For NBA fans, the Christmas season officially started on July 6th
Forget about the NBA Summer League. Forget about Wimbledon. Forget about baseball, soccer and college football — the NBA just exploded.
One of my earliest memories is going to a theater to watch game 7 of the 1969 Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals with my dad on closed circuit television. Since then, we have shared a life watching tennis (his first love), football, basketball, baseball and the Olympics. 50 years later, I lost my number one sports buddy.
While I did a lot of grieving after he got sick and his quality of life deteriorated quickly over the last month of his life, it feels like an eternity has passed since his physical body finally shut down 13 days ago. Like every person, I miss my dad, thinking about all the things we might have done, and all the words left unspoken. When he needed me most, I was there for him, so I hope he ended his life in peace, surrounded by the love of his son, daughter-in-law and grandsons.
The first time I almost felt normal was when my wife and I joined our sons and their friends for a 4th of July barbecue. On July 6th, late Saturday morning, I looked at ESPN.com, and learned of all the crazy free agency deals made by the Clippers and Lakers since the night…
