The NBA Conference Finals Is Here!

Tony Parker had an amazing spin move that left the bench cheering with a standing ovation!

Tony Parker: Unreal buzzer beater shot. (Link below)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6AKrqv_Yq0

As the season is coming to an epic conclusion, all that remains is the best teams in the Eastern and Western Conference. The Miami Heats concluded the final game in the semi finals against the Indiana Pacers in game 7 last week. Paul George and the Pacers were just not enough to defeat the Heats as the game ended 76 to 99. Now, Tony Parker and the San Antonio Spurs are able to rise up to the challenge and defeat the defending champions.

San Antonio toppled the Miami Heat, 92-88, in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. After a phenomenal sweep against the Memphis Grizzlies, the team had a week and a half to recover and prep for the finals. Tony Parker led game 1 with a total of 21 points and six assists with just only one turnover. He is proving himself to be a great pointer guard, capable of playing at the highest level with the most elite players. Tim Duncan came in second with 20 points and 14 rebounds. He had a clutch step back jump shot right right before the buzzer went off. Finally Manu Ginobili added 13 points off the bench and played tight defense on the perimeter while Danny Green was the sharp shooter of the night with 12 points from four three pointers.

The Heats had not as much time to rest as the Spurs, and it seems Lebron did not have energy to carry his team this time. He did score a triple double though with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. On the NBA website, commentators say Dwayne Wade was playing as well as game 7 against the Pacers with 17 points. Chris Bosh came in third with 13 points and five rebounds.

Game 1 was already pretty close with the Spurs proving that they will be more of a match for the Heats. The series will be close all the way till the end with no telling which team is the  better team. Only time will be able to tell who the best team on the 2013 NBA season is.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1664540-san-antonio-spurs-vs-miami-heat-game-1-score-highlights-and-analysis

Miami Heats Take Game 5 Against the Pacers

The Heats now lead the series 3 to 2 against the Pacers. Game 5 at Miami was unbelievable physical as players from both teams clashed with each other. Mario Chalmers came down hard after attempting a rebound. He however was okay and became an outlet for a quick three pointer for a fast break by the Heats. In another case, Paul George on the Pacers gave a shove to Chris Anderson who then thought the big man Tyler Hansbrough was the one who committed the act. Anderson then proceeded to shove Hansbrough to the ground and in a small fight, Anderson received a flagrant 1 foul and the game continued. David West and Mario Chalmers had a small fight and Dwayne Wade was inadvertently elbowed in the jaw by Lance Stephenson. It was a physically intensive game as both teams went at it and the rivalry grew.

The real story of the night though was about Lebron James, the one man army who carried the Heats to victory with 30 points. It was a big answer to game 4 when James fouled out and allowed the Pacers to claim the victory at 99 to 92. Lebron displayed his skill set from playing inside the paint to long ranged three pointers. 16 of his 30 points came from the third quarter when he started heating up and encouraging his team by displaying leadership and intensity. Also from the Heats, Dwyane Wade and Chris Boshed combined for a total of 17 points and Udonis Haslem had a great night shooting 8 for 9 from the field.

From the Pacers, Roy Hibbert who plays center scored 22 points and shooting guard Paul George had 27 points with 11 rebounds. It was a fantastic play for the Pacers but they simply could not match the ferocity from the heats. The game ended with the Heats taking the game at 90 – 79. The Miami Heats are only one game away from making the finals, while the Pacers have a chance to defend back in Indianapolis.

http://www.nba.com/playoffs/2013/eastseries7?ls=iref:nbahpt3a

Miami Heats Versus Indiana Pacers Have An Epic First Game

While the Golden State Warriors dropped out after losing to the San Antonia Spurs, the playoffs move into the Conference Finals.

In the Eastern Conference, the Heats lead against the Pacers 1 to 0 while the Spurs lead against the Grizzlies 2 to 0 in the Western Conference.  Yesterday was game 1 for the Eastern Conference with amazing talent and athleticism on both sides. During the last few seconds of the fourth quarter, Paul George shot an awkward, yet clutch three pointer to send the game into overtime at 92 all. Yet only 10 minutes later, Lebron James scored the game winning point with what seemed to be one of the easiest layups in his career to conclude at 103 to 102. Ironically it was Paul George who was given the task to guard James.

One question that had Pacer fans and the coach slapping their foreheads was why was Roy Hibbert benched in the last few seconds of overtime? Roy Hibbert, the Pacers’ center is their primary shot blocker who would have greeted Lebron at the rim. His absences lead to a clear lane and probably the easiest game winning layup of all time. On the other hand, Lebron James’ athleticism and skill makes it difficult for even the best defenders to match up against him.  

