A week off from NBA basketball and my wife sighs in relief. She can watch a movie. What a concept. Well, the respite is over and the Finals begin tonight. Celtics vs Mavricks. My wife's grandson is a Mavs fan and we have a bet. I'm not a Cetlic's fan, but I can't root for the Mavs because Kyrie Irving has never uncondionally and straightforwordly disavowed his anti Semetic beliefs. I do appreciate what Nico Harrison has done with the Mavs. When he acquired PJ Washington and Daniel Gabbard; he filled in the missing defensive players that brought his team to this place in sports history. Prior to their arrival, Irvng and Doncic's reluctance to play solid defense was an unsolved problem. It is also worth noting that Derrick Lively Two has developed faster than was expected. I love the Mav's team. I should add that in terms of pure basketball Kyrie Irving is one of the top ten offensive one on one hoopers to ever grace an NBA court. And Doncic will go down as one of its greatest pure shoots. So many other playes on the Mavs to like: Jones, and Green, for example. But that one rotten apple keeps me away from wanting the Mavs to win. In these terrible political times of conservative racism, it is enough to sway my vote in favor of the Celts.
The Celts will win 4 to 2. For this to happen Celt's center Porzingis must be on the court after returning from injury and play well. And Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum must show the world how two magnificent athletes can play well together and silence all this silly comentary about a rivalry. And let's hear it for Jrue Holiday, perhaps one of the best two way point guards in NBA history (Fire Bucks' GM for letting him go.) and White and Old Man Al Horford - I temember those back to back NCAA Final Vitories - and from my wife's alma mater, U of Oregon, guard Payton Prichard, coming into his own.
Boston will win four games to two. Nonetheless, it will be a tiight series.
On a more positive note, one of the reasons, I've decided to be a temporary Celtics' fan is a recent article I read about Boston's Jalen Brown. He is an amazing young man who is clearly more than just a terrific basketball playeer. He learned to speak Spanish and Arabic, Arabic, I suppose, because he is a devout Muslim. He is an MIT Fellow. He lectures on Robtics and in this mornings' Athletics he reminded me of one of my farotie West African proverbs: " If a child is not embraced by the village he will burn it down to feel it's warmth." I'm always looking for example of people of color who I can na na the old white Repbulicn men wih. There is not one Republican in the Senate and the House that has half the inneligence that Jalen Brown possess. Take that you bunch of racists.
I'm also rooting for the Celtics because I'm a huge fan of Jrue Holiday, the Celt's two way point guard. I'm still trying to figure out why in the world the Bucks GM believed getting rid of Jrue and bringin in Lillard would improve the Buck. Did he flunk NBA Basketball 101?
And I have to be pulling for Payton Prichard because he is a DUCK. My wife received her PhD from the Universtiy of Oregon, so supporting Prichard is crucial to peace in our marriage.
ETC
Won't it be interesting to see where the four mega free agents: Ingram, George, KD and Lebron wind up? How abut KD back on the Earriors.
There is a lot of speculation about where Bronny James will be taken in the draft. If Lebron is true to his word that he wants to play with his son before he retires, is it possible that Bronny goes numero uno in the first round?
Personnaly, I think Bronny is makinga big mistake staying in the draft. If he wants to make a name for himself in the game, he should have used the NCAA portal and found a solid Division One small college where he will start for the next four years, get good coaching, improve his game, especially his three point shooting and come out for the draft as a mature seasoned 23 year old.
Congratulaions to Steph Curry for winning the Magic Johnson Award.
On the subject of awards, did Rudy Gobbert really deserve the Defensive Player of Year Award? And isn't it cool that a guy that was not even drafteed wins the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Congrats Naz Reed.
I was hoping that the NBA wold expand for the upcoming season, but it looks a year away. Las Vegas and Seatttle seem to be the new teams which would take the TWolves and Griz, both east of the Mississippi into the Eastern Conference. Seattle is so deserving, having their beloed Sonics stolen from them. And Vegas becaue Lebrfon want to own a team after he retires.
I'm very curios to see what our Sacramento Kings will do in the off season. Would they give up Murry for Paul George? Or for KD?
Back to the Warriors. What in the world are they going to do with Andrw Wiggins? Dare they trust him to give them a strong full season?
And what can the Suns do if KD leaves? I guess they'll have money for one of he other two free agenst. They seem to be deetrermind to pay the second tier of the NBA tax. Deep pockets new owner?
And will Orlando ever get a true point guard?
With all the "bruises" that are keeping players off the court, I thought I'd remind folks about the good old day os sports medicine.
The first time he landed wrong
he came up lame and wished for a miracle
that never happened. All season
he limped, but sucked it up the way
the older boys said he must to be a man
and not a pussy, a dictum he carried
with him into other sports and into life.
Today, he hears on television that so and so
won’t play because of a bruised knee
or a sore shoulder or ankle, and he hears
his high school coach yelling, “Spit on it!”
which never worked. Or did it? He recalls
the passage from the Bible where Jesus cures
blindness by mixing mud with his saliva
and rubbing it into the blind man’s eyes.
Scientists have proven saliva contains
a healing agent called histatin. As for mud,
who knows? So, he does not complain
that his knees throb or his fingers
are arthritic, or raising his right arm
causes him to grit his teeth. He sucks it up,
spits and rubs. He says it seems to help.
