NBA Commish Adam Silver weighs in on NBA Finals ratings, digitally imposed on-court decals criticism

Every year, the Larry O’Brien Trophy is awarded to whichever team wins the NBA Finals. Traditionally, decals resembling the coveted trophy have been painted on courts during the league’s championship series. “The Finals” would also be painted onto the home court of the competing teams.

But the ongoing matchup between the Western Conference champion Oklahoma City Thunder and the Eastern Conference winners — the Indiana Pacers — featured virtual decals. Some viewers suggested the decals “disappeared” at times.

“I’ve seen some of the chatter on social media about on-court decals,” Silver said in Indianapolis during a televised interview with ESPN ahead of Game 3.

“People don’t realize, they went away a decade ago, because there were claims, Kendrick [Perkins] knows … they were slippery when we had them on the court. We’re back to adding them virtually.”

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According to Front Office Sports, securing an adequate amount of lead time to paint “The Finals” in its distinctive font or the Larry O’Brien Trophy on the hardwood has become a difficult task for the league over the years. The paint requires a specific amount of time to completely dry to prevent any issues for players. 

Silver also addressed the much-discussed viewership for the finals. 

The first two games of Thunder-Pacers series drew an average of 8.84 million viewers respectively, according to Front Office Sports. The figure represents a 24% drop from the past three finals. It is also the lowest reported viewership since 2007, excluding the 2020 NBA Finals — which took place in Florida in the NBA Bubble.

Silver pointed to the differences in today’s media landscape compared to previous decades.

“As a media matter, it’s interesting. People compare us to 20 years ago, but Games 1 and 2 are the highest-rated programs in May and June so far on television,” the commissioner said. “If something beats us, it’ll be another sports program. Back 20 years ago, we often didn’t win the night when The Finals were on. But the absolute rating is lower now.”

Silver also highlighted the shift in fan viewing habits and the various ways content is distributed in the modern “content marketplace.”

“We have to be innovative and find new ways—podcasts, social media, direct-to-consumer marketing, new digital platforms that we’re moving to next year; ESPN and ABC are doing the same—it’s a changed society,” Silver said.  

The Pacers lead the series 2-1. Tip off for Game 4 is scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m. EDT from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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