The nationally telecast Boston Celtics-Los Angeles Lakers steel cage wrestling match took place on the parquet floor in Boston (February 9) and it satisfied every viewer's requirement for drama. They battled and battled, couldn't decide it in regular time, battled some more, and finally Pau Gasol ended it with a swipe block of a Ray Allen offensive rebound put-back. Another Celtics-Lakers game, another great finish, another anguished loser.
For the viewer, or more specifically, anyone watching who is not a fan of the Celtics or the Lakers, it's a mixed bag of emotion. You love the competition always on display when these two meet, but there's also a sense that the Celtics and Lakers have dominated the sport for so long, it's a little tiresome. Oh, there have been other interlopers. Obviously, the Bulls inserted themselves into the NBA legacy picture during Jordan's years. The Spurs stopped by for a while, and the Pistons had a nice run for a few years. Basically, though, these two behemoths are always there when the smoke from other teams' challenges clears. Similar to the New York Yankees, who replace an aging legend, when they are ready to move on, with a younger one in development. Every generation, it seems there's a pre-ordained set of superstars ready to grab the mantle. It seems remarkable, doesn't it? How do great franchises keep loading up with great players, even though they are never in a beneficial draft position? Bird to the Celtics…Kobe to the Lakers…etc. etc.
There's been much conjecture this year about these two gladiator franchises. The Lakers were stymied by NBA Commissioner David Stern when trying to trade for Chris Paul. They lost a brooding Lamar Odom in the process, and were thought to be a diminished team this year because of it. But they're 15-11, playing well, and with Kobe Bryant, Paul Gasol, and Andrew Bynum, can always be a factor, particularly with Dwight Howard looming on the horizon. The Celtics? As soon as you hear they're done, they demonstrate they're not. Doc Rivers, with other options in his pocket, decided to re-sign as Celtic coach after most people believed he wouldn't. You think he'd do that without some idea the team would be vital?
Never count these two out…they'll be dominating the NBA scene for the foreseeable future.
Glenn Vallach has been a basketball fan, player, and coach during his lifetime and, as such, an ardent follower of the NBA even with all its warts. He have also been a New York Knick fan since the days of Howie Komives and Walt Bellamy, when he regularly boarded the IRT Subway at 180th Street in the Bronx for a trip to the Garden to see his heroes.
Sources:
· Yahoo! Sports Boston Celtics page · Yahoo! Sports Los Angeles Lakers page · Yahoo! Sports Kobe Bryant page · Yahoo! Sports Ray Allen page · Jimmy Golen, AP Sports Writer, Gasol: 25 pts, 14 reb, key block in 88-87 winNote: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.
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