First - a random aside. Things sometimes just stick with you from childhood… sometimes literally stick.
For example: David M. I will always remember him as the Booger Man. He would pick his nose (blatantly) in class, squish them onto his desk, let them dry, pick them back off the desk, and then eat them. I had to share a desk with him. Not the same PART of the desk, mind you, but close enough that it was a bit much. I wondered if he did it JUST to gross me out. Then the teacher, my savior at that glorious moment, moved me to another table… (A kid had transferred out of our class, thank God, because for some reason I was ALWAYS seated next to David. In every class. For years. I swear the teachers all wanted to torture me. Either that or his last name came after mine in the alphabet. I like to think the former.) Let’s just say that solitary David, alone at his desk, didn’t stop his booger collection. He would, however, do a courtesy lick of his booger infested finger whenever I accidentally caught his eye.
The same teacher that finally put me out of my booger infested misery in the 5th grade also taught me a valuable lesson in semantics.
Me: “Can I go to the bathroom?”
Teacher (looking me straight in the eye, with an eyebrow lifted): “Well, I don’t know, Can you?”
Me: “Um… yes.. well… ah… May I go to the bathroom?”
Teacher: “Yes.”
Did I mention that said teacher also had a huge 7 foot long boa constrictor in our classroom that was named “Arnold Schwarzen-snaker?”
Ah… memories.
Which brings me to the point of my post.
I grew up with the LA Lakers. I grew up in the 80s, cheering on Magic, and Kareem. They were the OG dream team… and I think the years of the great Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry was one of the only times that my mom let us watch TV during dinner.
I mean, come on… even my mom likes the Lakers. And since she’s pretty awesome, that must mean the Lakers are awesome.
Then Michael Jordan came around… and I respect the fact that he’s a great player, but I never liked the way his flashy style changed the way basketball became all about the marketing of limited edition Jordan sneakers. I mean, I really can’t be one to dog on the collectors of shoes - my tokidoki collection is protection against that - but seriously - do they have to be so dang UGLY?!!!
Finally in college the Lakers came back, a la Kobe and Shaq. I still remember in 2001 it was the beginning of summer - the playoffs always coincided horribly with finals at school… and my parents called to tell me the Lakers were in the conference finals, and I needed to turn the TV on NOW. I was crashing at Joyce and Priya’s studio at the time, watching the games on their slightly fuzzy TV, trying to make out the tiny score in the corner as they played the Spurs. I think I fell in love with basketball all over again.
One of my college friends made me a bet back then - that in 10 years the Clippers would be better than the Lakers.
Too bad he will lose. Okay, okay, it hasn’t been 10 years. Yet.
Anyway.
My question is: May I just have a little joy in the fact that the Lakers are in the NBA finals again? And against the Celtics no less?!
Ryan calls me a fair weather fan. But seriously, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO WATCH MY TEAM WHEN WE DON’T HAVE CABLE??!! hmmmm?!!!!
And the best part? Only $20!!!