Yesterday, the NBA announced the winner of the 2016 Most Valuable Player of the Year award, which ended up being Golden State Warriors' point guard Stephen Curry. Some seemed under the impression that the debate about which player would win the NBA MVP was much closer in who could be the man to win the award.
In the end, those who thought so, including myself, were way off with Curry winning the MVP award unanimously with all 131 first place votes and 1310 points in all. Coming in second place was San Antonio Spurs' forward Kawhi Leonard with 634 points with Cleveland Cavaliers' forward LeBron James coming in third with a close 631 points.
However, this year's first round playoff series against the Portland Trailblazers has seen Stephen Curry sidelined when he was out with a MCL sprain knee injury. But in Game 4, Chef Curry served up a spicy dish to everyone that proved why he deserved to be the unanimous MVP by scoring 40 points in the game with an NBA record 17 points scored in overtime to win the game 132-125.
Now the question will stand if the Curry's return to the Warriors will be permanent throughout the rest of the postseason in order for them to continue their reign as NBA Champions. Something else that I have always been vocal and spoke about is the lack of NBA talent that exist nowadays, which former NBA player Tracy McGrady states by saying that Curry winning back-to-back MVP awards so easily means that the NBA is now "watered down" and is no longer the league that it once was where every team seem to have an enforcer on the squad.
Now I'll say that every era is different and it's understandable that it changes from time to time with the rules changes and the addition of certain things to help the game grow. I do feel though that this era of the NBA is much softer mainly because many of these players are loving the one-and-done rule out of college, but many, in my opinion, seem to be coming out when they just are not ripe enough and mature enough to handle the pro level.
Now I'll say that every era is different and it's understandable that it changes from time to time with the rules changes and the addition of certain things to help the game grow. I do feel though that this era of the NBA is much softer mainly because many of these players are loving the one-and-done rule out of college, but many, in my opinion, seem to be coming out when they just are not ripe enough and mature enough to handle the pro level.
2) From Oakland, to Los Angeles, to... Las Vegas?
The word is spreading far and wide about the possibility of the Oakland Raiders moving out of Oakland and into a brand new city. It started as a rumor that they would be in contention with the San Diego Chargers and St. Louis Rams for the possible move to Los Angeles. Once they had lost Los Angeles to the Rams, Mark Davis seemed to be ready with a backup plan that would have the Oakland Raiders relocate to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Although word has yet to break out if the move will actually be happening or not, Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman seems to be quite positive that if the deal can get done, the Oakland Raiders will be on the move to the City of Lights. Raiders' owner Mark Davis has met with the Southern Nevada Tourism infrastructure Committee in April, in which he has pledged around $500 million with an extra $150 million from the The Sands Corp. and Majestic Realty Co. to help to create a domed stadium that will seat around 65,000 people and will likely cost a whopping $1.4 billion in the end.
While it will be a couple of years before Nevada Legislature can make a call on the project and then have the NFL approve of the Raiders' move to Las Vegas, Mayor Goodman says that the new domed stadium will be the host to games for the Raiders, University of Las Vegas football, and a possible Major League Soccer franchise that they could land after 2018 after no being able to get the Las Vegas Sun in 2014.
Now the question to wonder is if a professional sports team or teams can survive in the middle of the Nevada. For me, the answer seems to be kind of clear in that I doubt it. Given the Oakland Raiders' past, being in a place nicknamed "Sin City", "The Silver City", and the "Capital of Second Chances" seems to fit perfectly and makes sense as to why the move would fit for them.
But the biggest issue that lies within another nickname Las Vegas has: "The Gambling Capital of the World." With gambling in sports being a hot button issue that has been debated from the players to people to websites and so on, it's easy to see why maybe not having a sports team in the city would be best. The last thing I would want to have to hear and write about is how Raiders or MLS players were suspended or banned for betting on sports games or on their own games at that. It's a strange predicament that has fallen on Las Vegas. With Mayor Goodman so sure of the arrival of Oakland and the possible future, all we can do now is wait and see what happens.
- Will Stephen Curry be healthy the rest of the postseason? Will the Golden State Warriors will their second straight NBA title? Is the NBA "watered down" nowadays? Why or why not?
- What are your thoughts on Las Vegas getting the Oakland Raiders possibly? Will it help or hurt the NFL? Will it succeed or fail? Can Las Vegas be a place for any professional sports teams?
But the biggest issue that lies within another nickname Las Vegas has: "The Gambling Capital of the World." With gambling in sports being a hot button issue that has been debated from the players to people to websites and so on, it's easy to see why maybe not having a sports team in the city would be best. The last thing I would want to have to hear and write about is how Raiders or MLS players were suspended or banned for betting on sports games or on their own games at that. It's a strange predicament that has fallen on Las Vegas. With Mayor Goodman so sure of the arrival of Oakland and the possible future, all we can do now is wait and see what happens.
- Will Stephen Curry be healthy the rest of the postseason? Will the Golden State Warriors will their second straight NBA title? Is the NBA "watered down" nowadays? Why or why not?
- What are your thoughts on Las Vegas getting the Oakland Raiders possibly? Will it help or hurt the NFL? Will it succeed or fail? Can Las Vegas be a place for any professional sports teams?
