For those of us in the hinterland who don’t live for the start of hockey season, there is good news. The NBA has returned to our TV screens. This is a great time of the sports year for sure. Hockey and basketball kickoff. The World Series captivates the baseball fan and the NFL juggernaut keeps us yelling at TV screens several nights a week. In my life, sports is not complete without a healthy dose of roundball. If you are fan of any sport, you have a long list of the reasons why it’s your sport. Here are my top 10 reasons that I am glad the NBA is back:
- Lebron haters.
Now that he has been able to bring a championship back to Northern Ohio, what is left for the King to conquer? The Lebron haters will always hate and his fans will always defend him. For me, I am having trouble keeping the man out of my top 5 basketball players to ever bounce a ball. What does he play for? All time greatness and he is right on the cusp of joining the immortals of this game.
2. The team that thought 3 superstars wasn’t enough
Yes that team is the Golden State Warriors and this season is fascinating to me in watching to see if they can play as strong as they appear on paper. They will have a target on their backs from game 1 and adding Durant to an already electric team is great TV. My prediction, they don’t gel and don’t get it done. It will be fun to watch though.
3. My Celtics are relevant again
No, Larry Bird is not walking through that door but the Celtics are back. They have a nucleus of talent and are stocked with young players making them poised to be the team of the future in the East. Brad Stevens should run for President because he would have a punchers chance in my eyes.
4. The TNT pre and post game show
I know it’s not what you would expect but this is the best studio show in sports. The wit of Shaq mixed with the unabashed ignorance of Chuck Barkley is offset by the professionalism of Ernie Johnson making this basketball gold. I could do without Kenny Smith mind you but someone has to stoke the other personalities. I spend more time watching these guys than the game some weeks.
5. We the North
Last year was awesome if you are a Canadian basketball fan. The Raptors made an unprecedented run in the playoffs and took over from where the Blue Jays left us off in the fall. The city of Toronto is definitely seeing a sports renaissance and I will be interested to see whether it continues. Stack that on top of the plethora of Canadian basketball players who have jumped into the league in the past 3 years makes every night a visual reminder of why I spend those hours coaching the youth of the game.
6. Greg Popovich interviews
Google some of the finer moments of the best coach in the league. He is sure to say something that will make you smile before, during and after a game. I like the fact that he has earned his chops by winning 5 championships and he couldn’t care less what anyone thinks of him or what he says. I take personal glee in watching the way he dissects the sideline reporters during the in-game interview.
7. The battle for mediocrity
It has been a while since parody came to visit the bottom dwellers on this league. Unlike the other professional leagues, the “salary cap” seems to have very little impact on helping those teams on the rebuild. If anything it tend stop drive packs of great players to join together to make a run at a championship. This year, there will be a new crop of last place teams who will take a run at getting into the playoffs and re-igniting their fan base. Will they challenge the 4-5 teams that can legitimately win the whole thing? No way. But I like to see new blood rise up.
8. Bill Simmons basketball Ringer podcasts
This guy is an aficionado on everything that is happening around the Association. His podcasts are insightful and funny sprinkled with enough information to make you remember that he know his stuff. If you can afford the month it will take you to read The Book of Basketball, his epic novel will give you some insight into what his weekly podcasts sound like. He is worth the investment in time.
9. Old faces in new places
It is always intriguing the way free agency re-shapes a league. This was a particularly special year for some of this movement. We lost the pleasure of a few greats like Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett and now have to get used to Derrick Rose in a Knick uniform, Dwayne Wade wearing the Bulls jersey, Al Horford in Celtics green and of course Durant in GSW blue and gold. There are several other mid-flite superstars in new digs which means that 2K17 rosters will need to be updated early in the year and I will have to struggle though learning new rosters, again.
10. The joy that is League Pass
This one makes me and my boys most happy. It’s the first time I have jumped into this new world of having access to all the games of a league. This one makes a ton of sense not just to follow the Celtics around the league but to watch players and teams around the schedule. The value is certainly there if you love a sport and this has become a must have in our TV planning.
That’s what makes me keep coming back for more. The Association is back and the few million, hard core NBA fans who love the game can revel in the re-birth. If you are a tag along Raptor fan from last year, I encourage you to take a leap into the art of this game. There is room in the junkie club.
Go Celtics!
Marco