Brookey's Cafe Blog

Happy Monday!

I'm out of the office today, and Rameer is my guest blogger - so this is the ONLY reason I have ANYTHING Kobe related on my blog today. While I admittedly am not his biggest fan, I have nothing against the Lakers. I couldn't care less who wins, and both teams are worthy - but I've said I feel the Lakers will take it...and Rameer can articulate why. So with that said...

The Top 10 Reasons The Lakers Will Beat The Celtics...by Rameer Green.

I'm writing this after Game 1 - and this series will more than likely be a long, hard-fought series. But allow me to infuse y'all with some reality amongst all the hate, hype and hyperbole...

1. THE PHIL FACTOR. I don't know what's up with people not wanting to admit this man is a basketball genius, but you don't get 10 rings being a "decent" coach. Oh, people like to say "Well, he had Jordan AND Kobe" - and? Other coaches have had greats - West, Bird, Kareem, Dr. J, Magic, Moses, etc. - the only one I see in Phil's neighborhood is Red Auerbach. No one disavows HIS coaching skill, now do they?

You still gotta WIN GAMES. And Phil is a master at getting the best out of talent. What other coach would have Shannon Brown as a key contributor? The same Shannon Brown who couldn't make Cleveland's roster (yes, with LeBron) and couldn't get any time for the Charlotte Bobcats?

And his mind games are so smooth...witness Game 1. Leading up to the game, all he talked about was how intense and tough the Celts would be. So what happens? The refs call the game UBER-tight, the Celts tone down their usual intense, tough, physical gameplay, and it's THE LAKERS who come out trying to chump fools! Classic Phil - he set that thing up all week with his comments. Even Doc Rivers couldn't believe how soft his tough guys played...but he fell for it too. Sitting Kendrick Perkins down for long stretches even though he wasn't in foul trouble so he didn't get another possible tech...

Phil is the man. Oh - and for those who don't know - he's 47-0 all-time in series that he's won game 1. Sort of like last night...

2. HOME COURT ADVANTAGE. Funny how people like to ignore it when it doesn't favor their team or the team they're rooting for. Truth is this - the Lakers are overwhelmingly good at home, haven't lost at home in the playoffs in 2010, and are 28-3 at home over the past 3 seasons.

Um...yeah.

3. PAU GASOL. Seriously...I think the majority of these fail monkeys don't watch any games, just ESPN highlights. Everyone wants to make it Kobe vs. the Big Three, but there's a very good reason all the experts and analysts keep using the term "best big man in the game" in relation to dude. While I don't agree (I'd put him #2 next to a healthy Tim Duncan), he is truly an awesome force. And yes, he's EQUIVALENT to Kevin Garnett. Garnett is a great player, but he's living off of past reputation at this point - Gasol can get you just as many rebounds, points and blocks - and is a better passer. So really, it's more like The Big Three vs. The Big Two.

4. RON RON PHENOMENON. Have you people forgotten this guy is a former All-Star and former defensive player of the year? Apparently so. IDIOTS (and yes, I'm calling you such if you believed this) stupidly said getting Artest over Trevor Ariza wasn't a good move. Considering it allowed Kobe Bryant to not have to guard the other team's best guard/forward for the first time in over a decade, I'd say it was an EXCELLENT move. And, he's the only dude in the NBA who could possibly intimidate the entire Celtics frontline. Cuz everybody knows - Ron Ron might really flip on you if you test him the wrong way.

Besides - his insistence on mentioning Queensbridge in EVERY PLAYOFF INTERVIEW HE DOES is the funniest, most hood thing I may have ever seen in the NBA Playoffs.

5. THE WOMEN FACTOR. Now, some of you won't like this. Some will say it's sexist, chauvinist, whatever. But it's TRUE, and I don't care...

Whomever a majority of women are cheering for almost never wins in the NBA.

Why? Cuz for every woman I know who knows her ish and can actually offer up good basketball analysis (some of whom are tagged in this note), there are 15 MORE who are rooting for a team because a player is cute, they like the uniform colors, they don't like the opposing team's player, etc. Nothing remotely rational or reasonable for why they "think" a team is going to win - and just cuz you WANT something to happen doesn't mean it WILL. But women seem to forget this for some odd reason.

Fact remains - in my entire life, whenever I see a majority of women cheering for one team over the other...the team they're cheering for RARELY wins. In 2008, most women I know didn't care...now they all care and want the Celts to win?

Thanks for the nail in the coffin, ladies.

6. CONVENIENT AMNESIA. This is what A LOT of people have at this time of year. After the Lakers won last year - and this is a FACT - the entire NBA reacted to trying to match up to beat them. Orlando went and got Vince Carter to have a go-to guard and closer since Hedo Turkoglu wasn't that guy; they also got Brandon Bass and re-signed Martin Gortat to match the Lakers' size. The Cavs grabbed Shaq and brought Jamison in to beat the Magic IN ORDER to get to the Lakers and their size - and had 5 big men to prove it. Boston grabbed Rasheed to have ANOTHER big man to go along KG, Perkins and Davis. Phoenix, Dallas, Miami, Portland, Houston, New Orleans, etc. - it was no secret that teams all made moves to try to keep up with them.

