It's More Than Just a Game
 |
| Lebron pictured with Kyrie, when he is back in Cleveland (via NBA.com) |
To say that the Cavs playing TD Garden is "just a game" is like saying that Boston hates IT. It's just not true. With 3 straight years of the Cavs waltzing their way to the Eastern conference finals, a new young team has emerged with the capability to dethrone the King. But this rivalry goes deeper than that.
Just one year ago, Cavs fans didn't care about Celtics fans and Celtics fans never imagined being good enough to take on the Cavaliers. That all changed in the middle of the summer. Out of nowhere, a month after losing another NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors, Kyrie Irving announced that he didn't want to be in Cleveland anymore; he blamed it on LeBron for being an attention hog. Kyrie just wanted to go back to the days where he was the rising star and franchise leader no the Cavs. Back when LeBron was still in Miami and the Cavs were winless. Back when Kyrie was the best player on the court, making all the calls, taking all the clutch shots, not LeBron.
| 6' Commercial Grade Folding Table For Tailgaiting - 4 PACK |
| $350 ($87 each) |
| This Website is Made Possible Thanks to Sam's Club |
 |
At around the same time in Boston, the Celtics were rebounding from an Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Cavs, cut short by an hip injury to IT in Game 2, and adding pieces to their team. The Celtics were building around Isaiah Thomas, a rising guard. Isaiah was a small guy at 5'8" but don't overlook his size. IT was a perimeter and inside threat who spread the floor and to top it off, he had the ability to pass the ball. IT had all sorts of weapons around him including Al Horford, a big man that could shoot, pass, and rebound. The Celtics were in the market for a small forward that would fit into their offense and one that could could defend against league leaders such as LeBron or Durant. In free agency, the Celtics found the man that fit their needs, Gordon Hayward, and signed him to a 4 year, $158 Million contract. It looked like Boston had all the starpower and the depth to take on the Cavs and dethrone the King. Danny Ainge didn't think so.
The former Celtics' forward, now Celtics' GM, made a decision that would upset Cavs and Celtics fans alike. Kyrie had been on the trade block for quite some time and no team was willing to offer a compelling trade to the Cavs for a guard that had proven so little and with such low morale. Cavs fans thought that they would be locked into another few years with Kyrie, a guy who didn't want to be in Cleveland as much as Cleveland fans now didn't want him on their team. Danny Ainge stepped up to the plate and answered the prayers of all the Cleveland fans. He gave he Cavs a lot more that what any other team was offering: Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizak, and a 2018 1st round pick. Celtics fans were furious. They had spent the last two years watching the team nurture and grow Isaiah Thomas, their franchise player, and Jae Crowder, another key player in the franchise. This resulted in IT and Celtics fans alike taking their beef on Danny Ainge. Danny Ainge was officially the most hated man the Boston.
Fast forward to the Season opener in Cleveland, Celtics fans didn't have much to look forward too. Cleveland was expected to win by a landslide and did I forget to say that the Celtics didn't have IT? At the time, Kyrie hadn't proved much. Sure, he made the highlight reels with his nasty crossovers and clutch shots from time to time but he was proved inadequate without LeBron. Before LeBron returned to Cleveland, Kyrie could barely lead the Cavs to 20 wins. Even when LeBron was in Cleveland, without LeBron on the court, Kyrie was unable to consistently lead the Cavs. Within minutes of the Celtics vs. Cavs season opener, something went horribly wrong. Gordon Hayward twisted his ankle in a gruesome play. Minutes later, the Celtics announced that he was diagnosed with a fractured ankle and would officially be out for 6-8 weeks. Even Cavs fans felt bad for the Celtics and were voicing support for the organization. The Celtics ended up losing to the Cavs in the season opener and then they lost their next game too. The Celtics were 0-2 and all faith had been lost in Boston.
 |
| VIZIO 80 inch 4K Ultra HD TV |
| $2495 |
| Watch the Big Game in Ultra 4k |
|
Obviously, that's no how the story ends. The following game in Philly, Kyrie yelled to a fan, "suck my d*ck!" and many people would agree that that was the turning point in the Celtics's 2018 season. Kyrie went on to prove everyone wrong in every way. He proved that he didn't need LeBron when he led the Celtics to 16-straight wins. Kyrie led the Celtics to the top Eastern seed without LeBron. This leads us to today, January 3rd, 2017. The Cavs without IT have proven to be a championship contender once again and the Celtics without Hayward have proven to be one of the best if not the best in the East. Essentially, these two teams are playing for bragging rights to the "best team in the Eastern Conference". No matter who wins tonight, the events leading up to this matchup tonight have rewritten NBA history. With other teams contending the Warriors in the West and the Celtics rising under Kyrie, we could see the end of a dynasty. This could be the first time that we don't see a Cavs vs Warriors matchup in the Finals in 4 years. Or this could be first time has overthrown the King in the East in 8 years. It's a whole new chapter in NBA history.
Michael Pham
Sources: thePudl, Bleacher Report
Comments
Post a Comment