I was six in 1991, Eric. I do remember the Lakers quitting in 2008, but I feel the 40 point beat down and the quitting by the Cavs in the last 50 seconds was worse. I'm pretty Mike Brown was telling them to foul with 50 seconds left, and they just outright ignored him. That's insane.
It was worse with the Nets because Byron Scott didn't even tell his team to foul and they actually still had a legit chance to win the game. The team was looking for him to call it and he didn't. He just let it end.
That's true. It got forgotten due to his overall brilliant career and personality, but in 1981, in the first round of the playoffs, in what turned out to be the clinching game, LA was down by 1 and coach Paul Westhead instructed Magic to get the ball into Abdul-Jabbar for the final shot. Magic blew off the instruction and took the shot himself...he missed and the defending champion Lakers were out in the first round. After the game, assistant coach Pat Riley said that Magic Johnson had suffered from "disease a moi"...disease of "me." Johnson subsequently lobbied to have Westhead removed. These things happen, even with the most storied players. This isn't exactly a shining moment for James, but he'll have many years to build a legend that will leave this as a little-remembered footnote (except in Cleveland).
Fuck all this talk about LBJ's free agency. We just saw Shaq playing NBA basketball for the last time ever. I am certain that he's done. I'm also baffled that there is NO talk about this anywhere.
27-19-10, yes 9 turnovers too, but he certainly didn't look like he quit. It looked like he was somewhat limited physically.
If you're right, I'm personally pretty glad. Incredibly effective player in his prime, with the way the game was officiated, but a really crappy style of basketball, IMO. And his personal style and attitude (on the court) was annoying to me. I think he's a top-ten player of all-time but I won't be sad to see him go.
I think that game bears out the point that it is very hard to win a championship. There are a lot more "just missed" than titles, something we Blazers fans sure know. Everything has to fall right, the right mix of players, the right coach, just plain luck, and an indefinable something - I think best defined by Rudy Tomjanovich, the heart of a champion. I think it's no accident that as the playoffs move along the Lakers and Celtics look stronger; they won the last 2 titles and have most of the same group. (This is regardless of what we think of those two teams.) I think that once a team gets over the hump, wins a title, they have the advantage because they KNOW they can do it. Others just HOPE. It also blows the conspiracy buffs "NBA is fixed" bs. Last year at the beginning of the postseason, one sportswriter actually wrote that the whole playoffs were a waste of time, they should move directly into the Finals because "everyone" wants "Kobe" vs. "LeBron" (not Lakers vs. Cavaliers). Well, as we know, that did not happen. This year would be an even better story line, "Kobe" vs. "LeBron" and "Kobe" vs. "Shaq". Well, LeBron and Shaq are out. And maybe, just maybe, we'll get luck and Kobe will be out too. BTW, a post on the conservative web site redstate.com said conservatives should root for the Lakers. The poster described a passionate loathing for the Lakers that would do credit to a Blazers fan, but said they had to be supported because of "Los Suns", Steve Nash in particular, taking a stand against racism and scapegoating. Now that LA has joined the boycott...