An non biased analysis of the game showed that both teams shot well and topped the 50% mark. Overall, the Heats, being a smaller team was out rebounded 19 to 12. Their transition game has been a game saver. As the series is still young, it is too early to tell who the clear victor is, as game 1 was determined by the final second. Lebron scored his ninth triple double with 30 points. Chris Bosh scored 18 and Dwayne Wade had 6. 

http://fansided.com/2013/05/22/heat-vs-pacers-final-score-miami-sneaks-past-indiana-103-102-in-ot-to-win-game-1/?utm_source=FanSided&utm_medium=Network&utm_campaign=NavBar

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2013/5/22/4357542/pacers-vs-heat-score-update-game-1-nba-playoffs-2013

Warriors Lose In The Playoffs Against The Spurs

In game 7 on Thursday night, the Golden State Warriors lost the series 2 – 4 to the San Antonio Spurs. The final score of 82 – 96 at Oracle Arena in Oakland ended the epic finale of the 2012 – 2013 NBA season for the Warriors.

During the playoffs against the Spurs, the Warriors won only two games of six, both at double overtime that had fans on both sides screaming with suspense. Tony Parker and Tim Duncan, the leading scorers for the Spurs were just to dominate for the Warriors. Many analysts attribute this turn out because the Warriors are a young team with many rookies going up against a veteran team who knew the ropes. However it was a great end to the season as Stephen Curry and the Warriors thanked the fans for their support at the end of game 6.

The Warriors are known for having the greatest fans in the NBA. There was a 38 consecutive sellout by the fans who  simply love supporting their team. The Oracle Arena is also known as the Roaracle. During game 5, the stadium recorded a peak of 111 decibels, which is the equivalent of going to a concert.

Although it ended in a defeat, the Warriors had a memorable moment of the 2013 season. Stephen Curry broke the record for most three points made in a season at 272 shots made. In addition he scored a career high of 54 points scored in a game. Harrison Barnes, a small forward rookie from Georgia Tech, was nominated as 7^th rookie of the year. The team is also looking forward to recovering on the offseason and getting back into shape. David Lee suffered from a torn hip flexor and is still not 100% recovered. In addition, Stephen Curry is looking to strengthen his ankles after having surgery last summer.

Next season will be great. Until then, Mark Jackson and the Warriors will work hard and strengthen themselves to hopefully win a title and bring pride to the Bay Area. Let’s Go Warriors!

Golden State Warriors Defeat the Denver Nuggets and the Playoffs Continue

 

The Golden State Warriors defeated the Denver Nuggets, four games to two, in the seven game series. Yesterday, Stephen Curry, point guard for the Golden State Warriors, led the team to victory with 22 points. The Nuggets were leading the first two quarters, but by the end of the four, the Warriors came back to lead 80 to 63. At this point it seemed like a blowout but the Warriors had a series of mistakes that led to a 13 point run by the Nuggets. When it came down to the last four minutes, the Warriors choked leading to three major turn overs, 4 minutes on the clock, and a 4 point game. The air was tense and the victory was determined by the final seconds. Klay Thompson had a terrible night with only 8 points and many turnovers. Andre Iguodala led the Nuggets with 24 points and many clutch three pointers in the fourth quarter.

 

 

Top Four Scoring Players For Warriors (Average PPG)

http://espn.go.com/nba/player/_/id/3975/stephen-curry

 

As for the rest of the playoffs, the New York Knicks lead the series 3 to 2 against the Boston Celtics as they enter game 6. The Celtics were down three games to zero but managed to win the last two games and force the sixth game. No team in NBA history has come back from a 0-3 deficit to win the series and only three times has a team forced game seven. The matches between these two teams were heated from start to finish. J.R Smith of the Knicks was suspended from playing in game 6 after fighting with Jason Terry of the Celtics. More over, Kenyon Martin encouraged his Knick teammates to wear all black for the Celtic’s “funeral” in game 6. This idea however is completely disrespectful and inappropriate considering that Boston is still trying to recover from the tragedy only 16 days before

This season of playoffs has been quite different from the last. With many injured players from all teams, the dynamics have changed and new situations have sprung up. For example, the situation for the Chicago Bulls does not seem very bright as half the team cannot play due to injuries. Only time will tell what happens to the NBA playoffs.

NBA 2012 – 2013 Season: More Injuries Than Usual?

This season in the NBA has seemed more physical than ever before. Since the start, players from all teams have suffered from season ending and possibly career ending injuries.

