I've been watching the NBA finals...it's an exciting playoff with the Boston Celtics facing off with the LA Lakers. My feelings for the Laker's are the same feelings I have for the NY Yankees. Despise. I love any team they are playing against, and having this attitude, I have learned to like a lot of other ball clubs that are out there.
I fell in love with basketball when I was a little girl. Mom took us to watch High School basketball games when she was an assistant teacher in Decatur Illinois. We lived on the edge of the inner city and went to a 90% African-American elementary school. To an 8 year old girl, high school boys were just like pro-ball players...tall, swift, graceful, smooth. Some little girls watched the game for the cheerleaders giving them routines to practice in the back yard during hot summer days. Not me. I watched the game. I loved the action, the fast paced race up and down the court, the squeak of the sneakers on the heavily varnished court, the smell of sweat in the air. Decatur High was a pretty good team too. It was a great place to learn to love the game.
We moved to Harrisburg PA in 1973 which is about a hundred miles west of Philadelphia. The king of basketball was Dr. J (Julius Erving) who played for the awesome Philadelphia 76ers. He and Wilt Chamberlain were at the top of their game. Wilt Chamberlain was working on his list of 10,000 women to bed after being a Harlem Globetrotter. Seriously, who could turn him down? I'd sleep with a Harem Globetrotter...I got a thing for tall, funny ball players.
Man, I loved those Harlem Globetrotters too. They always beat the shit out of the Generals. Every time! Funny how the Generals team is still mostly white guys.
I never made it to a 76ers game as a teen but that was when I fell in love with pro-basketball.
My distaste for the LA Lakers began in 1988-89 season when we had season tickets to the now Oklahoma Super Sonics. Back then they were the Seattle Super Sonics. Our seats were finagled by friends who worked for the basketball team and we sat with the player's wives, family, friends and sometimes hookers. They were good seats too, in the end zone facing the players opponent's bench so there was a lot of opportunity to witness what they enemy was up to. During those years the Laker's were on fire with Magic Johnson leading the pack under the direction of the arrogant, egocentric Pat Riley. Pat Riley was the supreme role model for all white men in the late 80's and early 90's...rich, good looking, fast living and coaching a very winning team. He was the face for the Yuppie Handbook.
That arrogance carried over to the team and they won through intimidation and testosterone, plus they had great plays and players. Always tanned and ready for the competition, the Seattle Super Sonics never won.
The real reason why I hate the Lakers is this: They were the first NBA team to start wearing long shorts. Yes. They started the trend of mid-thigh shorts and now the players are wearing frikkin' Capri pants!
Seriously...What Is Up With That?!!!
Today's ball players are wearing Lycra shorts underneath their hip-hop baggy trousers. I say, get rid of the over-lay and bring back the short shorts! I am in my sexual prime people and need to get my groove on and these baggy pants do nothing for my imagination. I want to see skin that is well moisturized, and shiny. Let's watch those muscles running up and down the court. I want to see thighs and butts again. I can remember Dr. J's firm behind and it is a nice memory. You can't even tell what kind of tail Kobe Bryant has underneath those sunshine yellow slacks. Yes, slacks. They're not shorts...they are wearing pants.
Who do I want to win the NBA playoffs? Anyone but the Lakers and the Celtics are doing a damned good job at kicking Laker's ass. Go get 'em boys. And when you win the championship final game, we're going to have to have a chat about those black socks you're wearing on the courts.
Protecting the NBA fashion....
All the way from over here...
Linda
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