Unlike most people, I never wanted a Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers finals rematch that had all the hoopla because of the battles in the '80s. I would much rather see the underdog versus the winner on paper in the NBA Finals, so then I would at least have a team I'd want to root for.
Instead I'm stuck wavering back in forth in my mind as to who I'd rather see win another ring.
I hate the Lakers.
If you're not from L.A. —or should I say, if you're not from L.A. and superficial —then how can you be a fan of this team? It's been in the finals three straight years, has the best coach in the league —if not the best coach ever —and also has the best player in the league.
The Lakers are the team that pulled off the greatest trade in NBA history by delivering Vlade Divac to the Charlotte Hornets for Kobe Bryant on draft night. It makes you wonder if the Hornets would still be around in Charlotte if it wasn't for that move?
Shall we also forget the Big Ben-esque maneuver that Lakers pulled on the Memphis Grizzlies to acquire Pau Gasol? I mean grabbing one of the best big man in the game for Aaron McKie, Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Marc Gasol, and first-round picks in the 2008 and 2010 NBA Drafts may not be a full on raping, but the Lakers definitely took the Grizzlies into a stall and forced them into it.
I hate the Celtics too.
Here's a team that was great, sucked for so many years, and then jumped back on the radar as one of the greatest NBA cities by pulling a New York Yankees and buying a championship.
Okay, I know the Celtics didn't really buy a championship, because there's a salary cap and every team has the same advantage, but let’s be realistic here, they bought their championship.