Aaron's Late Look at the NBA Finals

Basketball Shorts: Aaron’s “Experts” Pick Boston

Note: This was written on Tuesday, June 17, just a few hours before Game 6. I realize the series or, at least, the game, will be over by the time most people see this, but I don't like to let a series of pointless conversations go to waste.

I’ve always been a pretty big basketball fan. With that in mind, I decided to take a “closer” look at tonight’s game 6 of the NBA Finals, with the Los Angeles Lakers taking on the Boston Celtics at home. (Boston leads the best-of-seven series 3-2).

Rather than just kick out my own ill-informed opinions, I asked a few people who, by some measure, may be considered “in the know.” Here’s what I came up with.

Nonfiction

First off, the two stars of this Finals series are, without a doubt, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant and Paul “The Truth” Pierce.

Since I don’t have a phone number for either, I checked in with the closest person I could find: Chronicle web guru Rick “Nonfiction” Pierce.

Rick said he’d been paying a little bit of attention to the series; enough, at least, to know that his surname-sharing swingman was injured in some capacity. He would most definitely be playing through the injury, I said.

“Well then, I’m going to go with the Celtics,” Rick quantified.

Are you and Paul related, Rick? Maybe, for example, cousins?

“There’s no way to determine, as far as I know,” he said with laugh. He did admit, at my prodding, that he probably couldn’t beat the likely NBA Finals MVP in a pickup game.

Score: Celtics 1, Lakers 0

Farmer’s Inaction

The Los Angeles Lakers employ a backup point guard, and sparkplug off the bench, named Jordan Farmar. The fleet-footed Laker has no ties to Lewis County, as far as I know, so I called my younger brother, who studies farming at Washington State University (organic agriculture, to be exact).

It came as no surprise that Alex, when I reached him, was working at the Community Farmer’s Market in downtown Chehalis.

How’s the market, Alex?

“I’m selling asparagus,” he said. “It tastes delicious.”

Farmers and Farmar apparently don’t stick together, because Alex had his money on the Celtics. He had also, surprisingly, watched Game 1.

“It looked like a basketball game,” he said, clearly more interested in peddling his organic vegetables. “I was expecting Larry Bird to jump out in short shorts, but it never happened. That’s why I don’t watch basketball.”

That’s what they all say. What do you like better: basketball, or selling asparagus?

“Asparagus selling,” he said, not missing a beat. “People are happy when they buy asparagus, and it supports farmers — plural, instead of just what’s-his-name Farmar.”

The Farmer’s Market also featured live banjo music, my idealistic brother pointed out, further swaying him to the side of the vegetables. Rehashing the conversation, I’m pretty sure he only picked Boston because of the green connection.

He did, however, admit that there would probably be more people in attendance at the game than the Farmer’s Market.

“But if they wanted me to sell asparagus at Game 6, I would have no qualms,” he added.

Score: Celtics 2, Lakers 0

Cash is King

Pro basketball is all about money. So, after speaking with state labor economist (and generally upbeat dude) Jim Vleming about the local unemployment rates today, I asked him about the series.

“I think the Celtics have got ‘em whipped,” Vleming said. “It’ll be awful tough to win two in Boston.”

The economist appeared to have kept himself more informed on the Finals than my other two “experts,” enough to where he knew that the last game (in L.A.) ended with a questionable move by the officials.

“They shoulda called Kobe for that last foul, anyway,” he added.

Score: Celtics 3, Lakers 0