Get youself ready because this NBA Finals is going to be a doozy. Once again the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are meeting to decide who will be the top team. The Lakers are the reigning champs and have home court advantage over the powerful veteran team of the Celtics. When these teams meet remarkable things happen and legends are made. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson brought it to the national stage decades ago and now Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant will bring it back. Buckle up, because it will be something to remember.
The Stanley Cup Finals are already well under way and the Chicago Blackhawks hold a 2-0 lead over the Philadelphia Flyers. Chicago has been the favorite going into the series and seems to have a firm grasp on the series but never count out the underdog. The Flyers have been the underdog their entire playoff run (as a 7th seeded team) so they know how to fight. Will they have the heart to battle back this time?
So gear up with your drinks and snacks because these games should not be missed. The basketball games have the possibility to be legendary and talked about for years so if you want to be able to say you saw it happened make sure to watch. Make sure your kids are watching too because they will never forget seeing Mommy or Daddy cheering on their team and the aftermath of whatever happens. Trust me, those things stick with you and become cherished memories in later years.
But the NBA better make sure to wrap up fairly quickly, the 2010 World Cup is on the way next week and that is an event that puts any other to shame. So get your fill of these sports because soon they will be gone and the focus will be on the world stage as America looks to make a run at the FIFA World Cup.
Top Picks
1. NBA Finals – Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers – June 3 & 6 @ 9 pm
This rivalry goes back decades and has been built on mounds of hostility. There is just something about each other that makes these teams despise and want to kill the other. This makes for fantastic games, especially when the championship is on the line. What makes this particular series even better is that is is virtually a rematch of the 2008 Finals when the Lakers (with a newly acquired Pau Gasol) were beaten by the newly formed and very powerful Celtics. With the exception of a few players, those same teams are meeting again. Each with a cohesiveness that wasn’t there before and that makes the series completely different. This is what Kobe Bryant has been dreaming about ever since losing to the Celtics a couple years ago. He will come out and play with more intensity than ever before and leave everything on the court. But don’t worry, the Celtics have plenty of firepower to hold up.
This will be a hard and very physical series that could go down as the best series ever. Make sure to watch every minute because you never know when one of the slew of all-star caliber players will show greatness. You will want to these guys come out and give it everything they have because with these two teams the trophy doesn’t matter (give them a box of chocolates for all they care) because this one is simply about beating the other team. It doesn’t get much better than this.
2. NHL Stanley Cup Finals – Philadelphia Flyers vs. Chicago Blackhawks – June 2 & 4 @ 8 pm
The best thing the NHL has going for it is that it wisely scheduled these games on nights the NBA won’t be on. As great as hockey championships are, they don’t hold a candle to the NBA in most parts of the country. But for those of you who are rabid hockey fans (and believe you me, there are armies of them) these finals have a great storyline that are easy to follow. The upstart Philadelphia Flyers continue the Cinderella-esque playoff run after beating higher ranked teams to make it where they are. But they are in the hole 0-2 against a Blackhawk team that has been dominant all season. These two teams go way back in the NHL and the Blackhawks have always been one of the top in the league while the Flyers have had good teams here and there but never steady greatness. But the one thing all those teams had for Philly was that they were truly special teams. They were always colorful bunches, like the Broadstreet Bullies of the 70’s, who won in their own way but did it as a team. Can this team step up and become one of the greats?
Unfortunately, if the Blackhawks win on Wednesday the series is all but done for the Flyers. But if they can fight back and get a win, this series will be wide open and any team’s to win. Watch on Wednesday and see if the Flyers have the heart to do it.
Quick Picks
- Baseball is just waiting in the wings to step up once the championships have been played out. For now, check out these Power Rankings to see who’s good and who is already looking forward to next season.
- A few weeks ago, I would have told you Jimmie Johnson would cruise to his 5th consecutive Sprint Cup trophy. But now…not so much. The standings are changing, check them out to see who is at the top now.
