A Rivalry is Born

Probably looking at the same thing as these guys (Link)

            Magic and Bird. It’s the classic NBA rivalry. They even made a Broadway play about it. I haven’t seen it, but if the soundtrack is anything like Wicked, count me in! We’ve never seen a rivalry like it since and probably will never see a rivalry that matches all the drama it had both on and off the court. I wasn’t alive when all the hoopla was going on, but from all the books I’ve pretended to read, there was something about those Celtics-Lakers Finals that can’t be put in words.

            In the time I’ve followed basketball, there hasn’t been anything close to it. For one, the 2000’s did not feature one Finals rematch except for the Lakers-Celtics. Those series were cute little nostalgiac matchups that made people daydream but never reached the same climax those 80’s Finals did. The Spurs have been good, but Tim Duncan is a cyborg and its tough to get on board with them when you’re worried about whether Tim is plotting with the Machines to conquer mankind. Our only real hope for a rivalry, has been Kobe Bryant and Lebron James, easily the two most talented and famous players of the past 6 years. Since Lebron made the Finals in 2007 for the first time, one of either Kobe or Lebron has made the Finals every year since. In 2008 and 2009, they each made their respective conference finals. And yet, we still have not seen a Lebron- Kobe Finals. And with Kobe turning 35 next season, along with the omnipotent presence of the Thunder, Kobe’s Finals days seem to have passed.

But walk with me to crazy-town for a sec. C’mon its not that bad, they have dynamite ice cream sandwiches! The current NBA Finals features two of the most dominant players in the NBA in Kevin Durant and James. And dare I say Magic and Bird might just be replicated? Not to such an extreme, mainly because Los Angeles is Los Angeles whereas the #1 tourist attraction in Oklahoma City according to Trip Advisor is the Museum of Osteology. Famous people vs. Skeletons. Yeah. But regardless of the markets, I’m convinced the Durant-Lebron rivalry could scrape the surface of a Magic-Bird kind of thing. Hear me out.

People tend to forget Lebron is still just 27, probably because he accidentally bought a 176 year old man’s receding airline, disguised as a pair of Air Jordans. Despite all the criticism, the Heat have made the NBA Finals two years in a row using a 3 man rotation. The team is only going to get better, assuming Pat Riley addresses their flaws in the subsequent offseasons. The Eastern Conference is theirs to be had as the Celtics are aging, the Bulls will only go as far as Derrick Rose’s toothpick legs will take them and Dwight Howard really has no idea what he’s doing. The Heat won’t blow up this team, and if they sign a Steve Nash type of player or can find a gem in the draft, they’re going to be title favorites for years.

Durant is only 4 years younger, and his Thunder look like their going to be the class of the Western Conference for years to come. The window for the Spurs, Mavericks and Lakers is closing fast, and the Griizzlies, Clippers and Nuggets all are much less talented than the Thunder. And don’t forget, the Thunder are the 6^th youngest team in the NBA. Also, Kevin Durant is 23. Just 1 more than 22! 25 more than -2!

Unless something drastic happens in the NBA, which is always a possibility, and a lot depends on where Dwight Howard is going, the Heat and Thunder are going to be the favorites in their respective conferences for years to come. That means Durant and Lebron will be seeing each other a lot. Both players are sure to be the two best players in the NBA very shortly, and arguably are already. I’m probably crazy for comparing this rivalry to Magic and Bird. But that’s what I’m going to do anyways. Magic and Bird played in the NCAA championship game before the Finals. Lebron and Durant played in a pickup Flag Football game before the Finals, so its pretty much the same.