The NBA Finals tipped off on Thursday night, sparking excitement among basketball fans nationwide eager to see two small-market, yet thrilling teams—the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder—battle for the championship.
However, NBA commissioner Adam Silver faced significant backlash as fans expressed frustration over several changes made for the event.
Social media was flooded with criticism regarding the pre-game presentation. Traditionally, the Larry O’Brien Trophy was prominently displayed at midcourt, setting the stage for the finals, but that tradition has been absent since Silver took over in 2014.
Fans were also upset that the national anthem wasn’t shown and the starting lineups were not announced on-air—both staples before Silver’s tenure as commissioner.
Fan reactions:
"Adam Silver is such a fraud," a fan posted on social media. "This is the NBA Finals and it feels like a regular season game Lousy broadcast, even worse production quality as a whole. You don’t see this level of amateurism in any of the other major sports. They all meet the moment. Silver always misses."
"Adam silver needs so much more hate for making the finals have no special feel to it," another fan posted.
Someone else added, "or the life of me I cannot understand why the in season tournament has a brand new court with a trophy in the middle but the NBA FINALS court now is regular as hell and straight auraless."
"Adam Silver has allowed the NBA to just become a platform for ads & the hell with the presentation of his own league. It’s insane," a fan reacted.
One more fan commented, "thank you Adam Silver for killing the aesthetic of the NBA Finals b/c this [explicit] looks like a regular season game in December."
Adam Silver speaks on the 2025 Paris Games.
Adam Silver
Imagn Images
While the NBA remains a powerhouse on social media, the league has experienced noticeable dips in television ratings and growing frustration from fans regarding the overall product.
One of the most criticized areas is All-Star Weekend, which has evolved into one of the league’s most underwhelming annual events—despite once being a highlight every fan anticipated.
Although not all of the issues can be pinned directly on Silver, as the league’s top decision-maker, he is ultimately seen as the driving force behind the NBA’s direction. For many, the current structure appears to have significant flaws that need addressing.