A Letter of Apology to the Boston Celtics

Posted 6/18/2008 by CtotheB in Labels: apology, Black Mamba, Boston, celitcs, Ctotheb, Jordan, Knicks, knowing when you've lost, kobe bryant, lakers, NBA, NBA Finals, Phil Jackson, playoffs, Red Auerbach, Sports Guy, Zenmaster

I began writing this letter after Game 4 but decided to hold off on submitting it until the Celtics firmly pulled it off. This little paragraph is as far as I got but I will now write the new letter to the Celtics, whom I am indebted to on so many levels.

(Letter circa Game 4)

Allow me to get straight to the point. I gave up on you last night. I was there, watching the game with my friends and you were getting beaten into the ground. Y'all had Lamar Odom looking like James Worthy! I've been pulling for you all playoffs long but once again you brought the doubt out of me. I'm used to champions straight dominating as soon as they touch the court.

(Letter circa present)

Dear Boston Celtics,

Wow! What else can I say but that you all wiped the floor with the Lakers! Truth be told, I couldn't imagine y'all losing the title on your homecourt but I thought it would at least go to game 7...or be close! I don't appreciate Kobe giving up in the 3rd quarter, as if to say "I didn't try, so this doesn't count." Later for him. There are two reasons I am writing you all today. (Between you and me, I am supposed to hate you but as my Knicks are irrelevant, so is the rivalry)

One is to thank you for killing two birds with one stone--you humbled Kobe and the Zenmaster on the same night! Yes! You see, there is a fundamental problem with both the Mamba and Phil...they don't respect their roots! Both were licking their chops and saw this series as an opportunity to be viewed as the greatest coach and ballplayer respectively. What insolence, on the part of the Zenmaster, to try to dethrone Red Auerbach by beating the team he brought to prominence! And I don't even know what drove Kobe more, winning without Shaq, or being placed in a conversation greater than his Airness? (Sidebar: One of these days I will write a blog about why I am the biggest Anti-Jordan basketball fan you've seen thus far)

Sports Guy says he thinks Phil Jackson goes home and watches Bulls games from the '90s and cries himself to sleep. Thanks to you, I'm pretty sure Kobe picks up the phone and thinks about calling Shaq before fighting back tears and buying his wife something expensive. In my book, both Phil and Kobe, while incredibly talented in their fields, needed this to show them that they can't do it by themselves. Phil had the great fortune to coach Jordan and Shaq in their prime...of course you're gonna win 9 rings! And Kobe has to learn to rebuild his teammates and not just destroy them with his pouting and other forms of foolishness that he calls leadership. So many thanks for giving them that ample slice of humble pie.

But secondly, I must apologize because I doubted y'all...hardbody. Straight up did not think you had a chance and you showed me how wrong I was. Much thanks for that. Who would have thought y'all would have P.J Brown and Sam Cassell out there contributing? I should have known better. I got caught up in all the "team with the best coach and player will win" hype. But the truth is, y'all were the better team. You won because you care about each other, and as KG said so eloquently last night.

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!