Introduction
The two most legendary NBA teams, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, have combined to win 33 championships. By comparison, all other NBA teams combined have won only 39. Together, they have been home to most of the greatest names in NBA history. But for one season, they will be torn apart by only one man. A man that plays for neither team, but who’s pursuit by both of these giants derailed the hopes of both teams for the 2018-2019 Championship. That man, is Anthony Davis.
Celtics
Imagine being a Celtics fan (some of you don’t have to pretend) and seeing your team lose in the Conference Finals by only one game to Lebron James, without your main star, the best 1 in the east, Kyrie Irving.. Starring on your team is is a 20 year old, 21 year old, and just getting back Gordon Hayward from injury. It sounds promising.
In the 2018-19 offseason, the Celtics kept their roster as is after totally redoing it in 2017. They wanted to Keep it because of chem. That plan, would backfire massively.
Things looked promising at the start of the season, winning, or should I say hammering the 76ers 105-87. But then they got beat by 12 points to Kawhi’s Raptors. But at the end of 8 games they had a very respectable 6-2 record. But that’s when things stopped being so good for Boston, taking a 2 game skid to the Pacers and Nuggets, winning to the Suns, but it took 53 minutes instead of 48 to beat them. But then they lost 2 again for a 7-6 record after 13 games. It’s like taking a turn from contender to mediocre in 5 games. At the end of 2018, they were 19-16, including losses to the Mavs, (Double gasp) Suns and Knicks, including a loss to Orlando as well. Things were not looking good for Bostown.
Fast forward until February, where Boston has a good 32-20 record. Anthony Davis wants out, and Kyrie comes back from injury. Things take a turn for the worst. Boston is reportedly getting a “Historic offer” on the table, ready in July. 2 Weeks Later; a 4-Game losing streak.
Since then they have been doing pretty well, but on Monday lost to the Clippers, giving up 140 points.
Lakers
Imagine that you are a young basketball talent and have recently landed on one of the most prestigious teams in basketball – the LA Lakers. You are walking the same halls as legends Kareem Abdul Jabbar and Magic Johnson. Adding to the excitement is learning that the generational talent, LeBron James is joining your team. How could it get any better? You beat the defending champion Golden State Warriors, that’s how. And so they did, on Christmas day in a statement game, clobbering the Warriors 127-101 on Golden State’s floor to put up a 20-14 record good for 4th in the powerful western conference.
Fast forward only 60 days. Not only have the wheels come off, but the engine has seized up and the transmission fallen out. Basketball reference has given the Lakers a 0.1% chance of making the playoffs. They have only won 10 games since Christmas while losing 20, with losses to the Knicks, Cavs and, gulp, Suns – the bottom 3 teams in the Association at this time.
How did this happen? It may be that what seemed like the high point of the Laker season may well have instead been the moment of it’s undoing. With 8:17 left in the 3rd quarter, Lakers ahead by 14, James falls to the floor. He gets up cautiously and the play continues for several seconds until LeBron, holding his groin, calls for a time out.
I remember watching that play on Christmas day and looking at the angry expression on LeBron’s face, angry because he knew he was hurt substantially enough to miss a bunch of games. What he likely did not understand in that moment was how the injury was coming at the worst possible time as a number of events lined up to turn the Laker’s year from success to failure in 60 days.
First, that the youngsters stayed together and fought Golden State the rest of the game and actually pulled away without LeBron to beat the Warriors on Christmas day is commendable. But it was also exhausting trying to win without LeBron and the youngsters and broken bits only won 1 of their next 6 games. With LeBron scheduled out for the entire month of January, what was left of the team worked hard but lost more games than they won through the balance of the month. Even so, as James eyed his return, thoughts were the team worked hard in his absence and looked strong defensively. Only one game out of the playoff race, with King back on his throne, the playoffs remained a certainty; the only question remaining was could the Lakers move up and into the 7th or 6th position to get a better first round opponent.
So a tired Laker team, with a rehabbing LeBron sailed into February with hope and strong playoff aspirations just as a fierce trade wind kicked up when LeBron’s agent, Rich Paul, went public stating another of his clients, Anthony Davis, wanted to be traded and only to the Lakers. I suspect the immediate reaction in the Laker locker room was joy at the prospect of AD joining them just in time for a big playoff run. But not for long. Within short order all heck broke loose. The Pelicans were shocked at the perceived audacity of Magic Johnson, LeBron James and cohort Rich Paul to try and steal their prized star and the NBA agreed, fining Davis $50,000. Then, over the next 10 days leading up to the trade deadline, numerous lists of Lakers players offered up to New Orleans were leaked to the press. Suddenly, Anthony Davis coming to the Lakers meant all the hard work and effort these young players had expended in trying to keep the Lakers play off viable while LeBron rehabbed was for nothing as they saw their own names on numerous trade offers back to the Pelicans. Far greater than any these young players and odd balls had ever experienced they floundered in an ocean of rumour and innuendo. By chasing Anthony Davis at all cost, Magic and LeBron sucked the desire to succeed out of the youth of the team by making their effort feel meaningless.
So much damage was done that even though the trade deadline saw Davis remain in New Orleans, the spirit of the Lakers remained broken. LeBron’s first game back, the final Laker game of January, he did everything he could to put the team on his back and carry them to victory as he “eased” back into the rotation with nearly a triple double, 24 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists as the Lakers downed the Clippers. Fantastic, except that it was too much for LeBron and he missed the Warriors return game 2 days later and the Lakers were crushed. He got back again in time to face a motivated Pacer squad that blew the doors off the Lakers, 137-98. Since that game the Lakers have been an anemic 3-6 in their last 9 games. Even the Laker faithful are down on the team with calls for every head in the organization.
There is no realistic chance that the Lakers will make the playoffs this year. It will be the first time the NBA playoffs have been held in 14 years that they do not feature LeBron. And all because Anthony Davis decided he wanted to be traded.