While the star power of both teams has certainly been a major draw, what's truly captivated audiences is the incredibly high-quality basketball they've been playing, pushing the limits of current NBA rules. Basketball's evolution has always been tied to rule changes, and we've seen a lot of those over the years.
Before the "Iron and Blood" era, the NBA went through a period in the early to mid-80s where offense was king. But fans got tired of star players scoring too easily. Compared to other sports with more physical play, people back then just couldn't understand the appeal of basketball when all you had to do was bring the ball up and make a couple of simple passes to score.
So, to save the league's competitiveness, David Stern, the new commissioner, gave his silent approval for defensive-minded coaches to really shine. By the late 80s, the NBA officially entered the "Iron and Blood" era, a time when star power truly dictated success. Before legalizing zone defense, illegal defense rules meant teams could clear out one side of the court, giving their main star absolute one-on-one opportunities. This meant the stronger the individual player, the easier it was to break down the opponent's defense.
Michael Jordan, with his incredible talent, should have completely dominated this era. Who could even compare to him? But Chuck Daly and the Pistons' "Jordan Rules" made people realize that even the strongest superstar has limits. That's when Phil Jackson brought his triangle offense to Chicago, which helped solidify Jordan's legendary status. Though, later in Jordan's career, as his skills became more complete, even his teammates felt the triangle offense sometimes held him back. Regardless, in an era defined by individual prowess, Jordan became the ultimate king.
Then, the NBA moved into a new age. In 2001, to try and slow down the unstoppable Shaquille O'Neal, the NBA officially introduced zone defense. If the 90s were all about "iron and blood" and fans paying to see incredible individual skill, then the introduction of zone defense, coupled with the long-standing Hand-Check rule, plunged the NBA into a truly dark age.
While zone defense's power is somewhat limited in the NBA, when combined with the Hand-Check rule, teams like the Detroit Pistons showed us games where you couldn't even get a mosquito through their defense. It felt like the "blood" part of basketball was gone, replaced by the constant clang of "iron" (missed shots).
Because of this, the NBA had to officially abolish the Hand-Check rule in the summer of 2004. The Warriors' championship run last year benefited greatly from this, as it was the strictest season for enforcing the "No-Hand-Check" rule.
However, this also made David Stern realize that without the Hand-Check rule, overly dominant superstars could actually make the game less enjoyable. So, starting from the 2006-07 season, the NBA quietly allowed for more intense physical play. This led to what's probably the most enjoyable period in NBA history since its inception.
Without the Hand-Check rule, skilled perimeter players could showcase their offensive talents more freely. The introduction of zone defense allowed defensive-minded teams to build richer defensive systems. And high-intensity physical play ensured the NBA's competitiveness after the Hand-Check rule was removed.
It became a beautiful blend of offense and defense. Some nights, a hot team could drop 110, even 120 points. Other times, two struggling teams would draw viewers in with a thrilling, bruising battle. Three-pointers weren't being fired off as freely as they are today. Role players gained more importance with tactical innovations and team needs. And superstars still managed to showcase their greatness with unstoppable performances.
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### The Epic Western Conference Finals: Game 5
On May 29, 2007, when this Western Conference Finals series returned to Oracle Arena in Oakland, the Warriors and SuperSonics put on just such a game. In this pivotal Game 5, where the winner would seize control of the series, both teams battled fiercely until the very last moment, keeping fans on the edge of their seats.
With 1 minute and 27 seconds left on the clock in the final quarter: Yao Ming slammed home a dunk off a pass from Garnett, giving his team a 90-89 lead.
But the excitement for SuperSonics fans barely had time to settle when...
With 1 minute and 9 seconds left: Zack hit an absolutely stunning fadeaway jumper from the baseline, despite being double-teamed by Garnett and Posey. Oracle Arena erupted in a golden wave. The score flipped to 90-91.
With 57 seconds left: Ray Allen made a sloppy turnover, fumbling the ball. Jack quickly capitalized with a steal, but Cassell immediately went all out to stop him. The "Alien" incredibly snatched the ball back from Jack and quickly passed it to the baseline, where Garnett, under heavy pressure from Artest, put the SuperSonics back in the lead. Seeing this, Warriors coach Mike Malone decided not to call a timeout.
With 41 seconds left: Zack, taking a pass from Davis after a drive-and-kick, went strong to the basket against Garnett and Yao Ming. After missing his initial shot, he kept jumping and subtly tipped the ball into the hoop. Rick Carlisle, the SuperSonics' coach, called a timeout.
After the timeout...
With 23 seconds left: Ray Allen's missed three-pointer seemed to doom the SuperSonics. But James Posey, a true championship piece, suddenly appeared in the long rebound area where the ball landed and tipped it to Yao Ming, who was standing under the basket.
