Actually, if you're gonna point fingers, you can start with:
- Adam Silver (deputy commissioner 2006-14; commissioner 14-now); mid-2000's was when the league's decline began with the hand-check rule. It softened up defenses and players.
- Steph Curry; his 3-point proficiency coupled with the league's softening of defensive play made the 3-point-driven offense wildly successful and changed the way everyone plays the game now.
- Generational comfort; American kids these days have cushier lives than kids who grew up in the 60s-80s. Harder times create harder people. Good luck finding anyone in today's NBA who have a hardened killer instinct guys like Jordan, Magic and Bird possessed. ...It's one of the key reasons European players are now better than Americans; Americans are pampered bitches.