1-Game Overreaction: Halfway Home With 1 Foot In The Grave

Feb 12, 2014; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) moves to the basket against Miami Heat center Chris Bosh (1) the fourth quarter at Oracle Arena. The Heat defeated the Warriors 111-110. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Following an early season loss to the Dallas Mavericks on the eve of Thanksgiving, I remarked on this site that I would be crying over my plate of turkey, forlorn as I was after the Golden State Warriors dropped another winnable game.

So just think of the existential despair that I experienced after LeBron James hit a game-winning three-pointer Wednesday night to send the Warriors into the All-Star Break in heartbreaking fashion.

The Dubs had been on the giving end of such shots so far this season, and while this is only one game in the grand scheme of things, I can’t help but feel as if this is a sign of things to come, an albatross around the neck of the organization that could signal doom as they try to navigate the rough seas of the Western Conference in the second half.

We place so much importance about how teams finish quarters, how they finish halves, and finish games — so why should it be any different when you arrive at the midpoint of your season? There’s been so much noise as of late regarding the ever-present issue of “What’s wrong with the Warriors?”, and after last night’s loss, the answer may be that their best simply isn’t good enough to achieve the goals they set for themselves this year.

Once you’re confronted with that inconvenient truth, a beautiful metamorphosis occurs in the depths of your soul as a fan of this basketball team, and you can enjoy this season without hanging on every win and loss as if it will give any insight towards their odds of winning a championship.

And so the Warriors and their fans will eventually find themselves quoting James Ingram lyrics as they sit in the dark and contemplate another disappointing season’s end — à la my Thanksgiving breakdown — and look forward to next year once again. The second verse of his Grammy nominated masterpiece is particularly relevant:

"I gave my allBut I think my all may have been too muchCause Lord knows we’re not gettin’ anywhereSeems we’re always blowin’Whatever we’ve got goin’ And it seems at times with all we’ve gotWe haven’t got a prayer(chorus)Just once…"

Most people look fondly upon the 80’s and early 90’s, especially children of the era, who tend to look back on the time with such glistening nostalgia that they never think anything related to that period in their life’s history could possibly affect them in a negative way.

So, to my fellow twenty and thirtysomethings that make up such a sizable portion of the Golden State fan base, hear the prophetic words of James Ingram and know this: This may not be our year, and let this be the irrelevant piece of pop culture to remind you that all that glitters is not gold.

Don’t take it too hard. Only one team gets to the top of the mountaintop.  You’re better off letting that sink in now, and you have LeBron James to thank for helping to speed up the process of acceptance.

Here’s to enjoying the ride. After all, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey — right?