Maybe the two most marketable basketball players on the planet will square off starting tonight. This is your 2012 NBA Finals. Well, it’s more David Stern’s 2012 NBA Finals.
No, that’s not Stern in between a shirtless Durant and James. But I bet he wishes he was at that pool on that day.
Stern has his feet up somewhere as I write this. I just know it. When he and his referee henchmen disposed of those pesky, old Spurs — the party back at the NBA offices must have been legendary. The Spurs were a part of the three lowest rated NBA Final is modern history. Of course, Stern knows this. Never again!
He is as happy as anyone that the Thunder marched back to win game 6. The officials seemed very willing to assist in getting Oklahoma City back into the game, and the series in general. In the end OKC became just the third team in the history of the league to win 4 straight to win a conference final series.
It’s not only Stern that is happy to see Durant in the Finals, though. We all are, really.
With this Thunder – Heat match-up, I have no idea which side Stern and the NBA want to win. I’m not even sure who I want to win.
Durant, and the Thunder, are likely my favorite squad to root for. They have been for a few years. Still, I would enjoy seeing all of the LBJ haters rationalize the outcome if the Heat do win.
Whatever the outcome, to the extent that the referees stay out of the decision, the the better the series will be. I guess this could be said about all NBA games. This is the NBA Finals, though. No matter how these teams got to this point, my interest is as heightened as it’s going to be. Call me a sucker, but I really want to know which team is better. I don’t want to walk away with further thoughts of referees determining game outcomes, whether the NBA is in on it or not.
Officials sometimes get in the way of NCAA basketball games. It’s the nature of the sport. However, in the NBA, it seems all too convenient.
The match-up is set. The NBA will get it’s ratings. Please just let the players play. Roll the balls out. Swallow the whistles. Just get the fuck out of the way.
