The NBA is Back 80's Style

Magic. Bird. Jordan. Kareem. Isiah Thomas. Bernard King. Dominique Wilkins. This was the 1980's and this was when the NBA was at its best. You had the great players (those listed). You had great high flying teams; Lakers, Celtics, Pistons, and Rockets. You had upcoming teams like the Bulls. It was a fast paced league with many stars. If you loved Bird you disliked Magic. If you like Isiah you thought he was as good as the top tier stars. And if you loved Jordan than you wanted to fly just like he could.

The 1980's. The last great era of the NBA. Until now. The NBA is back and it hasn't been good since those times. Jordan was amazing in the 1990's. But their are more stars now than their were then. You have the obvious. Kobe and Lebron. Kobe continues to be clutch even as age and wear and tear come to him. And Lebron is simply amazing. He is a show to watch every night. He is the best player in the league.

But it is more than just those two. Carmelo Anthony is arguably having his best season. Dwyane Wade, while I still hate him, is still putting together amazing nights despite constant injuries and being on a below than average Heat team.

And then their is Kevin Durant. His 25 points a game in a row streak ended last night against the Spurs. However, this does not end his amazing season. He is carrying a very young Oklahoma City Thunder team. In my opinion he is 2nd, behind Lebron, in the race for the MVP. He is as clutch as any player in the league. Consider last Saturday night. I was sick. I was not going out. So I turn on the tv. Watching the Olympics which is fine and all. But my real watch was MSG. Thunder at the Knicks. Sounds bland but it was anything but. T-Mac made his debut as a Knick and did very well until his knees and fatigue took him out in overtime. On the other side Kevin Durant didn't have his greatest shooting night. But when the game was on the line he made the shots when they counted. At the end of regulation and overtime he made key 3's and 2's to win the game. He is a cold blooded assassin. He is the next great star of the NBA.

Also you have Dwight Howard. He's great no doubt. My boy Dirk Nowitzki is still getting it done. Great point guards like Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Steve Nash, and Deron Williams are getting it done. Kevin Love, Stephen Curry, Tyreke Evans, and Brandon Jennings are some of the rising stars in the league. You have the great teams like the Cavs, Celtics, Magic, and Lakers. You have rising teams like the Thunder and the Bulls. The NBA now has something to offer everyone. And come free agency in July it will be fascinating to see where Lebron, Wade, and Chris Bosh end up. And of course the NBA playoffs will be equaly fascinating.

All of this NBA talk is coming from someone who is not even a big NBA fan. I still think the playoffs drag on too long. A Game 1 of a series will start on a Sunday and Game 2 will be on a Thursday. Their is way too many breaks in between games for my liking. I think it hurts the flow. The NHL playoffs have just as many games as the NBA playoffs do but do not drag on as long as the NBA does. That is the one thing I wish the NBA would improve on. But other than that the league is great. For the first time since that epic 2002 Game 7 between the Kings and the Lakers I am really into the NBA. It's been a great regular season and should be a great playoffs. All their is to do now is sit back and enjoy.

Kofod