Newsflash

If you think Paul Pierce is Willis Reed, I have a newsflash for you Walkter Cronkite. He isn't. And guess what, Kobe Bryant is not Michael Jordan. And the fact that the last time the Celtics played the Lakers in the NBA Finals was over 20 years ago really makes this whole "rivalry" talk meaningless. How can there be a rivalry when the vast majority of the people playing in the "rivalry" were not even in kindergarten yet the last time the two teams met?

The history of the game is important. I get it. I respect it. But I am tired of having it shoved down my throat. The game was not "better" back in the "good old days." Why can't we appreciate the current players for who they are and what they are doing now? Kobe Bryant is Kobe Bryant and he is amazing. Respect him for his game and for his impact and for what he is doing now. Stop forcing the Michael Jordan comparisons. Paul Pierce played a good game last night. He wasn't injured. If he was injured he wouldn't have walked back on to the court three minutes later and proceeded to play at the same level as prior to the "injury." He is not Willis Reed. I repeat, he is not Willis Reed. He is Paul Pierce. Respect him for who he is. Seriously, this whole nostalgia thing makes me want to beat my head against the table. Appreciate the current crop of players and athletic feats for who and what they are. They are not inherently better or worse than some twisted nostalgia for the long gone golden age of yore when times were simpler and basketball was more "pure."