Scribbler's 11th Hour Post of the Week: Why Kevin Durant's Big Decision Gives Me Cause for Pause

I had every intention of keeping this post as simple as possible, but when have y'all ever known me to do that?!?!  I'm not afraid to admit it: I just don't do brief, especially when it comes to breaking news like seven-time All-Star, four-time scoring champ and former NBA MVP Kevin Durant signing a two-year, $54.3 million deal with the Golden State Warriors--yup, the same team that kept him, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder from what appeared to be a surefire date with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.  It seems like more people have been talking about this and nearly choking on their burnt hot dogs and potato salad in the process than the news that the FBI has decided not to charge former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information in her emails.  (You're probably thinking, "Well Dirk, you're doing the same thing."  My response: politics suck right now.  It's either going to be a shady Hillary Clinton or a baseless Donald Trump for President of the United States...who TF wants to talk about that?!?!)  My overall position, however, is simple: neither am I in love with this move for Durant nor the Warriors...yet.  Indulge me...

Coronation of the Prodigal Son: The Biggest Win of LeBron James' Career

There's nothing like being on the right side of history, but until the Cleveland Cavaliers won the first championship of their 46-year existence, the team was an extension of a city that had grown accustomed to being on the wrong side of history.  Even though they rolled through the Eastern Conference on their way to their second consecutive NBA Finals appearance against the defending-champion Golden State Warriors, many pundits still gave them little to no shot against the team that set the new record for regular season wins at 73 led by the league's first unanimous MVP in Stephen Curry.  Meanwhile, LeBron James made history by being the first player in NBA history (along with teammate James Jones, who was with him all four years in Miami) to make six consecutive Finals appearances.  However, when they lost Game 4 at home of all places, LeBron and the Cavs faced an uphill battle that no other team in NBA Finals history had ever been able to overcome: come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the series.  However, with a tenacity like perhaps no other player before him, King James willed himself and his teammates with a "why not us" mentality and rallied to accomplish what seemed impossible against arguably the best team in basketball.  The Warriors' historic season quickly paled in comparison as the Cavs made team history, NBA Finals history and, most important, Cleveland history as the region's "Prodigal Son" finally brought one home for "the 'Land".  So let's explore parts of the path to LeBron's ultimate victory...

Same Teams, Different Stakes: Why Picking a Side in the NBA Finals Is Harder Than Last Year

After achieving another historical feat by becoming the first team in NBA history to be the No. 1 seed with the league MVP but be down 3-1 in a playoff series to come back and win the series, the Golden State Warriors might just change some analysts and odds makers' minds about their rematch with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.  A lot of people including myself wrote off the defending champions' chances of accomplishing such a tall order, and we just assumed that the Oklahoma City Thunder would win the series and the Cavs would have a little easier path to the crown because most people didn't give OKC a chance against LeBron & Co.  However, living up to their namesake, the Warriors manifested an unprecedented amount of resolve, persistence and tenacity.  Although Steph Curry is my favorite player in the NBA right now and has been for the past three years, it's still hard to pick against King James as I have been a fan of his overall game, instant impact on any team for which he plays and being one of the most unselfish superstars that the game of basketball has ever seen since his high school days.  So as we prepare for what should be another thrilling matchup between the Warriors and the Cavs, allow me to explain how this year's NBA Finals is a little harder to pick than last year...