Now that we enter the dead period of the summer where only baseball resides, we can take a look back at what was a fantastic NBA Finals. The repercussions of Golden State winning the finals are not yet apparent, but I can tell you what them winning means for basketball.
The 2015 NBA Finals were epic and mostly because of the story lines with Steph Curry and Lebron James. Both of these players are great at their jobs but come with much different styles of play. Lebron comes from an era of physical, smash mouth basketball; this style has been the norm for quite a long time. But now that Steph has pulled off the win of his career, it could mean something for the game.
Stephen Curry came out of high school as basically a nobody and went to a fairly small college. He did very well at Davidson but was still doubted as a viable NBA player in 2009 when he was drafted. Fast forward six years and all the doubters have effectively put their feet in their respective mouths. Although his humble story is great to hear, that is not the reason I'm writing this article. I'm writing this article to show that there is a new era in the NBA: the three point era.
I want you to think back on all of the great dunks you've ever seen in your life. Michael Jordan at the dunk competition, Kareem Abdul Jabaar throwing down the rock, and Vince Carter making people look silly. All of that no longer gets the blood pumping for the new generation. Yeah, a dunk is cool but a step back three is cooler. Yeah, I see your windmill dunk, but I also see that guy's last second three that just tied the game and sent it to overtime. Dunks have become commonplace and three point shooting has become the new dunk. The Golden State Warriors have realized this not so harsh reality and reaped all the benefits. They proved that you can break the mold and play smaller players and still win because of the beyond exceptional shooting they have for themselves.
The reason this win for the Warriors will change basketball is because the game has officially changed. You don't have to be 6'8 and 250 pounds to be an elite player anymore. Shooting now means something more in the NBA and is admired instead throwing the ball hard down the hoop. From middle school to college, the new fad will be three point shooting. There will be more three point specialists than ever before and we will love every second.
