I don't know if it the same in the US (where, obviously, the sport has always been more popular than here) but here in Australia I notice Basketball is nowhere near as popular as it was in the early mid-90s when I was growing up. I used to be totally obsessed with basketball, watch games, collect cards obsessively, and play every lunchtime (this was when I was about 9). But since about 1997 or so it has seen a sharp drop in popularity. It seems unusual for a sport to go through stages like a 'fad', but they don't telecast games on commercial tv anymore (perhaps this has something to do with it?), definately don't sell basketball cards (can't even find them at swap-meets) and you see few kids playing basketball at school like we used to do. Any Aussies here also wondering why this is so?

I though maybe it was just because I live In Illinois-aka Jordan's house but yeah, basketball was huge in 90's. Today I hardly hear of Basketball.

I'd say so. I'd say up to 1998 it was big.

Yes it's less popular now.

It seems Football is God these days. Baseball too seemed more popular in the '90s.

Yeah, I'd say it more more popular in the 90's. Also, I'm kind of weird in that, I like Football better in the regular season, but prefer Basketball in the playoffs.

I'm not sure why exactly basketball declined...maybe it was the scandals like with Kobe Bryant, or the feeling that it was over-commercialized, or that it was over-promoted and people got sick of it. Football is very popular nowadays, and baseball popularity varies, but when the Yankees were better in the late '90s, baseball was huge around where I am.

The Popularity of the NBA Died in 1998 when Michael Jordan announced his Retirement

Ever since then, the NBA has been crap.  The following season after Jordan retired, they had a "Strike" shortened season that didn't even begin until about February 1999.  And then it really went in the gutter when the Lakers became good

This year is probably going to be my last year watching the NBA.  I can't even take it anymore, it's a joke league where even the biggest scumbag human being on the planet is loved by everyone  ::)

Football and Baseball are more in the spotlight lately.

The Popularity of the NBA Died in 1998 when Michael Jordan announced his Retirement

Ever since then, the NBA has been crap.  The following season after Jordan retired, they had a "Strike" shortened season that didn't even begin until about February 1999.  And then it really went in the gutter when the Lakers became good

This year is probably going to be my last year watching the NBA.  I can't even take it anymore, it's a joke league where even the biggest scumbag human being on the planet is loved by everyone  ::)


From the way you describe it I'm partly glad I'm not into the NBA scene anymore...has Kobe Bryant released a rap record yet? If not, there'll probably be one in the pipeline ( :D)...Jordan's retirement must certainly have had something to do with it, but his subsequent un-retirement (after that failed stint in Baseball) as part of the Washington Wizards did nothing to help the game's popularity. Indeed, he was playing almost as good (sometimes) better than his Bulls days, though I rarely watched any NBA games. At least some of the old greats like Shaq are still there, but from what I hear it would probably a very different game now to the early-mid 90s.

Basketball (well... any sport other than Rugby) has never been huge here to my knowledge. I'm not sure if it was "more popular" back then or not.

Basketball (well... any sport other than Rugby) has never been huge here to my knowledge. I'm not sure if it was "more popular" back then or not.


Really? Always thought it was quite popular in NZ, as the NZ basketball team seems to be doing well, and a NZ team was recently introduced to the NBL (though it's amazing I'd hear it, since they never give us any news about it).