Ticket to Ride

One thing I already miss with my whole heart is Kevin Garnett’s press interviews. Most interviews are plagued with sporting clichés such as “We came to play tonight,” “We have to get on the same page,” and “It could have gone either way,”

But one thing about KG- he is anything but typical. Just like him, his responses were raw, honest and emotional with the occasional swear word.

I already miss KG’s analogies such as comparing developing team chemistry to cooking tortillas or feeling excitement like driving with your head out of the window.

I had always heard about the myth of KG’s intensity before he arrived to Boston.

But I learned there is so much more to KG.

His intensity is just one characteristic of what makes him so special as a basketball player and human being. It’s his honesty that makes him so endearing to basketball purists.

I can already hear the haters. “KG is dirty,” “Garnett takes cheap shots,” “He’s all talk and can’t back it up.”

I can’t disagree with you. Yes, KG does talk a lot of smack and trash. And yes, KG has had a few objectionable moments. But, like the rest of us who have all had our moments, I’m sure he has regrets for his actions. It’s hard to believe but KG is human like all of us.

But one thing you cannot deny is his honesty. And being honest is allowing yourself to be honest with your emotions.

KG is certainly emotional. Any emotion he shares is 100% pure. If he’s excited, you’ll see him pounding his chest. If he’s happy, you’ll see him laughing with his team. If he’s overwhelmed, you’ll see him crying in interviews. If he’s disappointed, you’ll see him stressed with reporters. If he feels let down, you’ll see him pout and ignore former teammates.

So what? KG is emotional and it can lead to some predicaments at times. But he is just human- just like the rest of us.

It takes strength to be honest with your emotions whether it hurts or not. There are no positive or negative emotions- it is what it is. Whoever said there aren’t disappointments in life is just fooling themselves. Ultimately, if we try to deny our emotions, we will not be able to enjoy moments of happiness either.

It’s a privilege to not only witness KG’s basketball talent, but his ability to embrace the moment is what makes him special. 

The Truth is out there in hearts and minds

So it is official- Paul Pierce is no longer a Celtic. Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry were formally introduced to the Brooklyn Nets today. 

Whoever says that you need to get over things in life doesn't know what they're talking about. You don't ever get over things but you learn to cope. Ok, ok. I know it all sounds a little dramatic. In the end, everyone is still alive and it is just sport after all. But you cannot deny that there is a real significance to certain events, and this feels like one of those moments. 

I hate trades. Wait, no I don't.

I hate trading Paul Pierce.

Trading Pierce was sacrilege - and that’s without considering Kevin Garnett as well.

I believe Tim Duncan will be the last player to ever play for one team.

I hate how the NBA makes players feel like commodities.

General managers are stockbrokers. They buy (sign) and sell (amnesty or release) players. They assess the market for the value of their stocks (players) and trade.

The Celtics are different. They treated players like humans. They’ve retired all their greats. Bird, McHale, Russell, Cousy, Havlicek, Heinsohn. That was Red Auerbach’s legacy of loyalty. The way the team humanises its players is what makes the Celtics so endearing.

Pierce is one of the all time greatest Celtics. He only won one ring but he carried an irrelevant overmatched team for years in the NBA.

But it was his personal growth that more special to witness than anything to watch. After a near fatal stabbing in 2000, Pierce was once labeled as self-centered and egotistical in declaring himself as “the classic case of a great player on a bad team.” Pierce matured into an encouraging and dependable leader of the Celtics.

Pierce should have retired a Celtic. Pierce stayed loyal to the Celtics and never asked to be traded. He should have been afforded the same luxury.

Pierce was to the Celtics what Kobe is to the Lakers. The Truth was our anti-Kobe. The Truth stood for loyalty and being a good team player that sacrificed for the greater good of the team. Whereas Kobe loves standing on his soapbox disparaging team mates and making self-proclamations on second comings and greatness.

It’s why I hate trades. Well, that’s not true. That would be hypercritical. The Celtics acquired KG and Ray by trade. 

Honestly, I’m emotional about Paul leaving. I grew up watching him not only as a player but I looked up to him as an individual who overcame so much adversity in his life both on and off the court. After being stabbed 11 times in the face, neck and back, he is lucky to be alive. 

(This article about Paul Pierce was one of the first articles I wrote and it is one of my favourites - The Truth Always Comes Out)

But then again, maybe this is the send off he deserves. I would love nothing more to see him dethrone the Heat. Even in a Nets uniform.

I can even hear myself chanting now.

"Brooooooooklyyyyyn, Brooooooooklyyyyyn". 

