The game now enters its final round, the 2020 NBA Finals, which begin on Thursday (01/01/20), featuring east region champion Miami Heat and West Region champion Los Angeles Lakers.
The presence of the LA Lakers to a peak start is not surprising. Many had suspected that the LA Lakers would appear in two finals with LeBron James leading the team against the Miami Heat, where he first earned his first championship ring.
Since the Anthony Davis trade more than a year ago, the Lakers have indeed been the top-seeded team by the West Region. On the other hand, the Heat became the fifth-seeded team in the East region, and surprisingly made their first NBA Finals appearance since 2014.
Walt Disney World’s Playoff berth near Orlando, the Lakers consecutively eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers, Houston Rockets, before finally beating the Denver Nuggets in the regional finals.
On the other hand, the Heat led by Jimmy Butler successfully beat the Indiana Pacers 4-0 in the first round of the playoffs, before subjugating the Milwaukee Bucks to the regional semifinals and the Boston Celtics regional final.
The NBA has actually returned, after a hiatus of about four months due to the crown virus. Yes, pandemics don’t deter the league from bringing back a game and a sport we love.
The commitment of the American basketball league did not stop just getting there, the NBA continued to support basketball education in Indonesia. This was evidenced by the presence of the Jr. NBA Coaches Academy 2020 held virtually on September 10-11.
Jr. NBA Coaches Academy continues its goal, which is to provide knowledge, strengthening and conditioning training and basketball education for physical education teachers. More than 1,300 teachers in Jakarta receive a variety of skills and exercises that they are expected to continue with their students, enabling children to stay active and healthy, and even develop their talents to one day realize the dream of appearing in the NBA.
Not only that, at the Jr. NBA Coaches Academy event, the NBA and the Tahir Foundation charity also announced 13 coaches and teachers who won the Jr. NBA Indonesia Coaches Academy Loyalty Contest 2020 in Indonesia. Each winner will receive a Jr. NBA Tahir Foundation scholarship to support educational and/or coaching needs.