I’m afraid I have to say “yes.” Yes, he is done winning NBA championships. That doesn’t mean he won’t lead a team into the playoffs in the next few seasons, and maybe advance a round or two. But a fifth championship ring, which would be his second with the Los Angeles Lakers? Nope. It seems […]

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In late December of last year — 2019, that is; so long ago — a columnist for The New York Times made a compelling case that 2019 was the “best year” in the history of the human race. Longer lifespans, fewer neonatal deaths, less starvation, more money trickling down to the poorest, more internet access, […]

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I posted an item late and in a hurry last night; I wanted to make sure my lightning-bolt of insight — that the Miami Heat was a better team than the Los Angeles Lakers — could be seen before Game 6 of the NBA Finals tipped off. It was close, but there it was: the […]

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Ahead of Game 1 in the NBA finals, 17 of 25 ESPN basketball reporters — described as “experts” by the website — predicted the Lakers would emerge victorious. Of course, that was before observers realized that the Heat is just plain better than the Lakers. That was hammered home the other night when the Heat […]

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I need the Lakers to close out the NBA Finals tonight. Because I have money on them? Because I have become a fan of LeBron James? Because I can’t stand to see them lose? Nope. I need them to win so I can get a little sleep. A downside for an American living in France? […]

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Here is the secret to the NBA’s success: It is so personal. In no other major team sport are the competitors so clearly revealed to the audience, or to each other. Physically, mentally, emotionally. These are giants who compete in teams of five, in their underwear, on a crowded stage, where some of their soaring […]

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Well, here we are. A city, a metropolitan center that had to be content (in terms of the Big Four professional sports leagues) with a couple of Stanley Cup championships over the previous decade. Now, L.A. finds out if its favorite two clubs can win titles in the same month. Los Angeles is overrun by […]

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Hey, no pressure, but … –The Lakers are one championship behind the Boston Celtics for the most NBA titles, 17. They could catch their green arch-rivals by winning The Bubble Finals in Florida. —LeBron James already has passed Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in career scoring, has only Karl Malone and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in front […]

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It must be tough being a Clippers fan. Well, heck, yeah, it is. The franchise has been around for a half-century now and has never played in an NBA Finals, let alone won one. The odometer rolled over to 50 seasons of failure last night when the Denver Nuggets completed a comeback from 3-1 down […]

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I believe it is time to give the National Basketball Association full credit for pulling off something no one was quite sure would work: The NBA Bubble. Twenty-two teams, dispatched to the ESPN/Disney enclosed sports pod in Orlando, and left to figure out the bottom of the standings, and then stage the whole of the […]

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