I've got a Laker fan busting my chops over his third title. He said the Rockets were flashes in the pan and that the Lakers are now a dynasty. Need some brutal comebacks quick!
I don't understand. Did you watch the same game I did last night? After Bob Costas' intro, it was clear that there were some guys who played ball in black and white, then there was Michael Jordan, then the Lakers. That is the entire history of basketball. Are you implying that the Rockets won a championship? How did I miss that? Next, you'll be telling me the Celtics used to be good.
Tell them they have an asterick championship since they won theirs after Jordan retired! And if they point out that Jordan made a return this year point out he also made a return in 1995. And be sure to remind them that Shaq could win 50 rings, Hakeem made him his b*tch on center stage and that's all that matters!
Oh yeah, Phi, two more things: 1) The Rockets got an NBA Finals sweep before Lakers 2) The Rockets were the only team to make Shaq cry!!
Tell your friend there was no way the Lakers could lose, playing 8 on 5 during game 6 of the Western Conference finals.
wish the d'backs & patriots good luck this year, since i'm sure he's a fan of those teams as well. a laker fan... whatever...
Just like you I got a freind who is a Laker fan. He loves Shaq and was a Magic fan before he was a Laker fan. Any time his head gets big and he goes off about 3-peat, I am quick to remind him who the greatest center is of all time and what he did to the fat a$$ Shaq in 95.
PhiSlamma, Tell that fool that in this Day and Age, with the Watered down NBA they can have their non-competition weak ass championships. OOhh The Lakers had to go through the Indiana Pacer??? The Philadelphia 76ers???? The New Jersey Nets???? Yeah....I'm sure Shaq's finals status is secure against the likes of Dale Davis, Washed up 36-Year old Injured David Robinson, Vlade Divac, Rik Smits, Todd McCullough, Jarwhocareswhichone Collins and the other scrub teams they went through. Hakeem, with another good player, Sampson, got past the Magic and Kareem Laker Showtime. Then later Hakeem almost single handedly gets them past the Robinson-Rodman Spurs (in their prime) Malone Stockton Jazz(in their prime) Barkly-KJ Suns(in their prime) Ewing-Oakley-Mase Knicks(in their prime) , swept the O'Neal, Penny (good days), Horace Grant Magic. Have you seen the lack of any heart or balls on EVERY TEAM that the Lakers have gone through. The only guy with some balls was with them in the finals last year and was under 6 feet tall. Congrats.....on those great Nets, 76ers, Pacers victories...all of those teams were in or about to be in the lottery within 2 years of their finals appearance..... The Competition!! B.S.!
Tell him that they're winning in a period of transition when the League has a bunch of YOUNG talent, while all the greats from the last couple of decades are either retired/old. Tell him that Shaq is dominating big men in a time where Vlade Divac is the second best center. [Damn that's sad......Vlade?] Tell them that they're greatest competion has been the Kings lead by the amazing Chris Webber. Tell them that every championship since '99, starting with the Spurs, needs an "*".........as well as for the next couple years 'til the League matures.
F.D. -- Im sooooo glad you posted this. I was having this exact same thought in the car on my way in to work this morning! I've ragged on the Bulls a little about the competition they faced when they won MOST of their rings. Ultimately I guess I've said that, though it's not Mike's fault, he never had the chance to go up against GREAT players in his career when it mattered most. My highlight moments of MJ come against guys with names like Ehlo, Majerle and Russell. But ultimately the Bulls did have to get over the Pistons...and they did have to play a real nice Blazer squad. But the Lakers championships have come against teams that are absolute jokes....the Pacers, the Sixers and the Nets. Are you serious??? These are arguably the three worst teams to EVER make the finals. I can certainly say that within my lifetime, I've never seen such relatively weak teams play for the NBA crown. Now the Laker argument might be, "yeah...but we've had to beat a tough Western Conference." And I can't disagree with that...but these aren't all time great teams. The Kings gave the Lakers all they could handle...but part of that is because the Lakers have absolutely zero killer instinct and let lesser teams play with them too long. The Kings showed you what they're ultimately about in the fourth quarter and overtime of game 7. The Lakers are, in my opinion, the greatest franchise in the history of the NBA. It's been almost 20 years since the Celts have played for a title...but the Lakers have rebounded...and the Lakers never fell as hard as the Celts did after Magic/Kareem/Worthy retired. They were still a playoff team. The Celts were absolutely horrible for a LONG time. But the Lakers current run is just not entirely impressive to me as it should be....it's a three-peat, no doubt...but it certainly doesn't feel like a dynasty to me.
