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The NBA Conference Finals are upon us. At the time of this writing, the Mountain-esque Cleveland Cavaliers are making the Toronto Raptors look like Oberyn Martell, leading by 41 points in the fourth quarter. In the Westeros, er...Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder have all but thrown the Golden State Warriors out of the Moon Door, gaining a 3-1 series advantage. In honor of the great games we've seen thus far, I'll be comparing players from these Conference Finals to their Game of Thrones counterpart.
Stephen Curry and The Night's King
This could be taken two ways. On one hand, both of these figures are absolutely terrifying and captivate the screen anytime they're on it. Stephen Curry scored 17 points in an overtime period against the Portland Trailblazers after his return from injury. The Night's King is the leader of an undead army.
On the other hand, Steph has been as cold as ice in the current series against the Thunder, leading you to wonder if he's not the frozen baron himself. Either way, these two are the centers of focus and are potentially the most important pieces to their respective realms.
LeBron James and Ser Bronn of the Blackwater
Aside from the obvious similarity in their names, these two share a common trait: their reputation as a mercenary. LeBron James is often seen as flighty and hard to peg. There are question marks every time he hits free agency, supported even further by the one-year deals he's signing with Cleveland in order to get the most money possible when the new salary cap comes into play.
There are even reports that James could return to Miami if he is able to bring the Cavs a championship. Bronn the Sellsword is exactly what his name implies; a formidable warrior who can be bought for the right price. Bronn does find some emotional attachment to Tyrion Lannister, but ultimately makes it very clear he is around for the money. While James may not be so ruthless about it, his ultimate goal is to be the best, and getting paid a pretty penny to do so never hurt.
Russell Westbrook and Ramsay Bolton
These two are absolutely insane. Seriously, they're nuts. Complete wild cards. At any given moment, Russell Westbrook can take over a game simply by out-hustling his opponents. Ramsay Bolton might stab you, cut off your body parts, or feed you to a pack of dogs if it will get him an edge.
Both also have their flaws, getting too reckless and turning over the ball or losing escaped captives. Either way, very much rests on the performance of these two and both are capable of completely changing the outcome of their respective arenas.
Jonas Valanciunas and Hodor
The gentle giants; Jonas Valanciunas and Hodor represent stability for their peers. Whether he's grabbing offensive rebounds or putting the post moves on his opponents, Valanciunas is a capable player for the Toronto Raptors. Much the same, Hodor is the comfortable spot for Bran and his motley crew.
Hodor does the heavy lifting and can be a brute force to anyone in his way, but on any normal basis, he is a soft-hearted tower of a man. Hopefully for Valanciunas, he won't be asked to "hold the door" on the way out if the Raptors lose their series.
Kevin Love and Jon Snow
Kevin Love and Jon Snow have more in common than their curly hair and sultry beards. When Love was a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves, he was viewed with respect and admiration, but he never got over the hump of mediocrity. Similarly, Jon Snow was a well-respected swordsman and an honorable man to his peers, but being the bastard son of Ned Stark led him to leave for the Night's Watch.
While at The Wall, Snow becomes Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but is eventually killed by other members of the same group who see him as unfit for the role. Kevin Love had such a bad year in Cleveland in 2014-15 that his own teammates were tweeting about him, claiming he didn't "fit in". But Jon Snow was brought back to life by the Lord of Light, and Kevin Love has returned to form in the 2015-16 playoffs, averaging a double-double and shooting 43% from three.
The Finals are Coming
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