If you've been paying any attention to the NBA finals, you've probably noticed the constant barrage of throwback video clips, montages, and sound bites that have attempted to rekindle the fire between the Celtics and the Lakers. The rivalry that existed between the two franchises in the 60's and 80's is undeniably one of the most storied tales in NBA folklore history. However, the match up that exists today between the 2008 Lakers and Celtics is a much different story.
Last season, the Celtics were one of the laughing stocks of the NBA, finishing the season with a 24-58 record. The Lakers, though not nearly as bad as their counterparts, were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round. So it is not surprising that literally no one predicated the two teams to meet up in this season's final. When the smoke cleared and LA and Boston had battled their way through, it was a dream come true for the NBA's publicists. The sad reality is much of the history between the two teams is lost on today's generation of fans. That is not a slight against the fans but simply the fact that the average viewer just isn't old enough to have been exposed to the drama and excitement of the past. And for the ones that are, many have become disenchanted with the game.
The softer style of play and greater emphasis on individual talent instead of team strength has caused many viewers to tune out. The recent allegations by disgraced referee Tim Donaghy, that the NBA has fixed games in the past, are certainly not helping anyone either. As wonderful as it seems to have the Lakers and Celtics facing each other again in the finals, the route that has been taken to promote it is not the right one. The real story is how two mediocre teams were able to pull themselves out of the gutter and have miraculous turn around seasons. By focusing on this aspect of the finals, instead of the stories of the past, would not only be more interesting to the average fan, but also encouraging to those who support the teams that struggled this past season. To know that a lowly franchise, such as the Celtics, can pull a 180 and make it to the finals is inspiring to any fan.
Neither team would have made it to this far without their respective star players. The Celtics have the "Big 3" to thank and the Lakers have Kobe and the Memphis Grizzlies to thank. It becomes insulting to these players to have their accomplishments minimalized in an attempt to resurrect the past. Today's viewers are not going to retell stories to their children of how the Lakers and Celtics of 2008 were like the Lakers and Celtics of the 1980's. They are going to talk about the dominance of Kobe Bryant and the togetherness of the Allen, Pierce, and Garnett. These are the stories that should be focused on and these are the reasons the teams are still playing this far into the season. The NBA needs to embrace the new generation and stop trying to compare today's stars with the stars of the past. To let the Celtics and Lakers make their own history is to let a new rivalry be born.
