The game was a total blowout - Celtics win 131-92 over the Lakers in Game 6. Boston wins it’s 17th NBA Championship and Paul Pierce is named the 2008 NBA Finals MVP.
We’ve got a full recap over on our sister-site, at http://nbaweblog.com/. Go check it out!
Of course, you can find a full selection of 2008 NBA Championship gear at the NBA Store:
You can also shop for Celtics jerseys and apparel below (thru Amazon):
Ongoing coverage of the 2008 NBA Finals, Game 5:
Final result: Lakers force Game 6 after a tough showing on their homecourt. After nearly blowing a huge lead again, they held on in the end and delivered in a must-win game.
1st half…
Lakers take huge lead again, reminiscent of Game 4. As in that game, LA has already given up most of the lead and were fightining for their life late in the 2nd quarter. The entered the half w/ the lead, but just barely.
Kobe Bryant was on fire in the 1st quarter, but didn’t score in the 2nd. For Paul Pierce, it was just about the opposite… he scored very little in the 1st and took over in the 2nd. Lamar Odom has gotten a few layups from high pick ‘n rolls w/ Kobe and Pau Gasol, but other than that, he’s been playing about the same. The Lakers looked super-aggressive in the 1st quarter, led by Kobe, but went more than 5 minutes in the 2nd quarter without scoring.
The Celtics defense improved greatly in the 2nd quarter - one big reason the Lakers couldn’t score. Kevin Garnett was playing well early (8 pts), but got in foul trouble and played minimal minutes - only 13 seconds in 2nd quarter. He as 3 fouls (should be 2), so it will be interesting to see how LA attacks him and tries to get him out of the game. What’s really interesting, however, is that Kobe and the Lakers gave up the lead w/ Garnett on the bench.
Halftime show featured a story on Bill Walton and son Luke Walton. Seriously, they could have just done a story on Luke and I would’ve been happy. Is Bill Walton semi-mental? Granted it’s Father’s Day, but what a sappy ass monologue to his son. Btw… did you see the look on Luke’s face, like “do I really have to be here”?
2nd half just starting…
8:00 remaining in 3rd quarter; Celtics tie the game at 62.
The Boston Celtics served notice on Thursday that they intend to defend their regular season record and compete for another NBA Championship.
Facing the L.A. Lakers in an epic Game 1, things looked bad for the Celtics in the 3rd quarter when Paul Pierce had to be helped off the court by teammates. As the Lakers took the lead and appeared to be taking advantage of Pierce’s absence, the G/F re-emerged from the locker room to a standing ovation and helped lead his team back into the lead late in the 3rd quarter.
Boston’s defense was superb in the 2nd half, limiting the Lakers and stifling Kobe Bryant. Kobe finished the game w/ 26 pts, but was 9-26 from the field, largely in part to the defense of Pierce and a few other Celtics role players.
The benches played a huge difference in Game 1; unfortunately for the Lakers, their contribution was virtually nill. On the other hand, the Celtics got great contributions from Sam Cassell and PJ Brown, two veterans obtained late in the season to help Boston get to this point.
Kevin Garnett struggled w/ his shot late in the game, but came up w/ a monstrous comeback dunk late in the 4th quarter.
Photos from the 2008 NBA Finals - Game 1:
Paul Pierce returns from knee injury in Game 1 to lead Celtics
Paul Pierce injures knee & is carried off by teammates in Game 1
Kevin Garnett puts down a missed a shot late in Game 1
Kevin Garnett dunks in Game 1
Kobe Bryant struggles from the field in Game 1 thanks to tough Celtics' defense
Kobe Bryant shoots over Paul Pierce
The NBA will complete the 2008 draft lottery this evening at the their “Entertainment” headquarters in NJ. Tonight’s event will not tell us who is going where, but rather which team will be picking first, second and third (etc.).
In what has almost become a laughable event, where the NBA’s worst teams are rewarded (for tanking! - oops :P) and the teams that continue fighting throughout the season are not; tonight’s event is only moderately interesting because there is a debate about who will be picked with the #1 draft pick - Michael Beasley or Derrick Rose.
With the highest probability of grabbing the #1 pick, the Miami Heat are salivating over the opportunity to improve upon last year’s disastrous season - can you call it that (for them)? Miami’s troubles have been discussed in great detail throughout the season already - if you missed them, here’s a quick recap.
