Steven Adams and the Oklahoma City Thunder are no longer relevant to a wider audience.
That was the message conveyed when the NBA announced its 2019-20 schedule this week, with the Thunder to be rarely sighted on nationally televised broadcasts.
In the 2018-19 season, the Oklahoma City side had 27 nationally televised games broadcasted on either ABC, ESPN or TNT. However, Kiwi fans will have to invest in the NBA League Pass streaming service to watch the team this season, with just three nationally televised games.
As is always the case in the NBA, off-season moves can make or break the interest in a team outside of its local fan base. The Thunder lost former league MVP Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets and perennial All-Star Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers.
While they yielded hefty returns for both players which have set the franchise up well for the future, in the present the team is not seen as one that piques interest in a wider audience. That's not to say they won't be competitive. As the roster stands, they'll certainly cause some problems in the highly competitive Western Conference, with Adams, superstar point guard Chris Paul, and sharp shooting Italian big man Danilo Gallinari leading the charge.
