Did Adam Silver Create This NBA Finals Hit?

The Knicks, Wemby, and Adam Silver’s NBA

Someone asked me for a viewership guess on these NBA Finals and I said, “15 million for Game 1.” Then I paused and wondered if I’m way too low here. With the New York Knicks involved and Wemby drawing the attention of casual fans, this series has real juice. I tracked some of the anticipated controversy surrounding Donald Trump’s planned attendance, but ultimately concluded, as I believe Adam Silver has, that the polarizing president’s visit isn’t all that explosive an element.

Why? Because the event is more than big enough to hold Trump and a whole lot else. This NBA Finals feels like a mainstream Super Bowl-ish American water cooler topic, where luminaries from all walks show up. Thunder-Pacers, much as I enjoyed that series, did not feel like a big deal.

What I’m wondering: Did Adam Silver, after all our (especially my?) griping, earn the moment the NBA is having? Or is this Knicks-Spurs Finals just a fortunate occurrence? I’d actually argue Silver should get some credit for what happened here. His actions led to what we’re watching.