Last May 12, I fell out of love with the NBA. The league that I
had loved in the mid-nineties was gone.
Bird and Magic were a distant memory, of course. But that era
was full of surprises: Reggie Miller's killer three point shots and
taunting of super-Knicks fan Spike Lee; Hakeem Olajuwan, the classy
Houston center who played through his Ramadan fast (and played
better than anyone, really); the punishing defense-first teams of
Pat Riley, first in New York and then in Miami; the explosive
combination of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp in Seattle; and the
durable one of John Stockton and Karl Malone in Salt Lake. And, of
course there was Michael Jordan's Bulls -- dashing all their
dreams.
As the '90s turned into the '00s, the NBA lost something for me.
Maybe it was missing a generation of stars that were claimed by
drugs (Len Bias) or let their egos ruin their game (Kemp, Coleman).
The dominance of the San Antonio Spurs also diminished my
enthusiasm. They have a power-forward, Tim Duncan, whose game
managed to be flawless and completely uninspiring at the same time.
Tony Parker speaks French and is married to Eva Longoria. Enough
said.
I watched the playoffs out of duty. I remember little, save for
a few last second heroics by Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, and LeBron
James. Last May, I was determined to enjoy the series between the
veteran and able Spurs, and the run-and-gun Phoenix Suns. But then
some truly awful and baffling refereeing happened in
game three. Bill Simmons would call it the worst-reffed playoff
game in memory.
The one-sidedness of the calls emboldened the Spurs and
flummoxed the Suns, until a violent collision in mid-court
precipitated two Suns players leaving the bench, and being
suspended for the pivotal game five. I didn't watch any more
playoff games that year. In fact, I resolved to give the NBA the
cold shoulder and make do with the NHL and football.
BUT MAYBE THAT call was too hasty. After all, the ref in that
infamous playoff game, Tim Donaghy, was nailed by the feds for
mafia connections and tossed out of the league for good. And now,
as we ready for the 2008 NBA playoffs, the league is more stocked
with talent than ever before in its history.
Consider: there are fully nine teams in the Western Conference
who would be worth watching in any playoff year, from the streaky
Denver Nuggets to the surprisingly mature New Orleans Hornets. And
they even have that modern must, compelling story lines. The
Rockets are missing their prized Chinese giant, Yao Ming, and have
the best record in the league since Christmas. Can Tracy McGrady
exorcise his playoff demons and lead them to the Western
Finals?
The Utah Jazz: Can Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer usher in an
era of playoff dominance in Salt Lake City similar to their
predecessors, John Stockton and Karl Malone? Will Andrei Kirilenko
find his place between them and make them a championship contender?
Is New Orleans phenom Chris Paul the league's best player if he
leads the Hornets deep into the playoffs for the first time? Can
Avery Johnson rally his veteran team for one more deep run and
redeem the Mavericks from their humiliating Finals defeat in
2006?
The Eastern conference is of course much more shallow in talent.
Where the top ten teams in the West have winning records, only the
top six do in the East. But there are at least four near-great
teams to watch. The Detroit Pistons are making their last run at
glory after a period in which they should have been a dynasty. Not
far from them is the Cavaliers' LeBron James, who proved against
Detroit last year that he can take over a close game. He is the
greatest athlete in the NBA, a 6'9'' slashing small forward who can
create his own shots and carry a team on his back. He has done what
no one thought he could do: live up to his own hype.
The Orlando Magic have Dwight Howard, the biggest-hearted big
man in the game and the most talented and creative dunker since
Dr. J.
And then there are the Boston Celtics, who have rebounded from
one of the worst seasons in recent memory by acquiring two
championship-hungry veterans from the West: Ray Allen and Kevin
Garnett. They have made basketball relevant in Beantown for the
first time since Larry Legend retired. And they may meet their
historic foe in the Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers. Kobe Bryant is
a pathological headcase, who chased Shaq out of town and almost
alienated a city when he demanded a trade during a sports-talk show
before the season started. But with Paul Gasol added to the lineup,
Bryant may have finally found the supporting cast he needs.
The games are now well-reffed, the teams are running smart
controlled offense, the league is stacked with more talent than it
has had in two decades and we have the prospect of a Boston vs. Los
Angeles Finals matchup. I'd say the NBA is back.
topics:
Trade, Sports, Law
