How did Lakers fans live?
There seems to be no time period so short that sportscasters and writers can't turn it into a "Not since ..." angle.
On ESPN this morning, an anchorman led off coverage of the Lakers' series victory over San Antonio with something to the effect of: "The Lakers haven't been to the NBA Finals since 2004 ..."
Wow, 2004! So it's the first time since George W. Bush was president!
Maybe four seasons feels like a long time to some people -- for example, 7-year-olds. For the rest of us, four years seems like an incredibly short time between Lakers Finals appearances (and six years would seem like a blink of an eye between Lakers championships), given that the breakup with Shaquille O'Neal and the first departure of Phil Jackson was supposed to cast the franchise into the wilderness for decades.
I think the success of the Boston Red Sox storyline in 2004 (first World Series victory in 86 years!) turned the "Not since ..." lead into the default angle for a lot of reporters. Except that in this case, it's going to be hard to find weepy fans to tell the documentary-makers how Great-Granddad can die happy knowing the Lakers might finally overcome the Curse of Slava Medvedenko and win that elusive title.
I'm not saying the Lakers' return to the top isn't a big deal -- a big, happy deal here in Los Angeles. But the story is how quickly it happened, the in-season acquisition of Pau Gasol giving them the hard, sudden push.
Did it feel to anybody as if it happened too quickly, as if Lakers fans didn't have to suffer enough, the way fans of most franchises do? Even though Shaq isn't here anymore, doesn't this feel like an extension of the Lakers' 2000-01-02 championship run instead of the end of a drought?
Wow, 2002! So it would be the first time since George W. Bush was president!
The story with the Lakers is that they're never down for long. Probably to the annoyance of fans -- and apparently the confusion of reporters -- everywhere else.
About this blog
Kevin Modesti watches sports from a new angle since his promotion from sports columnist to sports editor for the Los Angeles Newspaper Group. In his new blog, Modesti not only comments on the big sports stories of the moment-- he talks about what makes them big. Think of it as a conversation with readers about how these stories should be covered.
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