Why The Lakers Should be Stripped of Their Title

[kcNATIVnLA]

Yeah...doesn't look like that's going to happen!


hahahaha!!!  C'mon Boston fans, have a little self-respect!

LAKERS!!!!

[Chris]

Yeah...doesn't look like that's going to happen!


hahahaha!!!  C'mon Boston fans, have a little self-respect!

LAKERS!!!!

banned! (ah, that was cathartic...)

[Redz]

Yeah...doesn't look like that's going to happen!


hahahaha!!!  C'mon Boston fans, have a little self-respect!

LAKERS!!!!

banned! (ah, that was cathartic...)

The two different Kobe numbers, the Stupid Staples Center, the ugly as sin colors, the cheese of it all, the flippin' happy Laker fans...

I hate the Lakers winning so much more than I hate the Celtics losing.  God that sucks!

[horse]

Yeah...doesn't look like that's going to happen!


hahahaha!!!  C'mon Boston fans, have a little self-respect!

LAKERS!!!!

banned! (ah, that was cathartic...)

The two different Kobe numbers, the Stupid Staples Center, the ugly as sin colors, the cheese of it all, the flippin' happy Laker fans...

I hate the Lakers winning so much more than I hate the Celtics losing.  God that sucks!

LOL at that guy gettin banned. I know it sucks to lose. We lost in 08 and felt the exact same way.

[tenn_smoothie]

Semantics.

As for those crying for Celtics fans to get over it.  I agree that the Lakers won the series and as hard as it is to admit they are the better team this year (by a narrow margin).  Still, this is a Celtics site, so it's natural to expect some griping around here - especially when the wounds are so fresh.

So lighten up. 

And CAPS DON'T MAKE YOUR VOICE LOUDER

the lakers were not the better team this year -  after a long and intense series, after the teams got thru trading haymakers back & forth for 6 games, the celtics were the ones who led the entire decisive game 7, the celtics who were basically in control the entire game, including three seperate double-digit leads, until ............

the 4th quarter.

what happened in the 4th quarter when it was apparent that if the teams were left to play it out and decide it among themselves, that the celtics were going to win and beat the lakers for the second time in three years and establish that they have been the best team of the last three seasons and that the '09 title will now have an unofficial asterik next it, it was at that point that the referees stepped in and determined the outcome. 

i now regard that decision as illegitimate.

[Redz]

Semantics.

As for those crying for Celtics fans to get over it.  I agree that the Lakers won the series and as hard as it is to admit they are the better team this year (by a narrow margin).  Still, this is a Celtics site, so it's natural to expect some griping around here - especially when the wounds are so fresh.

So lighten up. 

And CAPS DON'T MAKE YOUR VOICE LOUDER

the lakers were not the better team this year -  after a long and intense series, after the teams got thru trading haymakers back & forth for 6 games, the celtics were the ones who led the entire decisive game 7, the celtics who were basically in control the entire game, including three seperate double-digit leads, until ............

the 4th quarter.

what happened in the 4th quarter when it was apparent that if the teams were left to play it out and decide it among themselves, that the celtics were going to win and beat the lakers for the second time in three years and establish that they have been the best team of the last three seasons and that the '09 title will now have an unofficial asterik next it, it was at that point that the referees stepped in and determined the outcome. 

i now regard that decision as illegitimate.

Try to separate yourself from being a Celtics fan for just a second and pretend you're a neutral fan who just enjoys the NBA.  Do you really think that's an unbiased opinion?

It took me years to admit Magic Johnson was a decent player in the 80's and that those Lakers weren't a bunch of softy chokers.  I hated them then, and I hate them now, but they won game 7 by being mentally tougher and hitting shots when it mattered most.  Yes, there were a bunch of foul shots for the Lakers, but they were by and large legitimate because the Celtics were dead tired and incapable of legally defending any longer.

It's ok to give the opponent some credit, and still hold your head high in defeat.

[libermaniac]

Edit: Completely misunderstood ... they should be stripped of the title because the distorted and biased officiating system of the NBA and it's President, handed it to them on a silver platter. Inthis case, the best team lost, and it was proven once again that the "Good Guys" don't always win, and with enough prejudiced manipulation from within, "fairness" and "objectivity" are words that are slowly but surely becoming a thing of the past. Sad.

I disagree. The Lakers had a better regular season record in a tougher division AND conference giving them HCA, and won 4-3.

YOUR OPINION THAT "the best team lost" is subjective. Most fans agree that despite the inevitable missed calls/no-calls, the officiating didn't change the outcomes.

It's pretty obvious that had game 7 been in Boston, the C's would've rolled - that 13 point 3rd quarter lead would've turned into 25.  The Lakers were not the better team, necessarily.  They just had the home court advantage, cause the C's obviously took it easy during the season.

