It seems like a lot of fans like to use the 4-6 argument for Lebron or Finals losses affect a player’s legacy negatively more than early round losses. Why don’t we celebrate winning the East/West pennant more often? It’s almost as if making the Finals is as useful as making the playoffs and getting knocked out in the first round.
Yet in the MLB making the World Series is a BIG deal even if you get swept and blown out each game. It’s considered so prestigious that we always say AL or NL pennant. Why don’t NBA ever get to the same prestige level on winning the pennant as MLB?
It changed maybe 10-12 years ago.
Where older people got scared that someone may actually be better than MJ, so they had to make up ways to create LeBron slander.
There are a lot of reasons the 4-6 argument is silly but I wouldn’t use MLB fans as a baseline for what a healthy fanbase does. After all, they watch MLB.
Why is there very little significance in winning the East or West pennant?
It should be North vs South or Coasts vs Middle America if they really want to get people fired up.
Because to go to the World Series, you have to win a league.
Baseball still treats as if the leagues are separate. Remember how much hype Aaron Judge was getting for breaking the AL record for single season home runs? You would never hear about someone breaking Western Conference record. Not to mention their individual awards such as MVP and ROY are rewarded separate by league.
What I find more weird and cringey is how MLB players celebrate every playoff series win as if they won the World Series.
“Win First round! break out the champagne!”
The significance could increase as the talent continues to spread out. Its hard to get excited about conference champ and playoff rivalries when its the same 4 teams every year.
Im hoping some of the current NBA/NCAA patterns continue and become trends. When you start to have playoffs where bottom seeds have a realistic chance of beating top seeds, where every game is a hyper-competitive grind and actually matters, then the importance of making it to certain levels of success within those tournys will be acknowledged, accepted, and way more appreciated.
You don’t think the Warriors get props for making the Finals 6 of 8 years? I mean - weren’t all the non-Warrior fans totally sick of them?
making the finals seems to be the only thing that matters other than winning a chip
Because the East is trash. If Lebron’s teams played in the West he would have barely ever made the playoffs.
The major difference is that basketball fans call “the pennant” “the conference finals championship.” Probably because basketball is an actual sport, unlike quidditch or whatever you’re on about.
It’s really only on this sub that the majority do not enjoy the game.
When I talk basketball outside, they may not know the smaller details down to the statistics but it’s more fun and casual.
You can say stupid shit and agree to disagree and still have a good time.
Over here, you’re either right or you’re wrong, and either way you’re losing because this is a toxic environment that we all love to be a part of because we’re all so fucked up oh my god I need help.
let the Grizzlies win the WCF, we throwing a parade
Two leagues for longer than pro basketball has existed.
If the NBA and ABA never merged, and the ABA grew to be an NBA equal, pro basketball in the US/NA would be completely different.
Because most of the time it’s pretty easy to predict who the conference winner will be, outside of random years like the Heat winning last year. Just look at lebron’s competition in the east in those years. It’s really not surprising or impressive that he made it lol