I wasn’t allowed to watch the NBA growing up. My dad played basketball at the collegiate level and was adamant that it was fixed and said so with the unspoken tone that he had personal knowledge.
But if I had to choose an era, it would be the late 70’s - early 80’s when regional TV wouldnt carry some games and you never really knew if four or five teams a year might fold. Kansas City - Omaha Kings. The Cotton Fitzsimmons - Otis Birdsong era. That seedy NBA we barely remember where some players were paid in cash from that night’s ticket sales and cigarettes and coke were openly used at halftime.
I remember when the finals were shown on tape delay at 10:30 pm.