Just when we began to fear the worst that there would be no NBA basketball at all this year, the players and owners were finally able to put aside their differences and pony up to strike a tentative agreement. Though the deal is yet to be completed and ratified just yet, the chances of an actual season taking place this year looks a lot brighter now than it did several days ago. NBA Commissioner David Stern broke the news early Saturday morning in front of a camera crew where he announced plans for a 66-game season which would start on December 25 and end on April 26. For the casual sports fan, Christmas is around the time of year everyone gathers around the television to watch some of the more intriguing match-ups the NBA has to offer. And this year's slew of games is no different.
Basketball fans will be treated to an opening day extravaganza which will feature a handful of heavyweight match-ups including a rematch of last year's NBA Finals -- the defending Champion Dallas Mavericks toeing off against runner-ups the Miami Heat where LeBron James and D-Wade will seek revenge after tasting defeat last June. Other match-ups include the Boston Celtics vs. the New York Knicks as well as Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers facing the Derrek Rose led Chicago Bulls who's coming off a monster year which saw the 23 year old point guard take home MVP honors. Also added to the lineup as of today will be last year's Rookie of the Year Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers against the Golden State Warriors with one more game expected to be added in the coming days according to sources.
Over the last few years basketball has almost become just as synonymous with Christmas day as opening presents and decorating the tree. And with basketball back on television, one thing that's certain is that it'll give us a lot more to do during the holiday other than sit around the fireplace and drink eggnog. Though the lockout has still served as an inconvenience by shortening the normal 82-game season by 16 games as well put a lot of people out of work, the timing of basketball making its return couldn't be any better as far as ratings go given it allows football to pass the Paton as the NFL regular season is reaching its climax allowing the NBA to take center stage.
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