Becoming an NBA Team Champion
Who’s Going to Take the Crown – The Lakers or the Cavaliers
Apr 19, 2009
The Celtics and their three talented leaders, Kevin Garnett, otherwise known as KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce proved to be too much for other players and teams. With Pierce being the only member of the trio who had played for the Celtics the duration of his entire career, it is not surprising that he went toe to toe with LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals and found a way to come out on top. And what a year that was. Garnett, Allen and Pierce did something many thought might not be possible. They played together like a true team, as if they had grown up together shooting hoops on a cement court at an outdoor playground down the street from their parents’ homes.
ESPN, NBA Channel and TNT Sportscasters as Cavalier and Lakers Fans
Who can forget the first series of the Eastern playoff run where the Atlanta Hawks gave the Celtics a serious run for their money? This year it has been the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East and the Los Angeles Lakers in the West who have threatened to dethrone the Celtics.
After listening to ESPN, NBA Channel and TNT sportscasters, one would think that the Cavaliers and the Lakers already had their division trophies sitting in their team awards cases. This before a single playoff game had been played. But fans of other playoff teams like the Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics and Portland Trailblazers are encouraged not to lose heart. Sportscasters have gotten it wrong before. All one has to do is to think back to the 2004 NBA Finals when the Detroit Pistons upset the Los Angeles Lakers. It seemed that not a single sportscaster saw that coming.
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers
League talent and competition is fierce. Each basketball player has such a mass of talent the odds of getting signed in the NBA alone are slim. There are no scrubs in the NBA. There are only all stars and incredibly talented athletes. It’s a reason that Akron, Ohio’s LeBron James is such a standout.
Not only did LeBron forego the collegiate route, a path that garners colleges and universities millions of dollars each year while paying athletes $0 directly or via a trust fund, LeBron lived up to the media hype. He dunked, tossed hard to intercept passes to teammates, became a vocal leader, earned his way onto the United States Olympic team, and, as if that is not enough, he also took the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007. It was the Cavalier’s first Finals appearance in the team’s history. The scary part is that LeBron James has not reached his potential. When he does, he may well be unstoppable. It won’t matter who he plays against or what level of the playoffs he’s competing in.
Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers
Like LeBron James and Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant went straight from high school to the NBA. Thanks to Garnett, the first basketball player in 20 years to go directly from high school to the NBA, the path from high school to the pros was made easier. Hence, the rise of Kobe Bryant.
A high school basketball phenom who played against older athletes and members of the Philadelphia 76ers, Kobe Bryant earned his way onto the national platform when he was still attending Lower Merion High School on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He has been voted onto the All Star team every year since his second year in the league. Not bad for a guy some thought wasn’t ready for the pros.
Bryant has also played on the United States Olympic basketball team. In 2008 he teamed up with LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony and helped the team to win their first gold medal since 2000. Kobe has won three NBA championships, all while Shaquille O’Neal played Center for the Lakers. Now Bryant is working his way back to the big dance and another ring. But there’s someone standing in his way – LeBron James.
Great Entertainment for NBA Playoff Fans
Thanks to league team owners’ ability to spot and secure great talent, the NBA playoffs are able to provide excellent entertainment for basketball fans. As the games get fierce and tougher to predict a champion for, as games boil over into overtime, fans will sit on the edge of their seats in stadiums and in front of their televisions at home. Weekend playoff cookouts and in-door parties will be held around the country. And then one team will be left standing. One team will be crowned champion. Question is, who will that team be this year?
