Shock of Playoffs

Upsets in sports are inevitable, but no one saw the upset of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James not facing each other in the finals.

Keeping up with the NBA playoffs this year has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. Being a die-hard hometown fan, of course I was crushed when the Bulls didn't take the series against the Celtics but as a Chicago fan you get used to the phrase "Wait until next year." We've actually all been brainwashed to believe this optimistic phrase year after year. Most of us are still waiting for a ridiculous Billy Goat curse to be broken.

With all of the commercials and advertisements playing the role of the Oracle, it was almost a certainty that King James and Kobe were going to face off for the ultimate prize in the NBA. Some even questioned whether the entire playoffs were fixed to have the two best players in the NBA compete, which would ultimately boost ratings and mean more revenue for the NBA. Although this would have meant more revenue for the NBA, the Orlando Magic defied all the corporate big wigs and fans rooting for a Kobe/LeBron matchup.

Capturing the Eastern Conference title, the Magic have positioned themselves to be a force in the finals as well as for years to come. With young players that have a drive and passion to win, the Magic may be a force for the Cavaliers and King James to reckon with even in the distant future. Dwight Howard is gaining more experience as he goes along and is averaging over twenty points and fifteen rebounds in the playoffs and is emerging as a powerhouse of the NBA to the likes of Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Charles Barkley.

The strong supporting cast of Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, and Hedo Turkoglu are becoming more unified and providing their opposition match-up problems as a result of the height advantages of Magic players.

The Lakers have their work cut out for them come Thursday night on their home court. Orlando has become the Cinderella team that no one expected to get this far. The NBA now has to pull the Kobe and LeBron commercials and replace LeBron with Dwight Howard. Might not sound as appealing, but the Magic have earned their place in history.