My NBA Finals Blog

I am writing down my thoughts for the NBA finals. If Boston loses I think I might need therapy- this should be good start.


Game 1

Starting in 10 minutes. Be back in 2 hours.

I read a great article by some guy who hates Kobe. It’s pretty funny, I will post it if I can find.

A little old, but it sums up all the major reasons why one should hate Kobe.

On the Pleasure of Hating Kobe Bryant
And the sadness of watching him exit the playoffs.

By Sam Anderson
Posted Monday, May 8, 2006, at 6:28 PM ET

Kobe Bryant
When the Phoenix Suns embarrassed Kobe Bryant’s Lakers this weekend in what should have been a classic Game 7, it marked the beginning of a kind of spiritual vacation for me. I detest Kobe with such bilious overpowering fervor that, when he’s playing well, I have trouble doing much else with my life: an incapacitating dark sludge floods my soul. Over the last few weeks—as Kobe threw dirty elbows, made smug post-game comments, and beat the lovable Suns on a couple of irritatingly great last-second shots—my Kobe-hatred swelled to alarmingly high levels. With the Suns’ victory, however, I felt the black tide begin to recede. Its absence still feels strange.

I don’t hate Kobe for petty reasons: for his talent, for instance, which is beyond dispute and often gorgeous to watch, or because he sold out Shaq, or because he’s an adulterer, or because his face looks like a weasel. I can forgive all of that. I don’t even hate him because the referees surround him with a sacred halo of gentle touching (he was once so coddled in a playoff game that Ralph Nader had to start agitpropping about it), or because he’s skewed the self-perceptions of pickup ball-hogs across the nation, or even because he makes close to my yearly salary every time he scores a basket. This is all irritating but peripheral. The true source of my rage is much, much deeper: I hate Kobe Bryant’s rotten and derivative soul.

Since Michael Jordan’s final title in 1998, NBA superstars have suffered mightily from what Harold Bloom termed “anxiety of influence.” The Jordan myth—a morality play about how dedication, respect for the game, and loving your parents makes you the undisputed greatest person in the world—has stifled an entire generation of great players. But, as Jordan’s most talented immediate successor, Kobe has been uniquely warped. He’s plagiarized MJ’s game so expertly that, in many ways, he’s ahead of the master’s curve—Kobe is stronger than the 27-year-old Jordan and has a deadlier outside shot. But for all his miraculous skills, Kobe is painfully bad at mythmaking. Since he’s a Jordan-like talent, Kobe clearly thinks that he’s entitled to the Jordan mythology, but he doesn’t have any of Jordan’s charisma or imagination. As melodramatic and managed as Jordan’s career was, there was some authentic core—it was original and seemed to mean something. Kobe exists entirely within quotation marks.

Love tat dunk by the big ticket.

Big tickets save in the fourth quarter was the turning point in Game 1.

unbelievable 3rd quarter by pierce, but realistically him and perkins the big goofy fuck who fell on him are limited for the rest of the series.

also the refs were hopelessly dickriding because the game was in boston and called the fouls in bostons favor even though the celtics are alot more physical

kobe didn’t have a particularly good game and l.a. rebounded like crap, they’ll still win the series.

Boston wins game 1 98: 88

I see this series determined by the bench. The Lakers have the better offensive bench whereas Boston bench is better defensively. PJ Brown & Posey made some huge defensive stops in the fourth quarter.

When Boston ended Houston’s 22 game streak Tracey McGrady described Boston defensive as the best his seen in 10 years. I think LA got a feel of that in the fourth quarter.

They usually average at least 100 points in the playoffs. It looked like Phil Jackson just gave up.

I thought LA were going to run away with the game at half time, they were up 51 46 & their offensive was working like a machine. Boston did a great job in the 2nd half to slow LA scoring. When the game become slow half court sets I knew Boston would win.

KG has shown a lot of heart in his first Finals appearance.

Kob’z was sooooo piiiiissssed at the post game press conference! He has so much pent up aggression and when he unleashes in game 2, his wrath might be too much to contain…im worried for the C’s.

You can see how the celtics watched some film and aren’t gonna bite on any of kobe’s pump fakes so kobe just has to make them bunnies! I hope he doesn’t though!

No doubt Kobe will go nuts in game 2.

9/26 Kobe- Boston have the answer- Jesus Shuttleworth. Don’t forget KG missed 9 straight shots and Boston still won.

It’s nice to see warriors like The Truth. His comeback isn’t surprising seeing how back in 2000 when he was STABBED a dozen times with a knife in the FACE, NECK, and BACK puncturing his lung and coming within an inch of his heart- he returned to action within a MONTH!

Then we have “Wince Carter”/“Half-Man-Half-a-Season” right here.

Vince could’ve been as good as he wanted.

But he’s not a winner. No killer instinct.

The Truth & Boston other big two play with plenty of heart. Big game 2 tomorrow. I am not worried about Kobe LA shooting from 3 point line is the big threat.

Game 2 about to start. Kobe looks totally pissed. Lets see how he plays.

Ray Allen had great rhythm shooting the ball in the warm up. I counted he hit 6/7 from 3 point land.

On the bench already, with 2 VERY questionable calls.

That what happens when you play pissed. You get 50/50 calls against.

Boston just hit 2 three’s up 10 points. Jesus Shuttleworth 3/5 from 3 point land … wow