If you were to ask me what things are most important to my family, I would tell you they are God, family, friends, and basketball, in that order. I come from a basketball family. Practically everyone on my dad's side of the family played basketball, and my dad plays the game to this day. He has passed this down to my brother, who has been playing basketball since before he was in kindergarten. I'm not good at basketball, but I am an avid fan of my favorite teams, whether they're my brother's high school team, the GCU Antelopes, or the University of Arizona Wildcats. Basketball has always been something that brings my family together. One of our favorite things to do together is to sit in the living room and watch games and cheer on our favorite teams. Basketball is one of my favorite things in the world, and I'm so glad it's a part of my life.
However, as much as I love basketball, I cannot stand the NBA Finals.
The NBA Finals have reached a point where it's not even fun to watch anymore. I remember being a little kid, anxiously awaiting the NBA Playoffs every summer and wondering who was going to take home the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy that year. Back then, it was always exciting because two different teams went to the Finals every year. No one ever knew who would make it to the final showdown, and that added to the anticipation which makes the game of basketball so great.
Now, however, the same two teams-the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers-have been going to the Finals for the past four years. This repetition makes the entire professional basketball season seem boring and uneventful. I can't get fully invested in the games because in the back of my mind, I know that, most likely, the Finals will end up being another stand-off between the Warriors and Cavaliers. I can't fully get invested in the games knowing that the teams I'm watching will most likely not be contenders for the Finals.
There's not much of an opportunity for anybody to climb the ranks of the NBA and prove themselves to the world as the greatest basketball team in America. Instead, the NBA has turned into an elitist league where only the Warriors, who have more star power than any other team in the NBA, and the Cavaliers, who have Lebron James, are the only ones who receive any glory. I understand that there can only be one team who is the best of the best. However, there are many teams who are working extremely hard in both the regular season and the off-season to be the best team in the NBA only to be blown out by the same two teams every year. I, for one, would love to see another team make it to the Finals next year and help make the NBA as fun and exciting as it used to be.