Photo by ReneS
I have to give full disclosure here (that’s what bloggers do when they don’t know what they are talking about), I don’t like the NBA. I slowly stopped watching when Jordan hit his last jump shot and watched even less and less when Shaq and Kobe became worse than watching Real World/Road Rules Challenge.
Anyway, I digress. For those of you, like me, who are just realizing that the NBA Finals are starting on Thursday, the supposed “Dream” match up will feature the Lakers and the Celtics. Everyone and their brother is talking about how great this is and how this is just the shot in the arm the NBA needs.
I have news for you. Larry Legend and Magic Johnson aren’t playing. Slick Pat Riley and Auerbach are not roaming the sidelines and Kurt Rambis sure is hell isn’t walking out on the court with his kick - ass spectacles. The old match up - the one every one is trying to revive - was great. It was about The Hick from French Lick vs Magic and Showtime. It was East Coast Conservative vs. L.A. Glam. It was Lunch Pail McHale vs…well you get my drift. What I’m trying to say is that those epic battles back in the day were a product of two elite franchises. Teams that met each other year after year, and had some amazing displays of basketball.
The Celtics have been anything but epic. It has taken two transplants and an overhauled bench to get them back to the glory days. L.A. had Shaq and Kobe and some great teams, but they too have had to battle back from obscurity after Kobe shuttled Shaq and Phil (yes, I know Phil came back) out the door to hang his name atop the Staple Center marquee.
Sure this might be a great series, and hell I may even watch, but let’s not fool ourselves and think that this is about Larry Legend and Magic cause it ain’t and I’m not buying it!
What do you think - is this hype worth it or is it Road Rules/Real World esque?
{This is also going up at Nosebleed Radio}
4 responses so far ↓
1 Space // Jun 5, 2008 at 12:24 am
You have to believe the hype not because you are expecting to see Magic vs Bird: The Bengay Era. This series will put a stamp on the careers of 2 top 50 all-time players and 2 more likely hall of famers, when has a series done that? This series brings back those same pitted feelings that older fans of the NBA have when it comes to Lakers vs. Celtics. Sure the names and faces have changed, but the love and hatered still stay the same.
2 Chris // Jun 5, 2008 at 8:42 am
I agree partly - but there is no real animosity btwn the teams - maybe for some older fans but it’s not like this is a truly riveting series based on a fierce rivalry? It is based on hype and intrigue about how certain players like KG, Ray Allen and Kobe will be defined…which is fine, but I just don’t think it should be billed as the same types of games as the 80’s
3 Chris Nadeau // Jun 5, 2008 at 11:27 am
I agree with you that the Lakers/Celtics rivalry back in the 80’s was amazing, but we were also young children or teens at the time, when sports took on a different flavor for us then. It’s funny because my father was saying the same thing to me in the 80’s - Bird and Magic to the way it was when it was Russell and Wilt the Stilt were battling for championships.
I think the kids of today will enjoy this new rivalry between the Lakers and Celts and it will hopefully carry over some of the great memories from the yester years.
Great post!
4 Space // Jun 5, 2008 at 3:36 pm
This series can become one that will carry over into a rivarly, due to the fact that both teams more than likely will be together for a couple more years (although the Celtics are the older team). I do agree that this isn’t our Grand-Fathers or Fathers Lakers-Cletics series, so to expect this type of series will be crazy, but it will be fun to watch.
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