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Too few guys to cheer for. Too many b*st*rd-sirin', dope-smokin', trash-talkin', tattoo-covered gangstas. Sportsmanship is dead. (Same story for the NFL.)

And the quality of team play is not as good. Too much uncalled traveling and palming the ball.

Former longtime basketball player and fan

Think of Magic and Bird. Two slow, vertical jump challenged guys who worked their rears off to master the fundamental skills (dribbling, passing, shooting, rebounding) of the once great game of basketball. Now you have a guy like Iverson who is "great" simply because he is faster than anyone else and refs never call palming the ball. Or Shaq who is "great" because he is bigger and stronger than everybody else and refs don't call offensive fouls. These guys don't have basic basketball skills. The fact that basketball is no longer a skill game serves to discourage youngsters who don't have unusual natural athletic abilities from pursuing the sport.