Also, the West was not tougher TO WIN this year.  The top 4 teams in the league were, in whatever order you want, Boston, LA, ORL, Cleveland.  No team other than the Lakers in the West really had any legitimate chance at a title. Granted, after those 4 teams, 7 of the next 8 are from the West.  But, the East was definitely a harder conference to win.

[tenn_smoothie]

Semantics.

As for those crying for Celtics fans to get over it.  I agree that the Lakers won the series and as hard as it is to admit they are the better team this year (by a narrow margin).  Still, this is a Celtics site, so it's natural to expect some griping around here - especially when the wounds are so fresh.

So lighten up. 

And CAPS DON'T MAKE YOUR VOICE LOUDER

the lakers were not the better team this year -  after a long and intense series, after the teams got thru trading haymakers back & forth for 6 games, the celtics were the ones who led the entire decisive game 7, the celtics who were basically in control the entire game, including three seperate double-digit leads, until ............

the 4th quarter.

what happened in the 4th quarter when it was apparent that if the teams were left to play it out and decide it among themselves, that the celtics were going to win and beat the lakers for the second time in three years and establish that they have been the best team of the last three seasons and that the '09 title will now have an unofficial asterik next it, it was at that point that the referees stepped in and determined the outcome. 

i now regard that decision as illegitimate.

Try to separate yourself from being a Celtics fan for just a second and pretend you're a neutral fan who just enjoys the NBA.  Do you really think that's an unbiased opinion?

It took me years to admit Magic Johnson was a decent player in the 80's and that those Lakers weren't a bunch of softy chokers.  I hated them then, and I hate them now, but they won game 7 by being mentally tougher and hitting shots when it mattered most.  Yes, there were a bunch of foul shots for the Lakers, but they were by and large legitimate because the Celtics were dead tired and incapable of legally defending any longer.

It's ok to give the opponent some credit, and still hold your head high in defeat.

no, i knew Magic was agreat player back in the 80's and i also knew that the Lakers were soft, which, they, in fact, were. very skilled team, but soft.

now soft means a couple of things, it means you do not like the more physical play of banging bodies for rebounds or driving the ball with aggression to the basket or using your body to knock the opponents out of their normal offensive patterns. but soft also means you are not mentally tough, you do not keep your focus on your game plan and on each possession and you tend to lose your composure as the pressure increases and you react by panicking.

the lakers were soft in '84, '86 and again 22 years later in '08, and they were soft this year as well. when the officials allowed the celtics to play normal playoff defense, the lakers panicked and quit running their offense and became very one-dimensional and they looked bewildered. of course, as we all know, the celtics were not allowed to play their normal defense come the 4th quarter of the deciding game.


also Redz - do me a favor and save your patronizing remarks for someone who doesn't understand basketball next time.

[brodiejay]

As I watched game 7 of the NBA Finals, I heard the announcer say "The Los Angeles Lakers are the 2010 World Champions."

I've always thought it's really arrogant that NBA teams proclaim themselves 'World Champions' for winning their national competition.

Here's an article I wrote about it and the Miss Universe contest.

Enjoy- http://bleacherreport.com/articles/409088-why-the-2010-world-champion-lakers-should-be-stripped-of-their-title

Does anyone agree?

Is it American arrogance or just an outdated tradition?

Then the celtics aren't 2008 "world champions". Dumb. Do you honestly think the Euroleague has a chance against teams like ours? I don't quite know where else they play, but I do not think it can even compare.

That's right, the Celtics aren't 2008 "world champions".  They are the 2008 NBA champions.  They didn't beat any teams outside the US and Canada.

I do NOT honestly think the Euroleague has a chance against teams like ours.  That's not what I said at all.  I think the Celtics (or the Lakers for that matter) would absolutely smoke the best European team.

All I'm saying is that until they actually DO IT, it's presumtuous to call yourself world champion.

Also, my apologies to all about the double post.  I didn't mean that.  It timed out while I was posting but then it obviously had been submitted.

Sorry.

Thanks for the comments all.

Does nobody agree with my logic?

I noticed Gregg Popovich does.  I found an article in the Boston Herald where Pop talks about the same thing-

“The Spurs coach isn’t disputing any of Bill Russell’s titles, and he isn’t saying the Lakers actually beat the Celts in 2008. But he is a bit perturbed by the use of the word ‘world.’ ‘There are no world champions in the NBA, so anybody that has the flag up that says world champions is not correct,’ said Popovich prior to last night’s 94-73 Spurs win. ‘It’s not appropriate. The world champions, I believe, are the Spanish team right now. USA is the Olympic champion. The Lakers are the NBA champion. It doesn’t make sense for an NBA team to call themselves world champions. I don’t remember anybody playing anybody outside our borders to get that tag. Isn’t that true? I keep waiting for somebody to tell me I’ve missed something.’ When someone mentioned Toronto, Pop said, ‘There’s a team in Canada. That’s true. The world’s bigger than North America. I know sometimes we as arrogant Americans don’t respond to the rest of the world, but it’s true. There’s a big world out there.’”

