My defining moments were twofold. The first occurred on April 16, 1996 - the day the Bulls won their NBA record 70th regular season game. At the time, I was nine years old, and didn't fully understand the significance of that record. The post game interviews on the court with Johnny "Red" Kerr, mountains of merchandise marking the event, or the fact that the Bradley Center was filled with mostly Bulls fans that night still didn't completely register with me.
It was something my dad said that night. We were watching the post game interviews and he turned to me and said, "You know, you're really lucky that you got to see Michael Jordan play."
That was it. And that's all it took.
To me, Jordan was a constant. He had been playing for the Bulls for four years before I was even born. I grew up rooting for a Championship basketball team, the best player in the world, and had no idea how unusual that was. Kind of like being born into money. You mean, everyone doesn't live in a mansion, have a maid, and a chauffeur to drive them around?
Of course, things had changed for me by 1998, now age eleven. It was pretty well known that this was going to be Jordan's last year, and the last year of the Bulls dynasty as a whole. I was a little older, and beginning to appreciate how hard it was to win as many games and championships as the Bulls did.
So when Jordan made that last shot in Utah to clinch the 1998 NBA Finals, I knew it was the end of an era, and consequently, my memories of basketball growing up.
The Bulls' 70th win and Jordan's game winner are the two moments that embody that NBA era to me.
Either way, many people will overreact after the outcome of this game is decided. Celtics win and they're better than the Heat, and an NBA Finals lock. Heat lose, and they're a sham, if they win, they'll contend for 72 wins.
The fact of the matter is that the first game of the season doesn't decide anything in the NBA. This game is significant for a number of other reasons. This offseason marked the shift in power from the owners to players and the advantage of bigger markets over smaller markets despite a salary cap meant to level the playing field. It marked the changing dynamics of fans and athletes, and possibly the end of star players' competitive fire as we knew it. The Heat's opening game will bring all of these combative and sometimes confusing ideas to fruition.
If there's one thing I'm sure of it's that we won't know the significance of the Heat until about 2030. By that time, the championships, wins, and careers of the players involved will be an afterthought. We'll be able to look back at the nature of fan reactions and media coverage.
Until then, enjoy the 2010-11 NBA season. We're witnessing the most significant moment of this NBA era, we're just not sure what that significance is yet.
No comments:
Post a Comment