But what do all of you think of the trade? Am I wrong? Or did the Celtics and Danny Ainge get this right? Leave comments and please follow on twitter @joelmoss9

Life lessons from sport

The first thing I learned, wait, cross that. The first thing I thought about sport was that it was about winning.

I couldn’t be more wrong. Nor am I alone.

I used to be a little crazy about my teams winning their games. Whether they won or lost would determine my mood for the rest of the week. If my team won, you couldn’t find a happier kid just buzzing with energy and bursting peoples’ eardrums with my loudness. But if heaven forbid, my teams lost, take cover. Although I still remained loud, I would be moody with feelings of agitation, annoyance and frustration as if I had lost the game myself.

Believe me, it was a lesson learned. I found out how hard it is to play sport, or trying to achieve anything else in life.

I realised it life trying to teach me one of the most important things in life:

IT’S ABOUT THE JOURNEY, NOT THE DESTINATION.

I am happy to say that I am no longer so emotionally invested in my sports teams and whether they win or lose. I have learnt to appreciate the attempt and the effort. And this transcends into life.

We aren’t perfect and sometimes things happen but it’s about what you have learnt on the way that makes us grow as people. It’s about growing from strength to strength.

In life, it’s not about getting the car, or the job, or the house-it’s about sharing the journey with the people that care about you- even if it is in their own crazy, twisted, screwed up ways.

Early Days

 

The Celtics scrape by the Washington Wizards and avoid falling into an 0 and 3 start to the season.

But Its not panic stations yet people.

The Celtics are more than a work in progress.

They are constructing a multiplex city.

Give them time.

You can see it building.

You can see doc is like a mad scientist experimenting with different line ups and players.

Do you really think Courtney Lee, Jeff Green and Jason Terry will keep struggling much longer?

Doc could just leave his starters in for longer periods to win games.

But Doc isn't coaching to win games. He's coaching to win championships.

This was a team built in the off season with the sole purpose of preparing for the playoffs.

This team has depth and flexibility to help keep the starters fresh. When the bench develops chemistry the team wont rely on the starters.

Give it time people. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Click the link to have a listen peeps! Jomo is on his rant!

Marketing Madness and Commercial Crap

Marketing madness and commercial crap

Forgive me if I am not all that excited for the NBA season to begin.

I am just not that invested in at the moment.

Don't mind the pun but the problem is that the whole thing feels like a big investment.

Not that it wasn't before with ads left, right and center but also smack bang in the middle of games as timeouts are taken specifically to stop the game and run even more ads.

Add to that, the near-disaster of the NBA lockout last season.

But now, just in case you somehow did not notice, the NBA and Commissioner Glutton Stern will shove the NBA and all its commerical and marketing glory down our throats in leaving a sour taste in everyone's mouths like an incurable hangover.

The final frontier for the NBA to create its Commercial version of Voltron has been overcome- there will be sponsors on jerseys.

I can't even fathom what is next. Athletes are covered in head-to-toe of sponsor apparel, players are contracted to tweet in endorsing companies, teams are required to drink and eat only certain products the NBA's marketing machine is Out. Of. Control.

Despite the bitching and moaning of owners and players, the NBA is blatantly not struggling for finances. They are like the billionaire who looks at all the multi-billionaires and cries about how poor he is. 

The greediness is spiraling.

Even matters that players discuss are influenced by marketing. The NBA PR machine is in full effect to support the marketing madness and commercial crap in creating the "family-friendly" image of the NBA.

The NBA is in desperate need to allow the pure innocence and the ideals of human nature of sport back into the game- not encourage effort based on monetary returns.

The one time I felt removed from all the craziness was when I was watching the game on the court inbetween all the commercialisation. Now that has been taken from us and I don't know if I can get over it.

Ray It Ain't So

And just like that, it’s over.

Although you knew it was coming, it still came out of nowhere.

Nothing could prepare the most protective Celtics fan for it.

The Big Three Version 2.0 is officially over.

Ray Allen is taking his talents to South Beach in joining the reigning NBA champions.

But nothing about it makes sense.

I would understand if there were financial reasons but the Celtics were offering twice as much.

It’s not as if the Celtics are in a rebuilding phase or just playoff contention. The Celtics were reloading for another run with the same aging team that everyone discredited during the season.

Do not tell me that Allen fell out of favour in Boston and had no other choice but to leave for somewhere he felt more appreciated.

You mean to say that Pierce and Garnett, two of the most hard headed players in the NBA could find a middle ground with the stubborn Rondo but Allen, labelled as the most diplomatic of people, could not?

Moreover, Danny Ainge who shops the NBA like he’s a real housewife of Beverly Hills offered Allen a no trade clause in his contract negotiations.

