NBA Finals pre-game 1 ceremony : how long in your opinion?

[Spur-Addict]

Let's see, if tip-off is at 8:15 EST on Thursday, that means the pre-game ceremony would be abouuuuut... 4 months long?

....That's so true. Oh man, that was really good man.

[E20]

They interviewd Larry Bird and he doesn't give a jack about this and he said he will not attend any games because he doesn't care.

[J.T.]

They interviewd Larry Bird and he doesn't give a jack about this and he said he will not attend any games because he doesn't care.

Good for Larry. Outside of modding the CBA and allowing the Lakers and Celtics to resign Bird and Magic for one last go at it in the Finals, I'm sure Stern was hoping to get those two together for endless interviews and retrospectives. I bet the NBA would offer them to call all the games too.

[Tradition]

Yeah, the legacy of failing in the playoffs and if he wins then it will justify a lot, especially for the haters. I hope he does win really. I know if he does than the Lakers lose, oh well.

Ill say this much. IF the Lakers do lose this series, I would be ok with Boston being the champs. I have always been a huge KG fan and I really liked this Celts team the minute that KG trade happened in August.

However until that time, I am not pulling for KG to win a ring. I want le #15 and I am ready to begin our dynasty this year. The Lakers came this far so anything less than a championship means we achieved as much as the other 28 teams achieved this season.

[duncan228]

They interviewd Larry Bird and he doesn't give a jack about this and he said he will not attend any games because he doesn't care.

Do you have a link? Or where you saw it? I'm a Bird fan, I'd like to hear what he thinks. It sure sounds like him.

[E20]

Do you have a link? Or where you saw it? I'm a Bird fan, I'd like to hear what he thinks. It sure sounds like him.

I tried searching for a link on ESPN, but it was on after Cold Pizza it looked like the local Indiana media was interviewing him and asked him what were his thoughts and he said he has no part of that rivarly anymore and he is not going to attend any games, because he is busy with some work in Indy.

[duncan228]

...because he is busy with some work in Indy.

And if he wasn't I'm sure he'd find something to keep him busy.

I've always loved Bird, he's the reason I'm an NBA fan.

Thanks for the info E20, appreciate it.

[DazedAndConfused]

I already can't stand the media coverage this is getting and I'm a Laker fan.

This is what happens when you get a BOS team in any professional sport championship. Total sucking from ESPN to Beantown to drive up ratings.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Minimum 45 minutes.

[lefty]

They interviewd Larry Bird and he doesn't give a jack about this and he said he will not attend any games because he doesn't care.

Larry is the man

Sounds like Pop

[Avitus1]

It will be re ed but I bet those video packages will be the big pay off they've probably been sitting on them since April.

[der Kaiser]

Yea this is getting beyond ridiculous. Media trying too hard to start between these two teams. Face it, the old Lakers-Celtics rivalry is GONE. In today's news, these have nothing that even comes close to a rivalry.

Well, that's what happens when you have today's two biggest bandwagon teams in the finals....

Dude, why is it gone? Because the players are different?

Its not about the players its about the shirts, the shirts make the rivalry. Thats the problem with the American fan, they focus to goddam much on the back of the shirts rather than the front.

The Lakers and the Celtics have played 11 times in the finals and are the two most succesful franchises in the league. This series means something.

If you read the "last season" in the beginning Jerry Buss tells Phil "I'd like to win two more championships, that would tie us with the Celtics."

The players dont make rivalries, the fans, the jerseys and history make rivalries.

[endrity]

Dude, why is it gone? Because the players are different?

Its not about the players its about the shirts, the shirts make the rivalry. Thats the problem with the American fan, they focus to goddam much on the back of the shirts rather than the front.

The Lakers and the Celtics have played 11 times in the finals and are the two most succesful franchises in the league. This series means something.

If you read the "last season" in the beginning Jerry Buss tells Phil "I'd like to win two more championships, that would tie us with the Celtics."

The players dont make rivalries, the fans, the jerseys and history make rivalries.

Not in US sports they don't. In order to have rivalries teams have to play in the playoffs a couple of times, and if they don't, they simply die out. There is not a continuity in the rosters, or some sort of socio-political rivarly going on in the US like it often happens in Europe, especially soccer.

Think about it, Pierce grew up as a Laker fan, yet he gets drafted without him having a say from the team he used to hate. Can you ever immagine Raul playing for Barca, Totti playing for Lazio, or Del Piero playing for Inter. That just doesn't happen in Europe.

Although I admitt that some rivalries still exist between fans, but they are mostly local, like Houston v. SA v. Dallas or Kings v. Lakers. But again, they are mostly among fans, I am sure the players couldn't care less.

Not in

[sribb43]

ive been avoiding NBATV, sportscenter, nba fastbreak, etc..... since this past weekend. i wont watch the pregame and wont turn the game on until the tip-off bc all this Lakers-Celtics crap is sickening

oh ya and how it is really a rivalry when a team has dominated the other in the celtics winning 8 of 10 finals matchuos

[lefty]

Oh man, yesterday night, 84,85, and 87 Finals marathon on ESPN Classic Canada

From 9 pm to 4 am