The NBA Finals: Game 1 and Why I Can’t Wait for Russell’s Post-Game Interview

While it is true that I (along with most Americans not residing in the Sunshine State) have become more and more enamored with the basketball team formerly known as The Seattle SuperSonics, their dominance, resilience, youth and imminent Game 1 win (crosses-fingers), is not why I am looking forward to Russell Westbrook’s post-game interview.

The truth is (just like one of my Instagram-mers @karlmeloanthony hilariously pointed out) I can’t wait to see if maybe, just maybe Russell will take his eclectic styling to another level and bless us all with this throwback Gordon Gartrell tonight!

Another Post About Christina Aguilera. Why Not!? The NBA Did It.

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No, you aren’t experiencing an Aretha Franklin-esque case of déjà-vu (although I imagine suffering from such an affliction would be grounds for the use of a cervical collar…I too experienced severe whiplash upon seeing the Queen of Soul “on repeat”, but I digress), nor am I recycling a post just for giggles.

 Seems like “The Platinum One” (hair, album sales; either works) evoked enough of the Holy Ghost Tuesday night during her rendition of the National Anthem for Game 6 of the NBA Finals, that she was invited back to have church yet again.  It’s funny because, while I genuinely like Christina Aguilera as an artist and think that she has one of the most pure and powerful voices in popular music today, I found her overall performance on Tuesday night to be very animated (c’mon, throwing up the diva-waving-soul-hand barely a minute into the song…there’s not that much “rockets red glare” in the world!) and her adlibs were quite caricatured as well.   But hey, I’m no Simon Cowell, so what do I know? 

Nevertheless, considering that words can’t bring this singing siren down, I suppose her invitation for a do-over tonight further justifies in her mind that she is the hottest pop-tart in the toaster this week… which, if you ask me, is quite a shame.  Not knocking Christina, but I really wish that the governing and decision making bodies within the NBA had decided to angle this repeat performance as an opportunity for redemption; in which case we’d be hearing from a totatllly different songstress tonight (withering side-eye at Anita Baker).

~Game 7: Celtics for all the Marbles!~

Game 6 Distractions

*Sigh*

 I began my day with such HIGH hopes for the Boston Celtics in Game 6.  Sure, I know that the game is far from over and that there is still quite a bit of basketball yet to play, but as it stands right now, the Lakers are leading the Celtics at the half by 20, and the mere idea of a Game 7 is making my head hurt.

 But as much as I’m pulling for the Celtics and hoping they can stave-off a financially and commercially manufactured Game 7, this Lakers lead has me totally unable to focus on the game anymore.  Luckily for me, there are plenty of distractions in the Staple Center tonight to capture my attention:

1. Magic Johnson.  I get it that he is a legend and very knowledgeable about basketball.  But seriously, why is this man an analyst?  He is not very objective when it comes to a discussion about any team and his beloved Lakers.  We know that you are a Hall of Fame Laker and we know that you have a vested interest in Laker affairs.  Why not just spare us all the unveiled Laker love and go host a midnight showing of the Karate Kid at one of your theaters.
2. During the national anthem (where she apparently caught the Holy Ghost), I was totally thrown for a loop by Christina Aguilera’s platinum lace front.  Thankfully, Rick Rubin’s beastly facial hair and natty shag provided an earthier alternative to the diva’s uber glam and overdone tresses.
3. As much as I enjoy Jeff Van Gundy’s imbalanced banter, looking at him on television makes me realize that the poor baby needs a power nap in the worst way.
4. Between his performance in Game 5 and tonight, I am beginning to think that Jesus Shuttlesworth is out there point shaving.
5. What in the world is that on Andy Garcia’s face?  Clearly his mustache is out of control and needs to be neutered.

 *Looks up from laptop*

 Yep, The Lakers are still up by 20+.  Sadly, this means that I must give up the ghost friends.  Here’s hoping that Celtics bring their A-game on Thursday.

 Ugh.

Boston Celtics Fans: Leave It On The Court

Over the course of the NBA Finals, I’ve listened to many-a-commentator and have even chatted-up my honey and his friends about what game-changers Boston and L.A. need to implement in order to come away from this series with a championship win.  While everyone seems to believe that the emergence and productivity of Shrek, Donkey, Puss n’ Boots and Gingy (re: The Celtics Bench) will solidify Boston’s win, it seems that the lacking ingredient in the recipe of success for Los Angeles is the consistency of Lamar Odom.  What’s funny about this assessment is that apparently, the Boston Celtic fans are aware of this fact as well.

Ever since Game 3 between the Celtics and Lakers, the Boston faithful have done their best to work the nerves and get under the skin of Lamar Odom.  Whether it was the constant “beat L.A.” intoning heard throughout the arena, or the distribution of 5,000 “Khloe” masks by Boston-based website Tauntr.com to Celtics fans at the TD Garden Center last week, it seems that the common goal has been to take Odom completely out of his game.  And while I am not a Lakers fan by any stretch of the imagination and actually enjoy seeing and hearing the Lakers ribbing during the Finals (my favorite by far to date is still the group of Utah Jazz, Kobe hecklers in all white during Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals), it was the incredibly distracting and ill-mannered chanting last week by Boston fans that stunned me the most, and surely got the Laker Forward’s attention, whether he physically acknowledged it during the game or not.

While at the free-throw line during Game 3 last Tuesday, Boston fans could be heard shouting “UG-LY SIS-TER” at #7 in hopes that he would miss his shots and that his game playing would be totally disrupted.

