me that some people still think the world revolves around New York or LA. News flash: that ship sailed decades ago. At this point, do fans really care where a team plays, or are we all just here for great basketball? I'm for the latter. I’m Clayton Craddock—a father, business owner, musician, and truth-seeker who believes in asking hard questions and thinking independently. I share my thoughts on ‘Deep Cuts’ to challenge the status quo and dig beneath the surface. If you would like to connect, please get in touch with me at Clayton@claytoncraddock.com Get full access to Clayton Craddock's Deep Cuts at thinkthingsthrough.substack.com/subscribe