There was only way this season had to end and so it did. Our Golden State Warriors are the NBA Champions!
There are those of us who, for decades, ached for those words. Golden State Warriors. NBA Champions. They never went together, but there they are, in the same sentence, and how sweet the sound. My brothers and sisters, comrades and citizens, the longing has ended, the hunger satiated, the clouds have opened and our drought is over. Our Golden State Warriors are the NBA Champions.
And it was Steph and Klay and Draymond and Harrison and Andrew and David and Shaun and Festus and Leandro who made it happen. And it was Iggy. Andre Iguodala. He who had started the first 758 games of his NBA career. He who was asked to sit the bench this entire season. He who was finally asked to start, for the first time this season, in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. We won that game. He started Game 5. We won that game. He started Game 6. We won the season. Andre Iguodala, the first player in NBA history to have never started a game in the regular season and win the NBA Finals MVP award. Andre Iguodala, the legend that ensured that our Golden State Warriors are the NBA Champions.
And the man that Iggy edged past for that award? LeBron James. The undisputed, and self-proclaimed, best baller in the world. With all due respect to Iggy and Steph, there is no question who the best basketball player was in these NBA Finals. In these Finals, LeBron was beatified. Kevin Love, Cleveland's third best player went down with injury. Kyrie Irving, their second best player, went down with injury. LeBron took a look at what was left of his team, and it was a shambles. They were chumps who weren't good enough for the Knicks--the Knicks!--and LeBron said, "Get on my back. I'll carry you." He almost did. Think about this: take out LeBron and insert any other player. Steph. KD. Harden. Anyone. How many games do they win against these Warriors? Zero. They would forfeit to avoid the slaughter. How does Magic do with this Cleveland team? Larry? Kareem? What about MJ? We know that LeBron won two games, by himself, against a historically great Warriors team. It was the best player versus the best team. But this is basketball, not golf, and that is why our Golden State Warriors are the NBA Champions.
Maybe you're new to the Bay. Maybe you're new to basketball. Maybe Steph & Co. convinced you to take up residence in Dub Nation. You're welcome here. You came at a great time. The weather is great and the rent is cheap. We hope you stay for a long time. Or maybe you've suffered long and you've died hard, year after year. Maybe you're like my friends Jimboy and Mari and Gindo and Tep and Bino and wore that blue and gold since Run TMC. It doesn't matter. Last night was for all of us. It was for Oakland, their current home. It was for San Francisco, their former and future home. It was even for San Jose, where they once played. It was for the whole damn Yay. And today, for the first time in most of our lives, all of us can say our Golden State Warriors are the NBA Champions.
One more time: Our Golden State Warriors are the NBA Champions!!!
