A little over a year ago, I stood in the hallway of the Staples Center, watching the Golden State Warriors players mingle with their friends and family members. The Warriors had just beaten the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs, and booked a semifinals matchup with the Houston Rockets.
It was a subdued scene. The Warriors, fresh off of back-to-back championships, had their eyes on much bigger things than beating an eight seed. There was no celebration. And the Clippers, despite surprising everyone by pushing the series to six games, had exceeded expectations just making it to the playoffs.