This One's Different: Lakers Capture 16th Title
For the Celtics its obviously different than 2008, who were overmatched physically by the same team who they themselves called soft 2 years ago. Different in a sense that the Boston 3 party could be split up and/or be without the second best coach in the NBA next year. With the age of Ray Allen, KG, Paul Pierce, and Rasheed Wallace its anybody’s guess who will be back, and its certainly different for Rondo, who for the first time in his career will be wondering if he will be on a contender next year.
Similar to Rondo, if you’re a Celtics fan you are between a rock and a hard place. Do you want your front office to stay loyal to the players that have won a ring and been 4 points away from another, or go after some of the big-ticket free agents and add to the younger core of Rondo, Perkins and Big Baby? Personally I think Ray Allen and KG have some fight left in them, and if the C’s can add a 3 point threat off the bench like Mike Miller or J.J. Reddick – whose to say they can’t make another trip to the Finals.
As for the Lakers, it may seem too difficult to see how this ring is much different than last year, but believe me, it is.
For starters, Phil Jackson will now have to get his ring sized as a toe ring, Kobe can go to dinner with Magic, and Ron Artest gets number one. Phil also won his first game 7 in the NBA finals, and continued his insanely underrated streak of 48-0 in playoff series when his team wins Game 1.
In his interview you could tell how relieved he was; you could tell even Dr. Chill Zen Master felt the stress of this series. He mentioned medical issues that could force him into retirement and for a second it seemed like that was the likely move. Immediately after Hannah Storm asked him about the possibility of a 4th 3-peat and his eyes lit up. I don’t care if you have 11 rings or 0, who the hell could turn down returning to a team that has one of the best players of all-time and an All-Star forward inked up through 2013?
Speaking of Gasol, it could be said that this title is the most different for him. Not only because he was able to silence his critics and beat the one team who is the reason for his “GaSoft” label, but he was able to provide Spain with a much-needed bright spot after their World Cup football loss to Switzerland earlier this week. Those who have been to Spain can tell you Gasol is right up there with Nadal and their national futbol team. Coming into this World Cup, Spain had won 37 of their last 38 games and was a heavy favorite to not only demolish Switzerland but to win the World Cup. Thanks to boom boom Pau Gasol they can now enjoy another NBA title.
Now for the Black Mamba, anyone who watched his interview with Hannah Storm and his press conference, describing this title as different is an understatement. Sure he can eat dinner with Magic, now has more rings than Shaq, and beat the Celtics – but it’s more than that.
In the past two days he seemed different. He was his normal emotion-less, insanely-focused self, but to the extreme degree. He was in his words “suppressing” the big stage, the rivalry, his legacy – but we come to find out it affected him more than anyone else.
He started the game with 20-ft turnarounds hitting the side of the backboard and went 3-14 in the first half. But what matters most is the 4th quarter and of course he clutched up with 10 points, made big free throws, and ended with a season-high 15 rebounds. The team that won the rebound battle won every game, and you better believe Kobe wore his ass out crashing the boards like he did last night. But to me the main difference was his relief, his candor after the game.
Have you ever seen Kobe let down his guard, be honest and engage the media like that? For the first time since his incident in Colorado it appeared he wasn’t reading directly from a script, although daughters in the lap was pretty solid PR. He even told the media that his down-playing or suppressing of the moment was a bunch of B.S. He was smiling and joking with reporters and even admitted he was tired. Different for Kobe, different for all.
And by all I don’t just mean the Lakers. This is different for all fans of the NBA. Last night’s finals were the highest rated (18.2) since MJ and the Bulls beat the Jazz back in 1998. And according to NBA.com the ratings have steadily increased since 2008 regular season and playoffs alike.
If you’re David Stern what more could you ask for? You got the two traditional powerhouses duking it out in a thrilling Game 7 coupled with arguably the biggest free agency market the NBA has ever seen. This is a far cry from the boring-ass days of Tim Duncan and the Spurs quietly sweeping a weak Eastern Conference team, and it seems that amazing really does happen in the NBA.
-rew
