Heat vs. Thunder: David Stern's Dream Matchup Strengthens Conspiracy Theories

I hate conspiracy theories. 

Maybe it's because of my belief in the purity of sports, in their ability to capture my attention and make me believe that everything I'm witnessing is the direct result of the ineffable combination of hard work and sheer talent.

Maybe it's because when I sit down on my couch and root for my favorite team, I still hold on to my naive belief that my cheering, yelling and screaming can actually affect the outcome of the game. 

Maybe it's because I desperately want to believe that everything that happens on the court truly means something and affects the legacies of the players I've poured so much time and energy into following. 

Like I said, I hate conspiracy theories. 

I was unbelievably excited that the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder both made it to the 2012 NBA Finals. After all, that was my preseason prediction, and I truly enjoy watching both teams play.

Getting to enjoy the spectacles that are Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Serge Ibaka, LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade all in the same series should be a dream come true for any fan of great NBA basketball.

However, it's also a dream matchup for someone much more important than Adam Fromal—and his name is David Stern. Which means, much to my chagrin, we're all going to have to deal with, and in some cases partake in, a whole new set of conspiracy theories.

It was bad enough when the New Orleans Hornets lucked into the No. 1 pick of the 2012 NBA draft, jumping ahead of the Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards for the top pick and the shot at making Anthony Davis a franchise player.

Of course, because of the league's affiliation with that team, the conspiracy theories flew far and wide.

The fact that Davis' unibrow was spotted in the shadows of a Charlotte Hornets throwback hat didn't help matters. However, why isn't it possible that the hat simply was given to him by a friend and that the Hornets' 13.7 percent chance of winning the lottery simply came to fruition? 

Now that those conspiracy theories have died down, we get to suffer through the new round of rumors.

Somehow, someway, because he can, David Stern fixed the entire NBA playoffs, completely compromised the integrity of the league and managed to ensure that the Heat and Thunder would play each other in the most glamorous NBA matchup possible. 

Well, either that, or the two best teams in the NBA managed to advance throughout the playoffs. 

Because we now get to witness two popular teams—one that everyone except Seattle seems to love, and another that you either love or you hate with a burning passion—with the two best players in the league taking center stage, Stern must have rigged it.

To be fair, LeBron James is the golden boy of the league. He's the one who inspires the most hype, the one who everyone loves to talk about, the one who seems to be a never-ending source of controversy. "The Decision" may have hurt his reputation, but it made the league into an unstoppable juggernaut once more and fueled the fire that is The Association's popularity.

Moreover, Kevin Durant is the up-and-comer who everyone seems to like, and he plays alongside a divisive point guard and the greatest beard in the league.

James and Durant also play for the best two teams in the NBA, but that obviously just doesn't matter.

I hate conspiracy theories.