The Finals Bum

So what to watch tonight? The answer really isn’t that hard. This years NBA finals is simply classic. Is there a bigger finals matchup in the history of basketball then Lakers/Celtics? I don’t think so. These two teams have actually met in the finals 12 times. Between the two of them they have a total of 32 championships, that’s more then half of the 63 overall championships in NBA history.

Most of the matchups have been in the ‘60s with stars like Elgin Baylor and Jerry West for the Lakers, & Bill Russell and Bob Cousy for the Celtics. However, it was Magic vs. Bird in the ‘80s that Bryant Gumbel once said “...saved the NBA…” It was blue collar vs. Hollywood, and everyone loved to watch them battle each other. It was Magic, Bird, and the emergence of Michael Jordan that turned the NBA in the media powerhouse it became at the time, and still is today.

Once Johnson and Bird retired both teams had their problems, at least until Kobe and Shaq teamed up in L.A. for a couple of championships in the 2000’s. Then in 2008 the rivalry was renewed. It was great seeing both of them in the finals against each other, but Kobe vs. Garnett was still no Magic vs. Bird. The series ended with Garnett finally believing that “…anything is possible”.

This year is going to be a little bit different for these two teams. It is the Lakers that have the home court advantage this time. Also, the emergence of Rajon Rondo for the Celtics is something the Lakers didn’t have to deal with in 2008, but then again Kobe didn’t have the support of Ron Artest at the time either.

So that being said screenbum fans, I’m calling for Lakers to win the whole thing in seven games. The big three on the Celtics (Garnett, Pierce, & Allen) aren’t getting any younger, so it might be a while before these two teams meet again in the finals. Enjoy it now while it’s here. These teams are so evenly matched that this series will have no problem fitting right in with the history of this classic rivalry.