"I" in Lakers vs. the "Team" in Celtics
Blood on the Court
with David Bloodsworth
It all comes down to this. The NBA Finals conclude in Los Angeles with games six and seven (if needed). The Celtics need one win to clinch their 18th World Championship title. The Lakers, down 3-2 in the series, need to win two in a row at home for the franchises 15th title.
I can think of few clichés more tired (sic) or true than, "there is no 'I' in team." If you have played an organized sports (and even if you haven't) you have heard this phrase uttered by a coach, teammate, parent, etc., and the funny thing is…
no matter how overused or cliché the saying has become it has never been more relevant than it is toady as the 2010 Boston Celtics prepare to prove once again that team success is paramount and enduring and individual success is vain and fleeting.
Is there any doubt?
If I had to win only one game I would take the better team over the team with the better player every time. Every… single… time.
The 2010 Celtics have, so far, proven that the better team prevails under these circumstances. They have beaten the "better" player's team (Wade, James, Howard) with superior team play, a deeper bench, mental and physical toughness and, let's not forget, superior coaching.
Now the Celtics are up 3-2 in the Finals, they are 11-0 all-time in the Finals when they have a 3-2 series lead, and once again, the best player is on the other team.
Arguably the best player in the NBA (the more I see Kobe play, the less impressed I am with LeBron's game). Kobe Bryant has fought hard in this series but he's only one man and this ain't golf, folks. Outstanding individual performances can only take a team so far. My guess is that game six is as afar as it will take the Los Angeles Lakers.
For the Celtic's sake, let's hope it doesn't go to Game 7 and this is why…
Since the inception of the 2-3-2 NBA Finals format only six other teams have faced a 3-2 deficit going onto their home court for Games 6 and 7 and only two have won both games.
Conversely, since the format change, only six other teams have held a 3-2 series lead and faced Games 6 and 7 on the road. Four of those six teams won the championship on the road.
What do those four teams have in common? They all won Game 6.
That's right… the four teams that went on to win the championship, including the '85 Celtics, did it by winning Game 6. The two teams that didn't win Game 6 on the road didn't win Game 7 either.
Confusing? Sure.
Fun? For me, yes.
What does it all mean? Beat LA… in Game 6!
For the record: the '94 Knicks (lost to Rockets) and the '88 Pistons (lost to Lakers.) both held 3-2 series leads and lost Games 6 and 7 on the road.
By the way… if you didn't tune in to Toucher and Rich before Game 4 of the NBA Finals you really missed some outstanding radio. The Sweet Sassy Molassy Awards were scathing and fantastic and the Stephen A. Smith interview was riveting but it was the "Brick It Up" contest that took the cake for me.
Check it out http://tiny.cc/mw5vv
During the NBA Finals, Toucher and Rich have brought Vic "The Brick" Jacobs into the studio for an interview and interviewed him on the phone. Jacobs is an LA Laker fanboy masquerading as a radio jock/sports journalist. He parades around in purple and gold costumes worshiping the likes of "LaMaaaARRR" and Kobe.
Sadly, Jacobs is probably even mistaken for a legit sports reporter – which he definitely is not – because he actually shows up at press conferences (decked out in a faux fur purple and gold "pimp" hat, a fur-lined cape and over-sized women's sunglasses) and is actually called on to ask questions like, "Kob, what happened in that 4th quarter… I mean que pasa in that 4th quarter? You're going in tied and then the ball seemed to always bounce into the Celtics flow."
Yes, that's verbatim from an actual question The Brick asked Kobe Bryant during the Game 2 post-game press conference. Let's just say, "Kob" did not look amused.
My personal opinion of The Brick aside… on Thursday Toucher and Rich unveiled a brilliantly funny, Vic "The Brick It Up" contest. Similar to past contests where Teddy Bruschi recited lyrics to Rush songs in the "Geddy Bruschi" contest or when Jack Edwards transformed into "New Jack" Edwards, reciting lyrics from 90s pseudo-rap and bubble gum R&B; Vic "The Brick It Up" recited lyrics to classic Kiss songs.
I believe credit goes to Rich Shertenlieb for his superb mix of Vic the Brick sound bites to Kiss music. Jacob's scripted performance was top-notch but it was the use of sound bites from Brick's in-studio and phone interview that caused me to pull my car over into the parking lot of some random auto parts store. I was laughing so hard that I was seriously concerned I would drive off the road or into on-coming traffic.
During the Finals it's been hard for me to tell if Toucher and Rich are laughing with Vic or at him? My hope is that it's the latter but, regardless, it was very funny stuff.
David Bloodsworth is a writer, communications professional and blogger for 985thesportshub.com. Email me at dhbloods@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter @dhbrockton.
