LeBron James-Stephen Curry Matchup Being The NBA’s Biggest Is ‘Part Of The Problem’, Says Bill Simmons

Despite the rise of new stars in the NBA, LeBron James and Stephen Curry are still the unquestionable faces of the league. Their Christmas Day matchup proved that, drawing in almost 8.3 million viewers across all networks. However, Bill Simmons of The Ringer believes that the duo’s high-profile rivalry is both the cause and solution of the NBA’s rating problems.

Taking on his podcast, Simmons argued that the rivalry between two of the game’s greatest-ever players is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it is guaranteed ratings gold. The Lakers and Warriors have huge fanbases as is, but when the sheer enormity of James and Curry’s popularity gets factored in, there’s no way that the game was going to drop viewership.

“The Steph LeBron thing last night was the solution and the problem at the same time… Like even yesterday, its in that 8 o’clock, its in that best spot, its after footballs over, and that’s the signature game, and its basically two .500 teams, and its guys that’ve been in the league since 2003 and 2009 respectively.”

On the other hand, as Simmons claimed, it takes away the spotlight from some of the other stars the league has to offer. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder weren’t featured on Christmas, and neither were Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs were handed the first game of the night, whereas the Lakers and Warriors, two teams struggling to stay afloat in the West, were given the prime-time TV slot at 8 pm.

“OKC wasn’t on Christmas Day, Giannis wasn’t on Christmas Day. Wemby was buried at the beginning of the day.”

Simmons’ point does hold weight. If the NBA is dependent on James and Curry, and to an extent Kevin Durant, to bail them out every time there is a ratings problem, they’re in for trouble when the three superstars retire. To make matters worse, their retirement may come sooner than expected. Both James and Curry have dropped hints about their time coming to an end in their press conferences, and while Durant has been silent, we all know he can’t continue for much longer.

The lack of demand for younger stars like Shai and Giannis is also largely because fans haven’t had the opportunity to see rivalries develop like before. The Curry-James rivalry was allowed almost 2 years to develop before the duo met in their first Finals matchup, and even after that, their games always had the most anticipation around them.

LeBron James says “LeBron and Steph” are what’s great about the NBA today

When speaking to Dave McMenamin after the win yesterday, James claimed that his rivalry with Curry is one of the best things about the league. While he meant it as a brag, his statement does underline Simmon’s point even more.

If two players on the verge of retirement are the most-watched players in the league, then there will be disastrous consequences if they aren’t prepared for life after them. Unless the league can accommodate their younger stars with their older stars while still possible, the long-term falloff that viewership and ratings will experience when the trio of James, Curry, and Durant retire will be unheard of.

While it’s true nobody draws in a crowd like the three future Hall of Famers, there’s always the ‘what-if’ factor when it comes to the younger players. A matchup between Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Anthony Edwards could develop into a great rivalry, but unless the league allows for it to happen, we’ll never know its true potential.

The league needs to start considering life post-LeBron James and invest in its younger players as soon as possible. Risks will have to be taken, and ratings will get worse before they get better again. That’s the unfortunate aspect of having three once-in-a-generation athletes coming up at the same time.