2015 NBA Finals: Guide for beginners
By Stu White
Even if you don’t play close attention to the NBA, chances are you’ve at least heard of LeBron James and Stephen Curry. LeBron has been a dominant media figure — for better or worse — since he entered the NBA straight out of high school, while Curry, who was the darling of the 2008 NCAA Tournament while at Davidson, is just now starting to become a widely-recognized pop-culture figure (being the 2014-15 NBA MVP certainly helps).
However, since this is a guide for beginners, let’s assume that while you may recognize the names “LeBron” and “Curry,” perhaps you don’t know much about how they play. Maybe this will help:
LeBron James is an all-purpose force of nature on the basketball court. He’s tall and strong — bullying his way into the lane, daring spindly-armed defenders to stand in his path, is one of his go-to methods of scoring — yet possess the quickness and agility of a sugar-addicted cat chasing a laser pointer across a hardwood floor. He’s a brilliant passer, able to discern angles in a way that borders on preternatural, and he can be an absolute menace of the defensive end of the court. Watching LeBron sometimes feels like being back in seventh grade, with the first guy to sprout armpit hair making everyone cowering during gym-class dodgeball.
Curry, on the other hand, dominates the game with his finesse and creativity. Able to shoot from anywhere on the court — no, seriously, anywhere — Curry is one of the most dangerous offensive players in the game, possessing ridiculous handles to go along with his lightning-quick shot. At 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Curry is the Everyman to LeBron’s Superman; he is the proof that you don’t need to be tall, or bulky, or in possession of a jaw-dropping vertical in order to strike fear in the hearts of opponents. His style of play is both reckless and controlled, both freewheeling and refined, honed by years of practicing the fundamentals and augmented by a mind that seems to be processing the game just a step or two faster than everyone else on the court. His wizardry with the ball in his hands is a delight to watch, and if you’ve never had the chance to see him get hot from three-point range, you’re in for a treat.
All that said, as thrilling as both LeBron and Curry are, their respective supporting casts are plenty fascinating as well.
Next: The Teams