Twitter
Facebook
Reddit
Digg
Tell us what you think!Send a letter to the editor about this or any other article in The Maine Campus.
No Kobe and the Lakers. No Kevin Garnett and no LeBron James.
So, what’s the problem?
Actually, there isn’t a problem at all. Every time you turn on SportsCenter, Pardon the Interruption, or visit your average barbershop, all you hear is how the NBA might be missing three of its biggest stars. Even though all three guys are some of the most talented and popular players the league may have to offer there are still other players out there who could still provide audiences with excitement.
Speaking of people who care, I never thought I’d ever say this but it’s actually a good thing the NBA does not have either the Lakers or Knicks in the playoffs. Before you start attacking, think about it. There are more rumors about David Stern wanting an NY-LA final than there are Tupac sightings. Besides, ever since the Knicks lackluster performance in the 1999 Finals and since there is no more soap opera drama about giving women hush money or hunting wives, its time for the NBA to move on.
Didn’t everyone in America believe that after Michael Jordan left the league its popularity would drop? Yeah, they did and look what happened. The NBA has grown all over the world and one of the great things about Jordan leaving the game for the second time was trying to find out who would come up with the last second shot or better yet, who could the league rely on to get the average fan to watch. Whether or not Kobe, The Kid or ‘Bron will be there I will tell you two guys who will be: Tim Duncan and Shaq.
Think about it, two of the most dominant players that have been in the league over the past ten years are going to finally go at it in the finals? First of all, who wouldn’t want to watch that because, lets be honest, until Larry Brown was smart enough to take over a good team instead of building from the bottom up, the NBA finals were basically the Lakers vs. Spurs. Whoever won would just play the Eastern Conference to make them feel important.
On one hand, you have got Miami, who’s got this mountain of a man who when healthy can take over a game. When he does not feel like shooting, he can give the ball to a guy who cannot only make miraculous shots but is the second fastest man in the league. Maybe its just me, but why does that sound so familiar?
Then you have Tim Duncan. Okay, he has the most boring game to watch because it’s said to be fundamentally-based. Then again, last I checked, it was not about flash and dash but getting the job done. After all, if the NBA was about shaking the hell out of someone then Rafer Alston and the Raptors would be there.
In the end, things worked out for the NBA once again. Instead of the Western Conference Finals being the only series people care about, the east now has a formidable foe. We can finally see if the best one-two punch in the league can take on the most consistent ball-player in the league. It’s not Jordan v. Bird but hey, it will be soon enough.
