LeBron James is back in Cleveland. Carmelo Anthony has returned to New York. Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker have finally made it to the NBA. After such an exciting, entertaining and simply ridiculous summer, we are now inching toward the regular season.
Should we be disappointed?
Don't get me wrong -- I love the league. It's why I'm spending my summer working as an unpaid intern for an NBA team. It's why I flew to Orlando on my own dime to cover the Summer League. It's why I spend my Friday nights at college watching games on League Pass as opposed to going out with friends. Still, though, I cannot help but feel that somehow, something will be missing from the season.
We witnessed reporters stake-out at an airport. We saw fans show up at LeBron's house (he wasn't even there). A Cleveland cupcake shop reported information. A local weatherman predicted the outcome. An IT professional looked into the coding of James' website. A personal trainer apparently had inside information. It was pure absurdity.
And it was awesome.
This summer has been lively, memorable, and plain fun. Last season, injuries deprived us of the likes of Derrick Rose, Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Andre Iguodala, Anthony Davis, Larry Sanders, Tyson Chandler, Marc Gasol and Brook Lopez. The Spurs -- as beautiful as it really is to watch them play -- demolished the Heat in an anticlimactic NBA Finals. While all of this was going on during the season, we were all speculating about the offseason and what will happen next.
Could it be that everything is now backwards? Instead of looking forward to the season by way of the summer, do we now see the free agency period as the prized spectacle of the NBA year?
Forget this offseason and even move past 2015 -- we have begun to hypothesize on 2016. Kevin Durant has the opportunity to become a free agent and the rumors are already starting to fly that he may return home and join the Washington Wizards. Not to mention that LeBron character, who is also on track to once again have the chance to test the waters (though his two-year deal is reportedly due to the possibility of a bigger payday).
Again, I love the NBA. I love watching the NBA. I can't wait until late-October when the season officially begins. It will be great to see the posterizing dunks, jaw-dropping blocks and highly contested games. Yet, my passion for the NBA stems from entertainment -- something the offseason is full of. The only difference? Chaos erupts during the summer.
Who doesn't love chaos?