Just like President Obama – I was figuring on a 6-game series between the Lakers and the Magic – I thought that Jack wanted one more Laker appearance before the season ended. I certainly don’t know for sure – but I figured one additional game would pad the league coffers by about $200,000,000.00 (unless advertising revenue was running short onaccounta the economy).
But now the Lakers can boast a 15th world championship – and that kind of cracks-me-up – as once-upon-a-time, only the World Cup soccer champ could be considered a true world champion. But now, with the “World Series” baseball tourney – that the U.S. has yet to win – I guess we have two legitimate world champion tourneys (though, Olympic basketball could be construed to showcase a legitimate world champion in basketball).
It was during the 1987 Eastern Conference semi-final between my (then) Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics — that I realized that something very fishy, actually, most unsavory – was taking place in the NBA. At-the-time, the marquee match-up come finals time — was the Celtics vs. the Lakers. I certainly understand the East Coast/West Coast appeal of this rivalry – but the Detroit Pistons were the best basketball team in-the-league from about 1987-90 – and they didn’t get their shot at the title till 1988 – when the Celtics were too beat up to represent the East.
But I digress…it was during the decisive game between the Celtics and the Pistons and the Pistons seemingly had the game in hand – when Isaiah Thomas made an inbounds pass DIRECTLY to Larry Bird who promptly turned and sunk the deciding 3-pointer. Many people have called this the “errant” in-bounds throw-in – but I will never forget the smirk on Isaiah’s face when he made this inbounds pass. I guess it just wasn’t Detroit’s year.
But neither was it the Lakers year in 2004 – when Kobe was up on rape charges and the Lakers were pummeled in 5 – thanks to the referees and the commissioner – I mean, after all, how could the Lakers be anointed the kings of basketball with a potential rapist on-the-team. By then I was a Laker fan and I asked my Detroit friends how the most physical team in basketball (Detroit) could go to the line 162 time to the Lakers 62 in a 5-game-series. By game 5, the Lakers knew there was no way they could win this series and the starters walked off the court together in Game 5.
By now, just about everybody knows that professional wrestling is more like professional theater for the muscle bound. I’m starting to see more-and-more letters and op-eds in my beloved Times – that are suggesting the same thing about basketball – something that I’ve been mulling over – and pissing-off the staid with – for over 22 years. Granted, both “sports” host tremendous athletes – who are a joy to watch – but watching Kobe try to “act” like he’s upset at missing free throws, well, Jack had better give him some acting lessons.
And President Obama, the reason the Lakers didn’t “bring it home” on Tuesday (at home) and take it to that Game 6 — lies in the hooliganism on Thursday Night (June 11th). Can you imagine the damage that L.A. would have incurred had the Lakers won-the-whole-thang at home? Probably close to $200 million in damages…