It's Showtime

IN THE NEVER-ENDING discussion over the relative merits of the Warriors’ dominance, former commissioner David Stern offers up a dismissive take saying, “I don’t believe in the debate about superteams because when I started there were two superteams: the Celtics and the Lakers.”

Fans who might be nostalgic for those halcyon Magic/Bird, choose-your-weapon days are in luck. Boston and L.A.—especially L.A.—may not have achieved superteam status just yet, but there’s no doubt that the Celtics are the most interesting team in the East and the Lakers are the most riveting squad in the West. Can Brad Stevens juggle his playoff-tested lineup to incorporate another All-Star performer, in the recuperated Gordon Hayward? Will LeBron coexist with L.A.’s newly acquired band of castaways? Will Lonzo Ball outplay Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma? Will LaVar Ball outcrazy Rajon Rondo and JaVale McGee? If coastal intrigue isn’t your jam, you’re not entirely out of luck. The Midwest is home to a Freakish MVP candidate and a duo with unlikely staying power, OKC’s Paul George and Russell Westbrook. Whether or not those two can give the Thunder the muscle to challenge the Warriors—or if that can be done by the Rockets, who welcome Carmelo Anthony into the fold—remains to be seen. Golden State is in the midst of a historic stretch. For the Dubs, a fifth straight Finals appearance seems preordained. If you’re wondering which other franchises have, like these Warriors, made it to four straight Finals, in addition to LeBron’s Cavs and Heat, there are two: the Celtics and Lakers, naturally. Somehow, someday, the Warriors’ run has to end. And it’s hard not to feel that what we’re seeing this year is a step on the path to the 13th Finals matchup between the league’s two most iconic franchises.