Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals was legendary, but I can’t help feeling that the series has lost its aura under Adam Silver.
Tyrese Haliburton connected on another game-winner for his Indiana Pacers as they defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-110. Somehow, though, the game had a regular season vibe.
Many fans on social media shared that sentiment.
Adam Silver is such a fraud. This is the NBA Finals and it feels like a regular season game
— Gautam Ratnam (@GautamRatnamNBA) June 6, 2025
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.
There are a multitude of issues with the NBA Finals broadcast, including the announcers, advertisements, and lack of pregame hype. However, one of the biggest issues is that the Larry O’Brien trophy is no longer displayed at mid court like it was in the early 2000s.
The decals were reportedly removed from the floors in 2014 due to “player safety concerns.” Sounds like a weak excuse.
For comparison, here’s Oklahoma City’s court for the irrelevant In-Season Tournament compared to their hardwood for the NBA Finals:
A mid-November game vs Game 1 of the NBA Finals. League has to do better. pic.twitter.com/Q68uyc6sDB
— jack (@TheCavsJack) June 6, 2025
Clearly, the In-Season Tournament courts were eye sores. But I’m not asking for much. Just show a little effort and put the trophy back on the floor so it feels like a Finals game again.