The Wolves and the Lakers clash in the Western Conference Finals.
If there is one thing that is certain amidst all the surprises of the second round we just witnessed, it’s this: The Los Angeles Lakers are evil. Never before in the history of the NBA, has there been an alliance as unholy as the one formed between the members of the purple and gold. Despite the gushing adorations spewed upon them by the media, the blatant accommodations made for them by the league, and the blind support of their movie star fanbase, there has never been a less honorable group of men wearing the same uniform. From that fateful moment nearly a year ago, when two all-stars sold their souls and a formed a seemingly unstoppable empire for the ages, there has been one common goal among the other twenty-eight other NBA teams – Make sure the Lakers don’t win it all. Weapons were amassed, players stockpiled, all in one valiant attempt to rid the league of the cancer that was eating away its integrity. There have been many great teams throughout the history of the NBA, but none has received the pure disdain and hatred of the entire league as the this season’s Lakers. Consequently, no other team has received such laud and acclamations from the media either. The Lakers are a force that is corrupting the very fabric of sports. They have taken everything that is still good and pure about the game of basketball, and distorted it. They must be stopped at any cost.
Before you accuse me of exaggerating how repulsive the Lakers actually are, take a moment to consider the parts that have made the abominable whole. It’s fitting to begin with the “general” of this army. Shaquille O’Neal has become the epitome of the “modern” athlete, which has caused so many to turn away from professional sports. Here is a man who refuses to give his best every night. He prefers sitting on the sidelines and collecting his paycheck on the injured list to going out and leading his team to victory. He is quick to open his mouth and degrade other players, but slow to take a look inside and improve his own glaring inadequacies. Then there’s his teammate and ironically, arch-enemy, Kobe Bryant. Has there ever been an individual so devoid of the concept of “team” basketball? He has been heralded as a hero for his on-court heroics, yet held seemingly unaccountable for his actions of of it. He is at best an adulterer and at worst a rapist, but he has been portrayed by the media as the savior of Los Angeles. Then there are the two recent additions to the team. Karl Malone turned his back on the franchise who made him everything he is for the chance to hoist a trophy into the air. He sold out on all the fans who had supported him throughout his career. He along with Gary Payton prostituted themselves, tarnishing their reputations and careers, all to obtain a ring. And that’s just four of the players…
The second round match-up between the Spurs and the Lakers had been heralded as the “real” NBA Finals. These two teams, who had captured the past five titles, could not be more opposite. Unlike the Lakers, the Spurs were a textbook example of what an NBA team should be. Despite my own animosities toward them, I’m forced to admit that one would be hard pressed to find a team with a more squeaky-clean image. They had a dominant super-star and played the game of basketball as a team. It was, in essence, the ultimate sports battle of good vs. evil. Unfortunately, in a town which created the storybook ending, good did not triumph. Lying in shambles, was a stunned Spurs team who had lost four in a row. Standing tall, more cocky and sure than ever, were the Lakers. It seemed as if all was lost.
If you watch the playoffs, you can’t miss the commercials for the movie “The Chronicles of Riddick”. In that advertisement is the phrase, “Sometimes the best way to fight evil is not with good. Sometimes you must fight evil with another kind of evil.” Enter the Minnesota Timberwolves, the NBA’s final hope. As much as I love them, I have to admit that the T-Wolves are not a bunch of boy scouts. While they aren’t a bunch of law breakers or drug takers, they do possess a certain edge. Our lineup boasts Latrell Sprewell, a man suspended by the NBA for a year after he choked his coach. Sam Cassell’s mouth has gotten him in trouble on more than one occasion. He’s also a part of a second “Big Three” because the last one he lead couldn’t get along. As integral as they have been for us this season, there was a reason we were able to acquire them for Anthony Peeler, Joe Smith, Marc Jackson, and Terrell Brandon. They simply are not the most upstanding citizens the NBA has to offer. Even Kevin Garnett, in all his MVP glory, is somebody who has been known to drop an F-bomb or two or thirty during a game. Face it, the San Antonio Spurs they are not.
The reason that Kevin Garnett was not in any of those “trophy love” commercials this post-season, is because KG won’t be caught dead lying on a couch, plugging his ears, singing “la-la-la-la-la”. If he’s getting his hands on the gold, it won’t be because he chucking pebbles through her window or begging Larry Bird. When KG finally holds the Larry O’Brien trophy, it’ll be because he grabbed the game by the throat and willed his way to a title. Because while the men who wear the Timberwolves jersey may not spend all day helping old ladies cross the street, they’re fervent in their love for the game. And any wrongs they may have done, were crimes of passion. That’s why I believe they have what it takes to defeat the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. Because to battle evil, it takes more than a star with the personality of Niles Crane. Sometimes it takes a player who will get up on the scorer’s table and cheer with the fans after the game. Sometimes it takes a player who’s not afraid to get into a post-game trash talk battle. Sometimes it takes a player who will overcome a ruptured eardrum, an injured hip flexor, and back spasms, hit the winning shot, and still have the energy to run down the court gesturing how “big” he is.
Sometimes it takes another kind of evil.
