As a basketball fan who grew up in the middle of nowhere where college football was king, the two main responses that I get from people when I tell them I love the NBA is 1. blank stares (preferable) or 2. a long rant about how the NBA has sucked for years. More broadly, I think we're all familiar with people online who rant about how the "league is cooked" "literally unwatchable" etc., especially on other sports subs. As someone who really enjoys the current era of the NBA, I find it somewhat galling that so many people seem to hate it so much. The usual arguments seem to boil down to:

1. Too many free throws/star calls (probably fair, though it doesn't bother me much)

2. Three-pointers have ruined the game (strongly disagree)

3. Can't play defense anymore/hand-checking/carrying allowed (arguably true, and some changes should be made)

4. "Toughness"/"Different league" (blind nostalgia)

5. Michael Jordan isn't there (see 4.)

Overall, what do you think of these arguments? Do some of these people actually have a point, or is this just nostalgia for a bygone era? Moreover, if you prefer a different style/era of basketball, what are some rule changes you would recommend to improve the product?

EDIT:

Some additional arguments:

6. Player empowerment/players moving too much killing teams and rivalries (I somewhat agree)

7. Players resting/load management (also somewhat agree)