The Ultimate Showdown - The table is set for another round of good 'ol Lakers-Celtics basketball as both teams look to once again renew their rivalry and add another chapter to the archive of never ending L.A.-Boston NBA Finals faceoffs. Something else both teams hope to add is another Championship to their trophy case. As the Celtics remain atop the list with 17-world tittles, the Lakers are in the rear-view mirror close behind with a total of 15-world tittles. But what's a good 'ol rivalry without adding a little spice to the mix? Adding fuel to the fire is something no man can do better than the Zen Master himself.
After commenting on the NBA officials and the superstar treatment they were giving Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, Lakers head coach Phil Jackson was fined $35,000 by the angel of NBA commissioner David Stern as PTI's Tony Kornheiser likes to say. Next on the list was Phoenix Suns veteran point-guard Steve Nash who was accused by Jackson for carrying the ball. After completing a four-game sweep of the San Antonio Spurs, Nash fired back by saying, "The best coach in the league Gregg Popovich didn't seem to complain about it." And when Phil's Lakers punched their ticket to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year, it wasn't long before Jackson was back at his usual mind games. This time aiming at the Lakers archrival Boston Celtics and their star center Kevin Garnett, hoping to ploy the same problems that both Durant and Nash faced in rounds past.
After labeling the Celtics as a team with a smack down mentality, mainly referring to Garnett and his karate chopping of Dwight Howard's arm in game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Jackson made some comments that could influence the refs. "That's not our team, we don't go out there and smack people around." But unlike Phil's past victims, Garnett didn't fall into the trap of the almighty Zen Master. Instead, he called Jackson's bluff and said it was all part of Jackson's little game. But whether or not Garnett and the rest of the Boston three-party alongside Rajon Rondo decide to fall for any of Jackson's tricks that may be up his sleeve, they're going to have to look out for one thing and one thing only -- Charges.
The Lakers plan to attack the big bodied Celtics by taking and committing charges. And for every successful charge, a Laker will earn an extra $50 to their pay check. All Laker players seemed to get the memo, except for the trouble Ron Artest of coarse. Artest, the hero in game 5 of the Western Conference Finals told ESPN, "If you take a charge on the playground [in New York] and call it, someones getting stabbed." I'm not sure if Artest was the one threatening to do the stabbing, but I wouldn't doubt it. After all, this is the same guy that ran into the stands in Detroit and caused what would go down as the biggest brawl in NBA history -- the Malice at the Palace...
Game 1 of the NBA Finals starts tomorrow at 6 pm on ABC, Go Lakers!
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