"Welcome to the NBA Finals! Do Not Approach TV Stars! Face the Jumbotron! Smile! Have Fun."

Chronicle of a journey from youthful
know-it-all to old-fart astonishment.



I'm tempted, but not much, to suggest Benito Mussolini [right] inspired whoever built LA's Staples Center where the Lakes face Win-Or-Go-Home v. the Boston Celtics today. In truth the Celt's Kevin Garnett lives 35-miles away in Malibu but who wants to be a Father's Day killjoy. Kevin bought his Crib a year ago when he thought his Minnesota Timberwolf days were done and Kobe Bryant shrieked "Trade me to a winner or I'll walk into the Pacific! Then y'all'll be REALLY SORRY!" Kobe [shown smashing some trophy in anger] aroused the somulent Lake GM Mitch Kupchak into shaking owner Jerry Buss into offering Garnett big dough to become a Lake. But nooo! Timberwolf GM Kevin McHale [who as a Celt "clotheslined" Lake Kurt Rambis to assure Larry Bird and himself of another champeenship] holds grudges: Enough to condemn Minnesota fans to more decades in the NBA toilet. McHale called old, dim, Celt teammate now Celt GM Danny Ainge to offer Garnett at a thrift-shop cost. Ainge is NBA "Executive of the Year." Praise heaped on his shrewdness. Ainge: Toast of the Charles River!

Do NOT mistake this screed for LA Lake "Sour-Grapes!" I was a Gym-Rat Wannabe in Grade 11 and saw Jefferson High with 6-11 Billy 'the Hill" McGill edge Jordan High for the 1955 LA City Title. Billy, maybe not Rhodes Scholar timber, signed with the University of Utah. UTAH! That was when Mormans knew black folks were descended from Noah's jerk-off [literally] son, Ham.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/OneBlood/chapter6.asp. This must mean Mormons like all Gawd's organized folks except if needed. The Sports Arena rocked when I bought $3.00 nosebleed seats to watch Bill Russell, Hondo, Sam, K.C. and Red Auerbach kick the shellac outta the Jerry West-Elgin Baylor Lakes. They mostly lost me when Wilt came. Owner Jack Kent Cooke built his Pompous-As-Jack Forum. Staples Center, seen from the air looks, like a pre-$4.50/gallon gas cap. Check out the view $75.00 non-celebrity seats get you:

Somewhere il Duce is smiling. Somewhere else late, legendary Voice of the Lakes Chick Hearn will not be saying: lakers.wav : "I don't think that the Lord and all of his disciples could have stopped the Lakers tonight." Right, Chick. Except once the Lakes let Chairman Phil run Jerry West outta town it never again mattered quite as much.