That was peak iso ball era, and seems to have skewed the perception of the NBA as a selfish league with boring play.

The game has really evolved in a different direction since then but people still use the same descriptions when talking about why they don't watch. I honestly don't think they've watched more than a handful of games in the last decade.

The style is more open than during the 90s and the defense is much better than during the 80s. A lot of the problem is folks pining for the good ol days. There are plenty of great players and teams to watch now, and lots of diversity in how the game is played. But the familiar stars of their youth have long since retired.