Man. I love a 4th quarter team like the Lakers, but I just don’t know how much of this stress I can take. I feel bad for Luke Walton; he’s no Kobe, and definitely no Robert Horry. Even a Derek Fisher would have made me happy with 2 seconds to go and one point down in overtime. I got kicked out of the bedroom, because CERTAIN people are TRYING TO SLEEP, which I just don’t get, doesn’t he understand that the damn game went into overtime!? And I couldn’t turn it off then, because who wants to be the doofus who missed the game-winning overtime shot that wins the game for the Lakers? So here I sit, dejected, heart pounding, wishing for my 2000 Laker team of yore.
I’m trying not to hate Luke, because really he is a great player and I think he’s doing good things for the Lakers. But he’s just not a crunch-time game-winner. I miss the rock-star team that the Lakers were 5 years ago. This group just isn’t as much fun to watch, and so I’m having a hard time losing myself in the season this year. I find myself getting excited about Bibby, and Iverson; cheering shots made by the other team, and pining for the magical dance of Kobe and Shaq on the floor. I’m also still a little grossed out by the Kobe Bryant debacle-I haven’t put it behind us yet, and when I see him making smug faces on the floor, I can’t help but remember parts of his police interview that really squicked me out.
When Uncle Wayne was visiting from California, we broke out our best of the Lakers DVD collection. It seems silly, but watching those old games was seriously almost as exicting as seeing them the first time. We all sat here, watching playoff games we saw live, and then saw again on ESPN, and have watched over and over again since-and still we were stomping feet and screaming at the TV. We reminisced about where we were when Kobe hurt his ankle, or when Horry made that game-winning shot(s) while the buzzer was going off, or when the Lakers swept Portland.
I don’t pretend to be an expert on basketball, people. Man, and I do get the contradiction between my politics and the whole sports industry, with it’s gross pimping of products and players, and bloated salary policies. But I have to say: a good basketball game can draw me in like nothing else. A good game can pull me out of my head for several hours, and while sometimes I wonder if this can possibly be good for my heart, I must admit that I am at my most carefree and animated during the playoff season. I am friendly, I chat up people I wouldn’t normally speak to, and for a few weeks our pile of problems is reduced to who is injured and why the fuck is Kobe on the bench. When I AM in a bad mood, it’s because the team is playing badly, and that’s temporary.
I guess what I’m trying to say is: Please, Lakers… Step it up. I need a distraction this year.