This year had to be, by far, the most anticipated NBA season in the last 20 years. With superstars moving teams, rookies taking center stage, and the balance of power shifting throughout the league, it's no surprise that this season inspired imaginations and sparked even the casual fan's interest.
As a kid, it's what you dream about. On national television, just seconds away from having your name immortalized, and securing a spot in basketball folklore. Then, the clock hits zero. The game is over, there will be no comeback, your team has just made history. For a player, all of the hard work flashes before your eyes. Getting up before the crack of dawn to run wind sprints, in the weight room trying to gain an competitive over your adversary, and the late nights in the gym fine tuning your all around game. For basketball junkies like myself, the remaining seconds may be a time for a brief celebration, but also sorrow. You greive because there will be no more basketball until late October. You spend the next day wondering what to do, watching the same highlights of mid-season baseball games over and over. An early end to 2011 finals inparticular may even throw a bit more salt in the wound. This is largely due to the fact that this was one of the greatest seasons of all-time, in my opinion. History unfolded before our very eyes, as we saw Kevin Love record 31 points and 31 rebounds against the Knicks. We watched in awe as Blake Griffin made Clipper Basketball must see television. So no matter how you may remember this past pro basketball season, one thing is for sure: night in and night out, we were entertained to the highest level.
The Blake Show
In the final game of the 2009 NBA Preseason, Blake Griffin was injured and forced to sit out the entire 2009-10 NBA season. After using the first overall pick on Blake, the Clipper franchise ran across another black cat. This was the guy that was supposed to bring them to the promiseland, and now he's hurt? A frustrated Blake Griffin could only look on as his team stumbled to a 29-53 record, which led to the firing of head coach Mike Dunleavy. Even with all of this, fans rejoiced with the signing of former Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro, as well as the return of the former Oklahoma Sooner standout. I think you all know what happened from there. He started jumping over players from the Knicks, fighting the Lamar Odoms of the world, and jumping over cars. He stole the show so much that you almost forgot the Clippers only won 32 games, easily missing the playoffs for the fifth straight season. But, anybody that watched them knows they will be a force to be reckoned with if they stay healthy. If Blake can have half the season he did this year, L.A. may have another team participating in the NBA Playoffs. Which makes you wonder, will Jack Nicholson show up?Derrick Rose wins MVP
Derrick Rose lacks the basic fundamentals of team basketball and will never be a winner. He'll never be an MVP because he has no value, he's just a selfish punk from the inner city. Where's the passing skills? Doesn't a point guard have to be able to pass the ball for his team to win? The critics were silenced even easier than LeBron was when his team lost to Dallas in six games (but we'll get to that a bit later). How is a guy with no concept of team basketball going to average seven assists, all the while netting 27.7 points per night, while facing constant double teams? After they accquired Boozer, I told people to watch out for them, but nobody listened. Especially after the starting power forward was sidelined with an injury before the season could even tip off yet. Even with all that, Derrick Rose kept his team competing for the top spot all year long. Although the top seeded Bulls lost to Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals, there is a lot of promise in the point guard, who, just recently in the 2008 national championship game couldn't make clutch free throws as Memphis lost to a Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush led Kansas Jayhawk team. With the explosiveness, speed, quickness, and now a developed jump shot, look for Derrick Rose to have his name in the MVP conversation once again come next spring.
LeBron James makes the decision to join the Miami Heat.
Love him or hate him, this man is must see television. His presence, swagger, and overall talent alone make it close to impossible to turn off TNT when the Heat are playing. However, has there ever been a more hated figure in sports? One year ago sure, LeBron James had "haters", but I don't think anyone could have speculated that it would come to this. Making an hour long choice to decide where you're going to play basketball, not to mention dragging your hometown that has been so loyal to you through the mud is, quite frankly, disrespectful. If you want to make your decision in private go ahead, sure people will resent you, that's life. But the way he went about it, I think rubbed a lot of people, most notably natives of Cleveland the wrong way. But Lebron just wanted to win, and unfortunately for him and his Miami Heat teammtes, they weren't able to get more than an Eastern Conference Championship trophy and becoming the laughing stock of America. However, look for James and Miami to bounce back next year. They are much too talented to be a middle of the pack team. They'll be in this position again. As for LeBron's hour television special, I think that it helped draw more fans to the NBA, which is always good for us basketball fanatics.
Yes, I know Dallas won the championship, but I think that deserves to be in a class of its own. I am extremely excited for the ecstatic Maverick fans, and would like to extend a congratulatory hand to them, after all the hard times their franchise has endured. As for other exciting moments, here are some that didn't quite make my top three:
Kevin Love scores 31 points & grabs 31 rebounds vs. Knicks
Carmelo Anthony traded to Knicks
Pacers score franchise record 54 points in win vs. Nuggets
Phil Jackson retires
Deron Williams traded to Nets
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