The Miami Heat, shortly after trading Shaq to the Suns, more closely resembled a JV team than a professional basketball team in the NBA. Sure, they had a few injuries, but half of them were made up (ie: Marion) and were used to keep their star players healthy down the stretch like most teams do… except that, Miami isn’t in the playoffs where the rested players energy is usually needed. Nope, the Heat have already “gone fishing”, as Kenny, EJ & Charles like to say. To top that off, Heat coach Pat Riley also took important time off from his coaching duties, to visit regional NCAA tournament games to scout for talent. Doesn’t he have assistant coaches for that crap?
What I ask of everyone reading this article, is to pray that Riley & Co. are not rewarded for their poor sportsmanship. Pray that they get the #4 pick and lose out on the top players in the draft. Other teams played hard throughout the season, despite the fact that they had no chance; those teams deserves the #1 thru #3 picks - not Miami.
Love him or hate him, Kobe Bryant has dominated the NBA scene the past few years as an L.A. Laker. If you don’t live in Los Angeles or if you’re a huge Shaq fan, chances are you hate him - those of you in Denver also. But the people in L.A…. you can bet they love him.
At this point, I think Kobe is cool w/ all the hate too…. Why? Because the league’s voters just showed their love by voting Kobe Bryant the league’s MVP for the 2007-2008 NBA season.
Bryant received 82-first-place votes and 1,105 points in the media vote. He was followed by New Orleans’ Chris Paul (28 and 889), Boston’s Kevin Garnett (15 and 670) and Cleveland’s LeBron James (1 and 438).
The MVP award is a first for Bryant, and in many ways, may help solidify him as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Yes, he has 3 NBA Championships, multiple scoring titles and countless NBA highlights to his name, but without an MVP award, Kobe would never be more than Shaq’s teammate during a great run w/ the Lakers.
The recognition by his peers helps Kobe ascend to the next level of NBA heroes. He hasn’t won the same number as Magic Johnson, Kareem, Michael Jordan or even Steve Nash, but he doesn’t have to - winning one MVP award is enough for Kobe to believe he has reached the same status as previous NBA greats.
Of course, this year’s Kobe is a far cry from the ball-hogging version we’ve seen in the past. He actually involves his teammates - something that finally took MJ over the top - could this be the year Bryant climbs the mountain also? Here’s what Kobe Bryant had to say:
“It’s Hollywood, it’s a movie script. The perfect ending would be for us to hold a championship trophy at the end of it,” Bryant said at a news conference attended by his teammates, club officials, his wife and two daughters.
“This is an award I couldn’t have won on my own. I can’t thank these guys [his teammates] enough. These are my guys, these are my brothers. Let’s get ready for tomorrow.”
Statistically, this certainly was not Kobe’s best year - he averaged 35.4 points per game in the 2005-2006 season and lost the MVP to Suns guard Steve Nash - Bryant finished 4th in voting that year. He’s averaged higher numbers in virtually every statistic more than once before, but it’s the level of team involvement that finally helped win voters over. Winning the tough Western Conference also helped 
Kobe owes a lot of credit to the recently acquired Pau Gasol, who we’re still trying to figure out who traded him for a pack of cards & stick of gum. The Lakers’ GM should also be given some credit for keeping Kobe and not trading him, despite Bryant’s demands during the summer. He is now surrounded by a group of contributors who understand their roles on the team, but also by real teammates - people who Bryant has shown trust in this year.
Take the opportunity now, to get a Kobe Bryant jersey. He’s already among the NBA’s top-selling jerseys, but his jersey will be in even higher demand now that he’s won the MVP award.
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As an avid Phoenix Suns fan, I thought the last round of the playoffs was the best series in the entire playoffs… with 2 games recorded in the Western Conference Semifinals, I was wrong. The New Orleans Hornets are not only backing up their #2 seed, but are throttling the San Antonio Spurs, who easily dispatched of the Suns in 5 games. One can only imagine what the Hornets would’ve done to the Suns - New Orleans was 4-0 during the regular season vs. Phoenix.
Starring for the Hornets through the first 2 games are the usual suspects (if you’ve been following them): MVP runner-up Chris Paul, David West, Peja Stojakovic and Tyson Chandler. New Orleans is also getting quality time out of their bench, while San Antonio is just struggling to keep up.
