Adam Silver told MLB World Series is showing exactly what NBA is desperately missing
Adam Silver told the World Series is showing exactly what the NBA is desperately missing, with Shohei Ohtani being the singular star that even the most casual of fans can latch onto
Bill Simmons explained to Adam Silver what the NBA is missing after watching the World Series, as the league continues to grapple with a sports betting scandal.
Simmons was in attendance to watch Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers take on the Toronto Blue Jays and received a first-hand look at the Japanese megastar's abilities. After watching the 31-year-old enthrall fans around the world, the sports pundit drew a conclusion about the NBA.
His epiphany comes after it was announced that the first two games of the World Series averaged 12.5 million viewers on FOX, marking a 14 percent drop from last year's matchup between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees.
“It just doesn’t matter the sport, when this happens," he said on a recent episode of 'The Bill Simmons' podcast. "When people who don’t care about sports, people like my Mom, when they know what’s going on, that’s like the last level a sport can get to. This is what the NBA is so desperately searching for right now."
The sports pundit added that the NBA sorely needs one singular star to drive the league toward casual fans, especially as the league looks to figure out who that might be after LeBron James and Steph Curry eventually retire.
“They’ve got all these great stars, they don’t have an Ohtani, a watercooler guy," Simmons continued. "The guy you kinda have to go out of your way to see, the guy who has all these magical moments inside him and you never know what’s going to happen."
In that same vein, Simmons believes that San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama is the closest player the NBA has that could be compared to Ohtani. Of note, Wembanyama was recently named the NBA's Western Conference Player of the Week after leading the Spurs to a 3-0 record while averaging 33.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 6.0 blocks per game.
“Wembanyama might be that guy. There’s real signs that this can happen, where it’s something we’ve ever seen before. Ohtani - something we’ve never seen before, someone who has a flair for the dramatic, who is just really, really, really, really, special. It’s just a shame it took this long to get him to the Dodgers and to these great moments," he concluded.
Much like Ohtani's two-way dominance, Wembanyama's ability to play like a guard at 7-foot-4 and do so gracefully while also having the touch around the rim like a traditional big man is what has led fans to be enamored with the French superstar.
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What's more, despite the two stars dominating in their respective sports, both are humble in their approach to the game. Ohtani often deflects success to his teammates whenever he has interviews, while Wembanyama focuses on being one of the greats.
Speaking to reporters after winning Player of the Week, Wembanyama's response spoke volumes on the type of player he is and showed his true colors as he reflected on what matters to him moving forward.
"A little bit of pride, you know," he began when asked what the accolade meant to him. "I think the most important stat is the 3-0 before getting this Player of the Week. Three wins, no losses. This is what I'm focused on. It was like, 'Oh, that's cool. I have a game today, though."
For now, it remains to be seen if Wembanyama will be the singular star the NBA needs, much like how Ohtani is for MLB. But considering how the French star is doing things on the court never seen before, he soon could be in that conversation.