The NBA Finals: Where Retro Happens

It's June which means it's time for the NBA Finals. A time where given the last ten years there have been very few good series. But this year could be one of those good series. The Los Angeles Lakers vs the Boston Celtics. Two perenniel powerhouse teams. One of the most storied rivalries in all of sports.

It is a rivalry that spends decades. From the 60s with Russell vs West to the 80s with Bird vs Magic to today. Most people are calling this the dream matchup between Kobe and the Big Three (Garnett, Allen, Pierce).

Personally, while I think this will be a good series, I think it won't match in comparison the times in the 80s when the Lakers and Celtics were dominant. That was an era in basketball that was tremendous. I probably was spoiled as a child growing up watching such great basketball. The whole NBA was great but just to name players off these two teams with the "Showtime" Lakers with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, A.C. Green, Byron Scott, Micheal Cooper, Kurt Rambis and the vaunted Boston Celtics with Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Dennis Johnson, Danny Ainge, Gerald Henderson and Bill Walton (who was just hanging on there at the end). But I named those guys off the top of my head without having to look them up and look how many guys I named some 20 something years later. I would be hard pressed to name the starting five for many teams in the NBA today.

Those series in the 80s were tremendous. Games where both teams scored well over 100 points. Several Hall of Famers on each team on the court at the same time. Great arenas like the Boston Garden and The Forum.

I say all that to say that while I'm excited about this year's finals for the first time in a few years, it doesn't compare to those years growing up watching guys like Larry and Magic. Then again, I'm sure there are kids now that say this is the best basketball. That's the thing about growing up.

Prediction: Celtics in 5