The New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys; the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs; UCLA men and UConn women in collegiate basketball. All are legendary sports teams — even regarded as dynasties.
Our Rio Grande Valley Vipers could join these storied teams, in a sense, if they win the ongoing three-game NBA G League championship series against the Delaware Blue Coats. It would be fifth championship for the Valley team; a tough and noteworthy feat at any level.
This series is a rematch of last year’s games in which our local team earned the title between the two strongest teams in the National Basketball Association’s developmental league. The Vipers lost the first game Tuesday in Delaware, but if they win tonight at Bert Ogden Arena and a rubber game Sunday in Delaware, they will be the first G League team to win five championships.
The game begins at 7:30 p.m.
Despite the difference in levels, comparing the Vipers’ success to other franchises isn’t much of an exaggeration. In addition to the four championships the team already has claimed, they could become the first team to win consecutive titles since the Asheville Altitude accomplished the feat in 2004-2005. Moreover, this is the Vipers’ their championship series.
That’s no small feat, especially in a developmental league in which the best players, and coaches, quickly get called up to the big leagues — in our case most likely the Houston Rockets, which is the Vipers’ parent NBA team.
Success in any endeavor is worth bragging about, and it seems to inspire special feelings in the realm of sports, where fans’ devotion carries them through the entire season and lasts longer than many marriages. Green Bay, Wisconsin, is still known as Titletown since the Packers’ dominance in the NFL in the 1960s. The Cowboys remain America’s Team decades after their last championship season. Past success attracts top recruits at our nation’s colleges and famous players in their respective sports still express desires to play for the Cowboys, Lakers and New York Yankees even during their down years. Even here in the Valley, many fans continue to talk about the past greatness of the Pan American College men’s basketball team that won the 1963 NAIA national championship and the University of Texas-Pan American team that made it to the 1971 College World Series.
Developmental teams offer a special attraction to many fans who can follow players and coaches who move on to the next level, such as former Vipers players Daishen Nix and Anthony Lamb and former coaches Chris Finch, Nick Nurse and Joseph Blair, who all are currently in the NBA, and enjoy I-knew-them-when conversations with fellow fans.
To be sure, the Vipers aren’t the first or only Valley representative to win a title. In baseball, the Edinburg Roadrunners and RGV WhiteWings enjoyed championship seasons before their respective leagues folded. The basketball team’s longevity and success, however, can etch the team — and the region it represents — into the annals of great teams and host markets.
Congratulations to the Vipers, which already have built a legacy of success in the Valley. We wish them the height of success as they chase another title
