I sit here anticipating game one of the NBA finals. Basketball has been in my family for a while. My dad, albeit I believe some of these stories are false, said he was a decent basketball player in the Philippines. He bragged about the games that the Lakers and the Celtics had while he was growing up. He said it was some of the best basketball he’d ever seen. My mom, who isn’t particularly adept in sports, only knew about the Lakers and Celtics when she came to the United States.

My dad talked about how great a point guard Magic was, and how great a player Larry Bird was. He talked about the match ups. Until then, I never got the opportunity to understand the magnitude of the rivalry. I’ve only seen clips on ESPN, and it’s not the same. I watch the Chicago Bulls championships recaps. I remember watching them live as a kid, and they don’t feel the same from when I watched them live in person.

Let alone at the time, I didn’t have the understanding of the sport like I do now.

It is only now that I can truly experience what they witnessed. The Lakers-Celtics have enormous hype around this series. For the first time, I’m excited about an NBA final. I’ve watched the finals in the past, but never have I felt the excitement like I do for this series. The history between the two teams. The storyline between the players involved in this go around. It has everything needed to make a good series.