[guava_wrench]

Yeah...doesn't look like that's going to happen!


hahahaha!!!  C'mon Boston fans, have a little self-respect!

LAKERS!!!!

banned! (ah, that was cathartic...)

Really banned? Is it for the pick, or so that he can't point out all the whining?

[horse]

As I watched game 7 of the NBA Finals, I heard the announcer say "The Los Angeles Lakers are the 2010 World Champions."

I've always thought it's really arrogant that NBA teams proclaim themselves 'World Champions' for winning their national competition.

Here's an article I wrote about it and the Miss Universe contest.

Enjoy- http://bleacherreport.com/articles/409088-why-the-2010-world-champion-lakers-should-be-stripped-of-their-title

Does anyone agree?

Is it American arrogance or just an outdated tradition?

Then the celtics aren't 2008 "world champions". Dumb. Do you honestly think the Euroleague has a chance against teams like ours? I don't quite know where else they play, but I do not think it can even compare.

That's right, the Celtics aren't 2008 "world champions".  They are the 2008 NBA champions.  They didn't beat any teams outside the US and Canada.

I do NOT honestly think the Euroleague has a chance against teams like ours.  That's not what I said at all.  I think the Celtics (or the Lakers for that matter) would absolutely smoke the best European team.

All I'm saying is that until they actually DO IT, it's presumtuous to call yourself world champion.

Also, my apologies to all about the double post.  I didn't mean that.  It timed out while I was posting but then it obviously had been submitted.

Sorry.

Thanks for the comments all.

Does nobody agree with my logic?

Alright, I see what you're getting at. Fair enough. But no one else has challenged the "World Champion" title, so it really doesn't matter. I think the title is fine as is simply because I don't think anyone can compare. Every other country knows basketball is simply our sport, so I think they let us be.

[horse]

Semantics.

As for those crying for Celtics fans to get over it.  I agree that the Lakers won the series and as hard as it is to admit they are the better team this year (by a narrow margin).  Still, this is a Celtics site, so it's natural to expect some griping around here - especially when the wounds are so fresh.

So lighten up.  

And CAPS DON'T MAKE YOUR VOICE LOUDER

the lakers were not the better team this year -  after a long and intense series, after the teams got thru trading haymakers back & forth for 6 games, the celtics were the ones who led the entire decisive game 7, the celtics who were basically in control the entire game, including three seperate double-digit leads, until ............

the 4th quarter.

what happened in the 4th quarter when it was apparent that if the teams were left to play it out and decide it among themselves, that the celtics were going to win and beat the lakers for the second time in three years and establish that they have been the best team of the last three seasons and that the '09 title will now have an unofficial asterik next it, it was at that point that the referees stepped in and determined the outcome.  

i now regard that decision as illegitimate.

Try to separate yourself from being a Celtics fan for just a second and pretend you're a neutral fan who just enjoys the NBA.  Do you really think that's an unbiased opinion?

It took me years to admit Magic Johnson was a decent player in the 80's and that those Lakers weren't a bunch of softy chokers.  I hated them then, and I hate them now, but they won game 7 by being mentally tougher and hitting shots when it mattered most.  Yes, there were a bunch of foul shots for the Lakers, but they were by and large legitimate because the Celtics were dead tired and incapable of legally defending any longer.

It's ok to give the opponent some credit, and still hold your head high in defeat.

no, i knew Magic was agreat player back in the 80's and i also knew that the Lakers were soft, which, they, in fact, were. very skilled team, but soft.

now soft means a couple of things, it means you do not like the more physical play of banging bodies for rebounds or driving the ball with aggression to the basket or using your body to knock the opponents out of their normal offensive patterns. but soft also means you are not mentally tough, you do not keep your focus on your game plan and on each possession and you tend to lose your composure as the pressure increases and you react by panicking.

the lakers were soft in '84, '86 and again 22 years later in '08, and they were soft this year as well. when the officials allowed the celtics to play normal playoff defense, the lakers panicked and quit running their offense and became very one-dimensional and they looked bewildered. of course, as we all know, the celtics were not allowed to play their normal defense come the 4th quarter of the deciding game.


also Redz - do me a favor and save your patronizing remarks for someone who doesn't understand basketball next time.

