Dominance draws eyes to the sport
There was no shortage of hot takes after the Golden State Warriors won the NBA title on Monday.
The Warriors, who employ two of the last three NBA most valuable players, won their second title in three years by dispatching the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. The Finals performance capped a 16-1 postseason run that saw the Warriors look almost unbeatable.
They’re fast and disciplined, they shoot well and play great defense. They have loads of talent, and maybe most importantly, they’re young.
That lethal mix has led many fans to predict that the Warriors will win, or at least will be favorites to win, the next five championships. They surmise that the NBA is now doomed to watch the Warriors run roughshod over the league until they age or split up because of money issues.
After all, if the greatest player in the world can’t go more than five games with Golden State playing with a healthy supporting cast, what are we to expect from the rest of the NBA?
If you’re of that mind of thinking, if you somehow think this is bad for the NBA, step back from the ledge.
Nothing could be better.
There’s a new king, a classic video game boss level.
Even when a team is good enough to beat the Warriors, we’ll tune in to see if it’s possible.
It’s the philosophy that has driven Floyd Mayweather to the most watched boxer in the world. He’s not particularly exciting as a fighter. He’s just a person most people would like to see lose, and in turn will pay handsomely when given the chance to watch, just in case.
It’s what drove ticket prices around Barry Bonds in the early 2000’s.
It’s why no one ever got bored with Michael Jordan winning six times in the 1990’s, or all of the Lakers or Celtics championships in the decade before that.
One team, one person looks unbeatable. Let’s watch to see if they can lose.
It may happen, it may be impossible. You may even root for the unbeatable juggernaut. But you’re watching.
Next year’s quest for 29 other teams to play good enough basketball to even challenge the Warriors will be fun. Should someone on the squad get hurt, or something go awry in the playoffs, it will be even more fun to see how the impossible happens.
This type of dominance is great, it’s parity that is boring.
It’s no fun to watch a bunch of just-above-mediocre teams in the playoffs. Those Pistons-Spurs finals, while still basketball, weren’t getting most people to tune in. If the Wizards or Celtics had made the finals, I can’t tell you I’d be as interested.
The Warriors and their special blend of beautiful basketball and dominant talent will make the next few years fantastic to watch.
Even if it’s to see who beats them.