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Monday, May 16. 2011
Looking at the NBA Playoffs
Here’s what’s going on, this Sunday Afternoon: watching the NBA Playoffs. Shoot, I don’t even know what round this is, so many teams get into it, but I think this is the quarter-finals. The Oklahoma City Thunder just beat the Memphis Grizzlies to advance to the Western Conference Finals“The who? What? Wait! You follow basketball?”
Yeah, sort of. My friend Claudia is a big NBA fan, in particular a Lakers fan, so, I became an NBA fan all over again. Back in the 1980’s, when the Milwaukee Bucks were always advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, roundball was one of my favorite distractions. I watched every Bucks game and every playoff game possible. Hated those Boston Celtics and so, by default, come playoff time I became a Lakers fan.
During the 90’s the professional game lost its appeal, looking to be more of a stage for individuals than a game played by teams. It was all due to the triangle offense, created by Phil Jackson to make spectacular use of his star—thee star—at the time, Michael Jordan. Them damn Chicago Bulls.
Until the Bulls drafted Jordan, Bucks fans didn’t have to hate the Bulls because they were perennial losers. In fact, even after Jordan entered the league the Bulls were perennial losers. Jordan could score 50 points and the Bulls would still lose, by as many as 20 points a game.
And then Phil Jackson came along with his desire to win championships. Within a couple of years the Bulls had a championship team and Michael Jordan was truly the star of the NBA, considered by many to be the best player ever.
Think about that: better than Wilt Chamberlain, better than Bob Cousy, Oscar Robertson, Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Ervin “Magic” Johnson and Doctor J — Julius Erving. And then there’s a whole bunch of great players who possibly could be mentioned like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Nineteen years ago I left Milwaukee for Southern California and there were people who were still pissed off at Abdul-Jabbar for: A) leaving the Bucks for the Lakers, B) punching Milwaukee Center Kent Benson in the face and C), becoming a Muslim and changing his name from Lew Alcinder, Jr. to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I’ll bet those people still harbor that resentment.
My favorite players ever: Bucks guards Sidney Moncrief and Oscar Robertson, Bucks centers Bob Lanier and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and of course Magic Johnson and Doctor J. I can understand why everyone considers Michael Jordan to be the best player ever, but Doctor J was something to watch!In 1983 the Bucks swept the Celtics in four games, but then, in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Philadelphia 76’ers, with Doctor J, beat the Bucks in five games. DAMMIT! And then the Sixers went on to beat the Lakers in the NBA Finals.
After that the Bucks never really were deep contenders for the NBA finals, having lost their one good center, Bob Lanier, but most of the other teams in the Easter Conference were not very good so the Bucks often found themselves in the Easter Conference Finals — usually battling the Sixers or them damn Celtics.
So, what got my head rolling on this basketball thing was watching the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Memphis Grizzlies to advance to the Western Conference Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.
Not familiar with the Thunder? They used to be the Seattle Supersonics. And of course the Grizzlies were an expansion team in Vancouver, British Columbia.
That’s what got my brain in a twirl this year: trying to catch up to all the league changes. I remember when the Minnesota Timberwolves and Orlando Magic joined the league, as well as the Miami Heat, Charlotte Hornets (who are now the New Orleans Hornets) and Washington Wizards, but after that … eh … The Bucks did have a 53-wins season in 2000-2001, but alas they lost the Eastern Conference finals to the Sixers — again.
So, we’re caught up. Before the start of the season a big deal was made about where LeBron James would play. He was definitely leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers, but who would win the lottery to pay King James … like a zillion bucks, or something in that neighborhood. As everyone knows, the Miami Heat got the nod. They looked like the most obvious contenders and they had the money, or at least the financial wizardry, to pay James’s salary.
But, the Heat already had a couple of marquee players, most especially Dwayne Wade, once of the Marquette Golden Eagles, and the thought was the two egos would not get along. Well, with 58 wins in the regular season and their spot in the Easter Conference Finals.
But, they just got waxed by the Bulls in the first game of the series.
To be honest, I have no idea which remaining team is the best. The Bulls have the best record and the way they beat the Heat, if I was in Vegas betting, I’d have to put my money on Chicago. But it’s the NBA Playoffs, anything can happen. Who’da thought neither the Celtics nor the Lakers would be in their respective conference finals? Still, the Chicago Bulls are the team to beat. Sorry Dallas Mavericks.After the Mavs beat the Lakers Claudia told me as much about the Bulls. She knows the NBA, she knows the Playoffs. I didn’t doubt her at the time, but damn, the Heat seemed like everyone else’s favorite and the Mavs swept the Lakers. Everybody else, I’m going with the resident expert!
And she’s competing to be the Hooters Octagon Girl for UFC 132 in Las Vegas, NV. If you have Facebook, click the photo to the right and vote for Claudia! Vote once a day, every day—and if she says the Bulls are gonna be NBA Champions at the end of this, I’d believe her.
Now I’m totally embarrassed. Claudia is a Miami girl and just told me she’s hoping the Miami Heat win the series with Chicago. Oh well ...
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