Saturday, May 31, 2008

Not your daddy's Lakers-Celtics... but I'm hooked

I have been transported. I am a 10 year old kid watching Bird and Magic, Kareem and Parrish, McHale and Worthy battling it for seven games in The Fabulous Forum or Boston Garden... 

Okay the characters have changed, the venues have changed... hell, the game has changed. 

I grew up an avid Lakers fan, but as an adult my fervor for basketball has diminished. I would still pull for my old team, but I don't follow the NBA with the same intensity I do baseball or football. Well this year, as the Lakers and Celtics spent the better part of the regular season and then the playoffs seemingly on a collision course to warp us all back to the mid-80's, my eye was definitely caught. And now that it's official- the NBA finals start Thursday, Lakers vs. Celtics- I am hooked. Like, clear-your schedule-sorry-honey-we're-watching-the-game-tonight hooked. Hooked like I haven't been in years.

Kobe and his posse versus the Big Three of Boston should be sight for the ages. Just thinking about it takes me back. I can see Magic's junior sky hook going through the net in Game 6, Michael Cooper stepping back for what seemed an eternity before throwing up a three-ball... I can taste my hatred for Larry Bird and Danny Ainge. It's all there. Now while I may not be able to drum up the same hatred for KG or Ray Allen, and my heroes of yesteryear are all gone- my anticipation for this series is through the roof. 

My very unbiased pick: Lakers in 6. Kobe as Finals MVP (I know, waaaaay out on a limb there.) 

Drown out those Beat-LA chants and go Lakers.

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