Second Season

Some call it the Second Season. I call it heaven.
The NBA playoffs are set to begin this Saturday and I couldn't be more excited. NBA die-hards and the casual fan alike have been waiting with bated breath in anticipation for the two months of intrigue and exhilaration that will soon ensue.
The playoffs really are a second season; a time when the biggest stars are on display on a nightly basis. With LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony and a gaggle of other basketball gods vying for the same, singular goal, only the best possible competition will result. Poor defense and little effort need not apply.    
The regular season serves only as a prelude to the main course. Indivdual statistics, the next contract and possibly home court advantage are really the only reasons to play hard during the regular season. However, the playoffs offer the chance for immortality. A championship solidifies a players' career. The best players in the world can go their enitre career without ever tasting that celebratory championship champagne. It is the magnetism of an NBA championship that keeps them coming back long after their bodies have urged them to retire.
Because only 16 wins separate NBA royalty from forgettable campaigns for the other 29 franchises, the play of the most athletic men on the planet is heightened to mind-boggling status. Epic battles and individual heroics are the norm come late spring as each game becomes more important. The players feel the pressure of the ever-illusive championship, and their urgency is expressed poetically on the hardwood each night.
 This year's playoffs could be one of the most captivating in recent memory. With many of the top contenders faltering down the stretch, lower seeds have a unique opportunity to capitalize on the poor play. While perennial contenders like the Lakers, Nuggets and Celtics have waned under the pressures of an 82 game schedule, historic bottom feeders like the Bobcats and Thunder have emerged as sexy upset picks.
While the chance of winning four straight series on the road is highly unlikely, it is the unknown that creates the excitement of the playoffs. America loves the underdog and this year should provide the viewing public with plenty of underdog drama.
As April drifts into May and slowly melts into June, a champion will eventually be ushered into the NBA elite. The kings of the court will be crowned, proving to all that they are truly world champions. While the conclusion of the playoffs is an alluring end goal, the journey is often just as sweet. The underlying plotlines and in-game strategies are magnified and become the real reason to watch. I, for one, cannot wait to see the magic unfold.