OT: Possible NBA Team In Pittsburgh

billybudd

Registered User
Feb 1, 2012
22,049
2,249
I know the Pittsburgh perspective of this, but the fans of hockey here don't realize that when the Pens aren't playing, nba games here routinely decimate nhl games... the last Nhl cup final the pens didn't make, the NBA crushed in ratings... even last year the nba had grest ratings in the off days : NBA finals top Pittsburgh ratings, when we're not watching the Pens

There is a huge nba following here.. and basketball is way more widespread in high school... the westerm pa area is larger than several 4 sport areas... its going to happen sooner or later...

Everything I've bolded is not accurate. The NBA playoffs got killed by both the NHL playoffs and a Pirates losing streak in 2015 in this market. 2015 is the last year the Penguins didn't make the finals.

Your own article specifies that the highest-rated NBA playoff series ever drew "about half as many viewers (per capita) as the national average" and theorized the only reason it won its time slot was because the only new programs it was head-to-head against were a spelling bee and a $60 pay-per-view event. As an aside, "half the national average" very likely puts Pittsburgh at the bottom of the 50 biggest US markets, if not dead last. All the positive stuff about engagement or the NBA "wholloping" the NHL is entirely in reference to out of market activity.

This isn't indicative of a "huge nba following" in Pittsburgh. It's indicative of the NBA being so invisible in Pittsburgh that you need to scrub every single channel of programming for the most high-profile finals in memory, featuring the most high-profile player in the sport's history, to be able to win a time slot at all.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Captain Crash

Harvey Birdman

…Need some law books, with pictures this time…
Oct 21, 2008
9,145
2,234
Penguins Legal Office
I’m good. I have no interest in a NBA team in Pittsburgh. I was a big NBA fan when I was a young young kid like 3rd-4th grade but I lost all interest in basketball a long time ago. I don’t even watch NCAA basketball, or really anything NCAA for that matter.

Even if we got a team and It was decent to good I’d probably only even look at highlights or news articles in my sports apps if all my other feeds were dried up. Maybe a game once or twice a year on a national broadcast if literally nothing else was on.

Also do not want the Penguins splitting facility time... 100% no thanks. It would only cause situations for worse ice conditions.

So to the NBA in Pittsburgh thanks... But a HUGE no thanks.
 

Peat

Registered User
Jun 14, 2016
29,292
25,206
Out of curiousity - would sharing with us be the only way an NBA franchise set up in town? Or would they have other good options? I feel like the facilities are the most important part of the puzzle here.
 

ziggyjoe212

Registered User
Oct 2, 2017
3,039
2,359
Out of curiousity - would sharing with us be the only way an NBA franchise set up in town? Or would they have other good options? I feel like the facilities are the most important part of the puzzle here.
Pitt v Duquesne, NBA pre season, Globetrotters, and March Madness all use the PPG Arena. Why wouldn't a hypothetical NBA team? Almost every single city with an NBA and NHL team share an arena. Heck, LA has 3 teams sharing Staples Center.
 

Jacob

as seen on TV
Feb 27, 2002
49,342
24,740
Out of curiousity - would sharing with us be the only way an NBA franchise set up in town? Or would they have other good options? I feel like the facilities are the most important part of the puzzle here.
Maybe some games could be played at Petersen Events Center, but its capacity is only 13k.
 

BKIslandersFan

F*** off
Sep 29, 2017
11,447
5,062
Brooklyn
Pitt v Duquesne, NBA pre season, Globetrotters, and March Madness all use the PPG Arena. Why wouldn't a hypothetical NBA team? Almost every single city with an NBA and NHL team share an arena. Heck, LA has 3 teams sharing Staples Center.
Oh PPG Arena is physically capable, but I guess what he is asking is what happens if Penguins are not willing to share? Or if potential NBA team owner does not want to share.

Yea Pittsburgh can't support two major league arenas. City definitely won't pay for it and it is not financially prudent to privately build another one and have to split concerts with PPG.
 

SHOOTANDSCORE

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe
Sep 25, 2005
10,952
4,675
There are a lot of basketball fans in the area. I don't think there are a lot of NBA fans. Nearly everyone I've talked to hates the league and just watches college/high school.

I don't know if that would change but I sure wouldn't bet money on it.
 

