David Stern: “Your 2008 NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics”
Arguably the seven most painful words some of us Lakers fans have ever heard.
Those words and the series of events that happened last June have had a long time to marinate. We shall never forget what happened, and make no mistake the players feel the same way.
From Sasha Vujacic not wearing green, and distancing himself from anything that has to do with the Celtics, to Derek Fisher writing the number 24 up on the whiteboard earlier this season, signifying the lead the Lakers had in Game 4, only to lose that game 97-91, going down 3-1 in the Finals.
Finally, here we are, what we all have been waiting for, the rematch, the revenge game, the game that we all circled on August 6th, when the NBA schedule came out for the 2008-2009 Season.
Kobe Bryant is famous for saying, “this is just another regular season game”, but even KB24 has to admit that this game is astronomical, compared to any other game the Lakers have played this season.
A shot at redemption, a time to show the Celtics that this year is our year.
There are a few things that are worth mentioning about this Christmas showdown. For one, the Celtics have won 19 straight games, and have started the season 27-2, good enough for the best start by any team in NBA history.
However, there is a man the Celtics did not see last June. He wears number 17, stands at seven feet, and weighs in at about 285 lbs, and if for one second you think that the Finals loss didn’t hurt young Andrew as much as the guys that suited up in that series, then you got it all wrong.
All in all, this is the measuring stick to see where we are. There’s no question right now that the Celtics are currently the best team in the NBA. Ask, Magic Johnson, the Lakers have at sometimes been inconsistent. Their defense has been questioned, and even their focus.
But, there won’t be one Los Angeles Laker that will lose focus for this game, because this is bigger than a game. This is like the guy, that stole your girlfriend, and then you happen to run into him six months later.
Okay, that analogy might not be the greatest, but it rings true. You got to come out swinging; I don’t think words can describe how it was watching Game 6, losing by 39 points! In a game that they should have killed to win, instead, they rolled over and died.
Will it be the end of the world if the Lakers lose on Christmas? Will all hope be lost?
Absolutely not, however, I don’t know about you guys, but all I want for Christmas is a throttling of the Celtics, well a victory at the very least.
Lastly, if for some odd reason you’re not as fired up as me, or you’re not still steaming about what happened last time we matched up against this team, pop in that Game 6 tape, if you don’t have it, go on YouTube and check out Kevin Garnett in the most awkward interview ever, yelling, “Anythiiiiiingggg is Possibleeeeee”.
You can also see Ray Allen, accepting the award of the years “Best Team”, at the ESPY’s which was held at the Nokia Theater. Guess what his first words were when he reached the podium, “Another win in L.A.!”
Remember, Paul Pierce said that he is the best basketball player in the league, or what about him falling to the ground like he just tore his ACL, MCL, and LCL, and then minutes later come running out of the locker room.
Not to mention the fact that people compare that to the Willis Reed moment, which is the most disgusting comparison I’ve ever heard in my life, and is a slap in the face to the respected Hall of Famer.
So it is Christmas time, it is time to be with our loved ones. But, at 2:00pm Pacific Time, even my loved ones, know where I need to be, in front of the T.V. rooting on my Los Angeles Lakers, and if a Lakers victory means I don’t get any presents this year. Then that’s fine with me!
Boston, you better be ready, because we are!
