nba playoffs

They begin at 830 pm eastern at the earliest and do not end until past 11, but the NBA conference finals have drawn and maintained the attention of many fans who otherwise have not been awake at 11 pm more than five times in 2009.

LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, among others, have entertained anyone who appreciates basketball these last ten days. Conversations at work, in club locker rooms, at cafeterias often begin with, "did you see the shot LeBron made" and continue with moments of head shaking.

Even last night's relatively lopsided score with a 19 point differential was exciting. Gasol made a shot that was truly--as the announcers suggested--Erving-esque. The birdman often looked as if he was in flight. Kobe made a three with a defender inside Bryant's uniform.

In the Madness of March I make the point that true fans do not need gambling to make the game exciting. Sure, when in Las Vegas the gambling aspect adds a dimension to the spectacle, but those who go to Las Vegas in March are primarily fans who get excited by last second shots, acrobatic blocks, and alley-oop passes and catches that startle spectators--regardless of the spread.

Tonight there are people who are rescheduling their evenings because Orlando and Cleveland will be playing. Memorial day picnics and barbecues were scheduled around the games this past weekend.