For the first time in my life, my favorite team is the last team standing in its respective sport.
And it feels awesome.
The Boston Celtics straight-up annihilated their historic rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the NBA Finals. How bad was it? Well, not only did the Celts pull out an oh-so-slim 131-92 win in Game Six, but Boston arguably out-performed the Lakers in the two games they lost.
I often wondered how I'd react if, by some chance, the Sabres, Bills, Cubs or Celtics took home hardware, and I didn't surprise myself (I know the Celts won 22 years ago, but I was four, so cut me some slack). Do I need money for my wedding, honeymoon and new house? Yes. Do I need a "2008 NBA Champions" hat, shirt and DVD just as much? Absolutely.
Was it bittersweet to do it with a bunch of guys who weren't on the team several years back? Not really. Between Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, there was enough fan vitriol to make their redemption even sweeter. Suddenly, with three Top-20 players in the league, Rivers doesn't look like a mess, Pierce finally looks like the MVP he has been for five years, and Rondo can actually distribute as a point guard (although he still needs as much polish as the O'Brien Trophy).
What really made this team go? Of course, the Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Pierce is the primary reason for a 66-16 regular season record on the way to the title, but this team doesn't win without James Posey's "Darcy Tucker-like" defense, P.J. Brown's lunch-pail rebounding or Glen "Big Baby" Davis having an awesome nickname.
What else worked about the win? How about Rivers "out-coaching" Phil Jackson? Kobe Bryant being shut-down by suffocating defense, and essentially quitting? The "Beat L.A." chants? Incredible. All this after the heartbreak of losing the Greg Oden lottery and having to "settle" for trading the No. 5 pick to Seattle for Ray Allen.
I should get into how bad my NBA predictions were this year, because this may read like I'm gloating. If I am, sorry, I'm new to this. If I'm not, please tell me how that whole "bragging" thing works.
For now, I'll go back to thinking about the fact that this exists, and that it's one of my favorite gifts ever.
Yet another reason I asked my fiancee to marry me.
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Oh, so my predictions back in November?
(Tugs on collar, lets a lot of steam out).
Let's take a look at what I picked...
WEST
1. San Antonio* (3)
2. Phoenix* (6)
3. Dallas (7)
4. Denver* (8)
5. Houston (5)
6. Utah (4)
7. L.A. Lakers (1) 8. Portland (10)
9. Golden State (9) 10. New Orleans (2)
11. L.A. Clippers
12. Sacramento
13. Memphis
14. Seattle
15. Minnesota
EAST 1. Chicago* (11)
2. Boston* (1) 3. Miami* (15)
4. Detroit (2)
5. Cleveland (4)
6. Toronto (6)
7. Washington (5)
8. Atlanta (8)
9. Orlando (3)
10. New Jersey
11. Charlotte
12. Milwaukee
13. N.Y. Knicks
14. Indiana
15. Philadelphia (7)
FIRST ROUND: WEST: Spurs over Blazers, Suns over Lakers, Mavs over Jazz, Nuggets over Rockets; EAST: Bulls over Hawks, Celtics over Wizards, Heat over Raptors, Cavs over Pistons. SECOND ROUND:WEST: Spurs over Nuggets, Suns over Mavs; EAST: Bulls over Cavs, Celtics over Heat. CONFERENCE FINALS: WEST Suns over Spurs; EAST: Celtics over Bulls. FINALS: Suns over Celtics.
I'd say 14 of 18 playoff teams isn't terrible, per se, but my No. 1 and 3 seeds out East didn't even make the post-season. Heck, Miami has the first overall pick in the draft. What's worse? The team I picked to finish last our East, granted mostly because I hate them, Philadelphia, made the playoffs. I did pretty great in the super-competitive West, but come on!
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So, who will win in '08-'09? Ask me some other time. I'm having too much fun. One last quote from Pierce, who just gets it:
“It means so much more because these are the guys, the Havliceks, the Bill Russells, the Cousys. These guys started what’s going on with those banners. They don’t hang up any other banners but championship ones."
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