It’s Christmas Day. You are 31 years old, with a wife of five years and a two year old daughter. Santa Claus has come and gone, presents have been opened, kisses have been exchanged, and you now sit on your couch looking for something to do. It’s too cold to be outside and Christmas Dinner at your mother’s house doesn’t begin for a few more hours. So you do what most people do when they are bored; turn on the television. Flipping by the stations you notice nothing else but the Heat/Lakers game is on. You turn off the TV because let’s just admit it; Kobe vs. Shaq isn’t as fun as it used to be and the Heat and Lakers have been disappointments this season thus far. But hold on a minute and don’t turn off that TV yet. Here’s a look at the menu for the Lakers vs. Heat, Kobe vs. Shaq, Jackson vs. Riley…. well, you get the picture don’t you?Drinks: The game itself last season was not a disappointment at all. Both the Lakers and Heat came to play, Kobe and Shaq re-united, sort of, kind of. All in all it was a well played NBA game with a lot of exciting moments and in the end the Heat came away with the victory and bragging rights for the year.
Appetizers: About a month ago, most NBA fans were probably upset with the Heat/Lakers rematch. Neither team has played very well this season, and while Kobe has been putting up MVP numbers for the Lakers, Shaq has yet to play in double-digit amount of games this season. Yes the first time around I’m sure ratings for the Heat/Lakers match-up were very good. It was the first time Kobe and Shaq had met since Shaq demanded a trade shortly after head coach Phil Jackson took a short vacation from the game. Bryant had basically dismantled the entire Los Angeles Lakers team by himself because the front office wanted Kobe and he knew he would get what he wanted before he decided to sign with the Lakers again.
Kobe and Phil had always had problems, see ya Phil. Same with Shaq. Robert Horry, one of the most clutch players in NBA history soon followed them out the door along with two of the greatest NBA players Gary Payton who was traded and Karl Malone. One of the greatest franchises in the history of sports was about to head into one of the biggest dark ages ever.
The Miami Heat, who had grabbed Shaq were about to flourish into one of the NBA’s most dominating teams. They already had a young star in Dwayne Wade and with him and Shaq at the helm, the Heat made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Detroit Pistons last season.
Main Dish: This season’s version of the Heat/Lakers game will be seen in a whole new perspective. I can assure you that when the Lakers found out Pat Riley was taking over as head coach for the Heat; Jackson got the team together and told them they needed to win this game, as did Riley with his Heat players. Now this game means something.
Two of the greatest coaches of all time going at it once again. Riley is trying to prove he can still coach a winning team deep into the playoffs, while Jackson is just trying to get his team to the playoffs. Both coaches have had their share of championships (Jackson-9 vs. Riley- 4). Both coaches have coached the Lakers to NBA Championships; Riley with the “Showtime” Lakers and Jackson with the more recent 3-Peat Lakers. Both coaches are now trying to turn their teams into contenders again and both teams have the players with the ability to do so.
You can bet both coaches will be well prepared for this encounter on December 25th. It will be a game for bragging rights for Jackson and Riley and for the Lakers and Heat.
Had Stan Van Gundy still been coaching the Heat and had both teams been playing inconsistent still, there would have been nothing that would make an NBA fan even want to have to watch.
Dessert/Coffee: Finally, how can anyone forget about Kobe vs. Shaq? It seemed from the day Kobe and Shaq met they had problems and things only intensified over the years. Although the team won championships, there were many problems handled well by Jackson but were ultimately too much too handle and Shaq would end up leaving the Lakers and the dynasty. Shaq had loved playing for Jackson but he also loves playing for Pat Riley and was a key component for Riley coming back. As much respect as Shaq has for Phil you can be sure he will do all he can to stick it to Phil, Kobe, and the rest of the Lakers even if he isn’t 100%.
Kobe on the other hand is having a re-birth with Jackson, but the team is not winning. Only one game above .500 (11-10) as of today, the Lakers don’t seem to be headed to the playoffs anytime soon with the style of basketball they play. Kobe is playing very selfish much like Michael Jordan did early in his career. You can also be sure he will do everything in his power to make sure he beats the Heat, Shaq, and Riley by himself to show the NBA world he is the man and no one compares.
It’s very simple… whoever wins this game is going to have the better season. This will be a very emotional game and a lot of things will be decided throughout the game. Will the Heat or Lakers turn there losing ways around? Who will win the battle of the minds, Phil or Pat? Who will win the battle on the court, Kobe or Shaq? Momentum for the rest of the season will be handed out to the winning team. Turn on ABC wherever you are on Christmas Day, 3:00pm ET to find out the answers.
Copyright ©2005 Colin Cerniglia. All Rights Reserved.
2 replies on “Heat vs. Lakers Rematch Finally Has Some Spice to It”
Phil Still Trumps Pat The Lakers are already starting to play better. Phil is figuring out their formula for success. Remember, by the end of the season they ought to be the most dangerous team in the west not named San Antonio. The west is not as strong as it has been the last several years. As far as Miami is concerned, it is funny how not many people are blaming Shaq for running Stan Van Gundy out of town. I guess all of those citizen arrests he’s made have made him immune to criticism.
right when i write this…. lakers go on to win again, 6 out of 7 i believe, on the road.