Despite all the excitement seeing plenty of family, eating good food and unwrapping gifts invariably brings, tomorrow isn’t just about enjoying that one Christmas-y holiday. It also marks the beginning of the 2011-12 NBA season. If you’ve been living under a rock recently, you might have missed the fact that a lockout forced us devoted fans to miss out on a sizable chunk of basketball action. Here are the Top 10 reasons to put aside that extra helping of turkey, crank up the volume on the TV and get lost in the start of another thrilling season of pro hoops. The NBA is back!
1. Finding out which rookies from a historically weak draft will show up and compete at an NBA level — Kemba Walker?
2. Watching the Trail Blazers lead the league in medical expenditures.
3. The Mavericks, turning another bunch of odd, aging parts into a contender.
4. Watching Lamar Odom exact some sweet revenge on the Lakers.
5. Sac-Town finally catching Jimmer Fever — only to bid the entire team an abrupt farewell.
6. LeBron James turning into (insert undrafted scrub NBA player here) in the 4th quarter — again.
7. Watching the Toronto Raptors — just kidding.
8. Kobe Bryant, playing with the proverbial chip in his shoulder.
9. Waiting for Dwight Howard to flee Orlando to go make magic (and championships) for another team.
10. We need SOMETHING to distract us from making deadline.