Storyline: If LeBron overcomes a 3-1 deficit and beats this 73-win Warrior team, then even his Twitter haters need to kneel before The King. If the Warriors add to their record 73 regular-season wins and repeat as champs, then nobody can deny them the ‘Best Season Ever’ label.
They are two of the best words in sports: Game 7. NBA fans get an unexpected treat Sunday night in Oakland: the NBA championship will be decided. Cleveland and Golden State will face off in a historical game with ‘legacy’ written all over it.
This may be one game, but there are plenty of story lines to be had.
Courtesy: wsj.com
We’ll start with ‘The King’ himself, LeBron James. Anybody who doesn’t give LeBron credit for being one of the best NBA players of all time doesn’t understand basketball. Those people need to give up their League Pass and be forced to watch replays of Cavs’ games without LeBron — on a never-ending loop.
James’ legacy of all-time greatness is secure, but taking this Cleveland team to the title would be one of the greatest NBA feats of all time. While Kyrie Irving is a true all-star, who else on the roster is even close? I’ll give Tristan Thompson big props for his efforts in these Finals, but not even Kevin Love fans can defend his shaky play. If LeBron overcomes a 3-1 deficit and beats this 73-win Warrior team, then even his haters on Twitter need to kneel before The King.
Not only is James battling for history, but he’s also trying to reclaim the current title of ‘Best Player on the Planet.’ Stephen Curry has two straight league MVPs and leads the defending champs, but no one can question that LeBron has been the dominant force in this series. He leads both teams in all the major statistical categories; points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. LeBron probably has been the ‘real’ MVP each year ever since about 2007. No question. It’s just a fact.
Can the Warriors complete the greatest single season in NBA history? I won’t say ‘Best NBA Team Ever’ because I’m not into comparing teams from different eras. There are simply too many differences in rules, style of play, and physical attributes of the players to make that possible. But, if the Warriors add to their record 73 regular-season wins and repeat as champs, then nobody can deny them the ‘Best Season Ever’ label.
Courtesy: YouTube.com
Can Steph Curry step up from a subpar finals and shoot his team to victory in Game 7? Curry’s greatness is sometimes in doubt because he can’t dominate games physically, but he can dominate games with skill. His ball-handling and shooting might be the most lethal combo of all time. If he leads the Warriors to a repeat title, then his greatness should never be questioned again. (The exception , of course, would be all NBA players from prior generations … because they just can’t help themselves.)
The head coaches have legacies, too. Steve Kerr is already an elite coach because a certain cache comes with never ending a season without a title. And Tyronn Lue is trying to win a title as rookie coach, just as Kerr did last season. Lue’s decision to push the pace and go small against the Warriors took guts. Most experts said Golden State couldn’t be beaten that way. Lue is making the mid-season decision to fire David Blatt look like a no brainer.
How about the city of Cleveland? No major sports franchise in the city has won a title in over fifty years–not since Jim Brown led the football Browns to the NFL title in 1964. The city’s entire personality is based on being a perennial sport’s loser. I’d love to see LeBron accomplish the impossible. But (being from the Detroit area) I also thoroughly enjoy Cleveland’s sports misery, too. Oh, well, I’ll still have the Browns to kick around … and for a long time I’d wager.
Courtesy: bleacherreport.com
I could also see either Klay Thompson or Irving taking their NBA legacies up a notch in Game 7. Sure, Klay already earned a title, but this year’s playoff run has included superb moments from him. He looked like a leading star taking over the team while Curry was injured against Houston and Portland. Also his Game 6 effort vs. Oklahoma City was legendary–one of the most clutch shooting performances I’ve ever seen.
Irving already had a legendary game in these Finals with his unbelievably efficient 41-point effort in Game 5. If he has that kind of performance in Game 7, then he will have taken a gigantic leap to the echelon of all-time greats.
I could see either Klay or Kyrie steal the show from Steph or LeBron, if needed.
There are a bunch of other questions, too. Can Harrison Barnes recover from his dreadful shooting (2-22 fgs in Games 5 & 6) as he ventures into Free Agency? Can Andre Iguodala overcome his aching back to be the ultimate clutch man once again? Can Kevin Love even contribute? Can J.R. Smith really win an NBA title? What will Ayesha Curry tweet if the Warriors lose? Will Jon Snow or Ramsey Boltan win the Bastard Bowl in Game of Thrones?
That last question might have to wait until after the game for me, but the rest of those questions will be answered starting at 8 p.m. on Sunday.
One thing’s for sure, though: there’s no question that Game 7’s are simply the best!
