The debate around NBA viewership isn’t going away anytime soon. While critics often point to the modern style of play or changes in the league’s product, Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen believes the real explanation might lie somewhere else entirely.

Pippen admits fans from the 90s might not find the modern game as appealing. However, the Hall of Famer thinks the biggest reason there’s a decline in viewership is because of distractions.

“You know, the game has changed tremendously. It’s a different style of play. A lot of people are not as attracted to that style of play as they were in the past. But there’s other things out there, too, that are distracting and taking away from the game of basketball.”Scottie Pippen told Bloomberg.

“It’s not like it was in the nineties when, you know, the cell phone was not as popular. It didn’t have as many apps. Well, now people are now engaged in their phone and it takes away from what I consider the greatest game, meaning basketball, is that people don’t really have to watch games anymore,” He continued.

Technology, however, has created a double-edged sword for the league. For a global basketball league, having an online presence is essential. But having access to never-ending content means fans aren’t necessarily as passionate. When there weren’t any phones, you had to buy a ticket or sit in front of the television at the time of the game. Now, a fan can just watch highlights if the timing of the game doesn’t suit their schedule.

“Our game is definitely a global game. I mean, it’s definitely full of a lot of international players. And I do see the game someday expanding to Europe, maybe Mexico. But it’s definitely room for growth. I don’t know how we fix the problem that’s going on right now. But, you know, come playoff times, I think that people tend to tune in a little more, but it’s just a lot more distraction going on that is hard for people to engage in the game as they did in the nineties and early 2000s,” Pippen added.

Ironically, technology might also be helping solve the NBA’s viewership problem.

Adam Silver believes the new media rights deal will show the true picture

The NBA reached a historic media rights agreement before this season. The $76 billion deal included three streaming partners. That aim was to create streaming options since the NBA has a younger fan demographic. And the results appear to be flattering as Adam Silver praised the results during All-Star weekend.

“We have a very young audience, and people were predicting that ratings would go down because our audience wouldn’t find the games since they were no longer on cable. It’s been the exact opposite. So many of our young fans were disenfranchised by traditional cable because the data is clear — they’re just not subscribing to cable packages. They’re spending their time on streaming services,” Silver said.

According to Awful Announcing, there’s been a clear viewership surge this year. Notably, nationally televised games are averaging 1.8 million viewers. That’s a 16% hike from last season. NBC’s return as a broadcast partner after decades away has also provided a nostalgic reason for many fans to tune in again.

There are still problems with actually finding these games. It’s also more expensive since fans have to subscribe to several different streaming services to watch all games. At the same time, the on-court product may actually be improving. For instance, this season’s All-Star Game atmosphere proved to be a massive success.

With some organically built teams also showcasing their strength, the league has become more competitive. That competitiveness is helping generate more interest across the league. Do you think these changes are enough to keep NBA viewership growing? Let us know in the comments.