Sports Eye
Curry versus James
By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.
UNDOUBTEDLY the talk now in the world of sports is the NBA championship between Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors and Lebron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers.
Filipino diehard basketball buffs say the battle is really between the season’s reigning Most Valuable Player (MVP) Curry and the former MVP James to carry their teams to victories. I agree. I followed most of their games during the regular season and particularly during the playoffs that their respective teams suffered lost when either one didn’t play. Obviously the two are the gems of their teams and their presence in the court really counts a lot for their fans. They’re crowd drawers.
The Cavs are perceptibly hungry for victory, and if lucky this year it will be their first ever title since joining NBA in 1970. The Cavs finishing the regular season with a franchise record of 53 wins against 29 losses under the tutelage of rookie coach David Blatt and surprisingly swept away the Eastern Conference champions Atlanta Hawks (4-0) to easily enter the Finals. This year is their second NBA championship fight after losing to multi-titled San Antonio Spurs in 2007, then coached by Mike Brown. Connoisseurs say the Cavs are slightly the underdog due to the loss of their reliable center Kevin Love because of injury. The six-foot-eight James, 30, for sure will be assisted by their wily point-guard Kyrie Irving, shooting guard Joe Harris, 3-point specialist J.R. Smith and postman Andre Varejao.
On the other hand, the Warriors, originally based in Philadelphia in 1946, first tasted the championship crown in 1947 steered by Joe Fulks, and again grabbed the crown in 1956. The group moved to San Francisco, California in 1962 to be christened as Golden State Warriors (because of the famous Golden Gate Bridge) and seized the tiara for the third time in 1975 bannered by Michael Ray. The team played their 69th season and mentored by neophyte tactician Steve Kerr formerly from the Chicago Bulls. This year they established a record of 67 wins and with 15 losses, the best in NBA this season to bag the Western Conference finals beating the Houston Rockets to enter the Finals.
Unlike James who got only few back-up men, Curry, 27, will be supported by his reliable teammates Monta Ellis, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Leandro Barbosa, Andre Igoudala and dependable center Andre Bogut. But unknown to many, these two superstars (Curry and James) in this era were both city mates, both born in Akron, Ohio. James was acquired by Cavs in 2003 while Curry was obtained by Warriors in 2009.
As of this writing (Friday), the Warriors lived up their billing as the number one team in NBA winning their first game at their own turf, 108-100, in over time. The home court advantage played a major role again. And by the time you read this piece, the second game will still be held in Oakland before switching to Cleveland for the third and fourth meetings. Like in the past, the championship will be best-of-seven series and it will be Curry versus James.
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Associated Press (AP) on its June 3, 2015 report said that US Secretary of State, John Kerry, an avid cyclist, suffered a bicycle accident when he struck a curb and fell on the ground during his ritual bicycle exercise fracturing leg in Col de Columbiere in France, a Tour de France perennial route passing. It goes to show again that cycling especially in competition is not only strenuous sport but also one of the most dangerous sports like car and motorcycle racing. Kerry’s accident reminds me my accident on September 9, 2001 when I was suddenly hit by kuliglig (farm-to-market vehicle) on my way home from training. My accident gave me a phobia and forced me to quit cycling, maybe for good (or probably temporarily). As an aging man, I can already feel my bones becoming brittle. That’s part of life ‘ika nga, and so be it.
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My big congrats to the University of Luzon Golden women’s volleyball team for winning the First LNU Women’s Invitational Volleyball Tournament held last May 27 at LNU school compound. But what surprised me was how the LNU Lady’s Dukes of coach Jeffrey Ceralde pushed to the limit (five sets) the perennial champs UL girls of Councilor Chito Samson, 25-19, 14-25, 21-25, 25-22 and 15-13. Third place won by Dagupan City Selection while UPang-PHINMA landed fourth.
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.” LUKE 6: 38
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