You ever been to a crowded playground court growing up? You know, that day you get your best five together. You pull out your freshest Jordan shorts, and your corresponding kicks. Ya'll roll up, and you see it's probably a five to six game wait. Every game's about ten minutes, but feels like an hour. You wait.

And wait.

And wait.

And wait. Until finally you're one game down, while the same stacked team has been holding court every game.

You know that squad, the one that calls phantom fouls at game point, and has one or two guys who feel themselves a little too much. Mad irritating. But they're good. And you're rooting for them right now, becasue you want to be the squad that beats 'em. You know their time's gotta be coming soon. "F&%$ those dudes" is running through your head every time they get a bucket.

Finally they win. Your squad gets up. You're ready. You're locked in. You've been waiting all day for this. And then suddenly, from across the court, you hear another voice: "we got next!"

WTF?! "Bruh.. we got next."

"Nah homie WE had next."

"We on now, we ain't getting off this court."

"We ain't moving either bitch, so if y'all want next, y'all better be ready to fight for it."

And in some rare, glorious cases, both teams really were ready to fight for it.

That's Wizards versus Celtics. That's Oubre versus Olynyk. That's why they hated each other in the regular season, and hate each other even more so now. That's why the Wizards designed funeral jerseys. That's why the intensity is only going to rise.

This isn't the on-court battle. Nah. This is the fight before the game. This is the future of the Eastern Conference in the battle for "who got next."

And the future is getting very close to being now.

John Wall is 26 years old, finishing his seventh, and best season as a pro. He does everything on a basketball court better than every other point guard on the planet, except for pure scoring. Isaiah Thomas is 28 years old, coming off a season that rivals the best we ever saw from Allen Iverson.

Bradley Beal is 23, and finally showing signs of shedding the injury plague that has pained his young career. Avery Bradley is 26, a pure pain-in-the-ass defender with an expanding offensive arsenal.

Markieff Morris is 27, bringing crucial youth, toughness, and versatility to the 3 and 4 position. Jae Crowder is 26, bringing crucial youth, toughness, and versatility to the 3 and 4 position.

Otto Porter is 23, and is a solid, constantly improving wing presence, who locks up tenaciously and gets smarter with every game. Marcus Smart is 23, and is a solid, constantly annoying wing presence, who flops egregiously, and occasionally makes it into a non-Shaqtin highlight:

Kelly Oubre is 21. Young, raw, talented, feisty, and competitive.

Jaylen brown is 20. Younger, probably more talented, feisty, and competitive.

Scott Brooks is 51, is a former Coach of the Year, proving this season that he was always more than just Russ and KD, nearly leading Washington to their first 50 win season since 1979. Brad Stevens is 41, a future Coach of the Year, building a team with the best record in the East around the smallest player in the league.

The two teams are undeniably enantiomeric; Mirror images of each other, yet fundamentally different. They are two hands reaching for the same ring. Twin teams fighting not for the right to the throne, but for the right to be heir to the throne.

And atop the throne sits the The King.

LeBron James. The six-time defending Eastern Conference Champion. The best player on that MF'ing playground team that keeps holding court.

But The King is 32 years old. He was 26 when his current reign began, the same age as John Wall now.

Kobe Bryant was 31 when he won his last Championship, and tore his Achilles at 34. Kevin Garnett was 32 when the Celtics won the championship, near the end of his prime. Tracy McGrady officially retired at 34, but was out of his prime at least a year or two earlier. Like these prior greats, LeBron came straight to the NBA from high school. He's been playing NBA Basketball since he was 19, including season after season after season after season extending into the playoffs. The season, the games, the minutes are piling up.

LeBron is showing no signs of slowing, no signs of weakness, no cracks in the royal armor. But his time is inevitably coming. It may not be this year, it may not even be next year. But at some point, sooner than later, The King will fall, and a new Eastern Conference Power will rise. The Next Eastern Conference Power will rise.

The Wizards and The Celtics know it. That's why the series is heated. That's why the feeling is hatred. They aren't playing NBA basketball, they're playing MMA basketball. The Wizards have landed the last two haymakers, but only one will deliver the knockout punch. Only one will get to finally step on court with the Cavs. Only one will eventually replace The King.

Who got next?