The young legs of the Hornets are simply dominating in the first two games of the series. The San Antonio Spurs look old, they look tired and it looks as if a new era is emerging in the West - that of the Lakers, the Hornets, the Trailblazers (think Oden/Roy/Aldridge) and Jazz. All of these teams are young, athletic and feature budding All-Stars and MVP candidates.
Don’t wait for the Hornets to continue winning - get your hands on a Hornets jersey today!
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If you don’t see the New Orleans Hornets jersey you’re looking for, submit a comment below and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for.
In a sign of the times, the Phoenix Suns have reportedly allowed Head Coach Mike D’Antoni to interview for the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls.
GM Steve Kerr and owner Robert Sarver have given Suns’ coach Mike D’Antoni permission to seek interviews w/ other teams. The three met on Friday to determine if Mike would be able to continue coaching the team and apparently he cannot.
Fresh off a first round playoff exit, thinks are looking bleak for the Suns, who will be 1 year older and have a bulging payroll as the 2008-2009 season starts.
There aren’t many “good” options for the Suns either, as only a handful of former head coaches would fit the bill:
Avery Johnson is available, and he has experience leading a mostly offensive team to the promised land (the Finals). The knocks against him - he couldn’t win the championship and his team has been bounced in the 1st round of the playoffs each of the past 2 years. If he could even improve the Suns defense (good luck), then he might be a 1 year solution as a last ditch attempt at a title.
Also available are: Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson (rumored to by high on Knicks list), Doug Collins and a slew of other “ok” coaches.
In other coaching news, the Dallas Mavericks are reportedly in serious discussions with former Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, who the Suns would likely snatch up if the Mavs hesitate. Carlisle would be a great fit on either team, since he would have the cajones to put each team’s star players in their place if they aren’t doing what he asks of them.
Aside from a few insignificant awards and the NBA’s MVP award, all of the other awards have pretty much been decided. The list includes a number of first time NBA winners, but also features a coach who’s won his 2nd Coach of the Year award. Whether you agree with the list or not, these are the players (& coach) who the voting members chose this year.
Here is a quick summary of the winners:
The MVP award should come next and is basically a deaheat between the Hornets’ Chris Paul and the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant. It would be the first MVP award for both basketball players and deserving (for either) as well.
Who’s your favorite? (let us know in the Comments)
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The Dallas Mavericks made a bold statement last night in their bid to make the NBA Playoffs by handily defeating their nemesis, the Golden State Warriors.
The Mavs were defeated in the first round of the playoffs by the Warriors last year, despite having the league’s best record. Going into last night’s game, you know that was still on the Dallas players’ minds. To make the match-up even more interesting, however, is the fact that both teams are fighting for a playoff position in the super-competitive Western Conference.
Dirk Nowitzki returned from a high-ankle sprain early and the Mavs got terrific performances from Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Josh Howard. Dirk’s return seemed to give new life to the team that hadn’t beaten a team above .500 since acquiring Kidd several weeks ago. Golden State on the other hand, appeared lethargic and weary a night after having their ass handed to them by the Spurs. While the guards played well for the Warriors, Stephen Jackson and Al Harrington had games they’d probably like to forget.
While the Warriors style of play is fun to watch, I’d still like to see Dallas get into the playoffs. I feel that their inclusion will help to make this one of the most exciting playoff years (ever).
If you polled anyone under 25 yrs old, they probably wouldn’t be able to guess who the NBA Store’s top selling jersey is (1998-2008), but most people over 25 would know it’s the greatest basketball player of all time - none other than Michael Jordan.
Despite not even playing in the NBA for a good portion of the 10 yr period, Jordan still has the top selling NBA jersey, outranking Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal and Lebron James. It’s no surprise to see Bryant, Iverson and Shaq in the Top 5, but Lebron has already jumped into the 5th spot in only his 5th season.
Here are the top selling NBA jerseys at the NBA Store from 1998-2008:
1. Michael Jordan
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Allen Iverson
4. LeBron James
5. Shaquille O’Neal
6. Tracy McGrady
7. Dwyane Wade
8. Jason Kidd
9. Vince Carter
10. Tim Duncan
I’m really surprised that Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Yao Ming and even Stephon Marbury aren’t on the list, especially considering the markets they play in (Boston and New York, respectively).
The next group of stars to crack this list over the next 5 yrs will likely include: Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Amare Stoudemire and Greg Oden. No one else really stands out as a big-time jersey seller and even these guys would have a tough time getting higher on the list.
If you have a favorite player who didn’t make the list, let us know about it.
