I grew up as an avid fan of the NBA. But somewhere along the way, the league lost me. There are several contributing factors to my disinterest in pro basketball (poor playoff system, lack of fundamentals, corrupt refs), but the main reason is that the NBA is WAY too focused on its stars rather than its teams.

I understand that superstars sell the merchandise and put fans in the seats, but in today's free agency market, players are jumping from team to team, and there seems to be no loyalty. It's all about the contract. It's a problem in every pro sport, but in basketball more than any other, one player leaving town could make the difference between contending for a championship and hoping for a high draft pick.

Look at the LeBron James saga for instance. I understand that free agency is part of the game, but give me a break. One of the reasons I always enjoyed football (especially being a New England Patriots fan) is the focus on team, and how one player leaving town doesn't lead to doomsday for a franchise. Granted, there are more players on the field in football, but still...you get my point. In the NBA, teams are relying on marquee players to draw fans rather than building a cohesive unit that plays a good brand of unselfish basketball (idealistic, I know).

With all that being said, there is hope. One thing that guarantees more focus on the teams rather than their stars is a good, old-fashioned rivalry. And here we are four wins away from another Celtics-Lakers matchup in the NBA Finals. If Boston and L.A. can win their respective conference finals series, the storied franchises will lock up for a record 12th time to battle for the title.

Let's flash back to the 80's, shall we? From 1980 to 1989, either the Lakers and/or Celtics appeared in every NBA Finals in that span. From '84 to '87, the Celtics played the Lakers three times for the championship.

Some people would argue that having the same two teams at the top every year is bad for the sport, but not in the case of Lakers-Celtics. If it was Raptors vs. Grizzlies every year, I would argue for more parity, but you could have Boston vs. L.A in the Finals for 12 straight years, and the TV ratings would still be off the charts.

So while LeBron James, the league's best player, is working on his golf game over the next couple weeks, the best TEAMS in the league will be playing for a world championship.