If you listen closely, you can hear it coming. You might even be able to see it if you squint.
The paper-thin narrative arguments about “What Does winning/losing the championship mean?” for a player’s legacy, or some other shenanigans. As soon as the confetti starts to fall, the internets will be awash with these idiotic positions of hoops debate fodder. So with that in mind, let’s address what are sure to be the hottest topics once the Larry O’Brien Trophy is raised in two weeks.
Now that it’s all said and done, isn’t the Cavaliers and Warriors passing the title back and forth bad for the NBA?
A “three-peat” Finals match up isn’t bad for the league when the best players in the league are being pitted against each other. Other than your favorite team being involved, who can ask for more than seeing most of the top 15 players in the league battling it out for the highest stakes?
The reality of the NBA is that there has never been an extended era of parody wherein more than five teams had a legitimate shot to win the title. Therefore, while it may be true that the same two teams have never decided the championship three years in a row, this isn’t the grand of a departure from the norm that people will make it out to be. And let’s not forget the ratings bonanza ABC is about to enjoy—if the TV partners are happy, the league is happy and Commissioner Silver is very happy.
Don’t we all want to see the best take on the best? Isn’t that what sports is about?
Does a Cavs win end the LeBron vs. MJ Debate?
Let’s make one thing clear: LeBron belongs in the conversation as greatest of all-time right now. Multiple MVPs, Finals MVPs, championships (with two different franchises), taking two franchises to the Finals on four occasions apiece, Rookie of the Year and a list of highlight plays miles long.
The answer here is a resounding “No.” If LeBron wins his fourth championship it won’t deter the Jordan truthers either. This is going to go down as one of those never-ending debates because there are legitimate positions and arguments, along with a multitude of unknown unknowns.
Does a Warriors championship finally put “3-1” to rest?
Cue Vince McMahon’s old theme music because there is no chance in hell of that happening. The internet never forgets and “Warriors blew a 3-1 lead” is in the rare pantheon of memes that will live on until the end of time. It has all of the ingredients of a classic meme: widely viewed event, someone is getting totally embarrassed while not getting seriously injured, and the concept is easily parsed into other mediums.
The 3-1 thing can never be killed and probably can never even be duplicated. The Warriors would have to find themselves in the Finals down 3-0 versus the reigning champion who’d just surpassed 73 regular season wins to even have a chance of creating the sequence of events to surpass 3-1, and even then the meme still wouldn’t die because it’s far too ingrained in our social media consciousness.
Does a “big” series from JaVale McGee make the rest of the NBA look like fools?
“Man, (team X) could use a guy like McGee, I can’t believe they didn’t trade for him.”- Some idiot dude somewhere after McGee plays well for a game or two in this series.
Don’t ever play yourself!
“#1” is the patron saint of “Shaqtin a Fool” and has played for more teams than anyone this side of Luke Ridnour. McGee has only averaged over 10 points per game twice in his career and never 10 rebounds per game. His player profile is literally a dime a dozen in today’s NBA and he’s nearing the end of a one year veterans minimum contract and that should scare many a fan base to no end.
If McGee somehow swings a game in favor of the Warriors he immediately becomes a prime candidate for a “Jerome James Award” for worst contract based on a playoff run.
Does joining the Warriors to win a title taint Durant’s legacy?
KD is going to continue to get flak for his decision to join the Warriors even if they win the title. This is a bit complicated; in the short-term it’s not the same as if KD was able to win the title in OKC and overcoming the Warriors and LeBron in the process. Him joining the Warriors will take some of the shine off the championship for the hoops loving populace. However in the long-term, KD will be able to check off that all important “Rings” box, on what is sure to be a Hall of Fame résumé.
Recent history with LeBron actually tells us that should the Warriors win the title it will vindicate everything that Durant has done in his career for most people. In time, all “sins” will be forgiven for Durant; except for in the 405 area code.
Should the Golden State – Kevin Durant relationship not produce a title than Durant may go down as the most disappointing player NBA history and his time in The Bay Area could be shorter than anyone realistically foresaw…no pressure.