This week the NBA season opened up on the national stage with a marquee double header on Tuesday where the Heat visited the Celtics, and the Rockets came to LA to take on Newport Beach’s own Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock or you tuned out basketball this summer you know that Lebron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwayne Wade in Miami in what was seen as one of the most seismic shakeups in the history of NBA free agency. The move has been widely criticized all over the country and seen as betrayal by Clevelad Cavs fans.
With all of the attention of the summer going to Lebron and his ridiculous “decision” one team was noticeably left out of the media spotlight: The defending champs.
The Lakers revealed their 16th championship banner Tuesday night in a heart-warming ceremony where each player introduced one of their teammates as they were given their championship rings. For local resident and NBA favorite Kobe Bryant, it was his fifth championship. However, for the casual fan who watches Sportscenter now and again, the only news they’ve been bombarded with the last five months is Lebron, Lebron, Lebron. As of Wednesday morning, the Heat and the new Big 3 have won exactly zero games and zero championships, although pundits all over the place have already anointed the Heat the NBA champions.
There are so many storylines in the NBA this season – such as Yao Ming’s return, Amare and the Knicks looking to return to prominence, and Shaq making his final run at a championship with the Celtics – it’s a shame that all of the coverage seems to be centered in Miami. Meanwhile, Lebron continues to agitate with a new commercial every other month trying to repair his image.
I’m not saying that Kobe doesn’t get enough credit for his accomplishments, but it seems odd to overlook the finals MVP and back-to-back champions looking for a three-peat.
The Lakers beat the Rockets in the season opener 112-110 with help from new addition Steve Blake, who hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 19 seconds left in the game.
On the other hand, the Miami Heat went into the TD Garden in Boston and were dominated for nearly the entire game, losing 80-88. The team lacked chemistry and Dwayne Wade, who was coming back from a hamstring injury, almost seemed lost on the court.
The point of all of this is that Kobe and the Lakers are established champions and deserve all the credit in the world for what they’re doing. Phil Jackson is looking for his fourth three-peat, Kobe and D-Fish are looking for ring No. 6, and the Lakers as a team are looking to catch up to the Celtics on the all-time championship list.
What I’m trying to say is, enough with Lebron, Bosh, and Wade. Let’s make it a great NBA season, and hopefully have another parade for the Lakers!
