There Will Be A New Champ!!

NBA's Most Historic Team

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have terrorized all of the NBA without mercy, since the NBA’s inception. Their rivalry was so fierce that it became a spectacle in both cities, all over the country and all over the world. As a result, they were a catalyst in bringing the NBA to prominence besides ‘some’ player who played for the Chicago Bulls. These two teams are so rich in history and championships that if they were to monetize it, they probably would relieve the United States, Portugal, Ireland and other countries out of their national debt with money & gold to spare. Ever since the first championships of BAA and NBA in 1947, 63 teams have been crowned champions (from 1947 till 2010); and, between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, they’ve won 33 Championships and have been to the NBA finals 52 times. In other words, they became a fixture in the NBA finals, and when they are not, people become flummoxed as to why. Most of the players from both teams are in the NBA Hall of Fame, not because they were part of extraordinary teams, but because they were and are (Those playing in the present Celtics' and Lakers' team such as Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and The Laker Kobe Bryant; once they retire, will be) extraordinary players. From the likes of Oscar Robertson, Erving “Magic” Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and the list goes on and on. However, in the 2011 season, to a crowds cheer, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers will not be in the finals, for they have been eliminated in their conference semi-final playoff game series.

Many people, other than their fans have been screaming for joy; yelling “There will be a new champ, There will be a new champ”, signifying they’ve become desensitized to the NBA playoffs cause they know the Lakers or the Celtics will eventually win it.  However, in the 2011 season that will not be the case; and, now those people can tune in to see which team will capitalize on both teams’ demise. The teams that defeated the Lakers and Celtics, have a history between them that one player has said “it’s kept him up all night, thinking how that opportunity passed him by.” This was Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks recalling the 2006 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat, which the Mavericks won the first two games but ended losing the series in six games.  The Dallas Mavericks swept the reigning two time champions – four games to none ( out of a seven game series); and, the ‘Big 3’ of the Miami Heat defeated the aging ‘Big 3’ of the Boston Celtics, four games to one.  The look on the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics bench, knowing they will not be in the NBA Finals, can be paralleled to the look of a bystander looking at macabre scene on the street.  However, the Celtics handled defeat with more class and dignity than the Lakers, especially that of Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum.

Dirk Nowitzki vs LeBron James

Now that the two most storied franchises are not in title contention, which team will step up and take their rightful place as 2011 NBA Finals champ? Representing the Eastern Conference, and after the Miami Heat’s performance, all signs point to their 2^nd title in five years. Will the Chicago Bulls return to the glory days of Michael Jordan, with their now leader and League MVP, Derrick Rose at the helm? Representing the Western Conference, and after the Dallas Mavericks sweep of the two time reigning NBA Finals Champions, all signs point to their first championship on franchise history. Will the “Daruntala” (Kevin Durant) of the Oklahoma City Thunder spin his web of dazzling shooting range ability to the NBA finals? Will the Memphis Grizzlies and the ‘neighborhood bully’ known as Z-Bo (Zach Randolph), ruin Oklahoma City’s festivities? However, both signs from the East and the West, point to the two teams that met in the 2006 NBA Finals – Miami Heat vs. Dallas Mavericks to meet five years later in the 2011 NBA Finals!

The Most - H(e)ated Team in the NBA

L to R: Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade & LeBron James

Ask any NBA fan, this question: Who do you want to win the 2011 NBA championship? The fan would most likely, unless they are a fan or a resident of the city, will say the Miami Heat. Before the 2011 season started, the Miami Heat acquired two of the most sought after free agents in all the NBA. One of the two free agents was Lebron James. The media coverage on what team he'll play for can be paralleled to that of a major world event. A one hour ESPN show, aptly titled "The Decision" was produced, solely for that reason. The other free agent, whom many fans, to a certain degree, would say 'thank you' for not displaying a pompous attitude toward his decision, was Chris Bosh. Already on the Miami Heat was  2006 NBA Champion Dwayne Wade. Now that Lebron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade are teammates (calling themselves The Big 3), and for the ride that Lebron took everyone on, on top of that, their WWE style introduction to the city of Miami, most fans think, rightfully so, that the Heat are paying for championships. As a result, NBA fans dislike them and are rooting against them, but which team can defeat the self-proclaimed - Big 3, in the playoffs? 

L to R: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett & Ray Allen

The team, most fans, have faith in accomplishing this task of defeating these giants, is the team that had their number in the regular season - The Boston Celtics.  The Celtics won the 2008 NBA Championships and were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals. The Celtics came back to prominence when they added two players to their roster, which already boasted a superstar, thus, creating the Boston Celtics Big 3 - Ray Allen, Kevin Garnet and Paul Pierce. One can say that the Celtics' Big 3 are no match for the Heats' younger, more athletic Big 3, but that argument won't have that much validity, because the Celtics beat the Heat, three out of four times in the regular season. In addition, the Celtics have what the Miami Heat want, and that is, team chemistry. Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were acquired in 2007, whereas Lebron James and Chris Bosh were acquired by the Heat in 2010, giving the Celtic teammates four years of playing with each other as oppose to almost a year for the Heat's new acquisitions. Not only do they have chemistry, they have tremendous talent with a lot of playoff experience under their belt, during that four year span. With that said, the NBA fans put their hope on the Celtics to slay this new three headed dragon that is the Miami Heat's Big 3.

The Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks in four games in the first round, and the Miami Heat defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the first round. The two teams next match up? You guessed it, with each other. The twist is, since the Heat were a higher seed (2) than the Celtics seed (3), they get home field advantage, even though the Celtics beat them three out of four times. So far, only two games of a best of seven series have been played between these two teams; Sunday - May 1st and Tuesday - May 3rd, and the results are not what those NBA fans want, which is the Heat winning both in Miami. Now the series heads north to Boston, where they will play (guaranteed two more) three games and upon completion, will head back to Miami for the final two games. With the Heat up by two games, will the Celtics pull off a comeback to give all those NBA fans what they want or will the Heat show them that a new 'Big 3' has arrived? However, do not count out the Boston Celtics because the NBA is "where amazing happens."