Top 5 Basketball Moments of 2017

 

By Colter Chilicas-Yano: February 7, 2018

 

Dunks, and-one layups, buzzer beaters, and ankle breakers. Basketball is full of these intense moments in every game of the season and 2017 was no exception. From the opening college game, to the last game of the NBA finals there were many crazy moments during the 2017 basketball season.

 

The NBA regular season consists of 82 hard fought games in which the best players on the planet fight for the title of Most Valuable Player (MVP). In 2017, the race for MVP was incredibly entertaining between the best players from each team. Ahead of the rest were Russell Westbrook and James Harden, both phenomenal players at their respected positions. However, by the end of the season, Westbrook had made history as one of only two players to average a triple double throughout the entirety of a season, and earned himself the MVP award, giving the fans something they’ll never forget.

 

The NBA Finals matched the two best players in the league against each other: LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Both players had been compared for years over which was the greater overall asset to their team. The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors won with ease on the path to the finals, however most fans knew the Warriors were the more talented team on both ends of the floor. The best-of-seven series only went five games with the Warriors winning it, 4-1. The most memorable play in this series was Durant’s pull-up jumper in LeBron’s eyes to take the lead late in game three. The Finals may have ended sooner than expected, but the moments between LeBron and KD were some of the best of the season.

 

After the Finals, the offseason officially began. Trades and Free Agency moves were common throughout the months following the Finals. Most teams were preparing themselves to face the Warriors by building “Super teams” to compete with the All-star caliber team. Because of this, many big names such as Kyrie Irving, and Paul George left the teams that drafted them for a bigger chance to win a championship. Many of those players have managed to find success on their new teams while others have struggled to adjust to new teammates and game plans.

 

Another crucial aspect of the NBA offseason is the draft. The draft allows young players out of college to get the opportunity to be chosen for the NBA. One player in particular was hyped to be the greatest baller since LeBron to come out of the draft; his name was Lonzo Ball. Lonzo had become a fan favorite while playing for UCLA, dropping many points, assists, and rebounds each night. On the night of the draft, he was picked second by the Los Angeles Lakers with hopes of becoming a superstar and leader for his team. So far he has failed to live up to the hype, but that is to be expected because of the unreasonable expectations set onto him.

 

In October, the 2017-2018 NBA regular season began. The first game played pitted the rivals of the eastern conference against each other: the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. Over the offseason, the Celtics had acquired many new players to try an attempt to make the finals by the end of the season. One of these players was Gordan Hayward, the young star out of Utah. About 6 minutes into the game, Hayward found himself jumping up to catch a lobbed pass. In midair he was bumped by the opposing team and fell in an awkward position on top of his leg. The arena went quiet and as the cameras zoomed in on Hayward, his ankle had snapped backwards. This was one of the most gruesome injuries in NBA history.