Every once in a while, the monotony of everyday life is shattered by moments that you will never forget. Sometimes, they are moments you celebrate and cherish. Other times, they are moments for which you feel shame and regret. They are moments that you remember so vividly that you can almost relive them entirely in your head: The sights, the smells, the sounds, the FEELING. They are the moments that change us, for better or worse. There is no better test of who a person is than how they respond to moments like that. In the face of adversity, do you rise to the challenge, or do you roll over and give up? When you are on top, do you fight to stay there, or do you let complacency set in?
We all know what those moments feel like for us, but so few people will see us in those moments or know how those moments changed us because most of us don’t make it into the history books. The magic or tragedy of those moments live and die with us, and possibly a small number of family and friends. I love sports because they provide all of us with a glimpse into those moments in the lives of others. They allow us to be a part of the joy that comes with reaching the summit, and they allow us to share the heartache that comes with falling from it. They provide us with history.
Right now, that history is being made in the 2019 NBA Finals. The Toronto Raptors–up 3-1 in their first NBA Finals appearance ever–have a chance to close out the dominant Golden State Warriors dynasty at home tonight. If they do, will it cement Kawhi Leonard‘s status as the best basketball player on the planet right now? Will it end the Warriors dynasty with Kevin Durant likely leaving the Bay this offseason? What if the Raptors don’t close it out tonight? What if Durant returns from injury to sustain the Warriors challenge to Michael Jordan‘s Chicago Bulls as the greatest NBA dynasty of all-time by coming back from a 3-1 series deficit? How long will it take the Raptors to return to the summit if Leonard leaves in free agency? How will either result affect the free agency decisions of Leonard and Durant?
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How will the world remember this moment?
TheHaysWay 