In the next second, Yao Ming stood at a crossroads that could change history. Left with no choice, Zack had to foul Yao Ming, sending him to the free-throw line. Yao Ming then missed what was quite possibly the most important free throw of his life. His one-for-two from the line meant the Warriors, now with the last possession, could choose to run out the clock rather than rushing a shot, which would have left them without time for a foul if they missed.
At the scorer's table, Warriors coach Mike Malone called a timeout. After the timeout, they chose to inbound from the backcourt. On the court, as Davis inbounded the ball to Zack, who then brought it across half-court, every Warriors fan in the arena was on their feet.
To prevent Zack from using his incredible court vision to set up a game-winner for a teammate, Rick Carlisle specifically instructed his players during the timeout to give Kevin Garnett absolute trust in this defensive possession, if unnecessary.
On the court, Zack made his move with approximately 5.8 seconds left. Garnett played theoretically perfect defense. He wasn't faked out by Zack's drag step, nor was he fooled by Zack's sudden changes in pace. But when Zack leaped straight up for a pull-up jumper, Garnett simply couldn't block his incredibly high release point and impossibly long hang time.
Afterward, many Warriors fans admitted that as the ball left Zack's hands and flew towards the rim, countless images flashed through their minds. Among these, the most iconic was, of course, Michael Jordan's "The Shot."
At Oracle Arena, as the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game, the ball swished through the net. Zack, celebrating with excitement, completely forgot his injury hadn't fully healed!
"The Messiah has slain the Seattle SuperSonics! He hit the game-winner for the Golden State Warriors!"
Final score: 93-95.
From hell to heaven, and now holding match point! All Warriors fans embraced, tears in their eyes! The sight of Yao Ming's guilt over the missed crucial free throws, and Garnett sitting dejectedly on the floor after the failed defense, undoubtedly served as the perfect backdrop to Zack's game-winning shot that night.
"Basketball is damn awful, and basketball is damn beautiful!" A completely ecstatic Malone exclaimed in a post-game interview.
"He played through injury and scored 37 points, hitting the game-winner. I can't express my praise for him in words; he's the best player on this planet!" Mike Dunleavy, who was back after suspension and almost became a "war criminal" by shooting just 1-for-8 in his first game back, said tearfully in the Warriors' locker room.
"A clown, even in a grand palace, will only be mocked, while a hero, even in a bustling city, will be revered by all." At the press conference, Kwame Brown described Zack's night in this way.
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### The Aftermath: New Deals and Growing Rivalries
The next day, Pulitzer Prize winner and "angel investor" to both "The Chosen One" and "The Messiah," Ira Berkow, penned an article in The New York Times stating: "This is another great moment bestowed upon the sport of basketball by the gods. This year's Western Conference Finals has become the 'Homer's Odyssey' in the hearts of countless people."
Sports Illustrated playfully declared: "Thank you, Messiah, for another classic cover for our magazine!"
Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals had everyone going wild – not just fans and media, but also Zack's sponsors. The ever-breaking NBA viewership records and the relentless buzz reminded Zack's sponsors just what a cash cow they had on their hands.
Jeff Schwartz delivered good news to Zack that very day. Given Zack's astounding shoe sales over the past two years, Nike had decided to re-sign him to a new contract. This new deal would be for six years, valued at over $180 million. On top of that, Nike would retain Zack's royalty income and give him a special sales bonus.
Of course, beyond the huge contract, what was more important was that this new deal would solidify Zack's unique status within Nike. In Zack's previous life, LeBron James never got a new contract renegotiated while his current one was still running. Even by 2010, James only signed an 8-year, $100 million deal with Nike. The reason James didn't receive such an honor was that his shoe sales in his first six professional years didn't meet Nike's expectations. Despite his shoe sales still earning him a hefty bonus, they fell far short of Nike's initial hope for him to become the next Michael Jordan, with sales under $100 million annually in the US.
But now, Zack's shoes weren't just a hit in the U.S.; in China, they'd become a fashion icon. It turned out that Zack's excellent working relationship with legendary Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield was key to his shoes' massive success. Unlike his good friend, Zack never unilaterally changed shoe designers' blueprints or second-guessed the legendary designer's work. As a result, stylish, timeless "Overlord series" shoes quickly proved through market feedback that you should leave professional matters to professionals.
Furthermore, the desperation American fans felt about U.S. basketball at the time also indirectly contributed to the booming sales of Zack's shoes. This also reminded Zack that if he could completely crush the U.S. basketball team's redemption hopes at home in the 2008 Olympics, the American fans, unable to shake off that despair through redemption, would undoubtedly develop an indescribable sentiment towards him due to the human tendency to admire strength.
As someone who'd been there before, Zack knew that the so-called 2008 "Dream Team" wasn't nearly as strong as people imagined. And what's more, on the FIBA stage, he would only be stronger than he was in the NBA. Zone defense would greatly reduce the impact of American stars there. As long as he played well against the Dream Team, Zack didn't think beating the U.S. men's national team was an impossible fantasy. While certainly difficult, for Zack, who was increasingly hungry for more accolades and always wanted to be at the center of the basketball world, he wanted to try, no matter how hard it was.
