What if NBA teams were like some Euro leagues? What if they had to stock the rosters with at least a few locals? Well, we might not have our avatar, but we might have three newly-minted NBA Champions next season. How many Lakers are from Oakland? Oh yeah, that’s right, none. So, with Paul Pierce, Eddie House, Leon Powe, and the legendary (and famously bearded) Bill Russell all having East Bay roots, we at FTB pretty much unanimously adopted the Celtics after a bit of consternation. Of course, this probably doesn’t jibe with the childhood rooting interest of our aforementioned LA-raised talisman, but at least we found something to cling to amongst all of the purple vs. green media froth.
What an odd game though. Wasn’t it crazy how in the first quarter it looked like The Lakers were gonna keep it close against Oakland, and then The Town started steadily pulling away in the second quarter. Sure, there were other “role players” like that Garnett guy, but make no mistake. If Bill Russell hadn’t been coaching him on the “way of the peaceful champion” all season, and if Leon Powe wasn’t there to help hold him up during Michelle Tafoya’s post-game interview, the wheels would have come smooth off. In the second half, when Kobe couldn’t get anything going, who was everywhere? That’s right, Rajon Rondo. Sure, he’s from Kentucky, but he writes a blog for Emeryville-based Yardbarker! Rotate on defense to cover Eddie House? Hell no! I’m sicking Posey, Sasha. All told, the East Bay intimidation was too much for Kobe. Luke Walton? He was as scared as a kid from Head Royce who just transferred to McClymonds. I especially liked the part when that guy from Oakland passed it to that other guy from Oakland and he totally smashed on some guy from somewhere else at the end. That was sweet. Thus, to recap, it was a great game and I’m so happy for all those guys from Oakland who really deserved this championship after so much hard work. It’s gonna be crazy in at least three houses in The O tonight. Maybe four.
The writing is totally on the wall. If the Dubs want to really make noise in the offseason, they need to aggressively pursue some more dudes from Oakland.
Tonight, I grilled a two and a half pound tri-tip steak. It was 100% pure Kobe beef. Extravagant, sure. But I was trying my hand at voodoo symbolism. I was hoping to eat myself into a glorious protein torpor while watching that other Kobe catch a hardwood grilling of his own. With Paul Pierce, Eddie House and Leon Powe all hailing from the East Bay, I think I’ve finally found a more legitimate reason for rooting against the Kobeshow than, well, disliking Kobe. Alas, my voodoo steak came up short and the series was extended.
So. With my end-of-series musings on ice (like the champagne in Boston), here’s a little anthology of a couple of hoops-related notes on Barack Obama. First, comes big news from Neighborhoodies. As seen above, the Barack Obama throwback is now available. And the price is nice. Only $59.99. Dude. The best presidential throwback ever. Infinitely more rad than that Gerald Ford Michigan getup. Are there any others? Reagan? Weak sauce all, next to the pride of Punahou.
Apparently, Obama’s also added another hooper/senator to the short list of potential veeps: Bill Bradley. Adding the former New York Knick would easily make for the hooping-est ticket ever and add yet another reason for installing that full-court parquet court in the secret bunker underneath the White House.
I’ve been talking smack about how the finals matchup between the Lakers and Celtics was preordained. But my sources are pretty much, well, me. Now disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy has to go and pour kerosene on my little lantern in the form of the following quotables from the Washington Post.
Donaghy told the FBI that referees, whom he referred to as “company men,” helped alter the controversial 2002 playoff series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings. Donaghy will be sentenced next month. He claimed that officials desired to extend the Lakers-Kings series to seven games by calling more fouls against the Kings in Game 6. In that game, two Sacramento players — Vlade Divac and Scot Pollard — fouled out defending Shaquille O’Neal. The Lakers shot 40 free throws in the game, compared with 25 for Sacramento. Pollard, now with the Boston Celtics, addressed the allegations before Game 3 on Tuesday. “If it was proven that it was — I don’t know how it could ever be proven that it was — that would hurt,” Pollard said. “That would hurt the league, it would hurt my feelings, it would hurt everybody. That’s ugly. You don’t want that to be true. I don’t want it to be found out that that was true. I would much rather live with human error than human interference.”
Stern’s dismissal? Please make the jump. Many thank yous. Read More »
That’s the number 0. Leon Powe definitely represented the Town on the national stage. After ABC’s emotional biopic at halftime, Powe came out in the second half and finished with a career high 21 points, and a most valuable performance off the Celtic’s bench. He even received the NBA/ T-Mobile player of the game award. I bet everyone and they mama in Oakland was lightin’ up their Metros tonight. It’s like Stern heard my call for drama and delivered the goods. They even had him floating on a green Silver Surfer-like graphic all the way down the floor on his way to a monster dunk. Now that’s good television!
It’s like it was yesterday, I can remember him as an Oakland Tech Bulldog playing in the CIF tournament games. I know some Cal fans frowned upon his decision to enter the draft after one good year at Cal, but after learning his entire story, one can’t help think that he made the right decision given his circumstances. His little brothers and sisters will never have to live out of a car and share Big Macs again if Powe has the type of career that tonight’s breakout game forecasts.
