But the action that will have longer-term ramifications for the league, and the media and entertainment landscape, is happening off the court.
The companies holding the rights to show N.B.A.
Discovery, the parent company of TNT — are collectively paying the league $24 billion over nine years for that privilege.
Interest rates are high, Wall Street is demanding profitability over growth, and streaming has reconfigured the entertainment industry.
The result of the N.B.A.’s negotiations will say a lot about the future of broadcast networks, the cable bundle, streaming services and the sports media ambitions of technology companies.
Persons:
LeBron James, Nikola Jokic
Organizations:
Basketball, Disney, ESPN, ABC, Warner Bros, TNT