The same day he re-signed with Nike, Zack immediately shared the good news with his good friend, LeBron James, who used to be his equal. James, who had just delivered a career-defining performance against the Pistons in their series – scoring 49 points in a single game, including 26 straight in the fourth quarter and overtime – could only be described as having extremely mixed feelings.
"He's showing off to you, Brown. Don't you think he's never treated you like a real brother?" Randy Mims, who never liked Zack, said to James after he hung up the phone.
Maverick Carter, who was close to Nike, reminded James: "Brown, I think Nike has used this new contract to declare the Messiah's banner status from now on..."
Ever since Zack entered the league, James had realized that whenever something involved Zack, nothing good ever seemed to happen. And what made James deeply despair was that even after his career-best performance against the Pistons, he only managed to steal a tiny bit of attention from Zack, despite desperately wanting to be back in the limelight. This was not what James wanted. Only when he was in the spotlight was he "The Chosen One" of Cleveland.
If before, when Zack would boast and tease him about his rough skills in a condescending tone, James would just see it as brotherly banter. But as time went on, James, who had already realized he couldn't coexist with Zack, could now only describe his relationship with Zack as "surface-level brothers." James knew that their "surface-level brotherhood" only existed because they hadn't publicly or privately fallen out yet. But that day, James felt, was drawing closer and closer.
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### Game 6: A Grinding Battle
On May 31, Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals between the Warriors and SuperSonics moved to Key Arena. The Warriors, holding match point, didn't want to drag the series to a Game 7. But David Stern, the league commissioner, who didn't want this highly anticipated and talked-about Western Conference Finals to end so soon, added a little difficulty for the Warriors in their close-out game.
Compared to the blatant officiating in later years, the referees that night only tacitly allowed both teams to use the Hand-Check rule, which was supposed to have disappeared. But when the SuperSonics' zone defense was combined with the Hand-Check rule, plus the shockingly low free-throw attempts (12 for the Warriors and 14 for the SuperSonics by the end of the game), this game, with its drastically increased intensity and brutal defensive battle where whistles rarely blew unless someone was truly injured, severely limited the Warriors' outside shooting.
From the start, Zack felt the officiating was particularly unfavorable to the Warriors, and he didn't attempt a single three-pointer that night. He shot 13-for-25 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line, scoring a game-high 33 points for the Warriors, along with 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal.
However, Zack's excellent performance couldn't prevent his team's defeat. In this NBA version of the "Battle of Verdun," the SuperSonics, with their twin towers in the paint, had a distinct advantage. Yao Ming scored 25 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 blocks, while Garnett had 19 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
Final score: 70-74.
After the game, looking at players like Richardson, who shot a miserable 0-for-7 from three and became a "bricklayer," Davis, who was a mere 3-for-15 from the field, and Dunleavy, who was supposed to be a key player but shot a combined 2-for-15 in two games... Only Artest, who still managed 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals in such an intense game, was spared. Zack's mood could only be described as wanting to set Stern on fire.
While Zack knew the Warriors could have won that night, he never expected Stern to allow such an intense game in the Warriors' close-out opportunity, especially with him playing through injury. But what's done is done. Unable to literally set Stern on fire, Zack had no choice but to focus his attention on the upcoming Game 7, scheduled for June 3rd at Oracle Arena.
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### Game 7: The Date Awaits
This would be Zack's first Game 7 of his career. Home-court advantage would be the Warriors' only edge in this decisive game. Zack knew that in this do-or-die battle, Stern definitely wouldn't let the referees recreate the agonizing defensive intensity of Game 6. But even so, to win this year's Western Conference Finals, the Warriors still needed to capitalize on those open shots, just like they did in their previous wins.
Before this game, where either team could become the Western Conference champion, Zack's frustration, which had been building since his injury, reached its peak. The good news was that as Zack neared full recovery, his ankle was no longer as limited as before. The day before the game, under the supervision of the team doctor, Zack's movements were so fluid that he was practically back to his healthy self. And in the visual data of the [Peak] system, all the attributes Zack had lost due to injury had returned, with only his speed and jumping ability still slightly lower.
Undoubtedly, this would be Zack's healthiest game in this year's Western Conference Finals. It was also a game where he desperately needed to unleash his pent-up frustration. While a mere Western Conference Finals wouldn't fully satisfy Zack's ambition, he knew that only by conquering the Western Conference first could he earn the chance to keep eliminating his frustrations in the NBA Finals.
Before the Western Conference Finals Game 7 kicked off, the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James, had already eliminated the Detroit Pistons 4-2, becoming the first team to advance to this year's NBA Finals. Zack knew that to make it to that date with James, he had to lead the Warriors to victory against the SuperSonics tomorrow night.