8B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 2008
NBA
Professional basketball still holding national attention
BY BRIAN MAHONEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — David Stern has all kinds of data showing NBA attendance is up. TV ratings are up and merchandise sales are up.
For that, the commissioner turns to a much different set of numbers: the Western Conference standings.
Good news, obviously, but not the evidence held cite first when calling this a good year.
That's where he finds the deepest playoff race his league has ever seen, the catalyst for a remarkable turnaround. The NBA is a week away from closing a memorable regular season, bouncing back
from perhaps the worst offseason it's ever endured.
And it's happened in the best way possible to Stern, with strong play and better story lines on the court that are just too good to be ignored.
"The more competition you have, like this year has been, the more interesting it is."
Boston, and a flurry of trades, and there's been a lot of things to talk about for fans.
"The basketball part is what has legs because the world is watching and they're really having a good time watching." Stern said.
Throw in a too-close-to-call MVP, race the emergence of
RANDY WITTMAN
Minnesota Coach
"I think it's been a good year, all the way around," Minnesota coach Randy Wittman said. "The more competition you have, like this year has been, the more interesting it is."
Only two and a half games separated the top six teams through Tuesday in the West, where somebody will have the best record ever for a non-playoff team and there's
seemingly an important matchup every night. Denver visits Golden State Thursday in a game that could help determine which team claims the last playoff spot, and the Lakers play host to the
New Orleans Hornets on Friday in a showdown featuring Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul, perhaps the two strongest MVP candidates.
No wonder ratings have increased 8 percent on ESPN and TNT, with a 15 percent gain on ABC.
TNT had the most anticipated game of the season, when the Celtics snapped Houston's 22-game winning streak last month, and drew its highest rating for a regular-season game since the 2006-07
opener.
"I'm happy that everyone's interested. Why, because of the competition in the West," TNT studio analyst Kenny Smith said. "Every team is viable, every team from 6-7-8 could not make the playoffs. Every team in the first round could get knocked out from 1 to 8. That's why people are interested."
The NBA is coming off a surprisingly strong March, when it usually cedes the basketball spotlight to the NCAA tournament following its All-Star weekend and trade deadline. This year, thanks to the Rockets' winning streak, a successful All-Star run in New Orleans, and the big trades that sent Shaquille O'Neal, Pau Gasol and Jason Kidd to West powers, interest only grew.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The league drew more than 4.2 million fans, its highest attendance ever in March, and sales at the NBA Store in New York were up 46 percent from the same period last year, part of its overall 15 percent increase for the season.
NBA commissioner David Stern, right, makes comments on Monday in San Antonio, Texas. Stern and NCAA president Myles Brand, left, announced Monday a business venture to benefit supporters of the game.
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