A major story in the world of entertainment broke Saturday night when Ringling Bros. Circus announced it was shutting down after 146 years of touring the United States.
“Ringling Bros. ticket sales have been declining, but following the transition of the elephants off the road, we saw an even more dramatic drop,” Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO of Feld Entertainment which owns the circus, said in a statement.
While many might lament this development, it’s likely NBA teams and their players are not among them.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, without the Ringling Bros. Circus in play, teams could see a reprieve to the brutal road trips they endure.
Ringling Bros. announced its shutting down circus. Could have major affect on NBA scheduling. Circus forces many teams to take long trips.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) January 15, 2017
There has been some talk in recent years that the NBA needs to cut its schedule because of the excessive travel that the current 82-game season demands. None other than former Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant was one who advocated such a move (more on that here).
But perhaps now that there isn’t as much competition for NBA stadiums there won’t be such a need for extended road trips across the country. That would definitely impact the product of the game in a positive manner and perhaps have an equal impact on the way attrition impacts injuries and fatigue in the latter stages of the season.