As games 4 and 5 of the NBA Finals unfolded, we started to see what playing with heart and passion really means.

In game 4 that’s what Big Baby Davis did for the Celtics. He got in the game and became a force to be reckoned with. How was it possible that a short big man was able to score on Bynum, Gasol, AND Odom?!?

It was Big Baby’s passion, energy, and will to win that gave the Celtics a big boost to take game 4. He is a great example of what it means to play with heart…and a little drool.

That’s the beauty of being a bench player. You get to sit and analyze the game. You see where the other players are going wrong and you know what or what not to do when defending the other team. You also have built up quite a bit of energy…just waiting for your turn to shine.

In game 5 we saw The Mamba come out with his game face on in the third quarter. Kobe took some very hard, contested shots, and it seemed like nobody could stop his passion and will to win. Unfortunately, having only one out of five guys playing with heart doesn’t win games.

If game 5 is any indication of who wants it more, then perhaps the Celtics may close it out in this next game. Winning the last two games put the momentum on their side, so even though they will be in Los Angeles, I don’t think it will phase them. After all, we’re talking about a team who won more games on the road than at home.

What I love about this series is that it has been completely unpredictable... Well, except that The Mamba will come out to play hard. We can always count on that.

A dynasty is a succession of persons belonging to the same family, who, through various means and forms maintain power, influence or authority over the course of generations. Most often the term has been used to refer to a succession of monarchs or feudal nobles who reign over one or more territories by hereditary right. However a dynasty may also be thought of as a series of related individuals who exercise power or dominance unofficially over a territory or people, or achieve prominence in an industry, academic field, religion, cultural activity, or other sphere of endeavor.

Or other sphere of endeavor--Or other sphere of endeavor--Or other sphere of endeavor......Can you hear the echo......? The sounds of History reverberating into the Now--The dark leather basketballs that were used in the "Old Boston Garden" echoing through timelessness as they bounced off of the Parquet Floor. Just by listening alone You could bare witness to the Artistry with which the Celtic Legends of the mid 1950's-late 1960's were Literally Harvesting Championship Titles Seasonally In "The Garden" to the tune of 8 straight from 1958-1966 and yielding a total of 11 in 13 years!!!!!!!!!!!. Green Thumb-Original Celtic Owner/Visionary 'Walter Brown' {deserves} and has earned a line of credit with The Basketball Universe that stretches throughout eternity for creating the mold and subsequently shaping the landscape of Professional Basketball. The Celtic Dynasty is by all means 'The House That Walter Built', because 4 years into The Franchise's Young History He Had To Mortgage His Own Home in order to finance His Dream Estate{The Celtic Dynasty}. The Stately 'Boston Garden' Was Then Staffed With Some Of The Greatest Minds To Ever Grace The Realm Of Professional Sports. These Men Of Mind Are So Great! that even though They are from an era far removed from the present, They All Can Be Addressed By Last Name Only, and every generation post 1970 will know of whom you speak. Auerbach{The Master Chessman}, Russell{Leader Extraordinaire}, Cousy {The General}, Heinsohn {The Glue}, Havlicek {Hondo/Heart/Stamina/Will=The Power}.

Just as the seasons transition from Spring->to Summer->to Fall->to Winter, and the liveliness of Nature seems to diminish itself to a certain degree in preparation for it's own replenishment, all Dynasties inevitably go through a period of decline. The period of decline for the Boston Celtics was very short lived in our estimation of time, but for "The Most Transcendental Franchise{Dynasty} In The History Of Professional Sports", 3 years of sewing the seeds of their labor but failing to harvest a single Championship must have felt like 3 lifetimes. The drought of the Celtic's Dynastic Reign would soon fall prey to the thirst and hunger of it's New Heirs Who's Vital Energies Re-ignited the fertile foundation that was laid by Their Royal Predecessors. This new breed of Basketball Immortals Vowed to Re-Animate and Ensure That The Proud Celtic Family Legacy Would Thrive in the early 1970's through to the mid 1980's by winning an astounding 6 more titles. This new generation of Selfless Kings understood that in order for the entire Family to Flourish every Member had to play His role to Near Perfection on The Grand Stage of Boston Garden. Every nuance of the game had to be studied, rehearsed, and practiced tirelessly. They understood the importance of applying the Principles of the past and learning from the Successes of The Franchise's Fore-bearers.

