This story ran on the AP wire before Game 4 of the Cavs vs. Celtics series:
CLEVELAND (AP)—On the subject of the NBA’s infatuation with pregame pyrotechnics, smoke and noise, commissioner David Stern was loud and clear: He’s had enough.
“I think they’re ridiculous,” Stern said Monday before Game 4 of the Cavaliers-Celtics second-round playoff series. “I think that the noise, the fire, the smoke, is a kind of assault that we should seriously consider reviewing in whether it’s really necessary given the quality of our game.”
His comments came just a few minutes before Cleveland’s over-the-top player introductions, which include fire—hot enough that fans can feel the heat in the stands—shooting out of four swords on the scoreboard.
Such pyrotechnic displays have become common around the league. The barrage of fireworks in Boston is so intense it leaves a fog hanging over the court for most of the first quarter.
“It may be that these are the maniacal rantings of a fan from a different era and I recognize that, but you know I’m sitting there waiting for the next cannon to go off and then the fire heats up the arena,” Stern said, “so the temperature in the arena raises by 15 degrees. That’s if you can see it because you’re still waiting for the smoke, which is chemical, to clear.”
Cavs forward Ben Wallace says the smoke in Boston contributed to the dizziness that forced him to leave Game 2. Wallace didn’t go onto the court for Game 3 in Cleveland until the onslaught of smoke and fire had ended. Anderson Varejao ran onto the court in his place.
The special effects aren’t limited to pregame introductions. White residue from fire extinguishers delayed Game 1 of the Spurs-Hornets series for 19 minutes between the first and second quarters after a mascot soared through a ring of fire for a dunk in New Orleans.
Another thing that annoys Stern is the nonstop loud music and other noise that isn’t generated by fans.
“I always bite my tongue because I say, ‘Well, maybe I’m not the demographic that likes to be assaulted by loud rap, smoke, pyrotechnics and chemicals,”’ he said. “I’m outdated, but I think it’s time for us to say, ‘Hey guys, lets look at it one more time.”’
There’s rarely a quiet moment in Cleveland’s arena where the video screen routinely displays a meter registering over 100 decibels, as loud as a rock concert.
Stern, more of a Simon and Garfunkel fan, says he’s got nothing against hip hop and the music appreciated by younger audiences, but says the volume is over the top.
“What’s happened is that very well intentioned people feel that it’s their obligation to root their team on to victory, to urge them … they think if you turn up the loudspeaker it’s going to help them perform better even though there are babies in the building,” he said.
AP Sports Writer Tom Withers contributed to this report.
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ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan wrote:
CLEVELAND -- David Stern's senses have been assaulted, and the commissioner feels it's time to turn down the noise and scale back the pyrotechnics at NBA games.
Stern went on a rant Monday night prior to Game 4 of the Celtics-Cavaliers series when asked if the trend toward loud, fiery in-arena entertainment gimmicks had gotten out of hand.
"I'm going to get in trouble for this, but I think they're ridiculous. I think the noise, the fire, the smoke is a kind of assault that we should seriously consider reviewing in whether it's really necessary given the quality of our game," Stern said.
Ben Wallace said the smoke from pregame fireworks in Boston prior to Game 2 worsened the dizzy condition that knocked him out of that game after just four minutes, and the Cavs decided to keep him in the locker room prior to Game 3 so he would not have a similar reaction during pregame introductions in Cleveland. The Cavs put on one of the league's most elaborate player-introduction rituals, with four huge jets shooting large streams of fire out of the corners of the center-court scoreboard.
"It may be that these are the maniacal rantings of a fan from a different era, and I recognize that, but you know I'm sitting there waiting for the next cannon to go off, and then the fire heats up the arena so the temperature in the arena rises by 15 degrees -- that's if you can see it because you're still waiting for the smoke, which is chemical, to clear, which is invariably done by the end of the half," Stern said.
"But I always bite my tongue because I'm not the demographic that wants to be assaulted by loud rap, smoke, pyrotechnics and chemicals. It makes me sort of outdated, but I think it's time for us to say, 'Hey guys, let's look at it one more time,'" he said.
Stern has had similar concerns in the past, and in 1996 the league strictly enforced a little-known rule on maximum in-arena decibel levels when the Utah Jazz were competing in the Western Conference finals against the Seattle SuperSonics.
"I think that's what has happened is that very well-intentioned people feel that it's their obligation to root their team on to victory, to urge them," he said. "But what they do is, they think if you turn up the loudspeaker it's going to help them perform better -- even though there are babies in the building.
"I think we should have it as a time capsule item, because in some future century people are going to look and say, 'What were they thinking about?'" he said. "And I'm positive that Red [Auerbach] is watching and getting ready to call me, because I think we've gone over the top."
