NBA: Belle of the Ball

Ending a relationship can be difficult.  Denying its inevitable end is even more so.  Reality has been staring at me for quite some time now.  No matter how I tried to work through it, the downhill slide continued.  Truth of the matter is…as enticing as other options looked, the thought of starting over, after all of these years, was far too much to bear. 

They say acceptance is the first step so here goes….fifteen years after purchasing my Jeep Grand Cherokee, our relationship has all but wrapped. Our deal breaker happens to be a finicky air conditioner.  Although warm weather took its time sweet time getting to this neck of the woods, it has most definitely arrived!  While options may be plenty, they all signify the same—starting over with car payments…ugh! 

As most folks know, dealing with the plenty of fish in the sea…aka as car dealers…is anything but delightful.  In the first go-round, neither party says much of what the other wants to hear.  Numbers are thrown out, scratched out…and if things aren’t going well at all…the consumer walks out—I have…twice…in less than a week!! Next comes the persistent flood of phone calls requesting your presence at the table for round two.

In the midst of it all, I found myself chuckling out loud—this must be my “Kevin Durant Moment”.  More often than not…..all of the hoopla surrounding the league’s champion has an average lifespan of 48 hours.  Then the switch is made to thoughts on what teams will be contenders next year & where will that year’s “Belle of the Ball” free agent land the following year….this year’s winner is undoubtedly, OKC’s Kevin Durant!

His skillset is dangerous as soon as he steps on the court, regardless of the name on the front of his jersey!  Because this is a team sport though, the role of others has to be factored into the equation.  With that, here’s my assessment of those rumored to be wining & dining Mr. Durant this summer:

·         OKC—provides an opportunity to take a deep playoff contender to the next level.  Plus, a role in the state’s cabinet—thanks to the generous offer thrown in by Oklahoma’s governor!

·         San Antonio—the conference rival would become even more potent as rebuilding becomes more of a short-term goal….

·         Boston—what this team lacks in experience, they make up for in scrappiness & willingness to learn, all under the tutelage of a young coach with many of the same attributes….

·         Chicago, Miami & Atlanta—either one of these teams would be catapulted to automatic conference champ contenders by the mere presence of KD in the lineup….

·         Golden State—the Warriors’ formula of having their brand of superstars emerge from the shadows versus already being established has been incredibly effective.  No need to fix what isn’t broken!

The outcome may be shrouded in suspense but what we know for certain is Christmas is sure to come early for one of the 30 fan bases!

On a proud Sooner note—shouts out to OU’s athletic programs for a spectacular year & a huge “Congrats!” to the Lady Sooners for their NCAA Softball Championship!!

Back to the NBA…. there aren’t too many things more exciting than a Game 7!  LeBron is a baaaad man!!  Still believing in Golden State til they give me reason not to!