PREVIEW: SBL HERR SEMIS GAME 7

After the international boom that came with the Dream Team, NBA really took over my life. I watched every NBA game on TV3, recorded them and watched them over and over again, so much that my older brother pulled the plug on my VCR as he walked by and said "I've heard this fucking bullshit 10x today, turn it off." But it was only the regular season, and I had to follow the NBA Finals thru Text-TV. My mom took the subway back and forth to Stockholm Central station to buy the New York Times so I could read about the games. It's so fucked up that I got to know about John Paxson making a game winning 3 by reading it in my brothers room on his 14" tv at page 332 on Text-TV. Shame on Swedish sports news. But the next season, TV3 was broadcasting the NBA Finals and the great Magnus Dahlborn thought me that a Game 7 is the best thing in basketball, as my New York Knicks battled the Houston Rockets in 7 games that season, the first Finals to go 7 since 1988.

It's 2023 and the SBL Herr Semifinals will be decided in a Game 7. And it's not a regular Game 7, if that even exists. It's a Finals rematch, it's a 1-3 comeback, it's a former coaching duo going head-to-head, it's the defending champions. And if you really need more, it's also the return from an injury for a key player - Storyteller and my friend Anes Zeković.

Last year I got to work with Jämtland thanks to the great Adnan Chuck. Before I got to Norrköping to meet the team, I'd never really met him, more than some briefly hi's at games. But he's a friend for many years of Pontus, and his response when Pontus asked if he was OK with me following them for a game, was one of the most humble and respectful ones. He wrote "Anything for you coach." and when he stepped out of the team bus outside the hotel in Norrköping, he was the nicest person I've met. He treated me like my job was more important than anything except the win. Unfortunately they lost, and the Finals ended the next game. Not too many coaches would be as open and welcoming as Adnan was, and I'm really glad they are in the position tonight, Game 7 in their gym.

But back to Anes. He was out with a season ending injury, and was replaced by his younger brother Alan. I'm telling y'all, there's not too many guys in the league that I like more than those two, the respect and how they always take time to help me out if I need anything. Crazy thing is, as I was about to send Anes a text to meet at the hotel, I noticed he had sent me some DM's back in 2019. That season I was working with SBBK who won the National title that year, and we did some really great content. During the Finals I mic'd up Head Coach Ludde Degernäs and Anes had texted me out of nowhere to just say he thought it was great. Little did I know we were about to do the exact same thing, as he wore a mic for the game on the bench. Funny how things ends up sometimes.

That's why I'm glad to see him back this playoffs, and not only back but to also being a key player. In Game 6 Anes really stepped up. He made some key shots and had some clutch plays in the fourth as Jämtland really struggled to get back into rhythm and Norrköping stormed back.

Norrköping was up 3-1 and to be on the road for a Game 7 should be a lot of pressure for them. There's no denying that if they lose tonight, it'll be remembered as "that year Norrköping choked like the Warriors." or Coach Riipinen gets the Doc Rivers slander. But at the same time, Jämtland shouldn't been here in the first place. They were the higher seed coming in to this series, and Norrköping stole the first game. That's on Jämtland more than anyone else. But there's always two sides to this situation. Either the team who wins gets the credit, or the team who loses gets the blame. There's no in between. And the crazy shit it, a loss will be considered a failure for either one, cause both had finals expectations this year.

I personally feel that Norrköping is the only team that can lose tonight, that the comeback from 1-3 is enough for Jämtland. I got friends on both teams and I try to look at this game as a fan of the game more than taking sides, but I'm not gonna lie. I would love to see Anes check in to a finals game this year, and for that to happen, Jämtland has to come out as the winner tonight. For him to come back and do that, I would have to send him a DM too.

Let's sit back and enjoy this game tho, you never know when the next time a Game 7 will come around. In the meantime, here's the video from last years Finals.