The two teams that have won the previous three NBA titles, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics, have been booted out of the playoffs and the league seems to be headed into a new era.
The two veteran heavy teams, along with the San Antonio Spurs, witnessed their playoff runs cut short as they head into the offseason. The former NBA powerhouses have the whole summer to figure out where it all went wrong and how to improve with the fact that their teams are not getting any younger.
The Lakers have to get quicker and more athletic while the Celtics need to add younger players who are talented enough to replace Kevin Garnett and Shaquille O'Neal.
Still, basketball fans should embrace and welcome the new era of exciting basketball led by the Miami Heat, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Chicago Bulls.
-by Benjamin Min
