It started when I was on a bus bound to UP: happy to come back to the university after a five semester break and volunteer work. The man peddling bottled water and C2 suddenly erupted with excitement and told everybody what the score was. "Lamang na! Lamang na! Yessss!"
I was enjoying the flickering images of yellow and green jerseys jumping up and down the TV screen, running after a ball. I recognized it was the Lakers (I love them just because Kobe Bryant happens to endorse Nike) and the Celtics (I only know they like green; I don't even know what thier name means). Then another yell: "Lamang na naman! Ayos! Wala na to!"
Now for a working student who has only time for school and my 5 to 6 hour shift Mondays to Saturdays, I really have no luxury, as the water peddler had, to put my mind on the NBA. Thanks to the bus TV I had a chance to watch something that my co-teachers were talking about when it's breaktime at work.
So much for the social lubricant it served, it also helped me get a glimpse of who's who in the NBA nowadays.
See, the last time I devoutly watched NBA was in the late 90's when John Stockton of the Jazz always showcased his short shorts and went with lay-up shots againts the Bulls. Well, it was the glory days of Michael Jordan, too. I remember him making a billion jumpshots and slams, while sticking his tongue out just like a bull thirsty for a trophy.
So far, the Lakers-Celtics rivalry seems to be of some importance that my uncle's factory watched it religiously, even to the point of him as the president ordering everybody in the workforce to stop work and man the TV sets instead. Now that was something my aunt never understood--so did I.
I ended up asking my friends what made this NBA finals so special. They told me it was the first time after a very very long time that the finals reached to game 7. Now the last time I ever remember that happening was when the Jazz went against the Bulls.
Whew! No wonder my uncle had everyone in his factory stop and watch the game. Now that leaves me wondering as to what people are willing to pay for a basketball game.
I guess that just tells me how Filipinos really love the orange ball going through the hoop.
Well, the Lakers won. Hurrah for Kobe! Hurrah! People lost money in bets, some gained some, some lost some. Some gained extra weight by sitting too much in front of the TV; some gained new hoop tricks to practice; some lost precious hours at work; some gained more hours at work. Some gained some; some lose some.
As for me, I take the safe side: school and work, school and work. I still have papers to write, lesson plans to prepare, books to read and a blog about sportswriting to make.
But I am happy Kobe's team won. I really like his Nike posters.
