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I'm not sure what sporting event I enjoy watching the most. For much of my life, it might have been the All Blacks. There have been times when test cricket catches my attention. More recently the Tour de France and the Melbourne Storm have occupied special places in my sporting spectating.But a constant, at least since I was taken to the American Club in Jakarta at 6 am in the morning to watch the 1991 match up of Magic and Michael, has been the NBA playoffs.
Actually my NBA Finals watching does go back further than that - to the old black and white film that used to be played at New Zealand basketball tournaments in the early 1970s. I think it was called 'The Final Game' and was about one of the Boston Celtics game 7 wins in the 1960s.
The watching is better now. I can watch any game I like on my MacBook or iPad via my NBA Pass.
What I'm enjoying at present is the way in which the American exponents of what is known as 'Hero Ball' are struggling - in spite of the way in which the NBA positively encourages the style.
I can't wait to see the Miami Heat beaten. I wondered whether it might happen against Indiana, but now I'll have to wait. But I'm not a Lebron hater in the American sense of the word - that (parenthetically) seems to me to have undercurrents of racism about it.
I think Lebron is an incomparably talented man playing the wrong type of basketball - a type of basketball that will regularly lose against 'Team Ball'.
You only have to look at who has won NBA titles over the last 21 years - 11 Phil Jackson / Tex Winter wins, 4 Greg Popovich / RC Buford wins, one Dirk Nowitski (and team) win, one Pistons win, two Hakeem (and team) wins - even Boston in 2008.
The only clear 'Hero Ball' win to my mind was the 2008 Miami Heat. Even then the 'Hero' turned out to be Dwayne Wade and - maybe it was just that Shaquille understood a bit about 'Team' having played in LA for so long.
And I don't accept that Jackson's wins were mainly about Jordan, Bryant and O'Neal. To my mind, those players were (only just) smart enough to play within Tex Winter's offense for long enough to win.
Pretty good evidence for this was provided by the 2004 finals when, instead of the two 'Heros' that had taken the Lakers to 3 previous titles, there were actually four. Gary Payton and Karl Malone were aging - but Bryant and O'Neal were absolutely in their prime. They got beat by Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace, Ben Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Tayshun Prince.
So - here's hoping that Philadelphia beats Boston this morning, then the Heat. I don't care who comes out of the West. I suspect one waanbe 'Hero' on the Oaklahoma Thunder may make the difference - in the wrong way (for the Thunder. I leave it to you to guess who.
Admission (to my daughter in law who always hated Kobe)
Up to now I've respected Bryant's capacity to play within the Triangle - and win. However, him mouthing off at Pau Gasol at week or two ago is outrageous. Gasol is a genuinely classy guy - and the reason (along with Jackson) that Bryant has two of his rings.
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He badmouthed Pau, but Pau sucked for a few games there. Kobe called him out, and he stepped up his game. Tough love.
ReplyDeletePau didn't 'suck'. Pau always plays hard. He always plays smart and tries to work with the nut cases around him.
ReplyDeleteAs a Floridian (and a once-upon-a-time basketball player), I can't stand watching the Heat. Hero ball is a great way to describe their style of play. I, like many of my fellow Floridians, was cheering for Oklahoma in the finals. It's a shame OK couldn't pull it off.
ReplyDeleteOn a side note: I still don't like Kobe and college basketball is better than pro.
I have to say I wrote that just after San Antonio had beaten OKC in the first 2 games and looked unstoppable.
ReplyDeleteOKC turned it around - and then Miami played well in the Finals. I think you can make a case that each team played better from about the point I wrote the post above.