betED.com - The View from the Couch

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Youthful Ignorance

The NBA is a marketer's dream.

Their largest demographic is between the ages of 18 and 34: rich, young consumers with lots of disposable income.

That means the largest chunk of their current audience were mostly born in the 80's - a full 37% in fact - therefore they were only a parental whim, a fetus, or too young to stay up to watch the greatest rivalry in their chosen sport.

Thursday will mark the 11th time the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics have tipped off against one another in the NBA championship - but the last time was in 1987.

For those of us who are of a more grizzled vintage, we remember Magic Johnson coming up huge in game four with his buzzer-beating skyhook putting the Lakers ahead three games to one, eventually winning in six.

Today's fans only have the tape to look back on, and most likely they'd be too busy chuckling at Magic's short shorts than being impressed by his shot.

For many of them it's impossible to appreciate this even as a rivalry.

This season the league celebrated its 62nd anniversary and the Lakers and the Celtics have won 31 of those titles between them. The Lakers and the Celtics pretty much are the NBA's history - and so 21 years later - their rematch is a BIG deal.

At least that's what the league is hoping their young, oh-so impressionable fans understand. One youngster gets it anyway:

"I remember everything about those series like it was yesterday. All the plays. I used to watch those tapes my grandfather sent me over and over." - Kobe Bryant who was seven at the time, and living in Italy.

The problem is, will these two teams live up to the legendary billing? After all - they're being asked to fill some pretty big shoes (literally).

In previous series, names like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlin, Bob Cousy, Jerry West, Larry Bird, Elgin Baylor, Sam Jones, Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, James Worthy, Kevin McHale, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parish all took part. The last time these two met, six of the ten starters on the teams were named to the NBA's "Top 50 of All Time" team.

With all due respect, on these two rosters, there is only one player of that standard, Kobe Bryant. No other Lakers come close.

As for Boston, Kevin Garnett did win an MVP trophy a while back, Ray Allen is as good a player as he is an actor, and Paul Pierce does have that chest-thumping thing down to an art - but Bird, Parish, McHale they ain't.

These Celtics would be thumped by those Celtics. That said, Magic's Lakers of the 80's would humble Kobe's version, showing him what "Showtime" was really all about.

Regardless, it's a fantastic back-story for the networks to rely on - but what story with these two be able to create considering they are mere shadows of their predecessors?

Here the league gets lucky again. It's a great matchup. The Lakers are, by far, the best offensive team in the NBA. Already an elite team before the trading deadline, picking up Pau Gasol gave the Lakers the second scoring option when Bryant is double and triple teamed, and even that won't stop him from getting his fair share of points.

Countering that pair has been near on impossible thus far in the postseason but in the final's they face the team with the best defense in the game. During the regular season, they ranked No. 1 in overall field goal defense (41.9%) and three-point defense (31.6%) - and Garnett was names Defensive Player of the Year. However, it will be Allen who is charged with the hardest job in the game - keeping Kobe's impact to the bare minimum.

Good luck with that.

Last season the Celtics were the 2nd worst team in the NBA. This season's record 42- game turnaround has vaulted them all they way back to the finals, a place previous editions of the storied franchise used to call home. But, as previously noted, this version is made of lesser mortals, none of whom have ever been this far in the playoffs. Hopefully they'll be happy with that.

Lakers in six.

Of all possible combinations, it's the best possible for the NBA.

Two famous franchises, two big media markets and the leagues most historic rivalry.

The only problem is - it demonstrates rather pointedly that the NBA today isn't nearly as good as the NBA of yesterday.

Good thing most tuning in will be too young to notice.

Cheers - Gavin McDougald - AKA Couch

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