Why the 2015 NBA Finals got it right!!

Hey Y'all it's your favorite SportsGal89 Innnnnnnnnnnnn the Building!
 I come to you so bittersweet about the closure of the NBA Finals 2015. In this matchup you had the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. The Golden State Warriors. The stories on each side are absolutely fascinating. And not just because I had my two homes in contention.

This series was fascinating in so many ways and I wish that we could just spend a couple more days watching this battle play out some more.

Give Credit where Credit is due:

I started this blog because I had a breaking with THE Lebron James. He is a homestate hero, a legend in Ohio for his incredible talent as a High School athlete, to his ability to be drafted out of High School into the NBA and to play at the level that he has. He was set to be Cleveland's saving athletic grace bringing home a championship or two. He did carry his team to the Playoffs on more than one occasion. We know the story though, he didn't succeed in bringing a ring to Cleveland and after putting in work for a few seasons went to Miami. His departure was all but amicable.  And upon getting to Miami not only had he played a critical role in bringing the team to the Finals, but one a ring for himself and that team the following year. Fast forward and Lebron has returned to Cleveland, the city and him ready to put the past behind them both. He returned with fire and a mission, get a ring. And he all but succeeded in that mission. A good friend of mine and I were talking and I will agree "No other NBA player currently on an active roster can do what Lebron did in leading a team the way he has to a finals the way he did."

The outcome of the finals was this, after a valiant effort and some amazing heroism, the Cavs ultimately fell short and Lebron and Cleveland are ringless again. I hope however that Lebron and Cleveland though have had the healing moment that they needed. And that next year looks a little brighter, so keep your head up, Lebron, even if you can most often get the sideeye from me.

The Magic:
While there can only be one winner, I believe that no one should be disappointed in what occurred these last 6 games. Both teams played through different adversity and one just edged out the other a little bit more with the fight. I wonder what it would have come down to though if the series had been pushed to Game 7. What won out among the Warriors on Tuesday night was stamina. The Warriors just had an edge, playing with a little more energy and tenacity then a tired Cavs team. And despite these moments where the Cavs seemed to be ready for a Hulk moment, the Warriors just returned with more.

This series was one for the books. Where two non-traditional sports teams saw greatness. It was absolutely incredible and I am glad I didn't miss a moment of it.

That's all she wrote folks.

What does it mean to be an "Underdog" NBA Finals 2015

Hey Y'all it's your favorite SportsGal89 Innnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn the Buildin'!

It's fitting that several years after this blog began, that I am coming back to why it all started. LeBron James as we hopefully are all aware has returned to Cleveland and it has been an interesting ride. In his first season back, LeBron has pretty much washed away the anger that the city clearly erupted with when he left to go to Miami. He, with the help of a well-timed supporting cast has returned Cleveland not only to the playoffs, but to the finals.

Who are their opponents- The Golden State Warriors. A team that I have grown to know living in the Bay Area. And while everyone should know that my team are the Los Angeles Lakers, I do have a little soft spot for the teams that work hard and just have a different flair and fire, especially those teams that are not the typical big city drivers.

So a friend of mine posted this commercial... (In the event that the commercial disappears) It was the new LeBron James commercial- Together
 Now on it's own it is a captivating commercial. Through this commercial, this Ohio bred girl recognizes the "healing" that is going into this commercial. A City that once erupted in outrage, burning their beloved homestate hero's jerseys a few short years ago, rallies behind him and the team through this single moment.

But what turned me off to the commercial, wasn't so much what it said, but what it didn't and what others inferred about it. One of my friends actually posted this commercial with the statement " It only makes sense that we're the underdog." Now, this very well could have been his own statement, but it set me off. The word underdog- a person, or team who is expected to lose (Webster).

In this case I think it is really interesting to call this team, or even LeBron James the underdog. Here's why, are we calling the man or the team the underdog? If you are referring to the former, can LeBron be considered the underdog when this he's had a few attempts at the NBA Playoffs, and this is his third run at the NBA Finals and he already has two rings under his belt.  The term "underdog" could be referenced to the team itself and the city that the team belongs to and to that definition I could most definitely agree. The backdrop in Cleveland- a city that has struggled in sports for years, a city that has lost one of it's greatest legacies to only have him win not one, but TWO rings after he leaves. To have him return. The City's love/hate relationship and feelings towards LeBron will be what transform the experience. So to that degree, I can say that if we are talking about the city, then I could somewhat agree with the underdog, title it might have been given.

But then what does it mean for their opponent? In a city that sits in the backdrop of the San Francisco 49ers and the San Francisco Giants, and maybe every so often, the Oakland A's. Where do the Golden State Warriors fall. And not just talking about local sports, in a state where there are not one, but FOUR NBA basketball teams and one of them being the dominate team in the Los Angeles Lakers, what do you do? The Dubs as they are affectionately called, are just as much an underdog as the Cavs are. Their last playoff run was in the 70s. They haven't won a division title since the 70s and yes you can say that the Cavs are in a similar boat, but under the leadership of LeBron this team has had a go at the playoffs, not just one time.

I think when it comes down to it, when I think about the word underdog  in this sense, I think what hits for me is this idea of privilege. What experience does one team or one player have, whether that is experience in actual ability, depth on the bench or experience with understanding what the playoffs and the finals are like.

Either way this is going to be a great series and I truly believe it's going to be very exciting. Now if you were to ask me who my money is on- I will say the Warriors. Sorry to the home state team, hero. #GODUBS

That's all she wrote folks check in with me after the game!