DesertPenguin

Registered User
Apr 22, 2015
3,063
1,582
When the Petersen Events Center was rocking night after night for Pitt games, I would have said yeah maybe. Seeing what a ghost town it became when Pitt stopped winning though, no I don't believe it.

Pittsburgh doesn't need an NBA team. If people really want to watch NBA basketball they can drive to Cleveland and watch the Cavs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ogrezilla

ziggyjoe212

Registered User
Oct 2, 2017
3,039
2,359
I know the Pittsburgh perspective of this, but the fans of hockey here don't realize that when the Pens aren't playing, nba games here routinely decimate nhl games... the last Nhl cup final the pens didn't make, the NBA crushed in ratings... even last year the nba had grest ratings in the off days : NBA finals top Pittsburgh ratings, when we're not watching the Pens

Im telling yinz... I spend most summers in Oklahoma... when the discussions about moving a team to ok city were going on it was religiously reported that the nba preference was Pittsburgh... the timeframe was just off

There is a huge nba following here.. and basketball is way more widespread in high school... the westerm pa area is larger than several 4 sport areas... its going to happen sooner or later...
I've lived in Pittsburgh for 23 years and I don't know a single person who follows the NBA outside of maybe the finals. Perhaps it is more popular in the black community.

Pittsburgh would be, by far, the smallest 4 sport city in N America. Frankly, there is no place for it. We already have a pro sport for every season.

Seattle, KC, and San Diego are far better markets for the NBA.
 

Big McLargehuge

Fragile Traveler
May 9, 2002
72,188
7,741
S. Pasadena, CA
Pittsburgh is as appealing to the NBA as Indianapolis is to the NHL...it may work, but there's far bigger and more appealing cities on the table before you would seriously start to consider it.
 

Harvey Birdman

…Need some law books, with pictures this time…
Oct 21, 2008
9,145
2,234
Penguins Legal Office
Hard pass. I literally have not been interested in the NBA in over two decades. Honestly if put in a vacuum and given a choice between pro basket ball and college basketball. Even though I do not follow ether, or college sports at all really. I would choose to watch the college ball over the pro. How the rules are, egos, and utter lack of any parity on any level... I just have utterly zero interest in the NBA.

Also I do not believe the size of the town can support 4 pro teams. Just not enough to go around. AND... Where would the team be hosted? PPG? No thanks just on a quality of ice stand point. Simply based on that ALONE, no... no... a thousand times no.
 
Last edited:

Harvey Birdman

…Need some law books, with pictures this time…
Oct 21, 2008
9,145
2,234
Penguins Legal Office
I've lived in Pittsburgh for 23 years and I don't know a single person who follows the NBA outside of maybe the finals. Perhaps it is more popular in the black community.

Pittsburgh would be, by far, the smallest 4 sport city in N America. Frankly, there is no place for it. We already have a pro sport for every season.

Seattle, KC, and San Diego are far better markets for the NBA.
I currently live in San Diego, and I am not a NBA fan so I care neither way... I have no horse in the race. But sports fans here are aching for a team to follow with the exit of the Chargers and the fact that the Padres are just a flat out disappointment every single year. I even see Gulls gear very commonly since the Chargers exit. The Ducks AHL affiliate here in San Diego which quite a few sports fans have migrated toward since the exit of the NFL from the city just because the city would not cut an arena deal with the insanely greedy owner who basically wanted a new arena built downtown and for lack of a better way to put it 99.99999% publicly funded. So the NBA in San Diego could work. Not sure how it would translate to a heavily Hispanic population that lives here. But with the lack of other pro sports options in this town it should be something the NBA raises a eyebrow over.
 

Big McLargehuge

Fragile Traveler
May 9, 2002
72,188
7,741
S. Pasadena, CA
I currently live in San Diego, and I am not a NBA fan so I care neither way... I have no horse in the race. But sports fans here are aching for a team to follow with the exit of the Chargers and the fact that the Padres are just a flat out disappointment every single year. I even see Gulls gear very commonly since the Chargers exit. The Ducks AHL affiliate here in San Diego which quite a few sports fans have migrated toward since the exit of the NFL from the city just because the city would not cut an arena deal with the insanely greedy owner who basically wanted a new arena built downtown and for lack of a better way to put it 99.99999% publicly funded. So the NBA in San Diego could work. Not sure how it would translate to a heavily Hispanic population that lives here. But with the lack of other pro sports options in this town it should be something the NBA raises a eyebrow over.

