It's Not Easy Being Green

The biggest rivalry in NBA basketball has been renewed. The Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers. I have been enthralled with the history and competition between these teams since I was young. In my household you were a Celtics fan. End of story. No ifs, ands or buts. The Lakers were evil. My dad would allow Eric and me to stay up late on school nights just to watch these two teams square off in the NBA finals. There was a painful stretch of time when this rivalry was not front and center. However, the bad blood boiled to the surface once again in 2008 when the Celtics prevailed. Now it is 2010, and both teams are hungry to add another championship to their storied franchises.

If you are a Celtics fan, you may agree with me when I say that the first three games have been painful to watch. The Celtics looked like an overrated college basketball team in Game 1. LA ripped them to shreds. Game 2's big story was Ray Allen and his eight three-pointers in one game, which is an NBA Finals Record. The men in green looked good and pulled out a win. The teams traveled to Boston, but I don't think that everyone on the Celtics team made it back. Ray Allen was MIA and Paul Pierce had a no good, horrible bad game. The Celtics mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter but were unsuccessful. Another loss. Have I mentioned that Boston fans are not very forgiving? LA is leading the series 2-1. Tonight is a pivotal game 4 for the Celtics. Win and they still have a chance to win championship #18. Lose and they need to start making plans to meet up in Cancun and drown away their sorrows with Coronas.

My poor husband has had to deal with me "coaching" from the living room couch. After all, only I can tell the five players on the floor that you need to have more then one green jersey under the basket to get a rebound, or that you have to make a clean pass in order to have the opportunity to shoot at the hoop. My husband tells me that it is "just a game." I hate to break the news to him, but this isn't just a game. This is an epic series. The thought of watching Kobe Bryant celebrate another championship, possibly on the floor of the TD Garden, makes me want to projectile vomit. Pau Gasol, who is lucky to be in the NBA at all, is not worthy of a title when the most he has contributed thus far is trash talking about Kevin Garnett. Rajon Rondo, the Celtics' point guard, is just too cute and has to win another championship. Phil Jackson, well, I'll save my gripes about him for another post. I am invested in this rivalry. This is history in the making.

Even though I have an early day tomorrow, I will stay up this evening and watch my beloved Celtics try to put themselves back together and kick LA's butt. Of course Eric and I will have to exchange our three text messages prior to the game. These are for good luck. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you the magic conversation that we have. If I did, I would have to force you to become a Celtics fan.

GO CELTICS!