Letters

Worth Watching?

The low ratings did not reflect my interest in the NBA Finals (Hurly-burly Championship, June 27). The Pistons' Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince and the Spurs' Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan play fundamental basketball at the highest level. Each game was a lesson in team defense. What those who tuned in saw was some of the world's best players playing a team game.

Andy Maino, Los Gatos, Calif.

Jack McCallum's suggestions to improve the NBA (Wake-up Call, June 27) all involved marketing. Here's a suggestion to improve the game itself: Enforce the rules. When a player palms the ball, call the infraction. When a player travels, call the infraction. When the inside banging resembles football, call the foul.

Jim Bendat, Los Angeles

The answer to increasing interest in the NBA is more crowd shots? Nothing is more irritating than being forced to watch sleeping babies, waving fans and players' wives.

Tom Kravchak, Artesia, N.Mex.

The apathy many fans feel toward the NBA can best be summarized by a comment my 18-year-old son made to me while I was watching Game 6 of the Finals and the score was 8-7. He said, "Oh, it must be the third quarter already."

Charles A. Harmeyer Cedar Rapids, Iowa

NBA basketball is predictable and boring. The shot clock and defensive limitations reduce it to a one-on-one or two-on-two game with little passing or creativity. Compared with the college game, the only thing the NBA has to offer is better athletes who can jump higher.