I think the Lakers proved that they were not soft this year. If they were, it would simply have been a repeat of 08. And it wasn't. The Lakers came out in full force this year and won. I think the Celtics age came into play in game 7 as they became too exhausted to keep up in the 4th quarter. The only logical explanation for some of those silly fouls they made late in the 4th is that they were too tired to defend legally (I don't think they're THAT stupid). And yes, they did make CLEAR fouls late in the 4th that really changed the game.

That does in fact make the Lakers the better team, just so you know.

[Redz]

Semantics.

As for those crying for Celtics fans to get over it.  I agree that the Lakers won the series and as hard as it is to admit they are the better team this year (by a narrow margin).  Still, this is a Celtics site, so it's natural to expect some griping around here - especially when the wounds are so fresh.

So lighten up.  

And CAPS DON'T MAKE YOUR VOICE LOUDER

the lakers were not the better team this year -  after a long and intense series, after the teams got thru trading haymakers back & forth for 6 games, the celtics were the ones who led the entire decisive game 7, the celtics who were basically in control the entire game, including three seperate double-digit leads, until ............

the 4th quarter.

what happened in the 4th quarter when it was apparent that if the teams were left to play it out and decide it among themselves, that the celtics were going to win and beat the lakers for the second time in three years and establish that they have been the best team of the last three seasons and that the '09 title will now have an unofficial asterik next it, it was at that point that the referees stepped in and determined the outcome.  

i now regard that decision as illegitimate.

Try to separate yourself from being a Celtics fan for just a second and pretend you're a neutral fan who just enjoys the NBA.  Do you really think that's an unbiased opinion?

It took me years to admit Magic Johnson was a decent player in the 80's and that those Lakers weren't a bunch of softy chokers.  I hated them then, and I hate them now, but they won game 7 by being mentally tougher and hitting shots when it mattered most.  Yes, there were a bunch of foul shots for the Lakers, but they were by and large legitimate because the Celtics were dead tired and incapable of legally defending any longer.

It's ok to give the opponent some credit, and still hold your head high in defeat.

no, i knew Magic was agreat player back in the 80's and i also knew that the Lakers were soft, which, they, in fact, were. very skilled team, but soft.

now soft means a couple of things, it means you do not like the more physical play of banging bodies for rebounds or driving the ball with aggression to the basket or using your body to knock the opponents out of their normal offensive patterns. but soft also means you are not mentally tough, you do not keep your focus on your game plan and on each possession and you tend to lose your composure as the pressure increases and you react by panicking.

the lakers were soft in '84, '86 and again 22 years later in '08, and they were soft this year as well. when the officials allowed the celtics to play normal playoff defense, the lakers panicked and quit running their offense and became very one-dimensional and they looked bewildered. of course, as we all know, the celtics were not allowed to play their normal defense come the 4th quarter of the deciding game.


also Redz - do me a favor and save your patronizing remarks for someone who doesn't understand basketball next time.

will do

Still seems to be making excuses for a loss to me, but you've supported your point and you clearly believe it to be true.  In my view it seems emotional and I guess I'm tired of hearing the whining (from the masses).  In my view the Lakers earned the game through busting their butts on the glass, and any reasoning that detracts from their effort doesn't give them enough credit.  Like I said, it's not easy for me to admit that the Lakers deserve it, but just because they got to the free throw line a bunch doesn't mean they don't deserve the win.

Sorry if my doubt of your resolve came across as patronizing.  It was more just questioning the motivation of your position - which I guess is patronizing.  So sorry for the tone, just frustrating to me that the difficult task I've had of giving the Lakers credit is not seen by all.  But if we all agreed on here there'd be nothing to chat about.

As for understanding the game; there are plenty of fine examples of experts with vast canyons of knowledge about basketball whose opinions can be slanted based on their allegiances.

[ChiefMcHale]

The 4th qtr was fixed.  It was ridiculously lopsided by the officiating. 6 fouls by the Celitcs were highly questionable.   Gasol committed 5 violations and got bailed out with 3 fouls on the Celitcs by the refs, while getting called for exactly nothing the entire qtr. Lakers only scored 3 baskets in the paint all qtr and that includes Gasol's infamous up and down.

Gasol got called for nothing the entire 4th qtr.

[Q_FBE]

I came, I saw, I climbed the mountain up to Dr Naismath's office and he regretted to inform me that he awarded the title to the Lakers.


OK whatever.

I made the trip, the commitment, the tommy point donation, and the executed the lucky charms and I did not get paid. Painful, but C'est La Vie.

No, the Lakers should not be stripped of their title. Ronnie hit a 3 pointer to get it on 2 possestions for the Lakers. We wanted Ronnie to take that shot so we could get the rebound and go down there and tie the mother up and win it in OT (or 2 or 3).

****......