The RP's Weekly Web Gems: The Politics of the NBA Finals

 

Whose Side Are You On?

I started watching the NBA in earnest back in 2004, when the Detroit Pistons defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most classic NBA Finals in history.  That year, Shaq and Kobe were joined by Karl Malone and Gary Peyton in hopes that the two aging stars could vault them back to finals glory.  It almost worked, but they ran into the tough defense of the Larry Brown coached Pistons.  In stark contrast to the hodgepodge Lakers, the Pistons had a solid core o...