For the most part, I care little for the NBA or MLB regular seasons, as there is typically a lack of intensity, but I really enjoy playoffs. Sunday night’s Lakers-Celtics game had a surprising conclusion (a Celtics win in LA), and passionate, skilled play (Rajon Rondo is sometimes a wizard with the basketball.). There is also in these series’ a chess match of sorts between the coaching staffs. Doc Rivers, the Celtics coach, gets a chance to match up with Phil Jackson, perhaps the NBA’s best all-time coach. Rivers would probably tell you “it’s all about the players,” but don’t believe a word of that. These men like to compete, and I love to watch it all play out.
This will sound odd given the above, but the winning and losing has always been less important to me than the opportunity high-level competition provides to expand individual and corporate abilities. Andrew Bynum’s team lost on Sunday, for example, but he gave a passionate and skilled performance. Reports the next day suggested he thinks that was a waste, but it certainly won’t be a waste in the long-term and—Who knows?—what he and his team mates and coaches are learning about his capabilities may well help turn the series in LA’s direction.
Sports Illustrated’s Chris Ballard thinks this may be an “epic” series (Ballard "epic"). I sure hope so. The b-ball on TV may drive my girls crazy, but in an odd sort of way it is fuel for my soul: the opportunity to turn away from my personal and work challenges and watch people who are the best in the world challenge each other to be better. I love it.
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