[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3byGp0fpHA&w=449&h=320]
Revenge.
It’s such a tasty little concept, isn’t it? The whole
“eye for an eye” thing is just so satisfying.
So when the
Lakers talk about 2008, and avenging the humiliation of slumping off a
confetti-strewn parquet floor, their fans start to salivate. The
thought of Kobe Bryant smirking into the camera, winking, and delivering
a smug “I guess anything IS possible” line is just so… so… PERFECT.
And
it’s also the reason why the Lakers will lose.
If the Lakers
are, in fact, driven by tasting the sweet nectar of revenge, they will
only get a big glass full of sour regret. Because revenge, for all it’s
payoff, is really the song of sirens. It’s blinding. The pursuit of
it is all-encompassing.
In short: It’s a bitch.
Basketball
is a precision game. Five pieces on the floor at the same time moving
as one to either create, or prevent, the easiest possible look at the
basket. It requires a focus on the task at hand. The second that focus
is lost is the second a very good athlete makes a very good move to get
a very easy basket.
This is the NBA Finals. There’s no Marco
Jaric floating around here to bail you out of a mental lapse. This is
Kobe. This is Pierce. This is the best against the best.
So make this about revenge if you’d like, Lakers. The second you do, this thing will start to fall apart. The second you start to make this about anything other than executing the game plan and beating the opponent in front of you, you lose.
—
Kudos to LD2K of The Lakers Nation for the vid. Dude is a master at that stuff.
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