Earlier in this article I branded the collective of Boston Legends "The Men Of Mind" because there have been very few Players in Celtic History, outside of Russell, White, and Havlicek, who possesed Extraordinary Individual Physical abilities. The 3 areas in which They Excelled were the Mental Aspects of the Game(i.e. Basketball I.Q., Outsmarting the more physically gifted opposition, and Preparation), Maximizing Their Individual Strengths as well as Strengthening Their Individual weaknesses(Knowing what They do best, and using Their collective Individual Talents to supplement their Individual Weaknesses), and Team Work(Mastering The Blueprint Of Life Created By GOD, but implemented in a Sports Setting by Walter Brown and Red Auerbach, Lasting Success Only Comes Through Collective Co-operation!). The Blueprint has proved to be ForEver So True through the annals of time. Cowens{The Tanacious Consistent}, White{The Real IRON-MAN}, Bird{Your Highness A.K.A. Larry Legend}, Parish{The Chief}, McHale{Mr. Unstoppable}, Johnson{D.J./Dr. Jenius}, and Ainge{The Brat/Bomber} were All Responsible for The Boston Dynasty's 2nd Wave of an Unprecedented 16 years of Dominance Never Before Seen in the Arena of Professional Sports.

Common Era: After a 20 year lapse in the "Traditional Celtic Level Of Production" the Stages have changed from The Boston Garden, to The Fleet Center, to The TD Banknorth Garden, but the Championship Banners still send whispers to the minds eye that History Is Not To Be Forgotten-It Is To Be Revisited! The History of Past Celtic Dynasties Cannot And Will Not Be Escape The Mind Of Any Common Era Player Who Is Donning A Boston Uniform. The former Adversary, now Ally and Coach Doc Rivers Is Certainly Well Versed in The History of The Boston Franchise. Along with Danny Ainge, Rivers too has Mastered The Blueprint and constructed a Team of Selfless Rulers who in Their primes may have rivaled some of the Great Celtic Teams of the past, but with only 1 Championship to Their Credit in the 2007-2008 season, will Rondo{Engine #9}, Allen{Je3sus}, Pierce{Tha Truth}, Perkins{Sir Sacrifice}, and Garnett{The Big Ticket} be able to place Their Stamp in the History Books as the 3rd Generation To Resurrect The Celtic Dynasty? Time Will Tell. With the Ever Present Laker Dynasty on The West Coast Vying For Supremacy I Predict That This Years NBA Finals Will Provide The Fans With As Much Entertainment and "DRAMA" As The 1980's Television Series "Dynasty" or For The Younger Generation "The Hills"

For all of the Laker fans out there I am not biased towards the Boston Celtics. I actually pick the Lakers to Win The Title, but for the sake of the History of the Game and those who may not be as familiar with it as most of us, I will provide as much information as possible on Both Franchise Dynasties. It just so happens that the Celtics Dynasty has more Titles than the Lakers Dynasty and I must respect that, even though I live on the West Coast. I will provide an in depth look inside of The Lakers Dynasty prior to Game 2 of the Finals so please check back with us at TeamBasketball.

I wish to give credit to NBA.com for some of the historical data contained in this article.

What Time Iz It? GAME TIME!!!!!

Peace,
JEDI

The excitement is mounting for the 2010 Finals. Who couldn't ask for a better outcome? Remember my early prediction for the finals back in November? Doc Rivers isn't the only prophet around here.

As most basketball fans know, there is a deep rivalry between the Lakers and Celtics. As a young kid back in the 80's I remember watching these two teams go at it for the championship title. I knew the names Larry Bird, Irvin "Magic" Johnson, and Kareem Abdul Jabbar very well and tried to mimic their moves on the playground.

