June 17, 2004
L.A. Confidential
On the summer night of June 15th, 2004, the world famous Los Angeles Lakers fell apart. But they didn't fall apart like an inexperienced boy band, quickly and stubbornly. Rather, they deconstructed like a well-traveled 1980's rock band making a reunion tour, gradually and maybe expectedly. Instead of forgetting lyrics, the Lakers forgot how to score. Instead of fumbling a guitar riff, the Lakers fumbled the ball. They were embarrassed, tortured even, and spend the remaining 3 minutes of their possible last season together, waiting to lose.
The Detroit Pistons, on the other hand, had played the underdog role in Oscar award winning fashion. Although the Pistons finished with the second best record in the Eastern Conference, led the NBA in attendance, and never faced elimination throughout the playoffs, they were still supposed to lose this series. The Lakers weren't just expected to sweep the Pistons, they were expected to vacuum the competition in four lopsided games. The Lakers were, in fact, involved in four very lopsided games, unfortunately they were on the wrong side. The Pistons won by 12 in Game One, by 20 in Game Three, by 8 in Game Four, and by 13 in the title-clenching Game Five. But still, despite the double digit wins in 3 of the 4 games, despite the fact that the Pistons led by 28 in the final game (against a Laker team that was practically guaranteed a victory), despite the hard work and effort fueled into the Pistons tank, and despite their will to succeed and not falter under the intense scrutiny of the Finals, where are all the celebratory Pistons fans now?
While on Bay Street, the day after the Pistons 100-87 victory over the Lakers, I saw plenty of Kobe Bryant jerseys hanging proudly in the windows, Lakers visors securely stationed at the front of every hat rack, and Rick Fox jerseys on people of all ages. I did see one Ben Wallace Pistons jersey a few times, but only because I was the one wearing it and it had a distracting black mark under the '3' which I kept looking down at.
Now, I understand that famed Laker Rick Fox is a Bahamian export and supporting the hometown hero is understandable. After all, one is supposed to support the man who represents the community, for better or worse. But what I hear about the Pistons in these parts is more questionable than understandable.
"The Pistons are cheaters."
"The Pistons don't deserve it."
"Kobe's the REAL MVP!"
All these excuses are just that... excuses, and horrible ones at that. Sure, you can blame the refs, or you can blame the coach, you can even blame the lack of L.A. support. But why then won't you blame the Lakers as a team? Phil Jackson wasn't giving the Pistons open looks. The refs weren't trying to penetrate the Pistons famous defense. And I know for a fact the fans weren't getting out hustled and ultimately outplayed. So why blame any of them? Why not blame Kobe's lack of judgment? Of course he's the best player in the NBA right now, but you have four other teammates for a very good reason. Why not blame Shaq's inadequate work ethic toward free throws? Shaquille O'Neal may be the most dominant force in all of sports, but if he can't hit a free throw, he should at least out hustle his counterparts. (For more on bad free throw shooters, who still make a difference, see Wallace, Ben). Or how about blaming the other two Hall of Famers, Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who both seemed to not show up at all on the court (Malone literally didn't show up for Game 5 thanks to a leg injury).
Lakers fans can still find many scapegoats, but they seem to ultimately dodge the most important fact... Detroit played better. They shot better, defended better, rebounded better, and were coached better. Simple as that. Four Hall of Famers don't mean anything if they can't play together and if two of them should have retired last year. Karl Malone watched glumly on the bench while Gary Payton repeatedly lost his jock strap in blockbuster fashion, after getting beaten to the rim and humiliated by Finals MVP (yes, Most VALUABLE Player) Chauncey Billups. The harsh reality of the whole Finals situation may be too "real" for Lakers fans, but believe it: The Detroit Pistons are the best basketball TEAM in the world. Period!
The Pistons campaign slogan for the past few years has been 'Goin' To Work'. This year that sentence wasn't an understatement, it was a predication. Like all of the automotive factories scattered about the city of Detroit, the Pistons used an assembly line of maneuvers and bench play, showing off their wide range of under-appreciated superstars from Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince, to Elden Campbell and Corliss Williamson. The Pistons didn't just flex their muscles, they taunted the Lakers with them, then beat them into the ground. They went to work at the start of the playoffs and finally hung up their hard hats Tuesday night.
Still, despite the hard work, the catchy motto and the Cinderella story that was broadcast to tens of millions of TV viewers three times a week, down here, the Pistons are still are seen as "cheaters". I might be the only person either brave enough or proud enough to happily support the Detroit Pistons. Soon it won't be a matter of bravery or pride, it'll be a matter of intelligence. The Lakers lost, their supremacy is over. The regime has been toppled. The hard truth is beginning to sink-in. Now, where down here can I find any Pistons memorabilia? Hopefully, in a few weeks I won't be the only person asking that question, or the only one wearing a Ben Wallace jersey.
Posted by admin at June 17, 2004 03:25 PM