by Tom Weppel
NBA FINALS
These NBA Finals have truly been a situation where all kinds of twists and turns have taken place…during the games, and during the series.
In Dallas, the passion is strong for the Mavericks, in all ways. They have truly been pushing for their team, led by Dirk Nowitski, Jason Kidd, and the rest. The Mavs have arguably flown somewhat under the radar, winning two of the first four games of this series, which I don’t think was expected of most NBA fans.
Then there is the Heat, which has featured their superstars…Lebron, D.Wade, and Chris Bosh. They have easily been the favorites to win this Finals. Many fans nationwide…and world wide…have pulled for Lebron James, accepting him as the best in the NBA, although there are plenty of would dispute that feeling of opinion.
And of course, playing in Miami, their home games have almost always been sold out, as they are an overwhelming attraction.
However, it is quite fair to say South Florida certainly is NOT a passionate basketball market! The overall feeling is that the Heat are a draw, but not a HUGE draw! Their fans enjoy going to games, but they aren’t gonna feel too bad if/when they lose.
Nonetheless, the Heat certainly fill up their arena for all games, including the Finals. The team has clicked along, trying their best to succeed in winning out, although it seems as if when they DO lose or HAVE lost, their overall team attitude has been ‘so what?’!
That’s not the case in Dallas, where there is a stronger sense of frustration over a loss…
And so the winner of this Finals series will certainly be ready to celebrate…it’ll just be a matter as to what extent, for them, AND their fans…
On another note, following the Finals series this past week-plus, the overall feeling when observing these games is that this is simply nothing more than a battle between Nowitski (Mavs) and the Big 3 (James/Wade/Bosh)! Its crazy! Its as if no one else is playing!…as if all the other players and positions are interchangeable!
What makes this even that much more incomprehensible is that these seriously, honestly ARE the two best teams in the NBA, playing for the world Championship! So many fans don’t even carry that perception while watching.
Yet the TV ratings for these games on ABC have been very good! Without question, Lebron and D.Wade have been the superstar draws, with Nowitski assisting. However, while they all have done a great job in producing and leading their respective teams, there is still a huge sense of questioning as to who will some through in the end…who will make the last shot, produce the final points, and be ‘the man’ to close out this Finals series with a victory…and success!
And, as you can imagine, the winners will receive the accolades, without question. The losers will be chastised, with fans wondering ‘what if’ and ‘why?’…
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