During the 2025 NBA Finals, significant off-court news involving the Los Angeles Lakers’ $10 billion sale and Kevin Durant‘s trade to the Houston Rockets drew as much attention as the championship games themselves. Broadcaster Dan Patrick expressed surprise and concern over how these developments, breaking during the Finals, diverted focus from the league’s marquee event.

Patrick pointed out that a championship series is supposed to be the pinnacle of the NBA season, where other headlines give way until the conclusion. However, stories about the Lakers’ ownership changing hands and Durant’s trade dominated headlines, prompting questions about whether Commissioner Adam Silver approved of these leaks.

David Stern’s Approach to Finals Coverage Versus Current Events

Dan Patrick recalled the former NBA commissioner David Stern’s strict approach to Finals news, emphasizing that the focus should remain solely on the games. Stern reportedly instructed him, during his ESPN SportsCenter days, not to cover breaking NBA stories during the Finals unless they directly involved the championship. Patrick mentioned one instance when he broke news about a coaching change during the Finals and was quickly reminded by Stern to stay focused on the event.

Reflecting on the current climate, Patrick said,

“Somebody broke the story on the Lakers. Shams broke the story. Maybe that wasn’t supposed to come out until this week,”

on his radio show.

The Durant trade, we knew it was going to happen, maybe somebody broke that ahead of schedule…Yeah, I was surprised. And if we have the commissioner on again anytime soon, I’ll ask him about that because he was there with David Stern. He worked with David Stern. And I know for a fact that David Stern did not want any news during the NBA Finals other than the NBA Finals. He told me that point blank one time.”

ESPN’s Role in Highlighting Off-Court NBA Stories

Patrick acknowledged ESPN’s enthusiasm over the additional stories beyond the Finals itself, suggesting the network enjoyed having multiple narratives to engage viewers. He noted that ESPN’s coverage was especially focused on Kevin Durant’s trade rumor developments, which dominated discussions for over a week. Patrick remarked,

“I’m sure the mothership loved this,”

and added,

“Because they had something other than the Thunder and the Pacers to talk about. You had other stories that more people would be interested in. The Kevin Durant story, that felt like it was front burner for the last 10 days on ESPN. Like they were almost praying, begging, wishful reporting to get him to the Knicks.”

Impact of Breaking News on the Finals’ Spotlight

Despite the attention surrounding the Lakers’ ownership change and Durant’s trade, these stories did not appear to deter fans from following the Finals. However, their presence arguably shifted some focus away from the championship series itself, raising concerns about whether this is the best way to promote the NBA’s most important event. The timing and handling of these reports led to speculation about whether Commissioner Silver had any objections.

Looking ahead, there is also curiosity about whether such stories would have been leaked during the Finals had the teams involved been from larger markets, such as a matchup between the New York Knicks and the Lakers. The interplay between competitive market interests and league unity during the Finals remains a tension point amid the NBA’s commercial and sporting dynamics.