Bounced in the NBA

In one of the greatest sports upsets ever, last night the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors bounced the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks from the opening round of the NBA playoffs, winning four games to two. As one who usually roots for the underdog, it is a satisfying result.

But the outcome makes me wonder whether there is a better way to reward excellence during the regular season. The Mavs won a league-best 67 games, which only earned them home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. In the NFL, by contrast, the best teams get a first-round bye.

So why the long, grueling NBA season, followed by a long, grueling round of playoffs (including now best-of-seven series in the first round)? Money is the only answer. So don’t expect anything to change, even if the best teams don’t always win.

About Stan Guthrie

Stan Guthrie is an editor at large for Christianity Today magazine and for the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview. His latest book is God's Story in 66 Verses. He also is author of All that Jesus Asks: How His Questions Can Teach and Transform Us, Missions in the Third Millennium: 21 Key Trends for the 21st Century, and A Concise Guide to Bible Prophecy. He is co-author of The Sacrament of Evangelism. Besides authoring, writing, and editing books, Stan is a literary agent, bringing together good authors, good books, and good publishers. Stan writes the monthly Priorities colum for BreakPoint.org. He has appeared on National Public Radio's €œTell Me More,€ WGN's Milt Rosenberg program, and many Christian shows, including The Eric Metaxas Show and Moody Radio'€™s €œNew Day Florida.€ A licensed minister and an inspirational speaker, he served as moderator for the Christian Book Expo panel discussion, Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does It Make?
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