Celtics' coach Doc Rivers started the flood of denial when he said his Boston team still hasn't had an opportunity to defend their championship of 2008 with the starting five from that season.
His statements were the first in a number of opinions which openly questioned the validity of the Lakers' 16th championship, and continues a trend of excuse-making which is found throughout the world of sports.
Injuries are just as much a part of basketball as any other aspect, and even though they have the potential to disrupt a team, this is not something which started with Perkins' injury in Game Six of the Finals.
Various teams have seen their title hopes dashed due to injuries at the most inopportune moments, and being a follower of the Lakers, I have seen my fair share.
A possible three-peat bid in 1989 was thrown off course because of injuries to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Byron Scott against the Detroit Pistons, and Andrew Bynum's injury in 2008 severely limited the Lakers' inside game.
Whenever Lakers' fans mention Bynum's injury in 2008, there is an opposing point of view which says Perkins' injury is an entirely different situation from Bynum's, and I agree.
Bynum was absent for the duration of the 2008 playoffs, and no one could have possibly imagined how bad the Celtics' would dominate the Lakers' big men in the post.
There is no doubt that Bynum would have been helpful against Boston with his size and strength, but the Lakers reached the Finals without Bynum, and his absence in the Lakers' loss can't be used as an excuse.
Perkins' injury could be viewed as more devastating because it occurred in the beginning of Game Six of the 2010 Finals, which just happened to be the first of two close-...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