Many key players have ended early as the league now enters the half way through play offs. Kevin Ware went down with a compound leg fracture, Kobe Bryant tore his Achilles, and Rajon Rondo tore his ACL. When players go down it makes it harder to win games because uninjured players are forced into primary roles and positions they are not normally use to playing. While this was before play offs even started, numerous players have suffered injuries during the plays off. David Lee from the Golden State Warriors tore his hip flexor taking him out for the rest of the season while Jeremy Lin and Kevin Garnett are both losing playing time from their injuries. Just yesterday Russell Westbrook, point guard and primary scorer for the Oklahoma City Thunders torn his right meniscus during the second game against the Heats. Because he is out, OKC’s chances beating the Heat in the series has been drastically affected.

Player injuries have been a problem for virtually any team in all sports. Injuries not only leaves teams weaker, businesses also lose money and sponsorships when players cannot come back to play for extended periods of time. The NFL has created statistics on leg related injuries and concluded that 2 out of 10 athletes that get injured do not come back to compete. This is quite significant considering basketball and football are the most injury intensive sports in America.

I believe the NBA should spend more money keeping player’s health and injury free. This not only helps them as a business, but it keeps the athletes physically and mentally healthy. There is too much that could happen to a franchise when fan favorite players cannot play anymore.

Kobe Byrant’s Injury: How Does This Affect The Lakers?

Last week, shooting guard Kobe Byrant, who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, suffered an injury by tearing his Achilles. With this potentially career ending injury, many people wonder what will happen to the Lakers as the season is enters the half way point of the playoffs. Also what will happen to Bryant himself and the Lakers Franchise in the future.

While the current season is already coming to a close, many commentators, game analyzers, and even fans didn’t expect the Lakers to make the playoffs, even when Bryant was not injured. The team has a 45 – 37 win lose record and are expected to do worse now that their best scorer, who averaged 27.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this year.

As a franchise, it seems that Bryant’s injury will not affect the business that worth the second highest in the league at $1 billion. Given that the Lakers are located in Los Angeles, a densely populated area, the franchise will only grow. Mark Lacter, a business analyst for KPCC-FM said in an interview, ” …right, which means TV ratings will be solid no matter what, attendance will be high no matter what, and the ancillary revenue from stuff like caps and t-shirts will be strong no matter what.” And this makes sense because it has always been like this from a long time ago, given the Lakers and basketball popularity in the city alone.

Finally, Kobe himself has mentioned the possibility of hanging up his jersey. The NBA and NFL have compiled statistics over the last 20 years over injuries and say 4 out of 10 players who suffer from leg related injures do not return to play. This is not saying Kobe Bryant will not return, but given this fact, there is a 40% chance he might not come back to play. If his injury is in fact not career ending, Dr. Jandial expects Kobe Bryant to take a longer time to recover because of his age. People in their mid 30’s on average take a longer time to recover than people in their early 20’s. What will really happen? Only time can tell.

http://ktla.com/2013/04/16/dr-jandial-kobe-bryants-injury-2/#axzz2QwXYs5p7

http://www.scpr.org/programs/business-update-with-mark-lacter/2013/04/16/31374/how-kobe-bryant-s-injury-may-affect-the-lakers-fra/

Basketball As A Business

Basketball has become a popular sport rising up in the world today. Although it is still predominantly within the United States, basketball is now reaching the international market on a whole new level.

For me, I see basketball as a sport, a pass time, and entertainment, rather than a business. I enjoy watching the NBA on EPSN and root for my favorite teams and players. I even actively support the NBA by buying the official gear of my favorite teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and Oklahoma City Thunders. Even though I have spent a lot of my time playing, watching, and doing other things related to basketball, I never once thought about it as a corporate business. The NBA has done a great job selling their “product” or basketball as a whole that seems to have the ability to memorize people, particularly in my age group. How is this so?

Although not everyone enjoys the same sports, there is something about watching professional athletes competing at the highest level against other great players that is fun to watch. The way these basketball athletes make the game look so effortless is enticing, inspiring, and motivating. The NBA as a business was able to recognize how people positively respond to the game and made it into an unbelievable profit.

For example, after Jeremy Lin’s amazing season that was called “Linsanity” back in 2012, the New York Knicks have become the most valuable basketball team at $1.1 billion. The company leaders of the New York Knicks were able to use this unexpected blessing to make even more profit. Before Linsanity, a Lin jersey was not even seen in stores, but after the event, the company could not even produce enough of his jersey to keep up with the demand. In addition, being the only Asian American player in the league, being able to draft Jeremy has the entirety of Asia as a support and fan base. In addition, it is a perfect opportunity to take the franchise and spread it overseas to a now growing population of young people who love to play basketball.

Although I am not able to understand the strategy, statistics, and worthy investments that go behind the scenes in basketball, it is very interesting to see the technical side of this business I only saw as entertainment. They have done a great job as a company and have a promising future.