The NBA's player empowerment era has delivered plenty of positives for the game. Stars aligning in major markets through free agency has been big business, and offseason intrigue has expanded the league's popularity among American sports fans.
But one downside, according to Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Mullin, is the lack of chemistry among teams with rosters constantly in flux.
“The biggest factor ... is free agency,” the former Warriors player and general manager said on NBC Sports’ “Lunch Talk Live.” “There wasn’t as much movement with the star players. You’d build your teams around those guys, you would run in veterans to try and help them get over the top, the core stays the same, which helped chemistry, helped with teamwork.”
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Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls’ core stayed together for nearly the entire 1990s and won six championships. Kevin Durant and the Warriors' union lasted less than half that and produced three titles.
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The same level of income wasn't available to players during Mullin’s heyday, as NBA salaries have ballooned in the 21st century. There is a lot more incentive for the league’s stars to examine all free agency options.
Team chemistry has evolved in the NBA, as rosters now depend on stars and simply putting out as much talent as possible that loyalty and keeping a group together no longer are a priority.
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