The NBA has always been about big names in big cities. Whether we're talking about Magic or Kobe in Los Angeles, Russell or Bird in Boston, Jordan or Pippen in Chicago, superstars and super teams are what drive professional basketball in the United States.

In the past 30 years, so-called "big market" teams have won the NBA championship 26 times. Only the San Antonio Spurs (four time winners) have interrupted the big city domination.

So when I hear fans and media members screaming bloody murder about Carmelo Anthony leaving Denver for New York and continuing the "worrying trend" started by LeBron James, I have to laugh.

This is no trend. This is how the NBA works, and if you haven't figured that out yet, then you might as well invest in another pair of rose-coloured glasses and pine for the days when the Syracuse Nats and Rochester Royals roamed the hardwood.

No, small town doesn't play in the NBA anymore, and it hasn't since the 1970's when Milwaukee and Portland both won championships.

Sure Utah had back-to-back Finals appearances snuffed out by Michael Jordan's Bulls in the '90s, and Sacramento lost a controversial Western Conference Finals series in 2002 to L.A., but only San Antonio has been able to buck the big city trend.

And what happens when the Spurs do make the Finals? Ratings drop, interest wanes and the media bleats about "cowtown" teams taking centre stage.

How badly do you think ABC wants a Miami Heat/L.A. Lakers matchup this season? How much would they hate seeing Orlando or Oklahoma City in there?

That's just the reality of it, and even those in the small markets understand where their bread is buttered. When the Lakers come to town, even Memphis sells out.

The superstars, naturally, want to play where the crowds are, where the interest is and where the action is. It's not by accident that Kobe Bryant is in LA, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett are in Boston and LeBron James decided to take his talents to South Beach.

Do you want Jack Nicholson and Leo DiCaprio seated courtside or the wacky weather guy from "Hello Minneapolis?"

What's amazing is that it's taken this long for Anthony to end up in the Big Apple. Whether or not he and Amar'e Stoudemire can bring the Knicks a first championship since 1973 is almost irrelevant: after all, Melo's now on Broadway.

You can count on one hand the true superstars who choose to spend their entire careers in a one-horse town. John Stockton is a rare example. Even his buddy Karl Malone eventually headed to LA for a last-ditch effort at a ring.

So don't waste your energy worrying about small market cities in the NBA. They're used to this. And see you in a few years when Kevin Durant decides it's time to leave Oklahoma City.

Ten largest NBA TV markets/championships

#1 New York - 2 championships

#2 Los Angeles - 11 championships

#3 Chicago - 6 championships

#4 Philadelphia - 2 championships

#5 Golden State - 1 championship

#6 Dallas

#7 Boston - 17 championships

#8 Washington - 1 championship

#9 Atlanta

#10 Houston - 2 championships

(*Detroit is market #11 and has 2)

Ten smallest NBA TV markets/championships

#20 Sacramento

#23 Portland - 1 championship

#25 Indiana

#26 Charlotte

#34 Milwaukee - 1 championship

#35 Utah

#37 San Antonio - 4 championships

#44 Memphis

#45 Oklahoma City

#54 New Orleans