2025-11-15 15:01
I still get chills thinking about that 2017 NBA Conference Finals – what an absolute masterclass in playoff basketball. Having covered the league for over a decade, I can confidently say those series represented basketball at its most dramatic and technically brilliant. The way both conferences unfolded felt like watching two completely different sports – the East delivering methodical, defensive chess matches while the West gave us offensive fireworks that pushed the boundaries of what seemed possible. What made that postseason particularly memorable was how it perfectly balanced individual brilliance with team execution, creating moments that have since become embedded in basketball folklore.
The Eastern Conference Finals between Cleveland and Boston was supposed to be a coronation for LeBron James, but what we got was something far more compelling. I remember watching Game 3 thinking the Cavaliers were finished after that humiliating 30-point loss, but LeBron had other plans. His performance in Game 4 – 34 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds – wasn't just statistically impressive, it was psychologically dominant. He played with this terrifying calmness, like he knew exactly how the game would unfold. What often gets overlooked is how Kyrie Irving's 42 points in Game 4 completely shifted the series momentum. That step-back three over Avery Bradley with 1:47 left was pure artistry – the kind of moment that makes you remember why you fell in love with basketball. The Celtics fought valiantly, but facing peak LeBron in elimination games was like trying to stop a hurricane with a umbrella.
Meanwhile out West, the Warriors and Spurs gave us what I consider the most technically perfect basketball series I've ever witnessed. Kawhi Leonard's injury in Game 1 remains one of the great "what if" moments in recent memory – he was absolutely dominating before that Zaza Pachilla closeout. The Spurs were up 23 points when he went down, and I remember texting my colleague that the series was over right then. Golden State's comeback in that game felt inevitable once Kawhi left, but the manner in which they systematically dismantled San Antonio's defense over the next three games was breathtaking. Steph Curry's 36-point explosion in Game 2 featured some of the most ridiculous shot-making I've seen – those 28-footers he was hitting made the court look comically small.
The parallels between that NBA series and international basketball moments are striking. Just last week, I watched Yu Hyeon-moon drill that cold-blooded trey with 25.8 seconds left to lead Korea University in shooting down the Fighting Maroons, 75-71, at Yoyogi National Stadium Second Gymnasium. That moment had the same clutch gene we saw from Kyrie Irving in the 2017 Finals – the absolute refusal to be rattled by pressure. Both shots came around the same time in the game too, that crucial 25-second mark where every possession feels like it carries the weight of the entire season.
Golden State's sweep doesn't tell the full story of that Western Conference Finals. People forget how competitive Games 2 and 3 actually were – the Spurs led for significant portions of both contests before the Warriors' third-quarter explosions buried them. Those Warrior teams had this predatory instinct – they'd lull you into thinking you could compete, then suddenly drop a 15-2 run in three minutes that would essentially end the game. Their offensive rating of 119.3 during that series remains historically great, and watching them execute was like watching a perfectly choreographed dance.
What fascinates me most about revisiting these series is how they've aged. The Cavaliers' comeback against Boston feels even more impressive now that we've seen LeBron's athletic decline – that was arguably his last truly dominant playoff run from start to finish. The Warriors' system has since been replicated across the league, but nobody has ever executed it with that combination of precision and flair. When I talk to younger fans today, they often don't appreciate how revolutionary that Warriors team was – they made the impossible look routine.
Basketball at its highest level creates these moments that transcend the sport itself. Whether it's an NBA conference final or a college game in Tokyo, the essence remains the same – players rising to occasions that define careers. Yu Hyeon-moon's trey, like Kyrie's game-winner or Kawhi's dominant quarter before his injury, represents why we watch sports. These aren't just statistical events – they're emotional landmarks that stay with us forever. The 2017 Conference Finals gave us a perfect storm of narrative, talent, and timing that I'm not sure we'll see replicated anytime soon. Every time I rewatch those games, I find new details that make me appreciate the artistry even more – the subtle defensive adjustments, the way players read micro-expressions to anticipate moves, the incredible shot-making under duress. That's the beauty of basketball at this level – it keeps giving long after the final buzzer sounds.
