A rising tide...

A while back I mentioned about the importance of having a strong culture of community, which the Golden State Warriors have displayed in the midst of two-time MVP Stephen Curry's recent injury. Many pundits on television declared that they did not need him to return prematurely in their current second round series against the Portland Trailblazers, and for the most part they may be right. However, for anyone who noticed last night at the Moda Center, the return of the league's most explosive player (notice I didn't say valuable, more on that later) came back at the most opportune time, and when they needed him most.

No, not because they were down quickly to the Blazers 16-2, it was more than that. There was a sense that this Warriors team, which has had to deal with the season long burden of not only trying to defend their championship, but to win the NBA-record 73 wins, was wearing them down both physically and mentally. Even if Curry didn't score a single point (more on that later too) the fact that they saw their leader come back Willis Reed-style (Google please) was the lift they desperately needed. What occurred afterwards was one of the greatest offensive displays we've seen in NBA playoff history as Curry dropped 17 points in overtime as they won to take a 3-1 series lead. It was way more than just a sixth man performance the likes of Detlef Schrempf (Google please) has never seen, it was about how just his presence alone gave his team the boost they had been searching for. Golden State regained their championship swagger, and Curry's jaw-dropping performance simply provided evidence of such. Even Portland's owner Paul Allen was left dumbfounded. 

Many people will point to the fact that despite Curry winning a second straight MVP, that because of the players around him he isn't deserving of the award. I argue that it's because of his play making abilities that it has lifted up the performances of a Draymond Green or Klay Thompson. Some will say "What about LeBron?" While there is not a more dominating presence in the league since Jordan laced them up, James has created a culture of dependency to which everyone (including his hand picked coach) defers to him. He could not get that type of power in Miami, which is why he's trying to "win one for the 'Land." From owner to general manager to the barkeep outside of Quicken Loans Arena, they all rely on him to be their deliverer of the Larry 'O Brien Trophy. Curry, on the other hand, has been largely responsible for being the conductor of a system that breeds confidence from the 12th man on the bench that even they can play a large role in winning a title. That is what Jordan did for the Chicago Bulls, he made guys like Steve Kerr and John Paxson major players during their title runs of the 1990s. So when we talk about valuable, it's not about the individual performance, it's who is the person that has been most influential in raising the performance of everyone around them, even when they aren't there? Again, even if Stephen Curry had not registered a single point, guys like Green, Thompson and Harrison Barnes gained that extra umph needed to push themselves over the hump. 

What is your presence at your job, class, or team? Are you capable of being that person that adds value to whatever task needs to be done, or do you drain the atmosphere?

Foul? No, you're foul!

For the 3-plus decades in which I have watched all levels of basketball, there is always the perpetual question being asked: "What is a foul?" We have seen referees blow whistles on the lightest of touches, to allowing blatant discretions like the one above. We argue, "Why don't they call it by the book?" Understand first and foremost that referees, just like anyone else, are human. They make mistakes, and unlike anyone else, their mistakes are shown before millions around the world on television and online. Sports-talk radio shows banter on for days about what they believed was a missed call.

Again, by the letter of the law, it is a foul. However, the NBA came out yesterday and stated that at least 5 missed calls took place during the end of the San Antonio-Oklahoma City game on Monday night. They are correct as fouls by both teams occurred. While the tune of "well it's too late to do anything about it now" has been the prevailing mantra in the days after, what is refreshing to see is the league doing something that fans have been asking for a long time: keeping referees accountable. Recently during the first round of the playoffs Detroit Pistons guard Reggie Jackson took it a step further:

It will be interesting to see what will happen going forward, or if Commissioner Adam Silver will begin to enforce stiffer penalties. The NFL has a system in which referees who continue to blow missed assignments are not allowed to officiate playoff games, and if the same is done in the NBA, it could see an end to what many people feel is an unfair and selective enforcement of officiating at opportune times.

Remember the outcry in the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and the Sacramento Kings in Game 6? The Lakers had an absurdly amount of free throws awarded to them in the fourth quarter, and appeared to many as if they were allowed to do more than what the Kings were in that instance. Although we forget that Sacramento still had a Game 7 (at home, btw) they could've won, to this day everyone and their mother outside of Staples Center still believes this game was rigged so that the NBA could have the LA market in the Finals.

 

Sure, there are times in which superstars are allowed to travel (Michael Jordan was notorious for getting away with three steps) and maybe can use their elbows more often than the 12th man off the bench, but to think that the league is telling their referees (who are well compensated) to throw a nationally televised game for the sake of ratings borders on the brinks of absurdity. However, after decades of people asking for the referees to be held accountable, the league has listened and are doing so. In life, we all know that mistakes will be made (Romans 3:23) but it's as they always say "The cover-up is worse than the crime." We all want to know that what we are watching and supporting is on the up-and-up, and that the standards of fairness and competency is extended to those officiating the games as much as those who are playing them.

However, I'm still convinced that the "frozen envelope" conspiracy was contrived by the Illuminati...