Something strange happened yesterday. Something that has not happened to me since the Pistons beat the Lakers for the NBA Title way back in 2004. I watched an entire NBA first round playoff game. Start to finish. And to make things even weirder it managed to keep me interested the entire time. For those wondering it was the Pacers/Bulls Game 1 played on Saturday.

From the opening tip in Chicago I was mesmerized. It was exciting. It was back and forth. Tyler Hansborough dominated. It was good team basketball. For a brief moment I thought I was watching a reply of an old North Carolina game. But when I finally came to terms with the fact that this was indeed an NBA game, I realized something wonderful.

The NBA is back. It can honestly be said that the league has not been this exciting since his Airness decided to call it quits in ’98(No his comeback with the Wizards doesn’t count). There are so many great players, and so many good teams. The level of the entire league has been raised. New York  (with 3 All-Stars, the leagues leading scorer, and a former Finals MVP in their starting line-up) is a 6 seed in the East. A six seed. They’re playing Boston in the first round. That means there will be 7 All-Stars on the court at one time, and remember folks this is just the opening bell.

No matter which team advances from the Knicks/Celtics series, the winner will advance to a series that will probably be more watched than last years NBA Finals. That is, assuming the Heat dispose of the 76ers, who are pretty darn exciting themselves with Andre Igoudala, Evan Turner, and Elton Brand.

I know people said superstars teaming up was bad for the game, and I was one of them I’ll admit it, but I was wrong. It is great. Sure maybe it makes some regular season games boring (they were boring long before this year), but it also makes the playoffs an epic two month feast of basketball. Just look at the potential match-ups we may get this year and tell me you aren’t feeling like a 7 year old in Toys R Us on your birthday.

Celtics vs Heat Thunder vs Lakers Magic vs Bulls Lakers vs Mavericks Celtics vs Bulls Heat vs Bulls Spurs vs Thunder Thunder vs Lakers Lakers vs Spurs Heat vs Lakers

Ah the possibilities are endless! And every match up seems more exciting than the previous. Can you imagine a Bulls vs Lakers finals? Or a Heat vs Bulls Eastern Conference Championship? My guess is whoever takes home the trophy this year, there gonna be exhausted.

This is one of the most competitive post seasons the NBA has seen this decade. Ask ten people who you think will win it all, and don’t be surprised if you get ten different answers.

There is only one thing that is a definite. Only one thing that the entire country can agree upon. For the firs time in a long time, we’ll be watching every piece unfold.

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