During the o-season, the Los Angeles Lakers added Dwight Howard and Steve Nash to its already star-studded lineup featuring Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, while the Miami Heat signed Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to join LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Is the joining of all these stars on the same team a good thing for the NBA?

 Alex Rostowsky:

In the short term, de?nitely. The NBA is looking to capture the magic of the Celtics-Lakers rivalry in the 1980s which was loaded with future hall of famers. These teams could go back and forth for championships for years to come. In the long term, I think it will hurt smaller market teams like New Orleans and Utah who won’t be able to spend the cash to keep their all-stars for very long. Teams like that might not be able to keep their heads above water 20 years from now.

Demario Phipps-Smith :

I don’t think it’s as good for the league’s image as it is for its pocketbook. Cities such as Los Angeles or Miami are large TV markets, so it’s more lucrative for the NBA to have the best players in the biggest cities. Hypothetically, more people would watch Derrick Rose in Chicago as a Bull as a opposed to those watching him in San Antonio as a member of the Spurs because of the demographic of the two cities. This is a wise move ?nancially, but what does it do to the league’s competitiveness? What about the little guys?

Ben Conrady:

Fans love a villain. When Bosh and James went to the Heat, the majority of fans instantly hated the team. The Lakers might be seen the same way. Whether these teams are loved or hated, it leads to viewers turning in. It is absolutely great for the league.