The Clippers And Rockets Have Been Given The Kiss Of Death
We all know about the Madden Curse and the 2K Curse, those two things are as real as it gets, everybody knows that. But I feel like we might have another curse on our hands that I feel like doesn’t get the same amount of hype, and it should be concerning for both Rockets and Clippers fans as we enter the 2019-20 NBA season. Both teams with huge title aspirations, loaded rosters, and good coaches if we’re being honest this would be the LAST thing I would want to see before such a big season. Why? Well history hasn’t exactly been kind to those who grace this cover for the most part. Now SI usually releases a couple different versions of his cover for each season, and honestly it’s the same old story for a lot of the teams selected. Allow me to explain.
I feel like you deserve a legit sample size for this theory, so how about 7 years. That seems long enough for my very scientific research so we’ll start with the 2012-13 season and you’ll start to notice a trend.
2012-13 Season: Steve Nash & Dwight Howard Lakers Cover
Remember this? The “This Is Going To Be Fun” cover. Now technically this wasn’t false for anyone who doesn’t root for the Lakers, it was very fun to watch that team be a total disaster, win 45 games and lose in the first round of the playoffs. But for Lakers fans? Yeah not great.
2013-14 Season: Derrick Rose Bulls/Steph Curry Warriors/Dwight Howard Rockets/Brooklyn Nets Starting Five
A couple versions for this season, here’s how things went
– Derrick Rose played 10 games before getting hurt
– Warriors won 51 games but lost in the first round
– Rockets won 54 games but lost in the first round
– Nets only won 44 games and lost in the second round
2014-15 Season: LeBron, Kevin Love, Kyrie Cover
Ah yes, LeBron’s return. This one actually wasn’t all that bad, at least the Cavs made the Finals, but they promptly lost in 6. But in terms of curses it didn’t rear it’s ugly head until it mattered most, which was tough.
2015-16 Season: KG & KAT/Duncan & Aldridge/Wade & Winslow/Kobe & Russell
Ah yes, the “Get Schooled” series where you had a bunch of franchise legends paired with the “young” up and coming franchise cornerstone. Well, let’s see how things ended up
– The Timberwolves won 29 games and missed the playoffs
– The Spurs won 67 games and lost in the second round
– The Heat won 48 games and lost in the second round
– The Lakers won 17 games and missed the playoffs
Even if a team like the Spurs were able to avoid the curse during the regular season, a 67 win team not even making the Conference Finals stings.
2016-17 Season: Russell Westbrook/OKC Cover
This was the first year without Durant, and for the most part this was one of the few seasons that the curse didn’t really come through. I mean the Thunder still lost in the first round again, but Westbrook went on to win the MVP that year.
2017-18 Season: Jimmy Butler & MIN/Steph Curry & GS/Kyrie Irving & BOS
A couple new looks in Jimmy and Kyrie, one a little more cursed than the other. Butler was great in that first year in MIN, but they ended up losing in the first round. Kyrie was great in his first year in BOS, but ended up getting hurt in March and missing the entire postseason.
The only one to really come out mostly clean was Steph Curry and the Warriors who won the title that season. Granted Kevin Durant had a lot to do with that and that team was loaded, but it should be noted that Curry had his struggles offensively that series.
2018-19 Season: LeBron & Lakers/Hayward and Horford & Celtics/Paul George and Russell Westbrook & OKC
Here were the titles of these three covers
Lakers – The King’s Gamit
Celtics – The Next Step
Thunder – Staying Power
Well, LeBron got hurt, the Lakers were a disaster and filled with drama and ultimately missed the playoffs. Not the best. The Celtics, woof I mean it may have been the worst season in years and an early playoff exit, Hayward wasn’t right and Horford ultimately left. With OKC? Staying Power if staying meant only one year because both those dudes are now gone and they once AGAIN lost in the first round.
So as you can see, outside of Westbrook’s 2016 (kinda) and Steph Curry’s 2017 cover, it’s been pretty much a disaster for everyone else dating back years. I’m not saying the Clippers and Rockets are doomed, but history tells us they may not live up to the hype of their offseasons and there’s a high chance of drama now that they’ve officially been given the kiss of death.