If there was an easy way to sort out the chaotic flux of emotions circulating its way through every crevice of your nerves, it wouldn’t be Game 7 between the Lakers and Celtics.
For both teams, the ramifications of winning and losing are overtly obvious and brimming with clarity, perhaps even too much so. If any player involved requires added motivation or fuel to the fire, they really don’t deserve to take part in what has all the makings of one of the most phenomenal games in NBA and sports history period. With that said however, Big Baby sure didn’t mince any words in bluntly stating, “we deserve it more”. Anyone got a bib? Actually, how about a XXXL snuggie? I’m not even going to get into this one. No matter how you want to chalk it up, Game 7 of this series is a match that is a glorious gift handed down to us all by the basketball gods. In 62 years, the NBA has only seen 17 Game 7’s and tonight’s contest will be only the third in the last 21 years, fifth all-time between L.A. and Boston.
To put it all in perspective, consider exactly what we are about to witness. There will be roughly five potential Hall of Famers, six All-Stars, two former league MVP’s, two Finals MVP’s and an already inducted Hall of Fame coach in Phil Jackson, participating in Game 7. Doc Rivers is no slouch himself either as he is an excellent NBA head coach. There’s no feasible way it can get any better than this.
As Laker fans, however seasoned or freshly minted, a victory will go further than serving as just another championship and banner to hang inside of the Staples Center. This is for Laker legends like Jerry West who endured six gut-wrenching losses to the Celtics in the title round, even garnering Finals MVP honors from the losing side in 1969. That series by the way, ended in seven games as well.
Basically, we can’t lose. Really, we just can’t.
NEXT: For the Fans.
