Feb 21, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Magic Johnson talks to Jamal Wilkes outside the Nokia Theater as they arrive for the memorial service for Dr. Jerry Buss who passed away Feb 18, 2013. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
If you like basketball, the NBA is like a close friend; if you love it, the NBA is like your family. Each player in each franchise has a storied past. Their triumphs and tragedies have been woven together throughout the decades, forming the fabric of American basketball culture. There is so much more to the NBA than bright lights and big numbers. Players and coaches are people, just like you and me.
Last season scribed some memorable moments into the history book, made more memorable by the preceding chapters. The NBA is in a state of constant change- sometimes good, sometimes bad, and sometimes full of sorrow. Today, let’s step out of our Blazer bubble and recognize more of the people and the passion that makes the NBA what it is. A little history provided, these are what I consider to be the most heartbreaking moments of 2012-2013.