Fans in the Bay Area of California have gotten very used to celebrations like this. Can the rest of the league stop it from happening a fourth time in five years? (© Blackkango Dreamstime.com)
After a summer full of moves and tweaks across the league, Tuesday, October 16 is the beginning of the 73rd season of NBA basketball. Hey, that's tonight!
Since it was so much fun doing the same in our NHL preview two weeks ago, we thought that we'd give you our three biggest questions that we have going into the new season. Want to add something, super fans? Let us know in the comments! Okay, 2018-19—here are the things that we're most eager to discover the answers to!
Q: Can LeBron bring Showtime back to L.A.?
It hasn't taken long for LeBron fever to catch hold in Los Angeles. (Getty Embed)
With 16 titles over the years, the Los Angeles Lakers are one of the greatest basketball teams ever. And in the 1980s, they were also the most exciting. The electric, fast-paced style of superstars like Kareem Abdul-Jabber, Magic Johnson, and James Worthy even earned them a nickname: Showtime!
But for the last seven years, the Lakers have been anything but a thrill. There have been more fights in the locker room than wins on the court. Then they signed a guy named LeBron James the summer. He sounds familiar ...
Now that they have arguably one of the top two players of all time on their team, is Showtime back in L.A.?! It takes more than one great player to win in basketball, but there's no question that the Lakers will be a much more dangerous team with King James in the fold.
Q: Can the Raptors be the best team in the East when it matters?
Kawhi Leonard has won an NBA title, been a Finals MVP, and was named Defensive Player of the Year. Can his championship drive push the Raptors to the Finals? (Getty Embed)
Over the past few seasons, the Toronto Raptors used star guards DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry to become a force in the NBA. They even managed to turn a stellar supporting cast into the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference. But then came the playoffs and LeBron's Cavaliers. And the result was always the same: another disappointing playoffs.
Now, after a wild summer, things feel different. For one, with LeBron in L.A. that dreaded Cavaliers matchup isn't an issue anymore. Then, fan-favourite Demar was traded to San Antonio for superstar Kawhi Leonard. So the question is: With LeBron out of the way and one of the best all-around players now on their roster, can the Raptors be as good in the playoffs as they have been during the season?
Can Kawhi really drive this team where they've never been ... into the NBA Finals?
Q: Can anyone actually beat Golden State?
Right now, Stephen Curry and the Warriors play basketball wherever, however they like. Can anyone stand in their way? (Getty Embed)
This is really the ultimate question in the league.
Because no matter which team wins the Eastern Conference, and how much Showtime LeBron can bring to the Lakers, it really comes down to this: who, if anyone, will beat the Golden State Warriors?
The team that has gone to four straight Finals, and won three titles, including the last two in a row. The team who set the greatest regular season record of ALL TIME in 2016 ... and then went out and added PB&J-loving megastar Kevin Durant to their team to get even better!
Yeah. THAT team.
Even loaded teams like James Harden's Houston Rockets can't seem to figure a way past the Warriors' talent. But, as Cleveland's come-from-behind Finals win in 2016 proved, nothing's truly finished until the final buzzer has sounded.
And in this season? The play is only just beginning!
Enjoy the drama, b-ball fans!
