photo: corbisimages.com
Tonight, The Celtics and Knicks will play their first meaningful game in quite some time. Back in the day, when the incomparable Larry Bird and Bernard King were battling, the divisional rivalry was tangible.
In addition to Boston and New York being two of the three remaining original 11 NBA franchises (the Warriors are the other), the teams have had 12 postseason battles, with each walking away with six series victories.
Paul Pierce laughed off the suggestion that this was a rivalry game. Considering the recent fortunes of both teams, who can blame him? But if he took a minute to examine the situation in its full breadth, he’d realize that it is, indeed, a slumbering yet storied rivalry that dates back to the NBA’s first days.
When the Knicks were bullying their way into title fights with Jordan’s Bulls in the ’90s, Boston was famished, subsiding on wet food stamps and government cheese. They were still stumbling, like the majority of the great Roy Jones Jr.’s opponents in his prime, from the loss of Len Bias and Reggie Lewis, as well as the decline and/or retirements of Bird, Dennis Johnson, Robert Parish and the brilliant post practitioner, Kevin McHale.
In the 1960’s and ’70s, you could not find two other teams with more animus directed at the other. At the conclusion of Bill Russell’s incredible run, the Knicks supplanted the Celtics as the Beasts of the East with their string of Finals appearances. After Russell’s last title in ‘69, the Knicks took the chip in ‘70. That title came to be defined by a gimpy Willis Reed limping onto the Garden floor for Game 7 and banging in his first two jumpers, though it should be known for point guard Walt “Clyde” Frazier’s remarkable 36 points, 19 assists and 5 steals.
The Knicks were back in the Finals in ‘72, after having knocked Boston out in the Conference Finals. Though they lost to the powerhouse Lakers squad with Gail Goodrich, Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and Jim McMillian who went 69 and 13 that year, they bounced back with the superfluous back-court of Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Frazier, defeating the Lakers in ‘73 after again knocking out Boston in the Conference Finals.
When I was entering my teens, Boston and New York met up for an epic throw-down in the ‘84 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. The phenomenal Bernard King, a Brooklyn native and living, breathing super-hero, was just coming off of his playoff destruction of Detroit. He’d scored over 40 points in four games and dropped 36 in another against the Pistons.
The Celtics Cedric Maxwell said Bernard would not serve him, or his team in such a fashion. Boston sweated out a classic seven-game series and went on to win the NBA title. But contrary to Cornbread’s bravado, he and his team got scorched by The King of New York.
The last meaningful series was played in 1990, when Patrick Ewing, Mo Cheeks, Charles Oakley, Gerald Wilkins, Mark “Action” Jackson, Trent Tucker, Johnny Newman, Kiki Vandeweghe, John Starks and Rod Strickland led New York back from a 2-0 defecit, beating Boston in the decisive game 5 at the Boston Garden.
The Knicks, to be blunt, have not been relevant since Allan Houston, Marcus Camby, Latrell Sprewell, Larry Johnson, Charlie Ward and Chris Childs almost shocked the world in ‘99. But today is a new day.
Tonight, we just might be witnessing the renewal of the enmity and antagonism that has characterized this get-together in the past.
Hey Paul Pierce, you might not remember, but I do. Back in the days….man, c’mon! They were gettin’ it in. And there are many others out there ready for the saga to continue. I remember way back when…
December 15th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Ali says:
c’mon, admit it. when was the last time you got hyped up for a knicks/celtics game? berry, berry long tine.
December 16th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
Ali says:
instant classic! and gallo is officially off limits in any melo trade discussion.
December 16th, 2010 at 1:36 pm
illest says:
outstanding game….i wanted amare on the lob pass instead of a three. i havent got hyped for the knicks at all in 10 years. the last hyped up knicks/celtics was when the knicks won in the 90 playoffs you mentioned. hopefully more to come. no one talks about pierce but he is one of the best players since hes been in the league. now hes a hall of famer where vince carter is not. i bring up vince since they came in the league together and people on here think vince is a hall of fame player.
December 16th, 2010 at 2:01 pm
Ali says:
yo warden, paul pierce is, and has been for a very long time, the truth. outstanding game. that was some eastern conference finals energy in the building.
and do folks remember when lebron was pushing for the cavs to sign stoudemire, and in their infinite wisdom they opten for antawn jamison? if you play what if with that scenario, the cavs making the move for stoudemire back then, what is the domino effect.
if people want to know what a franchise player is, look at what amare is doing this year. now that’s max money well spent.
December 16th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
illest says:
one of james groupies….how is joe johnson doing?
and to get melo ill give up anything but amare. gallo cant be in the way of getting melo.
