Well, well, well . . look who just fervently sashayed in
This has, of course, been a strange season. An unprecedented and intimidating year. Changes in our world, our country, our personal lives and in our sports landscape.
The loss of Kobe and Gianna.
The escape of athletic entertainment was taken from us briefly, but thankfully the democratic process and the athletes' love of the game (not to mention the TV revenue) brought about a well-planned re-start to the game we love to watch. LeBron, AD and the squad stepped up, claimed the greatness they knew they were capable of, and are now 48 minutes away from bringing to Laker Nation a prize we so desperately need in these days . . a glorious return to Showtime against the very man who stepped out of the broadcast booth in an Armani suit and dazzled us all in the 80s.
Of course sports doesn't mean much to tens of millions around the world who are struggling, battling and suffering through the most challenging times we've seen in our lifetimes, perhaps ever. But the draw of competition, the desire to compete and the goal to complete a quest that has always been the number one priority for this legendary franchise has powered this team to reach the throne which has eluded us for a decade.
Miami has proven they belong here. Jimmy Butler has proven he belongs in the same company as the other elites in the league, and Spoelstra has proven that he is one of the best coaches the NBA has ever seen. When we defeat them, there will be no loud cheers from an arena full of diehard fans, there will be no swarms of people hugging and embracing, there will be no grand downtown parade with thousands lining the streets. There will only be the title, the trophy, the recognition of a job well done and a reflection of how this season has been as much about coming together as people from all ethnicities and nationalities as it has been about offense, defense and statistics.
The few of us who have been True Fans through all that has happened . . the Buss family power struggle, the Ball family chaos, the struggle to weed out which one of our young players was worth keeping, the tragic loss of our most impactful player and the social madness that has ensued between the Black Lives Matter demonstrations and the scramble to live differently in a world dictated by social distancing and masks covering our smiles . . has left us drained, confused and yet still hopeful that the world we have always known has not been lost.
Should the NBA begin next season in January or later, it may or may not be 82 games. It may not return to chartered flights between 32 cities with fans allowed to actually enter arenas. But with this, the Lakers' 17th title as a franchise, guided and represented by the best player in a generation and one of the greatest athletes and ambassadors sports has seen, we can rest assured that the fall of the Clippers and the return of the Warriors will make next year that much more challenging.
Thanks to all the folks who take time to post in this special blog spot. I wish we could have retained more of the Seagram Sevens, the Lewstrs, the KJ Kirbys and KPMcleans, but hopefully wherever they are I hope they and their families are safe, healthy and cheering on our Lakers.