Is the NBA becoming the NBE?

The National Basketball Entertainment league -- that's what it kind of feels like these days.

Bam Adebayo's "record-setting" 83-point game the other night is just one more example of a league that is increasingly criticized for spectacle and flash over substance and standards. Traveling seems to no longer be a rule at all, carrying the ball has replaced the dribble, "load management" is standard practice for taking a night or week off, hand checking by the defense is still a no-no while star players can push and shove defenders with their free hand, and the theatrical flopping by some of the biggest stars has reached a level that puts European soccer to shame. 

For basketball fans who remember earlier eras like the 90s with Jordan, Barkley, Ewing, Olajuwon, Malone and more, the 80s with Magic and Kareem battling Bird and Parrish with the Pistons playing the bad boys, and 70s with the legendary Dr. J, the current loose game and lax standards for the fundamentals of roundball just feels like a superficial, over-commercialized video game in real life. Granted, it's always the case that the older generation criticizes the younger one as "not as good as it used to be." And that may certainly be a subjective reality. Yet it's difficult to argue today's game isn't different. 

Personally, the record by Bam holds little weight with me because it seemed so contrived. A center tossing up 22 three-point shots is absurd, as is that same player going to the line for 43 foul shots. The Wizards are a team that is clearly tanking a season, so the competitive edge was lax at best. And fans can literally see Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra laughing on the sidelines toward the end, leaving a player in as his team blatantly fouls to extend the game time. While Bam is certainly a solid NBA player and even an All-Star selection, he is nowhere near the caliber of talent and impact of the legendary Kobe Bryant, whose record he supposedly just surpassed. 

So, for this NBA fan, that NBA record is certainly one with an asterisk, as are many of LeBron's longevity awards. The game is what it is, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver, as well as the players association clearly want it that way. They'll continue to make their billions, and I will still watch the game. But I am less than impressed.