NBA Sees Seven-Game First Round As Solution To Downtime

NBA playoff teams are "taking a slow, maddening route through the first round, in which five games are spread over nearly two weeks," according to Mike Wise of the N.Y. TIMES, who writes, "This is the third year of Commissioner David Stern's running docudrama, in which [NBC Sports Chair] Dick Ebersol, gets his prized Saturday and Sunday games and Ted Turner can count on Tracy McGrady for weeknight theater instead of the unreliable Keanu Reeves in 'Johnny Mnemonic.' The problem is, it takes far too long." Lakers C Shaquille O'Neal: "Too much downtime. Way too much." But Wise adds the NBA has "given its assurances to ABC and [ESPN and Turner] that it will do what it can to change the first-round format" from best-of-five to best-of-seven. NBA Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik: "This is a solution to the issue." NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter, whose constituents would need to approve the format change, said, "At this time, our players are not really enamored with playing the additional games. It's going to require some convincing." Wise notes that with the eight first-round series playing potentially "an extra two games apiece, that's an easy $30[M] or so in revenue," in which the players would share (N.Y. TIMES, 4/25). ESPN's Fred Carter, on the first round being stretched out: "This is NBA showcase time, so when you have games on weekends or Sunday, you want to showcase your best teams. ... The exciting teams — you've got to showcase those teams — and I don't blame the league. You've got to put them forward" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 4/24).