Andrew Bogut’s injury was just gruesome to watch. For the management and fans of the Bucks it was doubly painful -- their sudden playoff momentum and chance at the second round is dislocated as well.
For the title contenders in the NBA, it was a reminder that it could happen to them. CBS’s Ken Berger got the quotes.
“We could go out here today and something could happen,” (Cleveland coach Mike) Brown said before his Cavaliers played the Celtics. “We’re going to have to have some contact in practice, and even if it’s five possessions or three possessions, something could happen. Something could happen driving home in your car. There’s all types of what-ifs, what-ifs, what-ifs. And if you try to be too careful then stuff can still happen and you won’t get accomplished what you need to get accomplished to be ready. That’s a tough injury for Bogut. You hope that doesn’t happen to anybody else. But in the same breath, it’s part of t game and part of life.”
Ray Allen, a former Buck who had been preparing for possibly facing his former team in the playoffs, said, “This is a tough time of the year because they are making playoff plans, selling playoff tickets and they’re right there in the hunt. I think every coach dreads that.”
We fans can get spoiled. Expect titles as a birthright. I’m looking at you, Lakers fans, but it could be said of Boston and Cleveland and even Orlando right now. Your teams are in a special place; other fan bases are excited about the playoffs for the first time. We can pick apart the flaws of these teams, the reasons they may not win a title, if we want.
But the chance to enter the playoffs with a chance to win it all should be magical for a team’s fans. Being a threat should be as well. Bogut is a reminder of that. Making it to the Finals is nothing to consider as just second place for a fan base. It is all too fragile. Soak it up. Savor it. It is all too rare and precious to be wasted on just cynicism.
