Unlike other leagues, the NBA intentionally taps into nostalgia. Fans want it more and more. This is evident by the ridicule over a virtual NBA Finals logo being added to the court during Game 3. 

The social media frenzy forced NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to respond on ESPN's NBA Countdown. Silver mentioned that the logo on the court had gone out of style but found a way to incorporate it.

“I've seen some of the chatter on social media around on-court decals,” he said. “People don't realize they went away a decade ago… we're back to adding them virtually.”

The Finals between the Pacers and Thunder is reaching a critical point. The Pacers won Game 3 116-107 to take a 2-1 series lead.

Lately, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is more and more on the tube during this postseason. Recently, Silver expressed shock at Michael Jordan becoming an NBC contributor this fall.

Ironically, it is the coinciding of nostalgia that fans can't seem to let go of. 

The NBA's complicated relationship to nostalgia

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It's becoming more and more clear that the NBA is stuck in a tug-of-war game when it comes to nostalgia. On the one hand, fans feel the urge to harken back to a time when the game was more physical and had a multitude of personalities to root for. 

Oftentimes, fans romanticized the Michael Jordan era of the 1990s more than any other. That explains why the NBA will be returning to NBC in the fall. 

The Finals logo on the court was something fans embraced and speaks to that strong sense of nostalgia. 

On the other hand, overemphasizing nostalgia runs the risk of overlooking the game and its players in the current moment. That lack of enthusiasm could hinder the game's progress. 

It can also lead, as has been the case, to never-ending debates among fans over which era was the best. 

Essentially, nostalgia is the NBA's best friend and worst enemy.