Then again, it shouldn't come as a surprise. The question should be: Why do we treat Ring Chasers differently than we do with actors and directors. I've never heard, although I'm not claiming it hasn't been said, "There goes Hanks and Spielberg going for another Academy Award. What a couple of Oscar Chasers."
But when a talented player like Lebron James wants to work with a group of people he believes will garner him another championship ring we question his loyalty. An NBA championship is the equivalent of Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor all rolled into one. So we shouldn't be blaming Ring Chasers like James, but rather, we should be altering the playoff system to create a more competitive atmosphere each NBA season.
One way to accomplish this would be to add two more teams, bringing the total up from its current 30, and then dividing the league into four divisions (North, South, East, and West) of eight teams each.
Expansion teams could be granted to Kansas City and Seattle, both former NBA sites. The new Division Chart could look like this:
NORTH SOUTH
Celtics Lakers
Raptors Jazz
Pacers Heat
Timberwolves Bobcats
Bucks Spurs
Nuggets Hawks
Seattle Thunder
Kansas City Pelicans
EAST WEST
Knicks Clippers
Nets Grizzlies
Magic Trail Blazers
Wizards Suns
The 76ers Rockets
Pistons Warriors
Cavaliers Kings
Bulls Mavericks
Following the regular season, the top four teams of each Division would play in a traditional 4 seed bracket in a 7-game Divisional Round.
A 7-game Regional Round would follow, then a semi-final and onto the NBA Finals between the last two teams.
Each subsequent season, the Division seeding would shift one place clockwise. For example, the first year of the new playoffs would see the winner of the North Division playing the winner of the West in the Semifinals. The South would play the East in their semifinal round. Those winners would meet in the Finals. The next year, the West would play the East in the Semifinals and the North would play the South.
By utilizing this new system we might see the reduction in Ring Chasing, as the opportunity to play against a certain team for the Championship would alternate each season. Teams could build around competing in one's Division rather than trying to win the Conference Championship. A more competitive Division breeds the need for well developed teams and not just one or two superstars. And well developed teams tend to stay together for many years.
And while a new Four Division NBA won't remove Ring Chasers from the league, it might create a more competitive sport and give fans something new to get excited about.
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| https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/05/12/upshot/12-upshot-nba-basketball.html |