Take the Clippers back, please.

Six years of living in LA and I've still never met a Clippers fan.

Take the Chargers back, too...they're maybe the 5th most popular NFL team in LA.
 

EightyOne

My posts are jokes. And hockey is just a game.
Nov 23, 2016
12,697
12,034
Silver would be smarter to abandon the Fool's Gold--and that's what this market is for the NBA--he sees in Western PA and pay attention to the NHL's preliminary success in Las Vegas. Pittsburgh can't support 4 teams, but if Vegas does end up being able to support 1, it might be able to support 2.

They're already getting a second. Don't forget the Raiders are moving there.

What bugs me about basketball is the last five minutes are just strategic fouls and free throws.

Rewrite the rules so they actually play a game and I'll consider it.

It seems super flawed and dumb to me. Any basketball fans have a comment on that take?
 

Harvey Birdman

…Need some law books, with pictures this time…
Oct 21, 2008
9,145
2,234
Penguins Legal Office
Take the Clippers back, please.

Six years of living in LA and I've still never met a Clippers fan.

Take the Chargers back, too...they're maybe the 5th most popular NFL team in LA.
In regards to the Chargers. That ship has sailed on two fronts. 1: Spanos would never do it, A: Out of ego, B: Because the city will not meet his demands on a nearly completely publicly funded arena in the downtown area. And 2: Spanos has burnt nearly every bridge he can within the San Diego area. He is utterly hated. Nearly every local speak of his name in terms of murder or assault. The only way the Chargers return to San Diego is if Spanos sold the team, which I can see possibly happening with how bad the LA plan is going, but even if he did sell I do not see that team returning to San Diego. They are more likely to go to Oakland :laugh: than return to San Diego.
 

Big McLargehuge

Fragile Traveler
May 9, 2002
72,188
7,741
S. Pasadena, CA
That Chargers situation just bums me out...especially because I know a few people who were die-hard San Diego Chargers fans living in LA who refuse to acknowledge their existence now. Spanos completely poisoned the well, even here.
 

billybudd

Registered User
Feb 1, 2012
22,049
2,249
They're already getting a second. Don't forget the Raiders are moving there.

What bugs me about basketball is the last five minutes are just strategic fouls and free throws.

Rewrite the rules so they actually play a game and I'll consider it.

It seems super flawed and dumb to me. Any basketball fans have a comment on that take?

This thread's a necro. I don't think the Raiders were moving to LV at the time it was posted.
 
  • Like
Reactions: EightyOne

USMC607

Registered User
Apr 4, 2013
4,143
2,291
Yeah but how popular was/is Hockey when the Pens weren't good? A successful team would definitely generate interest.

The penguins support has been sporadic at times. But they have always had a decent following. Even thru dark yrs.

Their average attendance for the yr was between 14,000-16,500 from 86/87 to 06/07. The only down yr was 03/04 at 11k. It jumped back up the next yr.

Since 09 we havent been below 18k.

The whole sale and moving of the team had more to do with needing a new arena than attendance or support.
 

Pens x

Registered User
Oct 8, 2016
16,184
7,959
As a big college basketball fan, I would be a fan. I can’t stand baseball anymore, anything would be an upgrade over 4 hour games. To me, Pittsburgh only has 2 teams, let’s add another. The pirates are an embarrassment, they don’t count anymore.
PPG arena is already built, use it another 41 nights every year.

The highest and third highest team payrolls made it to the World Series. #Shocker
 
Last edited:

Richard

Registered User
Feb 8, 2012
2,897
2,003
I couldn't even name a team outside of the celtics Lakers Cavaliers bulls and Raptors.


Hard pass. Never attended and never watched an NBA game.

Never will
 

Harvey Birdman

…Need some law books, with pictures this time…
Oct 21, 2008
9,145
2,234
Penguins Legal Office
That Chargers situation just bums me out...especially because I know a few people who were die-hard San Diego Chargers fans living in LA who refuse to acknowledge their existence now. Spanos completely poisoned the well, even here.
I'm no a fan of the team so its just all spectating for me with the situation since I came here to San Diego in mid 2011. But I see them going to a city that already has had a NFL team. Like Oakland... Which would just be hilarious. Or St. Louis. I have a hard time thinking of any cities that have not previously having a team, wanting an NFL team. I believe San Diego will get a team again if the NFL does another expansion.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->