I was looking for an adapter I lost for my printer a while ago when I found my old NBA sticker book (aw, grade school fad). It's pretty old - season 2002 - and most of the stickers were gone. I was browsing through the pages when I saw the one I used to cherish the most. It was the Indiana Pacers page. I was a big Reggie Miller and Jermaine O'neal fan and I just started to remember how big an NBA fan I was and the stuff we did with my friends before. See, I used to collect NBA trading cards. And I'm not talking just easy collecting. I was really in to it. I knew the prices of all the cards (beckett.com) and with all the cards came all that NBA knowledge. Still, you really couldn't call me a NBA god of some sort because we were all like that. I still have most of my cards now, although I don't collect anymore.
I still remember the 2004 NBA finals which was, in my opinion, one of the biggest NBA upsets in history. Right before the season started the Los Angeles Lakers signed Karl Malone and Gary Payton for a lot lower than people think they would sign for. Those two are legends from the Jordan era. They were really good. The only reason they didn't get too famous was because they just couldn't beat Jordan. Haha.
Anyway, the Lakers just came past K.G. and the Timberwolves to face the Detroit Pistons, who had just came past my favorite team, the Pacers. By the way, 2005 was the last year Reggie Miller played - a year after this one. Anyway, you could almost be sure that the Lakers were going to win. They had Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone and Gary Payton - 4 all-stars in their starting line-up. Detroit had Chaunsey Billups (a nobody before this), Rip Hamilton (not too bad but not too good either), Rasheed Wallace (a guy who raises his arms straight up then flicks the ball with his wrist to shoot), Tayshaun Prince (a guy with really long arms) and Ben Wallace (a guy who was 7' 2" coz he had an 12 inch afro). They had also come from making one of the worst drafts picks in history, drafting some spanish guy for a #2 first round pick instead of maybe, Carmelo Anthony who was the #3 pick by the Nuggets. Anyway, to sum it up, it wasn't looking to good for them.
But despite the odds against them they won. They won the 2004 World Championship. (it could still be called "World Championship" back then) They held the Lakers down to a hundred points in all 6 games with their zone defense. Ben Wallace, who looked like he was a foot shorter than Shaq, actually pinned him down. As for Kobe, well... Rip took care or Reggie Miller so Kobe was nothing. Tayshaun had arms that could stretch to block anything and Billups was hitting 3s everywhere. Amazing. As for the 2 Matriarchs, Malone and Payton - the guys who signed below market value because they wanted a championship so bad - well, too bad for them. No ring. Ouch. And I was there, looking at all the laker fans I knew and telling them: I told you so. Haha.
Anyway, after that one year I started to lose my interest. Reggie retired the next year and there was this brawl thing with the Pistons. And during that time I went back to Yu-Gi-Oh! so yeah. I just lost interest I guess.
Ah well, I was just remembering things.
I still remember the 2004 NBA finals which was, in my opinion, one of the biggest NBA upsets in history. Right before the season started the Los Angeles Lakers signed Karl Malone and Gary Payton for a lot lower than people think they would sign for. Those two are legends from the Jordan era. They were really good. The only reason they didn't get too famous was because they just couldn't beat Jordan. Haha.
Anyway, the Lakers just came past K.G. and the Timberwolves to face the Detroit Pistons, who had just came past my favorite team, the Pacers. By the way, 2005 was the last year Reggie Miller played - a year after this one. Anyway, you could almost be sure that the Lakers were going to win. They had Shaq, Kobe, Karl Malone and Gary Payton - 4 all-stars in their starting line-up. Detroit had Chaunsey Billups (a nobody before this), Rip Hamilton (not too bad but not too good either), Rasheed Wallace (a guy who raises his arms straight up then flicks the ball with his wrist to shoot), Tayshaun Prince (a guy with really long arms) and Ben Wallace (a guy who was 7' 2" coz he had an 12 inch afro). They had also come from making one of the worst drafts picks in history, drafting some spanish guy for a #2 first round pick instead of maybe, Carmelo Anthony who was the #3 pick by the Nuggets. Anyway, to sum it up, it wasn't looking to good for them.
But despite the odds against them they won. They won the 2004 World Championship. (it could still be called "World Championship" back then) They held the Lakers down to a hundred points in all 6 games with their zone defense. Ben Wallace, who looked like he was a foot shorter than Shaq, actually pinned him down. As for Kobe, well... Rip took care or Reggie Miller so Kobe was nothing. Tayshaun had arms that could stretch to block anything and Billups was hitting 3s everywhere. Amazing. As for the 2 Matriarchs, Malone and Payton - the guys who signed below market value because they wanted a championship so bad - well, too bad for them. No ring. Ouch. And I was there, looking at all the laker fans I knew and telling them: I told you so. Haha.
Anyway, after that one year I started to lose my interest. Reggie retired the next year and there was this brawl thing with the Pistons. And during that time I went back to Yu-Gi-Oh! so yeah. I just lost interest I guess.
Ah well, I was just remembering things.
-italktocarrotsticks
P.S. Have you guys noticed how unimportant the PBA is now compared to the UAAP?
P.S. Have you guys noticed how unimportant the PBA is now compared to the UAAP?
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