Darko's Last Laugh

What a terrific NBA Finals. Detroit played inspiring ball, exuding heart, hustle, tenacity and intelligence. It was truly a joy to watch this series. If only the Lakers had shown up.

Here are my thoughts on the Pistons' win tonight:

* As great as it was watching Detroit pull away in the third, didn't you feel like they should've implemented a Mercy Rule, a-la Little League?

* How great was it to listen to Al Michaels and Doc Rivers just eviscerate the Laker effort? I've never heard an announcer take a team to task like that.

* If I could be any NBA player for a night, I might just pick Ben Wallace. I'd love to have that supernatural ability to get every loose ball, rebound at will and strike fear in the best athletes in the world. But then again, I might want to be a player who could shoot a basketball.

* I really do feel bad for Karl Malone. He's a class guy (unlike the despicable Gary Payton) and I hope the lack of an NBA title won't diminish his legacy.

* I think it would be best for everyone if Kobe left the team this offseason. Shaq could be the undisputed man, the Lakers could begin their rebuilding process, the league would benefit from the dispersion of talent, and most importantly Kobe could begin a new chapter. If he is acquitted, it would be absolutely fascinating to see what would happen if Kobe had his own team. Would he step up as a leader and take his own crew to a championship? Who would go farther in the playoffs, Shaq's team or Kobe's team? Or would we find that neither player is nearly great without the other on his squad?

* Chauncey Billups reminds me a lot of Brad Johnson of the Tampa Bay Bucs. Bounced around for years, never able to maximize on his potential. Then finally, magically, they mature to the point where they lead their team to a title. Point guards are in fact very similar to NFL QBs. It sometimes takes a few years for guys like Billups, Steve Nash and White Chocolate Williams to really master the position.

* Joe Dumars ought to be standing on a table somewhere boasting like Ali after knocking out Sonny Liston.

Joe, I can't believe you fired Rick Carlisle. "Eat your words!"
Joe, Tayshaun Prince can't be an NBA starting forward. "Eat your words!"
Joe, drafting Darko over Carmelo is the dumbest draft pick ever. "EAT YOUR WORDS!"

* If the U.S. wins the gold medal in Athens, Larry Brown will be a mortal lock for Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

* The best thing about this series is that it mercifully ended three bits of NBA conventional wisdom:

1. In the NBA, the team with the best player always wins the title. No Shaq, no Kobe, no prob. The Pistons won this title like a college team- with unselfishness on offense, an energetic bench, and a cohesive defensive unit.

2. The East is the West's bitch. Finally, we see that it is indeed possible for an Eastern conference team to win the league title. With these Pistons, the still-young Pacers, and the LeBronaires in Cleveland, the future of the East looks mighty bright.

3. Championship experience always wins out. This myth only reared his head in the last decade, when the Bulls, Rockets and Lakers kept repeating as champions. But it wasn't always like this- the young, upstart Celtics overtook the Sixers; the young, upstart Pistons overtook the Celtics; and finally the young upstart Bulls overtook the Pistons and the Lakers in '91. Sometimes the better team just wins on skills.