No Rest for the Rested - NBA Playoffs With all Playing

I'm watching the first round of the NBA playoffs.  Why?  It's the only time when it's a guarantee that the stars of the teams will be actually playing for the ticket paying fans.  After hearing how a number of teams have rested star players during the season, I was surprised to hear that the NBA had another record breaking attendance season during the past year.  Those fans who value their money being spend wisely should be upset when they pay premium ticket prices to see the stars of opposing team.  This is especially important when many teams have raised ticket prices for those games featuring premium star teams such as Golden State, Cleveland, and San Antonio.  Several times these fans have put out the money, paid the high parking fee, and high concession prices, sat in their seat and then heard the announcement that the opposing team would be resting "so and so" for that game.

In such a situation what is a fan to do?  Go to the box office and ask for a refund?  Stay and watch the game featuring the replacement bench players?  After spending $100 plus you know the fans are not going to just go home empty handed.  So the fans hang around and make the best of the situation.

The NBA commissioner recently came out with some innocuous response to the issue of teams resting star players.  In the last week of the season the Brooklyn Nets who were out of playoff consideration actually rested several of their starters in a game that had some playoff considerations.

With all that resting going on, the NBA still broke an attendance record!  What does that say about the fans?  I guess for those able to afford the price of an NBA ticket, it's only money.  There does seem to be some level of disrespect by the players to the fans paying the high ticket prices.  As Tony Kornheiser of PTI said, "If there was a living, breathing, commissioner in the NBA, something would be done about the situation of resting players."

After attending NBA games for at least the last 10 years, I did not purchase a ticket to any NBA game this year.  So the NBA lost my money for at least 4 games.  But as the attendance figures show, the NBA probably could care less.  They got some other victim who paid full price to attend a Cleveland game where Lebron James rested.

Tips for fans who don't have the extra money to throw at the NBA.  If you want to see the star players, buy tickets for one of the first 10 home games of your team's schedule.  Most teams wouldn't dare to rest a player during the first two months of the season.  Avoid buying tickets at the end of the season, unless your team is actually trying for a playoff spot.  Teams notoriously rest star players once they have solidified a playoff spot.  After the first 10 home games you risk going to a game and finding out that a star player, in his 20's, is resting.

Or do like me.  Invest your money into a nice vacation by a beach.  You know the beaches where your star player goes to rest after the season is over!