Viewpoint by Marley malenfant/feature editor

If you love the NBA, you probably had opening day Nov. 1 circled on the calendar or marked on the iPhone.

But until league owners and the players’ union stop bickering over how to split billions of dollars, fans should cancel their NBA League Passes.

However, it’s not the end of the sport. There’s plenty of basketball to watch, just not in the pros.

College basketball, which is exciting, starts Nov. 11. It’s fun to watch the new collegiate basketball stars take over SportsCenter highlights.

The last three years, the NCAA had Jimmer Fredette, John Wall, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin and Tyler Hansbrough.

Every year, college hoop fans drool for Duke-North Carolina games, arguably the greatest rivalry in college sports.

There’s March Madness, the 68-team tournament, which is great for fan involvement. Fill out a bracket and see how it looks by the end of the tournament.

Last year’s Final Four was the strangest yet. I guarantee nobody picked Virginia Commonwealth University to go that far.

Texas isn’t all just football. There’s also plenty of high school basketball to watch. Chris Bosh, LaMarcus Aldridge, Deron Williams and Kenyon Martin, who are currently in the NBA, all played high school basketball in North Texas.

Hoop fans, just get involved. Stop watching Kevin Durant highlights on YouTube or checking to see if LeBron James added a postgame during the summer. The only thing that will change with James is his hairline.

Basketball shouldn’t be just for viewing pleasure.

Play some intramural basketball in the spring, or join a local recreational league.

Play pick-up basketball in the park. Help mentor younger players and help them learn to play basketball the right way.

Stop worrying about your fantasy league. Owners and players aren’t worried about the fans. Fans shouldn’t worry about them.

By the time the NBA season starts, it will go unnoticed.