Is the NBA back?
LeBron James' 3-pointer late Friday night is already legendary. Is the NBA back?
When I tell people I cover the NBA for a living, especially in a football state like Georgia, I usually hear the following response - "I hate the NBA."
Is that changing now? I think it is, as the sports bar where I watched (and blurbed) Friday's unbelievable win for Cleveland, blew up with a roar when LeBron hit his shot. I assume that if people in Dahlonega, GA (where NASCAR, the Bulldogs, Falcons and Braves are the only sports anyone cares about) went nuts, that it happened everywhere else, as well. I assume we will all remember where we were for that shot - much like Ralph Sampson against the Lakers a million years ago, Jordan's 63 vs. Boston, Larry vs. Nique in 88, and Jordan torching Ehlo from my college dorm room.
These Conference Finals are off to as good a start as any in history, and I get the feeling that even folks who "hate the NBA" have to be feeling this thing.
The NBA is back, baby. Do you agree?
I should be posting a new Mock Draft on Tuesday, and there will be some serious changes. Guys like Jrue Holiday and Jonny Flynn will move into the lottery, while I have to sort out the Ricky Rubio "withdraw from Draft" situation. I think I'm going with Blake Griffin to the Clippers, although I really get the sense they will trade down and end up with Rubio, and then putting Hasheem Thabeet with Memphis, Rubio to the Thunder and then James Harden or Jordan Hill to the Kings. I wouldn't mind updating the Mock every Tuesday, but I will definitely have a new and improved version up for this one.
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Comments
As a Cavs fan, I was sick wih the inbound coming, thinking about the horrid situation the Cavaliers would be in going to Orlando, down 0-2. Not thinking they were out of it, but sick with the matchups that were'nt going to fix themselves over the 48 hour break from game 2 to 3. When LeBron hit that shot, I screamed, one of those cheap Paris Hilton screams like in that cheesy wax movie, that brought my wife in from the other room. In regards to your next mock, being a Cavs fan in the OKC, if Rubio drops to them, could you see the Thunder moving their other first rounder and Rubio for Blake? I would hope the Thunder would give up anything (besides Durant) to land the hometown hero in Griffin, to include Westbrook or Green.
Posted by: Jack | May 23, 2009 08:04 AM
Welcome back to the blogging world Doc. Well, I have always loved the NBA so I'm a bit biased. As for the state of the NBA with the casual fan....nothing could have been worse than the strike shortened 1999 season. The NBA had to do a massive PR job to try and lure fans back. In fact, I still have my "I still love this game/the NBA" CD (Will Smith, Sly & Family Stone, Tony Bennett, etc.) that was passed out to fans for free during Celtics games when the 1999 season resumed. As for LeBron and his shot, amazing. However, the Cavs never should have been in that position to begin with. They lose game 1 and then need a buzzer beater 3 pointer in game 2 to beat the Magic. Nugs and Magic are playing their hearts out and making the conference finals very entertaining and interesting. I LOVE THIS GAME!!!!!
Posted by: Mark Sedita | May 23, 2009 01:12 PM
You rock Cat man. The Nuggets should be up 2-0 but I will take the split. Hope they can play well tonite in the home opener of the Conference finals.
Posted by: Larry | May 23, 2009 04:08 PM
Well, I may be bias as well, but having watched the NBA in the 80's and 90's, I gotta say that it'll never be like the good old Celtics vs Lakers, Bulls Dynasty, etc. Seeing guys like Magic, Bird, Jordan, Barkley, Olajuwon & Ewing perform for the love of the game was so much better than watch the current NBA guys play for fortune & fame..because that's what it is ! Fortune & Fame is all that matters now ...
Posted by: Herbalizer | May 24, 2009 04:19 PM
It is always funny to read these middle age guys talk about the NBA today as if it is some plague - that the 80's were the golden years of the NBA. Wake up "revisionists" - NBA players today are bigger, faster, more skilled and play just as hard for the same things the guys back in the 80s played for.
Posted by: Daniel | May 26, 2009 11:31 AM
That shot by LeBron was great, but what was really amazing was that Kobe spent 3 days in Colorado without raping anyone.
Posted by: Ocean Man | May 26, 2009 09:34 PM
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Posted by: Htpwksiy | June 26, 2009 04:28 AM