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The NBA needs a Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals. I think it would signal the official return of the NBA by revisiting glory years gone past.

You know, I hear that argument a lot, about the "glory days" of the Lakers and Celtics.

But wasn't it a guy named Michael Jordan that really made the NBA a global game, and accessible to most people?

so you think the bulls should be in the finals?

Optimism Prime wrote:You know, I hear that argument a lot, about the "glory days" of the Lakers and Celtics.

But wasn't it a guy named Michael Jordan that really made the NBA a global game, and accessible to most people?

The league was on it's death bed before Magic and Bird came to save it.

Okay? How does that effect us now? Do we need the markets of LA and Boston to be into it? Or did it have more to do with Magic and Bird? Especially Boston. Is the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country really that critical for basketball support? No.

I certainly don't need it.

CITYOFANGELSX3 wrote:so you think the bulls should be in the finals?

Bulls-Knicks Conference Finals is what we need. But the Knicks need to be in the Finals vs. the Lakers who defeat Golden State (San Francisco is a Beta city after all) in the Western Conference Finals.

NBA doesn't need those teams it needs those cities. Low ratings from a smaller market like SA isn't what the NBA would like to see in the finals but that's what they are going to get when quality organizations compared to say oh... I don't know . . . New York

Optimism Prime wrote:You know, I hear that argument a lot, about the "glory days" of the Lakers and Celtics.

But wasn't it a guy named Michael Jordan that really made the NBA a global game, and accessible to most people?

I can't tell if you're being serious or not, but either way, the NBA saw a perfect storm of greatness when the Celtics-Lakers rivalry officially started in 79. That opened up the media blitz of MJ to begin with.

i dont like it but dont think i havent been thinking it. i'm most concerned that it will be awfully tough to catch any breaks at staples center for the next couple months.

i'll say it right now and someone can remind me should i be bitter at some point - Lakers-C's would be great for the NBA and people would do somethiing they dont do when teams like the spurs play in the Finals - WATCH

I use to really like the Lakers back in the day

But I can't stand Kobe, no matter how good a player he is.
Maybe he was cursed at birth by being named for a piece
of meat. Other than Kobe, I like the Lakers. But I won't
root for them, and I won't be that motivated to watch either.

LOL at the ABC guy on the national game today mouthing off
about Kobe. Read the transcripts of his police interview, Kobe's
own words, and say that stuff with a straight face. It's all about
money for the networks and for a lot of fans, they just want to
root for a winner so they can feel good about themselves.

As a Celtics fan, I really want us to face the Lakers. I've been waiting forever to have the Celtics be popular again. In college you could hear the cheers all over campus when the sox got a run or the pats a goal but nothing for the celts. I fear that a Celtics Spurs finals wouldn't be that exciting.

Boston vs Phoenix would be appealing as well.

Celts vs Suns would be a good series too!

The Spurs are just plain BORING, during a Spurs game they should just set the Camera on Mrs. Parker and listen to the game.. And Duncan has to be the most boring Top-50 player of all time..

If Lakers vs Celts don't happen this year, then next year for sure..

Optimism Prime wrote:You know, I hear that argument a lot, about the "glory days" of the Lakers and Celtics.

But wasn't it a guy named Michael Jordan that really made the NBA a global game, and accessible to most people?

no

Actually market size is not correlated with tv ratings for the NBA finals. So just having the LA or Boston in the Finals won't do anything. But having all of those superstars (KG, Pierce, Kobe, ect...) will increase the ratings. Statistically speaking there is more evidence that Bird and Magic (the players) had more to do with the high ratings rather than the laundry they were wearing.

if they want to revisit the "glory days" they can watch reruns of the LAkers - celtics finals.

it would be a great series to watch honestly but i dont think it will ever mean the same thing as it use to be

TheSheriff wrote:Actually market size is not correlated with tv ratings...

Excellent point. At the end of the day it is all about the product. Don't get me wrong I love basketball, but let's face it these days the super bowl or the world series will draw more viewers regardless of the market sizes of the finalists.

Besides, TV revenues for the NBA have been steadily increasing despite falling viewerships. They have been able to get more money out of the networks and cable companies in exchange for internet broadcast rights.

And I hope that the Spurs and Pistons give the bandwagoners and casual (fake) basketball fans two long firm middle fingers with a 2005 rematch.

leevii wrote:And I hope that the Spurs and Pistons give the bandwagoners and casual (fake) basketball fans two long firm middle fingers with a 2005 rematch.

well there must be only about 9 (real) nba fans because thats all that watch when these teams play. surprising, as riveting as a 72-69 nba game is...