Screw the NBA finals. Here’s the real competition. Following the filming of the TV spot for “Zohan” Baron Davis challenged Mr. Sandler to a staring contest. Peep.
Ok, now that you know who delivered the beat down, perhaps you can help me figure out why Baron stole Patrick Swayze’s hair piece.
Hamilton waves to the crowd. Photo: Adrian Alleyne, man-cation veteran.
Sometimes, Grand Prix qualifying runs unfold predictably. Sometimes, they do not. Today, looked like it was unfolding predictably enough for the first hour or so. Then there was some movement at the top. After setting a fast lap early, Lewis Hamilton looked secure as the pole sitter. But BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica put in a remarkable lap with time running down and rain imminent and briefly held the top slot. According to the post-session interview, this information was not even relayed to Hamilton until after he started his final run. No matter. The kid put the hammer down and recaptured pole position as the clock wound down on the day’s final efforts to take the top of the grid. The Ferrari faithful had to settle for a third from Raikkonen, who then went on a well-recorded tirade about track conditions.
“The car has been good all weekend but going into qualifying is quite a joke with the circuit,” Raikkonen said. “The circuit breaks down and it is like you missed the corner because there is so much sand.”
Uh, okay party boy. Quit crying and go have a Finlandia and tonic. Speaking of drivers out on the town, Honda pilot Jenson Button slipped to the back of the grid after dissing me at dinner last night. See, we got seated at an adjacent table and homeboy had the nerve to ask for another table after we had sat down. I think he just wanted to make sure that he was seated front and center, instead of being holed up in a “VIP” corner next to some off duty Internet types, but still. Dude! My name was on your frickin’ car last year. I even installed some energy-efficient light bulbs to make it happen bro. That was messed up.
Turman
PS. Somewhere, there is basketball being played? I’m not sure any more.
Yes, it is true. We are trying to make every conceivable angle on the NBA finals all about the Warriors. So with that in mind, here is Baron’s ESPN interview with Kobe for focused on what it takes to win a championship. I think Sunday will be telling.
Enjoy, Gd.
Now, see another bearded interviewer talk with another baller on going to the “next level”. Read More »
After the first game of the NBA Finals yesterday, I can already tell you that this is going to be Snoozapalooza. I mean, even Turman has defected his attention away to a sport that nobody in the United States gives two s@#ts about. He left the frickin’ country! What’s next Turman, Cricket?!
And that whole thing with Paul Pierce getting injured and then coming back in the third quarter to give the Celtics the lead - whatevs. That Cheerleader on Heroes got a tree branch through her head and came back to life after her superhuman body regenerated itself. Can “The Truth” do that? Doubt it. How ’bout this - before next game, we find out that while Paul Pierce was in the locker room getting his knee worked on, a future Paul Pierce traveled through time to come back in the game, risking a wrinkle in the space-time continuum to hit those three pointers? Now that would be dope. C’mon Stern, I’m givin’ you a freebie here. We’re bored. Help us.
At least the NBA Finals won’t last as long as those tiresome democratic primaries. See above.
But hey, that was the year that the Fisher family founded Gap and my parents drove to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury from New York City in a VW van. What’s more Bay Area O.G. then that? Besides, I gotta’ have my Bay Area angle on these here finals.
Many are saying that the Lakers will prove to be too much for the Green Machine. Defiantly, I’m calling the Celtics in 7. Solely predicated on the heart (and beard) of our man KG.
Boston is up one, holding Kobe to 24. Just like my box o’ Frosted Lucky Charms, that’s “magically delicious”.
Could it be that J.O’Neal is on the last train out of Indy before the inevitable implosion? Seems that is a real possibly after reading this report from Mr. Skeets.
It seems like only yesterday that the Warriors successfully gutted almost all of his team’s identity. Jettisoning the Dubs into play-off contention, while the flavorless (AMC) Pacers got Dumb-lever and da’ Murph. Poor chumps. Sitting idle in the lowly East with a lack of “go-ness” that feels worthy of that 70’s 2-doored hatch back’s name.
It’s almost enough to feel bad for ‘em. But, then again, not quite.
While J.E.’s post about O’Neal’s interview on SportNews didn’t speculate on any possible destinations for the aging center, I couldn’t help but chuckle as I read through some of the reader’s comments. One fan even suggested trading Big Al back to Indianapolis. Man, I don’t know what brand of sticky green space invaders that dude is smokin’, but I can tell you it must be strong.
Admittedly, the FTB crew has been known to muse about a formidable big in Oakland. But I, like Mr. Meschery, have given into the fact that unless the Warriors are willing to spend above the cap, what we would need to “give” would cancel out whatever we “got”.
G. Dolin
PS.
Oh, and the Celtics are going to the finals. I can’t help but wonder what would have become of the Warriors if we had landed that free-agent?
Well, Happy Friday. I’ll raise a glass to the wishful thinking.
