Greatest and Worst Performances from the 2010 NBA Finals

Turning away from the world of film for an evening, I had to settle in and watch the last game of the season from my favorite sport.  Having followed almost every game this post season, my initial choice for this year's champ were the Orlando Magic.  Three reasons for this:

  1. I have a severe loathing for a certain team who I won't respect enough to call the group by name but whom I will only refer to as the band of henchman in purple and gold.  

2. Althoug I am conditioned to dislike the sports world of Boston from growing up a Yankee fan in New York City, I like and resepct Kevin Garnett and through his consistent spectacular play in the playoffs, I have come to feel the same way about Rajon Rondo and wanted to see their team win another championship.  But along with the rest of America I didn't think they would reach as far as they did.

3.  The ever great Patrick Ewing is the assistant coach and mentor for the rising superstar that is Dwight Howard and I am still yearning for the day that he acheives that elusive championship ring that he never got a chance to wear during his days with my beloved New York Knicks.

 After the Magic's early departure from the playoffs, I completely turned my backing toward the Boston Celtics.  Except for Game 6, they played well, they played very well.  Although, since the end of last years finals I predicted those same henchman would repeat once again, I was hoping against hope that they wouldn't.
I present the Greastest Performance of the Finals to a Boston Team that although didn't play their absolute best throughtout the series and was even not at full strength with the loss of Kendrick Perkins for Game 7, still deserved to win.  But in this day and age of sports its not always about who deserves it but who goes and takes it.  Unfortunately, they went but were not able to take it.

I have noticed that throughout professional sports nowadays there has been a resurgence in "turrible" (as Sir Charles Barkley would say) officiating.  Name a sport and you will probably find some really bad game calling going on.  Just this month, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was denied a bid at a Perfect Game because of a horrible call by first base umpire Jim Joyce.  It really is getting out of hand to say the least.  I understand that officials do have a tough job and aren't always granted the luxury of instant replay but they have blown some of the easiest calls that us fans watching on television can see that apparently their courtside or on field view can't.  Having said that, I present the Worst Performance of the Finals to the NBA officials whose constant whistles thoughout the series seemed like they wanted all the games to last two and three days long to increase ABC's ratings.  It also seems like the ABC network and Nike would give birth to no. 24's baby if they could.  I mean he's even in a Nike soccer commercial for goodness sake.  (C'mon Son!)  In a pro-purple and gold basketball world, I will say this:  I was surprised that the officials did not take the time to celebrate along with the team that won the championship.

Here's hoping against hope once again that this summer's free agency market and draft will have us seeing some other teams colors being crowned champions next June.

I now completely turn my attention back towards MLB baseball in which I will undoubtedly pull my hair out in frustration at many more bad calls to come.  I also return focus to the 2010 World Cup for which I have surprisingly paid close attention to but unfortunately is not exempt to bad refereeing.  Being that once again my initial choice for the champ in the form of the host country, South Africa probably won't make into the Round of 16, I take great pride in rooting for my father's team, Germany.  After all, I do drive a German made car.