With a 3-1 series lead and two of the top superstars in the league, the Oklahoma City Thunder were sitting pretty in the Western Conference Finals against the defending champion Golden State Warriors. Many people, including myself, assumed that the Thunder were going to advance to the NBA finals to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers, but the Warriors made fools of us all. Reminding us why they had the best regular season record of all time when they won the final three games to complete the comeback against Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Thunder. There is no doubt that no matter who won the Western Conference that the NBA finals would be an exciting matchup, but it is a bit of a downer to get a rematch of last year’s matchup.
Kevin Durant has now played what will likely be his final game in a Thunder jersey. This series has to leave a bad taste in his mouth, especially after he got to see the best parts and worst parts of Westbrook in the same series. Some games Westbrook dominated like he was the best player in the league, but others he would literally and figuratively throw the ball away once the game got to crunch time. Billy Donovan, the coach of the Thunder, went from looking like a top tier coach to a college coach out of place in the professionals. Why would Durant stay in Oklahoma when he could go to a more prestigious team in a state that doesn’t make you pay income tax, like, San Antonio?
The real story though is the finals rematch that we all expected to happen most of the season but thought might not as of last week. Steph Curry and LeBron James get to battle it out again for NBA supremacy, except this time James is fighting to regain his spot at the top instead of trying to maintain a hold on it. Six straight finals appearances for James cannot end in only two championship rings, but that possibility is staring him in the face. James is an all-time great, he better make sure his legacy holds true and walk away with a banner to put in Cleveland.
Curry has to want this title as much as if not more than James though. His team just finished off the best regular season in NBA history and he was voted the first unanimous MVP in NBA history. It would be a shame to lose the best team ever moniker that will surely follow him around because he couldn’t overcome an aging LeBron.
This finals brings with it many questions that, frankly, I cannot wait to be answered. I can’t wait to see LeBron and Curry going toe-to-toe late into games, scratching and clawing to prove that they are the dominant entity in the NBA. The biggest question is who comes out on top?
My prediction: Cavaliers in seven.
