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Kevin Durant defends current state of NBA amidst viewership decline

Dec 25, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) looks on against the Denver Nuggets during the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Christmas is a time for families to gather, enjoy the holidays and have a few NBA games to enjoy.

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While the numbers for the Christmas Day games may be high, there are still questions about why NBA viewership is dipping significantly as of late. According to Sports Media Watch, it reported that viewership has declined 19% on ABC, ESPN and TNT from a year ago and 25% if NBA TV is included.

Between fans complaining about the high clip of 3s taken, the mid-range and physical paint game almost being nonexistent and scoring at an all-time high, there are many valid arguments as to what is causing such a dip.

After the Phoenix Suns beat the Denver Nuggets 110-100 to finish the 2024 Christmas slate of games, Kevin Durant revealed his passionate thoughts on basketball and why he is trying to figure out the decline in interest.

“There’s a weird dialogue going around the league and viewership. I see a lot of people blaming the players for it, something is not just one component of why it’s going that way,” Durant said postgame. “There’s a lot of different reasons why the viewership may be down but that’s another discussion… What the real problem is? I am trying to think about it and understand it because I love this game, I want to see it keep growing.”

Continuing the discussion, Durant got caught up in a back-and-forth conversation between multiple X/Twitter users and him on why more and more fans aren’t watching the league as much as in the past.

Here is the dialogue from early Thursday morning that stemmed until around 3 a.m. MST:

For years, Durant has taken to social media to defend himself and respond to others in various situations that he is involved with. Not too long ago, he disagreed with ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith concerned about his leadership abilities.

The numbers don’t lie and Durant has been in the league for 17 years, so he has experienced the interest boom of the NBA and is trying to compartmentalize this drop-off. He believes the league is in a good place, each game will have its differences in terms of playstyle and the popularity of players is not falling whatsoever.

With the evolution of the NBA, the 3-pointer is here to stay and won’t disappear anytime soon.

Will viewership continue to decline? Time will tell but that’s just how the game is played and there is no turning back unless something drastic changes.

WATCH: Kevin Durant talks Suns’ win over Nuggets, expresses significance of playing on Christmas

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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Suns, ASU Athletics and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini

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