Let the Show Begin
With the NBA Finals getting underway Thursday night, we turn our attention to the hardwood, where a classic rivalry is about to be renewed.
Boston vs. the Lakers – anyone who followed the NBA during the ‘80s is well acquainted with the importance of this matchups. The memories come flooding back of classic series where championships were on the line. Three times in four seasons these behemoths battled for basketball supremacy with all the marbles at stake.
Bird vs. Byron; Kevin McHale vs. Kurt Rambis; Parrish vs. Worthy; Dennis Johnson vs. Magic Johnson; Ainge vs. Abdul-Jabbar. Those fantastic NBA Final showdowns stick with me to this day. And now it’s time to create new memories.
We all know about the Lakers’ big guns (MVP Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom), and certainly talk of Boston’s Big Three (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen) has dominated the headlines all season.
But now that we’re down to the nitty gritty, it’s time for the world to get to know some of the other players in this drama. Specifically, the casual fan finally gets to see what Boston point guard Rajon Rondo is capable of.
The sophomore star has already received plenty of attention from both advertisers (he’s a Reebok spokesperson) and hardcore NBA followers, especially fans of the Men in Green who spawned the saying ‘You Got Rondo’d!’ to use when the budding star blew past someone with his blinding speed or dropped a sweet dime. That’s right – the man’s name is now a verb. You know you’ve made it when your name becomes part of pop culture.
In fact, a couple former Celtics and a current Patriot have joined forces to show some love to Rajon with some spots for Reebok. Jo Jo White, who starred with the Celts in the ‘70s, starts a parking lot riot; Dee Brown, who toiled in the green and white from 1990 to 1998, goes one step beyond being a Doggie Dentist; and finally, current Patriot defensive tackle Vincent Wilfork, who really doesn’t need any more pizza, scarfs down yet another one anyways.
As part of its Rondo campaign, Reebok is offering a free Rondo ringtone and wallpaper (reebok.com/rondo); hell, you can even opt into a text message program where the three corporate shills above will send you a text each time someone gets “Rondo’d” during the NBA Finals. Text Reebok to 94444 if you want in on that glorious fun.
Well, beyond Reebok’s attempts to convert Rondo into a star and give Boston a Fantastic Four, this should be one hell of a series. Boston’s NBA-leading defense going up against the Lakers’ fantastic offense – oh baby, that’s what I’m talking about. I’ve been waiting for this all year. Unfortunately, as much as I love my Celtics, they’ve just shown a few too many cracks in this postseason to make me a true believer. I hope I’m dead wrong here, but….
Prediction: Lakers in Six.
