Oh Lordy Lordy. No wonder I haven't felt the need to keep up with General Hospital these last months. Just following the NBA is drama enough.
I'll start with the low and end with the high, so as to stay positive.
First, the lowest of the low, the ugly: Corrupt NBA Official Tim Donaghy
In an article in the New York Times, former & now disgraced NBA official Tim Donaghy was quoted as stating, "that N.B.A. executives directed referees 'to manipulate games' in order to 'boost ticket sales and television ratings,'" in a letter he wrote to United States District Court in Brooklyn.
Read the full article with all the sordid details here.
Next is the bad: Schill's Shrill Blog about Kobe
Mr Crazy Big Mouth Pain in the Ass AKA The Sultan of Bloody Socks AKA Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling blogged about his observations of how nasty Kobe Bryant was to his fellow teammates during game 2 at the Garden last weekend. Kobe responded by saying "Go Yankees" which lacks its sting considering the Yanks are tied for last place in the AL East, but that's Kobe for you. Socially awkward. It's because he was raised in Italy. If it were anyone else criticizing Kobe, I'd be all for it, but since it Curt Schilling, who I have absolutely no patience for, I'm all set with that.
More details on the fiasco at Yahoo Sports.
And finally, to the good: Unbuntu- to the Team, to the Fans and to the City
Remember last week when I got all preachy and sentimental about the Celtics this year being a special team, because they thought and acted a team, not as individuals? For instance, at the end of game 2, after Paul Pierce was interviewed for the post-game show, he turned around at waved to the fans. He slapped hands with the leaners-into-the-tunnel. He took his headband off and threw it into the crowd. As the camera followed him walking into the tunnel, he stopped, turned around, and remembered to take his wrist band off and throw that into the crowd of adoring fans. I was like, "Wha??!"
And Monday, in LA, after Kobe was interviewed he--walked straight into the tunnel without acknowledging a soul, much less turning around to remember that there's a devoted fan out there who would cherish a sweaty piece of rubber band and terry cloth.
That difference in leadership shows the difference in teams: LA is the same old same old showboatin' selfish but good players. The Celtics are very very different. Well, it was by sheer observation that I thought of this. And it turns out, I was right on because that has been their philosophy all season long.
This philosophy is centered around one saying: unbuntu. It is a southern African philosophy that is hard to put into words but loosely can mean, "I am because of you." (We've come a long way from "How you like me now boy?", haven't we?) Juxtapose (SAT word!) that with Kobe getting down on his team and you can see why the Celts are up 2-1 in the series despite predictions to the contrary.
Unbuntu is the word they chant in the huddle before playing, too. If you google "unbuntu" and "celtics" you'll get quite a few articles explaining it. I heard about it -- where else but? -- on NPR, specifically WBUR's Here and Now. If you want to hear the full story, click on this link and scroll down to the word "Unbunto" then click on the "Listen" icon.
See what I mean about leaving on a positive note? And to everyone reading my blogs: thanks. Unbuntu. (ha ha , der )
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