Lakers To The Final

The Los Angeles Lakers (26-5) in semi-final round play as L.A. and (32-9)all-time, which counts Minneapolis and that former team location explains the great franchise’s  nickname), advanced to their first NBA Final in 10 years, “5-ing” the Denver Nuggets, who did more for this advance, than any one L.A. player, even their two annexed greats, LeBron James (38 points in the clincher) and series star, Anthony Davis, when they knocked out the L.A. Clippers, who fell to (0-8) in “quarters.”

Meanwhile, the Nuggets fell to (0-4) in “semis,” three of the losses at the hands of the Lakers. The previous two were followed by L.A. titles (1985 and 2009). 

Mr. James will be in his 10th final (his teams are (3-6) and tell me Rachel Nichols and someone named Russillo, who dared bring up “James is as good as Jordan nonsense,” what did the “King” do in final round play in ’14, ’17 and ’18 (I will excuse getting swept in ’07, but really why as this player and worse the uninformed “today’s is best” media attitude want to call him the greatest, when if you look at the whole body of work, he is NOT close) when his teams were routed, going (2-12), 9th in 10 seasons. 

Of course he is a great player, one of the best, but nowhere near the best and more annoying than his “jumping” to great team/conference situations, is the never ending hype involving this player.

Yet, I also must look in the mirror and reflect on why this would matter at all, no less so much?!!

Again “Leb” is a magnificent player, seemingly unbeatable when he has the better or far better team, but look, for example, at the magnificent Warriors’ run in their game 5 clincher vs James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2017.

He (James) was nowhere to be found. Knock Jordan’s persona all you want and I am not thrilled with it either, largely for different reasons than arrogance, but as a player, he did what it took, never lost a final and almost never, if ever, was the non factor James was during that Golden State run!!