The Washington Wizards haven’t experienced an NBA championship in nearly four decades, and it’s Kevin Durant’s duty to change that for his hometown
I haven’t witnessed the Washington Wizards get to the Eastern Conference Finals in my lifetime. The last time the franchise won a championship was in 1978. A gallon of gas was just 65 cents.
Needless to say, I grew up watching the Wizards lose.
Some might say that I’m a masochist, but I’ll disagree. I have irrational hope – just like Cleveland Cavaliers fans did before June 19, 2016.
Prior to Sunday night’s historic 3-1 series comeback win against the 73-win Golden State Warriors, the Cavaliers never won an NBA championship.
And if we’re being completely real, it was looking like the Cavaliers would waste LeBron James‘ prime and never end the championship drought.
Before last night, the city of Cleveland hadn’t experienced a championship since the Cleveland Browns won in 1964.
LeBron did exactly what he promised the team when he was drafted first overall out of high school in 2003: he brought a championship back home.
The Akron native returned home after winning a couple of championships with the Miami Heat, put his disliking of the ownership aside and delivered.
The pressure that LeBron must have felt cannot be described. He left the organization, the ownership and fanbase completely turned on their hometown hero and then he decided to leave a championship team to once again attempt to fulfill his promise.
Regardless of what any fan thinks of LeBron, his greatness is undeniable.
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Once the buzzer went off and the Cavaliers officially won the championship, LeBron fell to his knees and immediately became emotional.
The moment was surreal for everyone watching, even if there was no rooting interest involved.
This single championship means more than both of the ones LeBron got in Miami combined.
Not only did he defeat a 73-win team and complete the first 3-1 series comeback in the NBA Finals, but he did it for his hometown.
He did it with all of the pressure on his back. He did it after failing in the Finals with the Cavaliers numerous times. He did what everyone thought was impossible.
The basketball world has been shaken up completely.
The Warriors, who were once thought to be unbeatable, showed flaws. Stephen Curry – the reigning first time unanimous MVP – was incredibly human. He missed open shots, botched defensive assignments and turned the ball over.
Steve Kerr – the Coach of the Year – made horrendous decisions by sitting Curry out early in the fourth quarter and playing a center late in the game.
We crowned the Warriors too early and LeBron, along with Kyrie Irving, did what needed to be done.
This off-season will change the landscape of the NBA once again.
Every team in the NBA, including the Warriors, will pursue Kevin Durant. Trades involving superstars are very much possible, creating even more drama before the beginning of training camp.
But that first domino will impact the league more than anything.
Durant has been on the Washington Wizards’ mind forever. Now he has the opportunity to do what LeBron James did. He has the opportunity to end the Wizards’ four decade long championship drought.
Basketball as it relates to the entire world is meaningless. No matter how we spin it, it’s just a sport involving a ball and a hole. The team that puts said ball through the hole more times wins the game – a game that really doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.
But, what does matter are the things surrounding the game, such as the potential to bring a group of people together and create a sense of fulfillment.
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Throughout the entire playoffs, ESPN and other sports networks highlighted Cleveland’s championship struggles and the heartbreak surrounding the city.
Seeing that sort of emotional struggle morph into pure bliss once the Cavaliers won on Sunday was astonishing.
Fans, strangers, sports anchors, cab drivers and random people passing by in the streets embraced each other. It was their time to celebrate.
Their city – one that’s often made fun of by NBA fans for not being nearly as glamorous as the others – did it.
That is why basketball and other sports matter.
The score of the game, awards and championships don’t matter because they go in the record book. It matters because of the emotions that are created afterwards. It matters because groups of people from all walks of life celebrate together and show pride in the people who worked tirelessly to create that joy.
The Washington Wizards and the nation’s capital haven’t experienced that feeling in forever.
Most of their fans, including myself, haven’t witnessed them seriously contend for an NBA championship. Kevin Durant could change that. Winning at home for his fans – the ones that have seen him grow up in the district – would matter more than winning anywhere else.
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Winning just one at home, as LeBron proved on Sunday, is more special than winning multiple championships elsewhere. So when the time comes for Durant to decide where he wants to spend his career this summer, Washington should be atop the list of destinations.