The NBA was at it again in Game 2.
And fans still can’t figure out why one of the biggest sports leagues in the world refuses to promote its own championship series.
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“Why does the NBA hate their own product?” one fan tweeted.
“They heard all the criticism and did the laziest thing possible,” a second fan posted.
The ‘criticism’ dates back to Game 1, when fans realized that the NBA Finals trophy was inexplicably missing from a small-market matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers.
The court for Game 1 at the Paycom Center basically looked the same as a regular-season game in the middle of November or February.
A shining Larry O’Brien trophy — which is supposed to define the NBA’s 82-game regular season and two-month playoff period — was noticeably absent.
So was the cool Finals script that many fans grew up with.
“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 aura-less,” a fan wrote during Game 1.
The Game 2 ‘improvements’ left fans even more confused.
Small digital trophies were placed on the hardwood, yet they barely stood out on TV and were clearly superimposed.
A familiar Finals logo also appeared in digital form, yet it had ‘presented by YouTubeTV’ attached and also wasn’t what fans expected.
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The NFL lets the world know that the Super Bowl is only trumped by the Champions League final for the biggest annual sports event in the world.
For two weeks, the Super Bowl logo is impossible to miss.
MLB also ensures that fans immediately know they’re watching the World Series.
But Game 1 of Pacers-Thunder looked like game 22 in December, and fans were mystified as to why the NBA would ‘respond’ to all the criticism with small digital tweaks.
“That looks awful,” one fan tweeted.
“Still ain’t it,” a second fan posted.
NBA’s Greatest
OKC was much improved in Game 2, opening a 23-point lead and coasting to a 123-107 home victory that tied the Finals at 1-1.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was again in MVP form, scoring a game-high 34 points.
Tyrese Haliburton answered his Game 1 heroics with a quiet first half in Game 2, and was held to 17 points while committing five turnovers.
The NBA has until Wednesday night to find a way to paint the Finals trophy and logo on the court inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Game 3.
With the cheapest ticket on the secondary market costing $721, a league that makes $11 billion annually should be able to afford a couple cans of paint and a skilled crew.
“Is the NBA so cheap that they can’t afford to put down Finals decals in both OKC and Indy?” one fan asked.