Why would all these teams make roster moves to compete with ONE TEAM? Cuz that team is the obvious #1 team in the league. Don't believe me? - go read some ESPN articles quoting your favorite team's GM.

7. THE REVENGE FACTOR. The Lakers and their fans live for rivalries. The biggest rivalry in all of pro sports - the only one comparable is Yankees-Red Sox - is Lakers-Celtics. And nothing hurts more than losing to them. The entire organization is hell-bent on extracting revenge. Don't let the nice quotes fool you - they want BLOOD.

8. THE BAD GUY FACTOR - Duke basketball. The Dallas Cowboys. NY Yankees. And yes, the L.A. Lakers. These teams are HATED by many. Why? Cuz historically, they WIN. And losers HATE winners. Which is why these teams have so many haters - many people have teams that are nowhere near as successful, and can't stand the teams that are good every year - cuz they wish their team could be that way. Likewise, many people have a subconscious loser's mentality - I'll break that down another day.

But the hated teams are watched by EVERYONE. The people that love them want to see them win; the people that hate them want to watch them lose. In order to maintain your standing as an ultimate Bad Guy Team, you simply have to do one thing - keep winning.

All of the teams I mentioned do that WELL - year in and year out.

9. THE KOBE FACTOR. I saved this one until near the end. I don't care why some of you hate him. It's nonsensical. "He's too cocky/arrogant" - so is every other great player in most sports. By actions and words, LeBron James has proven himself to be much worse than Kobe...but gets nowhere near as much criticism cuz he has cool commercials.

And let me just put it on blast - many Black women still have issues - whether subconscious or conscious - with him marrying a non-Black woman and/or getting caught up with a *white girl* in Colorado. I could care less about their racial hang-ups.

No, this is about people trying to invent reasons every year to discredit one of the 5 greatest players to EVER play the game every year. But the great thing is, haters actually validate his greatness with their need to try to say someone's better. Don't believe me? Here's a list of players who at one time were said to be better than Kobe...and none of them have ever proven themselves to BE better:

Penny Hardaway, Scottie Pippen, Grant Hill, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, Chris Paul, Lebron James, Paul Pierce, Michael Finley, D.Wade, Ray Allen, Kerry Kittles.

The only dude who is his peer is Tim Duncan. This dude is the greatest player of his generation. The only dude you can seriously compare him to is Jordan - and it doesn't even matter if he's better. The point is - this dude is so good you don't even THINK to mention Magic, Bird, Dr. J, etc. when putting him in historical context?!?

Hate him all you want. He's THE BUSINESS. And every NBA player freely admits it - past and present. Do you haters really think EVERY PLAYER AND COACH IS LYING? ALL THESE YEARS??

Respect greatness. Chumps.

10. THE RAMEER FACTOR. Oh, you didn't think I'd leave MYSELF out of this, did you? Lmao...fact is, since I've been a young adult - I'd say from 17 and on - my closest family and friends know one thing for certain about me - I'm usually right when it comes to sports I watch. And if I don't know or don't have a good idea, I don't offer my opinion. No, I'm not right all the time - no one is. But my Dad freely admits - as he puts it - I "know my ish." He freely takes my words, adopts my predictions and says them to his friends, and laughs at them when he's right. I especially tend to pick the NFL, NBA and college football right. Used to be college basketball, but I haven't been that good in the past 3 years...but basically, since I actually am a stat nerd, analyze stuff to the most minute detail, and actually WATCH THE GAMES regularly...I will confidently say (cuz history bears out that it's true) that I'm right way more than the average fan/viewer, and that I tend to be right way more than even most experts. And I NAME the experts that are usually better than me at making picks (Kenny Smith on TNT may get clowned, but that dude knows his ISH).

I'll never let it be forgotten I called the New Orleans Saints out as this year's Super Bowl Champions before any team even played a single preseason game. My girl Juanita ran with that pick all year as soon as I made it, and wound up looking like a GENIUS to all her male friends down in DC. They have no idea she simply listened to me and acted like it was her own pick.

And yes - I've won A LOT of money off of people due to this. Which is why I can't get anyone close to me to bet me any more. Oh - and I'll freely admit I was wrong in 2008 - I couldn't foresee the Celtics chumping Gasol and Odom like that.

There you have it. For the record - for those who don't know - I PREDICTED Lakers-Celtics before the season began, once Boston signed Rasheed Wallace. And, I predicted Lakers in 7 back then...and I stand by my prediction. Now, I may not be right on the number of games - but I'm pretty sure I'll be right on the eventual winner.

And you'll know when I'm right - cuz you'll regret the day you opened your mouth and told me I'd be WRONG. No one rubs it in like the god.

So, to all Celtics fans - go drown your sorrows in some Lucky Charms or somethin'. To all Kobe haters - keep it up. Remember - He *loves* you.

-Rameer