Photo: Markus Spiske on Unsplash
(Podcast length 4:23 mins)
The NBA Finals – where passion, grit and talent unite to make some darn good TV. If you haven't had a chance to watch a game this season, now's your chance.
Transcript
1. If it seems like the Golden State Warriors are always in the finals, well, they are. This is their sixth appearance in eight years, and they're seeking their fourth title. They're taking on the Boston Celtics, who you may have seen in "Winning Time" on HBO as one of the league's most storied franchises. The Celtics have 17 championships, securing their last title in the 2007-2008 season. ALL IN DUE TIME
2. Despite blowout games and a lack of fan-favorite names like LeBron James, the ratings for the playoffs have been high with recognizable franchises like the Warriors and Celtics. The playoffs saw a 23% boost in viewers from last year when Milwaukee Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns. The ratings are up 102% over the 2020 delayed postseason. MUST-SEE TV
3. The coaches are in a league of their own. First, the outspoken head coach of the Warriors, Steve Kerr. An NBA veteran player with eight championships (five as a player and three as a coach), Kerr most recently made headlines for his passionate press conference after the Uvalde school shooting. Kerr's father was shot in killed in Beirut in the 80s and has been a longtime advocate for gun control. Celtics head coach Ime Udoka patiently waited to get his first NBA coaching job, and his team is in the finals. You might recognize his partner, actress Nia Long in the stands. The two share a 10-year-old son. BOSS MEN
4. Speaking of kids, in 2015, Riley Curry stole the spotlight from her dad Steph Curry when she crashed a Western Conference Finals press conference. Now that Riley is nine, look for Deuce Tatum, the four-year-old son of Celtics star Jayson Tatum to carry the torch. Deuce is a fixture on the sidelines and in the postgame locker room. THEY GROW UP SO FAST
5. The league has had a longtime partnership with Tiffany & Co., the makers of the Larry O'Brien trophy, named after the league's third commissioner. This year's trophy received a bit of a facelift that includes the net and ball shifted forward, which is a direct reference to the NBA's focus on the future. The trophy comes with its own Louis Vuitton travel case. WOULDN'T HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY
Bonus: Besides Steph Curry and Jayson Tatum, a few players to look out for include the Celtics Al Horford, 36, who has played in more playoff games than anyone in history without making the finals. That is until this year. Marcus Smart from the Celtics is the defensive player of the year, so maybe he'll help slow down Curry.
Two of Curry's teammates on the Warriors to watch for are the outspoken Draymond Green, who predicted these two teams would meet in the finals. Then there's Klay Thompson, who missed the last two seasons with an injury. Coincidentally, those are the seasons the Warriors didn't win it all.
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