It’s the nature of the NBA playoffs in a media-saturated sports universe. Coaching adjustments are micro-scrutinized. Referees’ decisions are super-analyzed. The comparative volume of arena crowds get discussed (and lately Toronto isn’t faring as well as it once did). At this time of year, no matter how intricate the minutiae, it can become a story.
So it’s easy enough to forget about the reason everybody’s been paying attention in the first place. An industry worth billions has been built up around a simple concept: The best athletes in the world being asked to continually prove themselves on stages that only get grander and grander.