The Show Must Go On: Why the NBA Needs to Return
Game 2 of 2019 NBA Finals, image via: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2019_nba_finals_game_2.jpg
May 31, 2020
As the sports community still basks in the warm glow cast by the hit docu-series, “The Last Dance,” the desire for basketball has reached new heights. Anxious owners, players and fans are itching for the 2019-2020 season to resume. The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic saw the season slam to halt on March 11, 2020. Now, more than two months later, talk has begun to circulate of returning to play.
The NBA needs to return quickly!
Before the unceremonious pause to the season, the race in the West was heating up. While LeBron and his Lakers reigned in first, spots two through six were heavily contested. Contenders were within two or three games of each other, with pivotal conference games coming down the pipeline. As teams scrambled to get into the highest position possible, the wild Western conference was promising to deliver some great performances and nail-biting matchups.
Should the season not be finished and playoffs ignored, what has been arguably one of the more exciting seasons of NBA basketball would be for naught. Many in the basketball and greater sports community had circled these playoffs to be highly contested and a true spectacle. The battle of LA was set to be waged, with the Lakers and Clippers duking it out for a series that wouldn’t leave the Staples Center. Giannis “Greek Freak” Antetokounmpo and his Milwaukee Bucks looked to avenge their premature end to the postseason from the previous year. Currently boasting the best record in the league and comfortably first in the Eastern conference, many were anxious to see the Bucks contend for the title. The stage was being set for a genuinely spectacular playoff season.
As previously mentioned, LeBron “King” James had led his Los Angeles Lakers to first place in the West. With questions surrounding his age and increasing speculation on his ability to win another Finals series, none are more eager to finish the season than James. Adding another wrench for James, the release of “The Last Dance” has intensified the GOAT conversation between James and NBA icon Michael Jordan. With new waves of arguments to keep Jordan on the throne, James must be feeling the pressure to prove he can bring home a ring to Tinseltown. The break has allowed LeBron, who has proven to be one of the most durable and hardworking players in the league, an unprecedented break. Many faithful Laker fans, and the league at large, are curious to see how a recharged LeBron will fare in the sprint to the Finals.
The season was also giving rise to new talent. New Orleans’ Zion Williamson had made his long-anticipated return. The former Duke superstar did not disappoint, averaging 23.6 points in 19 games. A physical phenom, Williamson had begun to help dig the Pelicans out of their hole and had sparked speculation of stealing the 8th spot in the Western conference.
Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant had also been turning heads in his first season. Averaging 17.6 points and displaying tremendous ball-handling skills, Morant was genuinely beginning to flourish. While Memphis is currently teetering on the playoff line in the eighth seed of the Western conference, Morant had sparked excitement for his team and promised to be a breakout star.
As talks continue to indicate that Disney World, Orlando will be the location for the resuming of the NBA season, a solution must be reached and rolled out as soon as possible. After the shake-ups took place through the preseason, along with the great storylines that developed, playoffs for the 2019-20 season were set to be picture perfect.
Should commissioner Adam Silver and the rest of the league officials fail to create a system to resume play, the league would fail to capitalize on one of the most interesting and followed seasons in recent years. Legacies still must be forged, stars are waiting to break out of their shell, fans are anxious to experience a proper ending to the season and the broader sports community is curious to see a successful example of how regular sports play can continue in these uncertain times.
With so much on the line, the 2019-20 NBA season is deserving of a proper conclusion. All eyes will be on the commissioner and the league as hope for a proper season-ending continues to grow.
