“It’s the ripple effect!” – Doc Brown to Marty McFly in Back to the Future
In science fiction time-travel stories, the ripple effect is when the future timeline changes as a direct result of changes in present events. As this takes place, items brought from the future are altered to reflect the new future timeline.
The city of Cleveland almost experienced this phenomenon Thursday night during Game Two of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavs had completely blown a 23-point lead over the Magic. During the waning moments of the fourth quarter, LeBron James charged at least twice, traveled once and got rejected. The Magic then got the ball with the score knotted up at 93 apiece, with about 15 seconds on the clock and a full shot clock. Hedo Turkoglu sliced into the lane and calmly drained a running 12-footer to take the lead at 95-93 with one second remaining. Turkish Jordan was simply the latest athlete to stick it to the Mistake on the Lake.
At that moment, I could see LeBron’s picture in a Cleveland Cavs jersey fading before my very eyes. Not only that, I think I saw his picture filling back in with a New York Knicks jersey on. Usher wasnt standing next to him any longer. It was Spike Lee.
Anyway, we all know what happened next. LeBron nailed an amazing three-point game-winner with one second left. The Q rocked louder than anything the nearby Rock in Roll Hall of Fame has ever seen. Mo Williams started worshiping him like the Ewoks did C3PO in Return of the Jedi. Mike Brown started hopping around like he was Chris Brown. The shot even left the king of buzzer beatters, TNT analyst Reggie Miller, spellbound afterward.
But what would have happened if he missed? Peep this scenario:
THE Q – NIGHT
One second is on the game clock. The Cavs break the huddle after a timeout, prepare to inbound the ball for the final shot. The Magic get in position to defend the upcoming play.
Doug Collins: “You know where Mike Brown wants to go right here. One second is enough time to get a good shot off. The question is can the Cavs get the ball to LeBron James for a clean look?”
The ref hands Mo Williams the ball, blows his whistle. The Cavs scramble to get open, the Magic chase…
Marv Albert: “LeBron cuts looking for the alley oop…not there…he catches the ball at the three-point line…”
LeBron catches the ball, shoots a fadeaway three over Hedo Turkoglu…
Marv Albert: “LeBron James for the win…it looks like it could go…”
The ball spins in the air for an eternity…it’s like something out of a movie…
Marv Albert: “The ball goes in…and rattles out! The Magic steal Game Two, shocking the Cavs once again and commanding a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Finals.”
…
In my opinion, the ripple effect of a LeBron James’ miss there would have resulted in LeBron’s departure from Cleveland. NBA teams only advance seven percent of the time after falling into a 2-0 hole in the best-of-seven series format. LeBron misses there and the Cavs season is over. LeBron might have even been the goat instead of the GOAT. The local media would be calling him a choker. The local fans would stop believing, remembering all the heartbreak they’d seen in the past. LeBron would basically have to win it all in 2010. Otherwise, under that alternate-universe scenario, it would make too much sense for him to move on to the bright lights of New York City.
Fortunately for Cleveland, he made the shot. Ripple effect canceled. The photograph of LeBron James in a Cavs jersey is fully visible once again. LeBronnie B. Goode is playing “Earth Angel.” George and Lorraine are dancing. Love is in the air. Even Principal Stern is smiling. The Cavs go on to win this series, maybe a championship. Daniel Gibson even goes on to become Mayor Boobie Gibson. Happy ending.
The ripple effect is why I love — and sometimes hate when the ball doesn’t bounce my way — the NBA Playoffs more than any other event in sports. What would the landscape in the NBA be like now if Kobe Bryant over threw that lob pass on his famous alley oop to Shaq back in 2000? What if Reggie Miller decides to go for the dunk instead of the lay-up back in the 2004 ECF, and Tayshaun Prince doesn’t get that block? What if another Cleveland buzzer beater, Air Jordan’s The Shot, rimmed out? What if Larry Legend gambled for that steal and missed? What if Magic would have bricked that sky hook? What if Willis Reed would have decided to let common sense prevail and not play with a torn thigh muscle back in Game Seven of the 1970 Finals?
If the NFL is a game of inches, then the NBA is a game of split seconds. Even if it didn’t go the way I wanted it to tonight, I’m just glad I was watching the NBA’s latest potential ripple effect moment. After all, nothing in sports is more captivating than when the NBA’s future is hanging in the balance, ready to go two distinctly different ways depending on the outcome of a single moment. That’s what’s really “amazing.”
For more Fansided Cavs coverage, check out King James Gospel!
(hat tip to Ethan Jaynes of NESW Sports for a big assist on this one)
(Adam Best is the senior editor of the FanSided.com Sports Network and the twisted mind behind Fan Addict. Follow him on Twitter.)