December 16th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Ali says:
warden norton,
joe johnson, aka “mr versatility” is hurt. w/ him in the lineup, they got off to a very good start, didn’t they? his %’s are problematic, but so is his elbow. yet and still, he leads the team in scoring and assists. hawks sittin’ at 16-10, i’d say he’s doing alright. team is doing well with him playing sub par. bodes well for when he’s healthy and back at the elite level. that’s right, i said it. elite! joe johnson is a bad, baad man!
December 17th, 2010 at 1:24 am
Blk Caesar says:
Ali,
I am sorry but I’d give up anybody on that roster not named Amare for Melo.. Gallo can kick rocks if Melo is involved.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:04 am
illest says:
james groupie….a little sarcasm there son. if joe johnson is elite then david lee is better for the knicks than amare.
blk…of course gallo can kicks rocks for melo. melos game improves every year. he wastes no time when he gets the ball.
December 17th, 2010 at 10:46 am
Ali says:
after kobe and d-wade, please name the next three best shooting guards in the league. warden, if joe johnson’s name is not on your list, you’re buggin’!
the nuggets can have anybody other than felton, gallo and of course amar’e. gallo is still developing, but you can see what it’s going to look like when it all comes together. that kid is gonna be SPECIAL!
wack call last night to end the spurs/nuggets game.
i know the wiz are struggling, but nick young is beginning to come around. speaking of coming around, i’m still waiting on marvin williams to consistently do waht he did last night in boston. and that was vintage timmy in denver last night. i know he bores people, but not me.
garden’s gonna be off the meat rack tonight. hyped like flavor fave, ready for the tip right now!
December 18th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Let the Lebron debate begin between you two again… Wow! He sort of reminded the crowd why he was the #1 choice and Amare was the consolation prize (albeit a great one)..
December 19th, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Ali says:
caese,
there is no debate. just stone cold analysis against emotion. if you needed any confirmation that lebron is not only THE best player in the world, but already one of the all-time best to ever lace ‘em, all you had to do was watch that game.
anybody who needed to be reminded of why the summer of lebron was the summer of lebron got it in 48 minutes at MSG.
December 19th, 2010 at 4:05 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Your turn Illest! I am just going to sit back and read you two go back and forth.. Mavs/Heat should be a good one Monday. Hopefully the Knicks can turn it around against OKC..
December 20th, 2010 at 10:16 am
illest says:
blk cease….understand that ali is on jamess payroll so he has to have his back. no one but james groupies think he is already one of the best ever to play. you cant deny his skills and hes put up great numbers. but to say he is better than bryant is ridiculous.
ali i know your bk stubborness will not allow you to realize joe is not elite.
i like gallo but if denver wants him he gotta go.
December 20th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Blk Caesar says:
Yo man.. Seriously though ya’ll should pick a game (any level) and we all go (including Funk) just to meet and talk ball.. A little off topic.. Did either of you peep the BHop fight? Although young buck Pasquale got two knock downs BHop took another young cat to school.. although it was a draw. I’m with you Illest.. I’d give up Gallo in a heartbeat for Melo..
December 20th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
funkalot says:
Brother Black,
I would be privileged to have a roundtable with the eloquent Ali, the inestimable Illest and your ubiquitousness, anywhere. I am game to meet up in the City at MSG. A weekend game preferably. What say you fellas?
I will remain mute on the James discussion, until after the chip has been decided. No further talk is necessary unless that has or has not been achieved.
Have a blessed holiday season, y’all!
December 21st, 2010 at 11:23 am
Ali says:
funk,
are barkley, bernard king, allen iverson, patrick, ‘nique, jason kidd, elgin baylor, barkley and karl malone not among the all time greats, despite the fact that a chip eluded them?
c’mon fellas, this is not boxing, where championships are decided by you and you alone. so many factors come into play. for anyone to say that lebron is not among the all-time greats already, is – as my man mike tyson would say -”ludicrith!”
first game as a pro, fresh out of high school – 25, 9 dimes, 6 boards and 4 steals. joined oscar and mike as the only rookies in the 20, 5 and 5 club (tyreke has since been welcomed).
his team win total improved by 18 games. youngest player to ever record a triple double, youngest player to ever make the all-nba team, youngest all star mvp, youngest player ever to avg 30. when he was 21 years old, the cat scored 35 or more 9 times in a row! what? are you kidding me?
the year before he got there, the cavs won 17 games. 3 years later, the franchise won 50 games. and other than big Z, who was he running with back then? mike wilks? ira newble? flip murray? donyell marshall? eric snow? alan henderson?
if kobe plays with that team, do they win 50 games? hell to the naw! and ya’ll know this, man!