Now, I know a lot of folks who feel some-kinda-way about Odom’s marital status to celebutante Khloe Kardashian (sister of famous-for-being-famous socialite Kim Kardashian), claiming that the nuptials between the couple after a few months of dating were nothing more than an elaborate stunt to garner attention for two stars (??) struggling to remain relevant (in the face of a fading career as a now bench player and the dowdy sister of a tabloid-queen), but for the fans to actually bring the man’s wife into the jeering? Even this Laker-hater has to cry foul on that one folks.

Now do I relish in this close series?  Indeed.

Does the aggressiveness between the two teams make for great basketball?  Absolutely.

Do I enjoy when the Boston Celtics fans (and players) are able to frustrate the L.A. Lakers?  Of course.

But do I take pleasure in, or think that it is okay for any player’s family member to be disrespected and made a spectacle of?  No, not at all.

The Celtics and Lakers players (as with any player in the National Basketball Association) are all grown men who anticipate fan foolery as a minor hazard of the job.  And although their families often sit court-side and are usually videotaped, photographed and even interviewed on occasion, that does not mean that they too should be subjected to the taunts of the clamoring crowd, even if by doing so, it freezes out the player in question.  Take for instance a similar Celtics-Fans-Going-Hard-Moment-of-Unacceptable-Proportions, back in 2002 when the New Jersey Nets and Boston met in the play-offs.  The crowd could be heard serenading Jason Kidd with chants of “wifebeater” while also rallying around Kidd’s then wife and three-year-old son with the harsh words scrawled on t-shirts (referencing the couple’s domestic abuse issues in 2001). 

C’mon Celtics enthusiasts!  I think that collectively, you guys in the arena are a lively bunch, and you certainly enhance the pace of the team’s home games, but if the best you can do to divert a player’s focus is to attack his wife or kids, then clearly you aren’t very clever or creative fans after all; and if I’m being honest, you’re actually pretty uncouth and deficient human beings. 

And really, at the end of the day, it isn’t Lamar or Khloe who’s messing up your office pool chances; it’s Kobe.  So quit all the family-bashing and break out your all-white hijabs, zoot-suits and sleeveless linen hoodie-pant sets.  Mocking Kobe is always funny, never goes out of style, and is effective if done right.  Keep in mind however, if not thoroughly planned out and executed, your taunts could very well result in him dropping 50 points on The Boston 3 Party & Company (because we all know that nobody thrives on hate better than Kobe Bryant).

But in all seriousness, the phrase “leave it on the court” (field, course, track, ring, ice, etc.) should no longer be a term simply reserved for athletes.  As the NBA Finals come down to the next few days and heads back out west, I have no doubt that Celtics and Lakers fans alike will have some pretty zealous behavior planned.  It would be nice however, to see these fanatics sustain their intensity while also maintaining some semblance of integrity; go hard, but keep the players’ families out of it guys.

What say ye?  Do you think fans that harass and taunt a player’s family are out of order? Should the family members of athletes simply be prepared for fan heckling? Should it be understood that certain aspects of a player’s life are off-limits to a fan during a game?

Yo Amo “Los Suns”!

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!!!

How fitting that on this day, not only would a professional team from the currently hyper-exposed state of Arizona be taking the national stage in support of a community thrust into the center of some rather complicated and problematic legislation, but would be doing so in such a bold fashion.

In a show of support for the Latino community over a controversial new state law, The Phoenix Suns are wearing jerseys emblazoned with “Los Suns” during their NBA Finals appearance tonight against the San Antonio Spurs.

Suns owner Robert Sarver explained that the organization felt that wearing the ‘Los Suns’ jerseys on Cinco de Mayo was a way for the team and the organization to honor the Latino community in Phoenix and the diversity of the National Basketball League, the state of Arizona, and the nation.  Sarver went on to criticize the Arizona law that requires state and local police to ascertain people’s immigration status if there is “reasonable suspicion,” to determine if they are in the United States illegally.

“The frustration with the federal government’s failure to deal with the issue of illegal immigration resulted in passage of a flawed state law.  However intended, the result of passing this law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question, and Arizona’s already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them.”

Amongst my own friends and family, this debate continues to be a hairy one so it doesn’t surprise me how intense the discussion tends to be across the nation.  With that said though, I am not afraid to say that I am opposed to this new legislation in Arizona.  Don’t get me wrong, I do not support anyone who knowingly breaks the law; whether that entails entering into this country illegally, driving with expired tags or shoplifting.  Where I think the failing for this law comes into place is the idea that a group of people (many of whom are legal citizens of the United States and are taxpaying residents of Arizona) can be subjected to profiling and harassment at the discretion of some random officer for simply being Hispanic.  Yeah, I know, the law stipulates that Arizona law enforcement can move to inquire about a person’s immigration status with regard to reasonable suspicion (real cute), but if we come out of our Midwestern heat stroke for just a moment, can we be real in admitting that “reasonable suspicion” most likely equates to “Mexican-looking” in the eyes of state and local police officers?  To me, it just seems that the law makers of Arizona have no qualms with infringing upon the rights of thousands of Americans in an effort to execute a hard-line immigration law that was never properly addressed and established in the first place!

*Steps back from pulpit*

So yes, aside from the whole attempt at “spanglish” (I would have MUCH rather seen Los Soles printed on the jerseys versus the bilingually lazy Los Suns…but that’s just me), I absolutely do admire the Phoenix Suns’ efforts at embracing the Latin community, which makes perfect sense seeing as how Hispanics and Latinos make up 41.5% of Phoenix’s population. 

Hopefully this intrepid statement and silent but poignant protest against a law that’ll directly and even indirectly affect the entire state will bring residents and law makers back to the drawing board to figure out a better way to address the problems of immigration in The Grand Canyon State.