Enjoy Basketball’s Parity While It Lasts
The NBA has failed to see consistent parity amongst the top teams in the league since the 1970s, a decade where we saw 6 different teams win a championship for 6 consecutive years. Since then, the league has been dominated by some of the greatest players to ever play the game, creating dynasties as we know them. Teams like Jordan’s Bulls, Kobe’s Lakers, Duncan’s Spurs, and most recently, the three-headed-monster in the Golden State Warriors have created periods of dominance that overshadowed other teams. However, all of that has now changed as we are entering a new era of the league we love.
Over the last decade-plus, the league has faced heavy criticism from many who believed the product of the game was boring, uncompetitive, or even predictable. To which, these criticisms are completely justifiable. For ten consecutive years, we saw either Golden State, Miami, or San Antonio appear in the finals. To the casual fan, it makes sense why it may become repetitive. The competitive nature of the game was on the downward trajectory as it felt like the outcome of each season feeling almost predetermined. As a result, each season became less and less captivating.
The Denver Nuggets, who are the reigning champions, were just eliminated in seven games to the Minnesota Timberwolves. This solidifies the idea that the Larry O’Brien Trophy will be hoisted by a new superstar for the first time ever-Tyrese Haliburton, Anthony Edwards, Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum.
Basketball was in dire need of a restart, especially as the best players of our generation are slowly phasing out of the league. The association is being taken over by younger talent, each of the remaining four teams' best players being under the age of 27. This fresh influx of young superstars is reinvigorating our league and also attracting a broader and younger audience to the sport.
Take Anthony Edwards, for example. The league was missing that competitiveness that it once had. He has quickly become one of the fiercest leaders in the sport at the age of 22. Edwards’ trash talk, relentlessness, and polished talent will lead to a chain reaction among other superstars in the league. He plays the game with a fiery spirit that feeds onto his teammates and opponents. As more players adopt this relentless attitude, the overall quality of play will rise, bringing back the excitement that fans crave. Additionally, this will further inspire youth basketball players and restore the passion for the game that was momentarily lost.
Appreciate basketball for what we have.
