The NBA Offseason: The People’s Soap Opera
June, July, and August are quickly becoming my favorite months in the sports calendar. Not since Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals have we seen a single basketball game as compelling as the storylines that unfold during these summer months, and 2018 has given us more of the same.
Hot on the heels of an undeniably depressing, yet awkwardly entertaining championship round, the NBA is continuing to do what it does best — serve up premium content at a pace not even Netflix can keep up with.
As players and front offices alike scramble to either dethrone or outlast the Bay Area dynasty, one question is undoubtedly more important than the rest: Where will the King go? The NBA’s anti-hero, LeBron James, is chasing the ghost of the GOAT — a path that continuously leads him to and through what may be the greatest collection of talent in sports history. And his next step will without question define the next several years of basketball’s arms race.
Daily Woj bombs peel back layers to Bron’s plans, making it clearer what his new objective is: Play NBA “god” once again, this time, maybe for the last time, in LA. Earlier this week we learned that long presumed Laker, Paul George, may stay put in OKC, giving James pause about going out west. Then word surfaced that Kawhi’s presence would be the Krispee Kreme “Hot Sign” that tempted LBJ to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Cavs and go to Los Angeles. Since then, it’s only become more obvious that LeBron’s “people” let the Lakers know that it’s do or die time: Trade for Kawhi by Friday or strike out… Again.
Then today we reached a new level of absurdity and entertainment when Stephen A. Smith, a living caricature of an SNL sketch of himself, reported that the NBA’s preeminent anti-hero reached out to basketball’s incomparable villain, Kevin Durant, about joining him in Hollywood… How does that conversation even go? “Hey… uh… you up?”…
I don’t think we can understand as a culture how ridiculous this situation is — a single player holding one of professional sport’s “tentpole” franchises hostage while also attempting to piece together a team with the 2nd and 4th (Kawhi when he’s healthy) best players in the league. It’s both completely puzzling and extremely impressive all at once.
Stephen A’s report noted that KD responded with a resounding “nah” to LeBron’s booty call. (Not surprising, considering KD views LeBron as his rival, and someone he has to destroy if he ever wants his name thrown in the GOAT conversation.) I guess it takes more than a few woke conversations in the back of Cari Champion’s Uber to build a super team.
This all seems wild enough to quench the average NBA nerds’ hype-thirst. But who knows, by the time you read this, we may find out LeBron decided to be the first player in his prime to form a team for Ice Cube’s Big3 tournament. (Side note: I will bet my unsubstantial life savings that in 10 years LeBron, will captain a Big3 team named “the Kingsmen”. Can’t you see LeBron, Mike Miller, and 2 Chainz shuffling around the half court in 2028? I can, and it’s glorious.)
Enough hypotheticals, though. It’s time to sit back and enjoy the NBA offseason: the people’s soap opera.
