The NBA Finals :: Who Is REALLY Calling the Shots
Let’s be honest … if it weren’t for my Kobe Bryant, Laker loving, D1 college basketball playing husband, I probably wouldn’t even know the finals were on every year. He was the one to get me into football as well. We are both from the Mississippi Gulf Coast so the Saints were an easy pick for me and he’d already grown up a die hard fan. Basketball, on the other hand, wasn’t as simple. He bleeds purple and yellow, and no … NOT the heralded Baton Rouge school (Mississippi State Alum here!) but yes, the Lakers. I purposely tried to pick any other team BUT that one to support. I wanted to make my own decision. I really wanted the San Antonio Spurs to work out but let me tell you, living in a divided house hold as a newbie fan with a random team is HARD. I eventually caved since I had zero personal ties with any other basketball team and it was actually fun getting to know the what I call “old school” Lakers team (think Trevor Ariza, Andrew Bynum, and Derek Fisher).
Fast forward to today where the Dallas Mavericks finally win one after the Boston Celtics battle the best of seven series with a three win streak. I wanted the series to just be over 4-0 but then again, we are a Laker household and would never want the Celtics to have it THAT easy LOL.
But let’s address a bigger problem.
Is it reasonable for the NBA Finals to have such a profound difference in game results? I don’t know about you, but I remember the Finals (and basketball games in general) being a lot closer in our era. Even more interestingly, it seems as if these officiating crews have such a stronghold over how the game will be played. I see crews who let these men play physically. They bump, pull, grab and shove without much whistle blowing. This seems to play into the Celtics hands. But when Game 4 comes along and Scott Foster’s crew take over, the game is a little more free flowing. All of a sudden the Mavericks are blowing them out!
My son plays basketball and my husband coaches. I saw the same effect last year as one particular referee literally controlled the outcome of games. Is it insane to think that a sport with billions of dollars, ratings and reputation to worry about is free of the same influence? I’m just saying it makes me wonder who is REALLY calling the shots?
Speaking of calling the shots, seems like the WNBA and the USA selection committee called the ultimate shot by leaving Caitlin Clark off of the USA roster. She has had such an impact on women’s sports already. The amount of controversy surrounding a professional women’s league should intrigue us all. Maybe that’s my next article?
