A Pistons victory = The NBA is worth watching again.

[WilliamPitt]

ESPN writes about why they erroneously gave no respect to Detroit over the Lakers...

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=neel/040615

What did people miss? How did we get it so wrong?

As the Black Eyed Peas like to say, "Let's get it started" ...

(snip)

5. The Leastern Conference Syndrome. Ever since the Bulls shriveled up and died, and the Lakers and Spurs emerged as powers, the East has been a joke, a joke that was told so often it started to be taken for an immutable truth. The sun sets in the West, teams from the East can't hang. That's just the way it is. Right? Well, it might be time to tell a new joke, maybe one that begins, "Five Lakers sleepwalk into a Detroit bar." "Ouch," the bartender says. "That's gotta hurt."

...more...

I haven't given half a crap about the NBA for a while now. Part of the reason is that the Celtics suck so bad they bend light, and as someone who was at the 7th game of the '84 Celtics-Lakers epic battle, that hurts.

But it's not the whole reason. I paid close attention to the NBA while Chicago was insanely dominant. I watched a lot of those games, because the Bulls were such an insanely fun game to watch, and wound up watching a lot of others (and remember, this was back when the Celtics *really* sucked). So I call myself definitely a fan.

But the dominance of the West of late has made the whole league, for my money, kinda boring. It was the Spurs or the Lakers or the Lakers or the Lakers or the Spurs. No disrespect to fans of either team, but damn, it got old after a while.

This victory is the coming-out party for the Eastern Conference after a long, long winter.

:toast:

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. Go Packers!!!

And that's about all I have to say about that. :evilgrin:

[WilliamPitt]

2. I LOL at your Packers

:)

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. I think WTF...

That anyone would laugh at my Packers. They are superior by virtue of legacy...;)

[WilliamPitt]

7. D'oh

You played the legacy card.

Low.

;)

[ScreamingMeemie]

10. Ah yes. I learned this at my father's knee.

And he would be proud, for he taught me well. :7

[JohnLocke]

12. Hey, Will.

Check yer inbox! ;)

[Paragon]

3. Part of the deal, being a Piston fan.

No respect from anyone but those who count - the Pistons and their fans.

We RULE.

[DontBlameMe]

4. More than that.

Defense is key, once again. Just like in baseball, first the pitchers dominate for a couple years, then the hitters get their turn.

I think we're seeing a return to defense in the NBA. Remember, Chicago had a tremendous defense during their runs. Having, MJ didn't hurt either, but defense is a team effort.

[chenGOD]

6. Remember that MJ...

was also named Defensive Player of the year on at least one occasion. MJ knew that defense wins championships.

Will Pitt, I feel your pain as a Celtics fan. When was the last time the Celtics didn't suck?

But yeah It's great that the Eastern Conferecne showed some life and came back to take the title.

Congrats Pistons...

[DontBlameMe]

9. Oh, I know.

I lived in Chicago for 4 of their 6 titles. I still remember the play against the Knicks (I think) where they denied someone (can't remember who now) something like 6 straight times. It was ridiculous.

God, how many times did the Bulls have 3 guys on the all defense team, or whatever it's called.

[angee_is_mad]

8. Joe Dumars

You are the MAN!!!! Sometimes a gal gets tired of a pretty face and just need a rugged, blue-collar type of dude...oops I mean team(wink)!

[haele]

11. Laz agrees...

A Spurs fan to the core, he still agrees that the more good teams that play defense with flair is better for the league in the long run.

That is, as long as it's a team like the Pistons, rather than the Nets...

:hi: Will!

Haele

[VelmaD]

13. YOU WERE AT GAME 7 IN '84?!?!?!

Jeezus fuckin' christ Will. You gotta promise me we'll sit down someday and you'll tell me all about that one. :)

[WilliamPitt]

14. ...and then there was the day I met Muhammad Ali

in the lobby of the Parker House in Boston, right after he won the title for the third time.

:)

On edit: I was courtside in the Boston Garden, one row off the court next to the press table. Raven was with me. This was back when ordinary humans could actually get tickets to important sporting events.

[VelmaD]

17. I want to hear all about the Ali thing too...

nothing exciting like that ever happened in my itty bitty hometown. *pout*

Re: the courtside seats...SWEEEEEEEEET!

I've been to a few relatively big events...All-Star Game, all 3 Nolan Ryan Days in Arlington, the night they put up the Rangers flag for winning their first ever division title, and I was in the nosebleed seats the first time the Mavericks ever beat the Lakers. But nothing as good as meeting Ali or a game 7.

[Susang]

15. Its always worth it when Detroit wins

Damn, I wish I was home so I could burn something! :evilgrin:

[alarcojon]

16. The Piston's won it without a superstar

and as a team. Maybe this will temper all the adulation of superstars in this league a little bit. One can hope.

[WilliamPitt]

19. Rasheed Wallace?

:wtf:

Noice.

[alarcojon]

21. Is he considered a superstar?

I guess you could argue both sides of that one. He didn't play like a superstar throughout this series.

[WilliamPitt]

22. It isn't that

The Celtics considered picking up Wallace at one point, but didn't because he had a bad rep. Then he went to Detroit, and became the ultimate team player. Now he has a ring. It was interesting to watch.

[maddogesq]

18. This Michigan boy says thanks, Will.

And thanks to the other posters who mentioned Joe Dumars. He said he was mentored by Adrian Dantley, who played for us late in his career. AD was a man I admired as well, both as a player and a person.

This is fun...and kind of unexpected.

[coloradodem2005]

20. A agree but for different reasons.

It seems like for a period of time, there is a dynasty in Basketball. The Bulls dominated the 1990's and it got old. I liked Mike too but it still got old. As for the Lakers Dynasty, Shaq and Kobe were way too arrogant and overexposed and it was the same sort of thing. Expecting to win all year and then winning and rubbing it everybody's faces that you were better than they are.


With the Pistons victory I saw a team that never expected this victory that fought hard until the last second. The acceptance of the awards seemed very humble in comparison to the Lakers and Bulls accepting them. Virtual unknowns here who won an NBA championship is a huge deal for these people. I thought that they handled it with the grace that makes me think that they really deserve this victory.