sheeeeeeeeeeeeeet! that same year, ‘05-’06, kobe and the lake show lost in the first round to the suns. and the same thing happened to them the next year. what was he doing when he was playing with bums? he was getting crazy numbers, but he wasn’t winning 60 games and getting to the conference or league finals, was he?
what did lebron’s playoff debut look like, taking a team of bums, 3 years removed from winning 17 games? oh, that’s right, he had a triple-double against the wiz. remember, the 32, 11 and 11. i think magic was the only player to get a triple double in his playoff debut.
i’ve already examined, ad naseum, the ridiculousness of his ‘07 playoff run, specifically pulling the cavs back from and 0-2 deficit to the pistons in the conference finals, including the retarded 48 special in game 5. that was one of the best playoff performances ever!!!
remember the 50 pts, 10 assists and 8 boards he put on the knicks in ‘08, at the garden? remember the decisive game 7 against the celtics later that year, when he had 45 in the eastern conference semi’s loss? oh, and that celtic team, since brothers seem to have short term memory loss, smacked the lakers in the finals. that was the first year of the big 3.
the next year, he led the cavs in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks. is it just me, or is that bananas? that was when they won 66 games, by the way. oh and they went 39-2 at home. ok, so who was on that team? hmmm, i’m tired of doing all the work. why don’t ya’ll look it up.
remember the ‘86 celtics who went 41-1 at home? they had a starting 5 of bird, mchale, parish, dj and ainge. now contrast that stellar group with lebron’s starting five. no MF’in comparison!!!
remember the fans in auburn hills chanting MVP after his first round display in the playoffs that year when he avg’d 32, 11 boards and 8 dimes against the pistons? remember the last game of the sweep – 36, 13 and 8 dimes?
ok, so they lost to the magic in the conference finals after his mvp, first team all defense year. was he to blame? i think not. if it wasn’t for him, the cavs would be exactly what you’re seeing now.
last year, remember the 43 joints, 13 re’s, 15 dimes, 4 blocks and 2 steals against denver? he’s only the tenth player ever in the illustrious history of the nba to be a multiple mvp. and he’s only 26 years old? c’mon fellas. if you can’t give him his props, there’s something else at play here.
yeah, game five against a great celtics team last year in the playoffs was forgettable. my goodness, the kid had a bad game. how did he respond in game 6? i know warden, he had 9 turnovers. but didn’t he also play his ass off with 27 points, 19 boards and 10 assists?
funk, caese, warden, i ask again, is he not, at the age of 26, one of the greatest players to ever play this game, given all of the compelling evidence i’ve laid forth? no further questions your honor!
December 21st, 2010 at 11:38 am
Ali says:
ayo black,
bernard got robbed. he won that fight. he dominated after the flash knockdowns, totally in control from round 4 onwards. he looked good down the home stretch, landing solid punches with frequency. it was vintage bernard – under appreciated and artful defense, crisp clean combos, technical precision and ring generalship, right leads, vicious lefthanded body blows, overhand rights, old school combo’s etc. the executioner is still the professor, giving lessons and he deserved better than to get robbed, again.
December 21st, 2010 at 2:49 pm
Ali says:
fellas,
i have a disease. i watched the wizards v. bobcats game last night. do i need an intervention? i must have a disease, i figured out, as i studied kwame brown’s and desagana diop’s footwork in the paint while watching lester hudson and kevin seraphin close out the game for the wizards. this basketball. it just keeps callin’ me, a la pookie.
the only thing down in tim duncan’s game are his minutes. only reason why his numbers are falling. he’s resting in huge bunches and every time i’ve seen him this year, he’s giving everybody the tim dog business, “step to me!”
monta ellis was G’ing off like cam newton’s pops last night. and don’t look now, but the clips have a 3 game win streak. eric gordon and blake griffin won’t make the playoffs, but i’ll always watch ‘em when they’re on. gordon’s stat line last night was crazy.
big east schedule kicks off next week. let’s get it on. anybody see mr selby’s debut at kansas? wait til he gets his sea legs.
December 22nd, 2010 at 2:58 am
Blk Caesar says:
Funk.. I am definitely down for a weekend game.. Maybe the St. John’s/Duke game at MSG..
December 22nd, 2010 at 12:53 pm
Ali says:
i’m down for that duke v st john’s piece. sunday, january 30th, 1pm. let’s make it happen. warden, you still in texas or near the metro ny region?
December 23rd, 2010 at 11:22 am
funkalot says:
Black and Ali,
I am G for the Redmen/johnnies vs. the Blue Devils. Let’s talk off line on how to purchase tix.
Too bad: Kyrie won’t bless us, though.
Have a Nappy Holidaze!