I watch pro basketball, particularly the Celtics, for the same reason I listen to my favorite music. They both are total diversions for me, where I can forget everything else, particularly the bad stuff.
The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought -- Sir Thomas Beecham
It's the same for basketball. In today's sometimes-maniacal world, the tyranny of conscious thought is always with us, and sometimes that is necessary. Professional basketball is back tomorrow, and the Celtics are facing their Eastern Conference rivals, the Philadelphia 76'ers.