Does Allen really not expect to enter a Miami locker room full of even larger egos that form part of the self-proclaimed “Heatles”?

In the end what makes it difficult is in how it feels like Ray “Jesus” Allen made it a point to get back at the Celtics - the same organisation that traded half of its roster to gamble on brining the Big 3 together and win the NBA title that Allen had yearned for.

The same organisation that retained the Big 3 past its so-called “use-by date” despite all the criticism of being too old.

Maybe it’s all just a Boston bias on my part.

Perhaps what cuts deepest isn’t that Allen left but rather a symbolic concession of the end of the Celtics championship run.

Llama yes. Scapegoat no.

"Pau has got to be more aggressive."

Whaaaaaaat?

You can't be serious.

A victory in game four against Oklahoma City would have tied the series at 2 all.

With Kobe Bryant on the bench, the Lakers were up 91-78 with 8 minutes left.

But Kobe wasn't satisfied and decided to go into "Kobe-Ball".

If Kobe says "Pau has got to be more aggressive", than he certainly demonstrated how to.

Kobe returned to the court and shot 2-of-10, consequently surrendering an unassailable 13-point lead.

He missed five consecutive shots before finally passing to Bynum in the post. But by that time, Bynum who had scored 18 points, was already out-of-rhythm and missed the shot. 

Kobe's repertoire of forced shots involved double teams, turnaround jumpers, baseline traps, rushed 3-pointers- the whole works.

For Kobe to target Gasol is unexplainable.

You can call Gasol a llama but don't use him as your scapegoat.

Easy Life

I have a close friend who has the best motto, quote, whatever you want to call it.

It's simple but it says a lot.

"Easy Life".

Whenever things seem to get hard I just envision him telling me "no worries brother. Easy Life."

It puts everything back into perspective for me every time.

And believe me, I had to say it to myself about 1000 times today while I was watching the Celtics or what I like to call my-girl-next-door. (Re: previous post).

I don't even want to think about the fourth quarter again. Why must the Celtics make everything hard for themselves?

The cards are seemingly falling in favour of the Celtics in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls are eliminated, the Heat are microseconds away from self implosion and the 76ers gift wrapped game four for the Celtics.

Of course, instead of winning the game to a series commanding 3-1 lead and attempt to advance to the conference finals in game five at Boston, the Celtics capitulated and somehow blew an impossible game to lose.

"Easy life."

No rest for the Celtics MASH and its aging Big 3. No recovery for Paul's sprained MCL, Ray's ankles, Bradley's multiple-dislocated shoulder, Steimsma's injured knees or Pietrus' I-don't-even-know-what-injury. 

"Easy Life."

I know these Celtics love adversity. They strive with their backs against the wall. I'm sure they will win game five by 24 points, then lose game six and probably win in overtime in game seven.

"Easy life."

Come on Doc, tell them they have every right to have things easy on themselves now. Exactly the same way the Spurs are making it look easy in the West. That's what five years of playing together and becoming familiar with the system will do- particularly when you have the best point guard playing for your team. 

"Easy life."

When they make the conference finals and then advance to the finals, they will regret not making it as easy as they could have. Believe me, there will be nothing easy about playing the Thunder or Spurs. Not to mention without home court and that's assuming they get past the Pacers or Heat firstly.

"Easy Life."

At least make it easy for myself and fellow Celtic fans.

I'm in love with the girl next door

 Wow. I mean....just wow.

Firstly, I can't believe it's been a year.

I haven't touched this blog for a year.

I feel like I have neglected one of my children-call Child Services immediately!

Looking back at my last post, I can't believe how things have changed.

The Spurs and Mavs have seemingly traded places. After the Spurs crashed out of the first round last year, they are now on cruise control. This year, it was the Mavs who were swept out of the first round after re-Dirk-ulous carried the Mavs to championship glory.  

But looking closely, have things really changed that much?

I mean, the Heat, as Dennis Green says, are who we thought they are- a duet sensation with a mediocre supporting cast. I mean, seriously, the game plan is "Lebron-have-a-turn-now-Wade-you-try".

And the Celtics.....well, what do I say?

The Celtics are still a terrible tease like the girl next door. Sometimes you get a quick glimpse at all its beauty leaving you to daydream about what could be. And at other times, you are left trying to pick up the pieces, wondering where they could have disappeared.

Except this time, KG is rejuvenating the romance with his MVP-type post season. 

This is the Celtics and I love it. I seriously do. The thrills and all the spills that come along with the experience of being in love with the girl next door.

And I can't ever leave that. Cue DMX: "We Right Here"