Last night I caught the end of game one of The NBA Finals. The Celtics were ahead in what had apparently been a dramatic game. I kept flipping back and forth between the game and Last Comic Standing. I should have been STOKED.
I am having a really, really, really hard time giving a #*(% about this series.
Celtics versus Lakers for the first time in 21 years.
There are a number of really interesting subplots. Can Kobe win one without Shaq? Will Allen join the triple crown club? Can Phil get #10 after leaving and going back to the Lakers and Kobe?
Both teams were in shambles this time last year. Kobe wanted out and was publicly stating so. The Celtics had the balls bounce the wrong way in the draft lottery AGAIN.
One season turnarounds do not tend to happen in the NBA. And yet, here we are with both teams turning huge messes into championship seasons giving hope to other teams that the conventional NBA wisdom might be changing. The obvious examples of turnarounds are truly exceptional. In both the Lakers and Celtics cases this season the turnarounds were unlikely and highlighted by trades that were brilliant and worked immediately.
I am a former Celtics owner. For years from the late 80s until a few seasons ago I had a small number of Celtics shares. I would get dividend checks and financial reports and tried to go to games when the Celtics would come to Seattle. It was awesome. I don't dislike the Celtics but when the shares were cashed out involuntarily I did feel a sense of disconnect to the team that was evident last night.
It is simply impossible for me to root for the Lakers. Nope. I can respect the talent and the coaching but I will never, never, never root for the Lakers. Even with all the crap going on in Seattle I simply cannot root for them.
It comes down to my absolute hatred for David Stern. Yep. I have reached the point where I actually personally hate the man. He is arrogant and stubborn and flat out stupidly running his organization. I almost feel sorry for Bud Selig for his stupidity, but Stern is smart enough to know better and doesn't care about his cities or fans. My personal feelings toward Stern have now taken the luster and enjoyment away from the essential nature of fandom; watching the championship of a given sport. I could not get excited about that game because of David Stern. I cannot imagine I am the only one. The NBA is in trouble so long as he is running the show.
Photo from 2000 at Key Arena during a Sonics versus Celtics game when I still owned Celtics shares and cared about the NBA.
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