Okay, now the league has gotten what they wanted. It's Boston vs. Los Angeles. But it's not 1987. Those days are gone forever. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird have long retired. Johnny Most and Chick Hearn are dead. So is Dennis Johnson. Without Robert Parrish, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, M.L. Carr, and the rest of the Celtic bench it's not 1987. No more Kurt Rambis, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Michael Cooper, Bob McAdoo or the rest of the Lakers of 1987 either.
So, don't call this a "rivalry renewed". It may be a rivalry begun. That remains to be seen. Boston will have the home-court advantage in a 2-3-2 format so the Lakers will have to win on the road. That's the quick analysis. Now, let the games begin.
2 comments:
Well, I'm afraid I'm gonna have to go against you on this matchup Greasy.
I've been a Celtics fan since I was a kid and the only other team we hated more than the Lakers were the Pistons. Although that was from a different day and age as you suggested in your post.
Anyway, this classic matchup should give way to some very exciting basketball in the Finals. I predict a seven game Celtics win.
Oh yeah! This should be great for old-time fans. My days as a Laker fan go back to the 68/69 season and the last year of Bill Russell.
I remember when the Celtics came into the Forum for the seventh game and the Lakers had all those balloons up in the rafters and Russell said "those balloons aren't gonna ever come down" or something to that effect.
Then the Celtics preceed to win game seven at the Forum with Wilt Chamberlain sitting on his big ass on the bench with five fouls. He didn't want his streak of never fouling out of a game broken so the Lakers lose and Red Aureback fires up his stogie after the game.
I can remember the shot/free throw that Don Nelson took in one game that just fucking killed the Lakers. It hits the back of the rim, bounces about ten feet straight up and then swishes through. If I remember right that shot cost the Lakers one of the games. That shot along with John Havelichek who could run all damn day and never get tired.
I had a hard time getting over that series since Elgin Baylor was getting old and Jerry West worked his ass off to bring a title to the Lakers. West was named the MVP of the finals.
Fast foward thirteen years to the Larry Bird era and the Showtime version of the Lakers. That was my favorite rivalry. The Celtics and Bird, along with Kevin McHale (remember the foul on Kurt Rambis?) Cedric Maxwell, Robert Parrish (who may have been the ugliest player in the NBA), Dennis Johnson, M.L. Carr and his fucking towell waving on the bench.
Then there was the Lakers with Magic, James Worthy, Jaamal Wilkes, Kurt Rambis, Kareem, Byron Scott, Michael Cooper, Mitch Kupchak, and Bob McAdoo. This was the series where Larry Bird unloaded on the Celts and called them "sissies" after the third game. I guess it fired them up because the Celts ended up winning it all and Red Aureback gets to light up his big-ass cigar again.
Lots of history there. You hate to see all the great players get old and lose some of their skills. I guess It's also a reminder that we're all getting older too. This ought to be a lot of fun and bring back some great memories. I am soooo looking forward to this.
I agree with you it will proably go seven games. I just disagree with you on the eventual winner. One thing I've been harping on since the playoffs began six weeks ago is home court advantage. The Celts have it in this series and it's a 2-3-2 format so the Lakers HAVE to win one on the road. Thank God it's not the old Boston Gardens they're playing in. What a fucking swamp that place was. This ought to be fun Toast.
Post a Comment