That's definitely one factor, but from what I recall (it's been a while) the connection was slightly more subtle. The NBA season (Oct-Apr) overlaps the flu seas

That's definitely one factor, but from what I recall (it's been a while) the connection was slightly more subtle. The NBA season (Oct-Apr) overlaps the flu season (Dec-Feb) so if people are googling NBA results you're in either in or close to the typical flu season. If the NBA decided to change their schedule, the correlation would go away.