The 2008 NBA Finals wrapped up, with the Boston Celtics putting an emphatic end to a series that started out with Super Bowl-level hype, only to generate the same amount of national interest as a Week 4 Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions game.
The Celtics dispatched the Los Angeles Lakers, 131-92, in Game 6 on June 17, effectively destroying viewers’ interest by halftime, along with any argument Kobe Bryant-apologists had left for anointing him as the second coming of Michael Jordan.
This was supposed to be the series to revive the NBA. After looking at the Nielsen ratings, however, one must wonder if the only party cashing in on these Finals is the FCC, for the amount of fine money they’ll be collecting for F-bombs dropped by fiery forward Kevin Garnett during his free throw attempts.
For all their Hall of Fame credentials, the Boston Three Party of Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are not the same bunch that laced up in short-shorts on the parquet court of the old Boston Garden; nor are these the same Showtime-era Lakers. Boston’s Big Three came into these Finals with an unproven history, having wasted their prime years on mediocre teams. For all his greatness, Kobe is no Magic Johnson, while Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom have yet to shed their reputations for being soft underachievers.
One can blame the Finals’ lukewarm reception on the referee scandal surrounding the league. Or maybe it was because Staples Center was so quiet, that a spectator in attendance could probably hear pretentious A-list celebrities patting themselves on the back for their latest summer blockbusters.
This series being a letdown, however, was because of the insurmountable expectations placed upon it. The media expected this series to be a classic of two equally matched teams slugging it out at a high level and the superior team narrowly coming out on top.
That wasn’t the case.
With KB24 out to prove that he can win a title without Shaquille O’Neal, and Boston’s Big Three chasing that illusive first ring at the tail-end of their careers, the question coming into the series was, “Who wants it more?” The Boston massacre in Game 6 revealed that the battle-tested Celtics played with a greater sense of urgency than the mentally fragile Lakers. Garnett settled for too many jumpers, but fortunately, his 42.9 percent field goal percentage for the series was offset by legendary performances from Pierce along with Allen, probably the only two consistent players for both teams.
Even though KG continued his habit of disappearing in the fourth quarter, he applied great defense on Gasol, who was out-muscled by Boston’s big men. Meanwhile, L.A.’s third wheel, Lamar Odom, continued his Jekyll-and-Hyde act of playing aggressively one moment before vanishing the next.
In the end, an experienced Celtics squad brought its suffocating defense to the big stage and outclassed the young Lakers. Forward James Posey, who had already won a title with the Miami Heat in 2006, was instrumental in helping to slow down Bryant, who was held to 40.5 percent shooting from the field in the series. Celtics’ starting point guard Rajon Rondo also had seven steals in the deciding game.
Speaking of defense, the Lakers’ lack of it allowed Allen to set a Finals record with 22 three-pointers for the series. Throw in the historic Boston 24-point comeback win in Game 4, and you can see that the Celtics broke all sorts of Finals records at the Lakers’ expense.
Aside from Bryant and point guard Derek Fisher, none of L.A.’s starters have ever made it this deep into the postseason. That inexperience manifested itself in the 44.1 percent field goal shooting L.A. was limited to during the six games, along with the 15.5 turnovers per game that the Lakers committed.
With the season now officially over, congratulations to Boston’s Big Three for finally reaching the sport’s pinnacle; however, do not expect L.A to go away anytime soon. Bryant will be as determined as ever to prove that he belongs on the NBA’s Mount Rushmore with the likes of Jordan, Magic and Larry Bird. With center Andrew Bynum returning from injury next season, he along with Odom and Gasol, will form arguably the most potent frontcourt in the league.
With the Celtics out to defend their throne and the up-and-coming Lakers seeking payback, here’s hoping that next year the league will finally deliver that Super Bowl-caliber NBA Finals series that fans have long been waiting for.
