LOS ANGELES -- They passed the moment from person to person in scripted, sometimes symbolic, handoff, Phil Jackson collecting his ring and saying a few words about Luke Walton, Walton accepting his title spoils and praising Lamar Odom, Odom stepping from the bench area to near midcourt to get his latest riches and saluting Ron Artest, and so on.Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Live
The Lakers made their special Tuesday night about relationships as much as championships, and welcome to the statement. If last year's festivities were an historical tour de force with some of the greatest heroes stepping from the franchise record book in an awesome show of name firepower -- Boston Celtics Jerry West, Magic Johnson, James Worthy -- this was uniquely embraceable.
Boston Celtics OK, strangely embraceable. They aren't thought of as a group that does warm fuzzies, but this is what is left when the crazy train finally comes to a stop, a moment straight from the Zenmaster playbook of Kumbaya, bonding exercises and other acts the Lakers have come to embrace while everyone else mocks.
Cleveland Cavaliers
That's right. We have entered an alternate universe.
They were already the Lakers like never before, the sedate, reliable group to start the season as the travelling circus moved on to Miami, the only concerns being their health and not their head, and then came this celebration of each other on the Staples Center floor. Commissioner David Stern was there to hand out the jewelry, but the normalcy ended there. The players and staff had their own production in mind and actually turned the party into a read on the new atmosphere.
"I thought it was unique, I thought it was personal, I thought it was honoring the team," said Jackson, who credited Tim Harris, the senior vice president of business operations, with the concept. "It was a good idea."Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Live
Jackson even made a point to include the players who were on the roster last season, though some barely on, before departing in the summer, making sure to mention Jordan Farmar, Josh Powell, DJ Mbenga and Adam Morrison at the outset, not as some late throw-in. That was when Jackson got his ring and it started.
Jackson introduced Walton. Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Live
