Life Lessons From The NBA Finals

Yes, it's all over. I realize that I may be a little late to the party. Simply posting game notes right now would be absurd and pointless. Surely so many other people have done a better and more thorough job than I could possibly do even on my best day. So, right now, with reality and lucidity setting in, I feel I can write a much better piece than I could have written right after the Celtics were crowned. So far, I can feel the (undeserved, inappropriate and frankly, out of left field) Celtic hate fleeting my body. Gone, too, is that sudden and creepy impulse to cheer for the Lakers (and Kobe, no less)! That will not be the most bizarre realization I will have, however. As soon as the Finals concluded, thoughts just poured into my mind. Not entirely about the NBA, mind you, but also about life. There's just too many great stories and characters here that simply deducing it to "winners" and "losers" just doesn't do this series justice. We all know the story by now. After years of toiling away for the Wolves, Kevin Garnett finally manages to break on through to the other side. Watching his post-game interview, seeing just how happy and relieved he was, really gave me goosebumps. I'm not exactly his biggest fan, but it was just so sweet to see him get his ring. If not for the fact that I was at work during that moment, I bet a tear would've been shed. It just feels so good because his victory is sort of like a validation that hard work truly pays off. I didn't always believe that, especially since I value "smart work" more than "hard work", but it works. KG just proved it. It's inspiring because here was a guy who was mad-talented (who certainly had enough clout to influence management) but kept it classy throughout the years. He may have shown some frustration (who hasn't?) but it was always of the "get me some help" variety instead of the standard "ship my ass out". He didn't want to leave 'Sota, he always wanted to stay. Even as recently as the 2006-2007 season, he was begging for Iverson to come to his team. Only when it seemed hopeless did he finally give up on the Wolves. Yet, when he won his title, he never forgot Minnesota. Loyalty. Apparently, wolves are also familiar with the concept. Then, here was this dude named Paul Pierce, who just wouldn't let his team lose. Here's a dude who, knowing that his window is slowly closing, just up and decided to take matters into his own hands and never let this one slip away. Remember the regret you felt when you didn't ask out that one special girl? Well, P-Double asked his out, and closed the deal to boot. The sense of urgency I saw in his every drive was phenomenal. It's called "seizing the day", and boy, did Paul ever seize. And that's just from two players. I won't even write about Rajon Rondo playing on a broken foot, Ray Allen putting family first but still knocking down 7 treys in the series clincher, and Doc Rivers' rise to prominence after his stint in coaching hell. (Please read the rest on the site. Thanks!)