20+ years later and these two teams are going at it again. When the Lakers and Celtics come together, there's always something to talk about. Here's a first look at Celtics-Lakers from the Celtics Blog at ESPN. I agree that both teams are certainly better this year. Pau Gasol has upped his game, Rajon Rondo is a force to be reckoned with, and The Black Mamba will be, well, what he always is. Every player on each team is a little banged up, but overall the key players are fairly healthy.

There's no denying that both teams are going to come with their "A" game this Thursday. Boston won in 2008. Lakers in 2009. So, who will win best out of 3?

Here's a video that features both teams on their journeys to the Finals...





Photo Credit: Avinash Kunnath

It's been awhile since we've checked in with all of you basketball fans. However, that doesn't mean that we haven't been glued to the TV watching the exciting playoffs. Well, at least they are exciting now.

Many of us were quick to write off the Celtics and the Suns, but as you already know, the Celtics have taken the Eastern Conference title while the Suns are staying alive.

In game 6 of the Celtics/Magic series there was an unlikely hero...and his name is Nate Robinson. We'll give kudos to Magic Johnson for calling it before the game. Both Magic and coach Doc Rivers had that inkling that Robinson would step up somehow - and boy, did he do it. He finished with 13 points, 2 assists, and 2 rebounds. His offense and defense were on point.

Doc Rivers is quoted as saying:

"At some point, you're going to win a game for us. I can't tell you when. I can't tell you when you're going to play. I can't tell you if you're going to play, on what night at least, but at some point you're going to win a game for us."

Shine, baby, shine. It's your turn for the spotlight.

Here's a video with highlights from the first half of the game...

Antawn Jamison being traded from the Wizards to the Cavaliers will give the Cavaliers that much-needed scoring lift that they need from the forward position. Although Anderson Varejao is a great high-energy player, his offensive skill set is lacking.

Shaquille O'Neill is still a presence in the paint even though his scoring prowess has declined. With the addition of Antawn Jamison, the Cavaliers possess a much more balanced front court and back court scoring attack.

Antawn gives the Cavaliers the luxury to play from the inside-out or the outside-in due to his versatility as an all-around player. Because of LeBron James' "Pass First Score Second" mentality, he can now feel very secure in the fact that he has a very capable scorer in Antawn Jamison to help shoulder the load. This will help to alleviate alot of the scoring pressure that has weighed heavily on LeBron James during his short, but stellar career in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers now have a three-pronged scoring attack with LeBron James, Moe Williams, and Antawn Jamison. The addition of Antawn Jamison may be the saving grace that Cleveland fans have been wishing for because LeBron will now probably feel that the organization is putting legitimate pieces around him to make a run at the title. That's key(!) due to the fast- approaching expiration of LeBron's contract.

Good luck keeping the King from leaving the court, Cleveland!

The Boston Celtics have had a grueling two days. After beating the Magic on Christmas Day, they come to California and may have got caught up in the relaxing atmosphere that usually engulfs people who enter the Golden State.

First, they lose to the Clippers on Sunday and tonight they lose to the Warriors. Were the Celtics tired? We have to presume so. Hopefully they can catch their breath tomorrow before heading out to Phoenix to play the Suns on Wednesday night.

What killed the Celtics tonight were turnovers. They hit an all-time season high of 25. Yes, turnovers can kill a team.

However, I was more disappointed with Rajon Rondo's seemingly lack of confidence. Although I only caught the second half of the game, from what I saw, Rondo refused to take open shots...and just when you thought he was going to shoot, he passes it someone else. We'll just say that Rondo had an off night, but we're really hoping that Paul Pierce gets healthy soon. But then, perhaps Pierce's absence is giving Rondo the chance to develop his leadership skills.

With less than 6 seconds in the game and the Celtics down by three, I was so sure the ball was going to Ray Allen so he could tie the game… However, his 3-point game tonight was a little shaky.

Oh, well. We’ll just blame the two-in-a-row loss to the California water.

This nasty dunk from Dwayne Wade on Anderson Varejao has to be put on the records...



It's been awhile since I've seen a downright nasty dunk like that. The Cavaliers ended up beating the Heat 111-104.

Here's a video with highlights from the game...