Early in the NBA season, "there's evidence that people
are wondering whether this game is still mah-velous" with
the number of empty seats at NBA arenas, according to Sam
Smith of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. While teams "have been
playing to about" 80% of arena capacity on average, "which
isn't bad ... the NBA suffers when measured against its own
phenomenal success." Smith, on whether there has been an
attendance "crash": "There has certainly been a recession,
with empty seats providing the backdrop for many of the
nightly highlights shows." Smith added that NBA officials
"are watching the trends with concern because they sense
there may be bigger problems ahead," including the cost of
game tickets, the Michael Jordan "hangover" and the lack of
"stars"; parity; "sunset of the legends" like Rockets F
Charles Barkley, C Hakeem Olajuwon and Knicks C Patrick
Ewing, and the "laziness" on the part of some teams'
marketing departments (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 12/12).
MARKET WATCH: In Orlando, Tim Povtak noted the Magic's
average attendance this season of 13,587, down from 17,113
in '97-98, includes five of the seven smallest crowds in
franchise history. Magic GM John Gabriel: "Attendance is
always a concern. ... But it's just a byproduct of what
we've been doing [rebuilding the team]. I think we'll
recover, and we'll bounce back quickly." Povtak reported
that the team "for the first time" has "developed a group
sales plan" and has "moved into the tourist market" to sell
tickets (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 12/11)....In Seattle, Angelo
Bruscas writes that "it's been a buyer's market" for Sonics
tickets at KeyArena, as the team's attendance has gone "into
a tailspin." Paid attendance "bottomed out" at 12,233 for
the December 5 game against the Hornets, but about 8,500
were "actually reported" in the arena (SEATTLE P-I, 12/13).
WHAT'S THE ANSWER? In San Diego, Nick Canepa wrote that
the NBA "has to reinvent itself, and that doesn't happen
overnight." More Canepa: "Even with these rules changes, it
still isn't a good game" (SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE, 12/11).