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Wow.

What else can you say?  I feared this Lakers team.  They had Pau Gasol to answer for Garnett.  They had Lamar Odom to counter Pierce.  They had Phil to outcoach Doc Rivers.  Most terrifying of all, they had Kobe Bryant, who would be able to cover any gap between the talent of the C's big 3 and the Lakers big guns.  The Lakers also had just plowed through the defense-minded San Antonio Spurs -- the defending champs, and a team that played a style not dissimilar to the brand of basketball the Celtics play -- to get to the Finals, so they looked to be the favorite.  After 22 years of waiting, my excitement for a renewal of the greatest rivalry in NBA history was tempered by the realization that the Celtics could have their storybook season tainted by the hated Lakers. 

Thankfully, the Celtics answered the call and the 2007/08 team wrote the next chapter in the Legacy of the Boston Celtics.  The series was as one sided of a six game series as we've ever seen.  The finale was one of the least entertaining games I've ever watched, and I have never enjoyed a blow out more.  At the end of the game the cameras caught Bill Russell, who is the greatest winner of all time, hugging Kevin Garnett (who had just been called "Counterfeit Ticket" and "Fake Franchise Player" by the New York Post)  Hondo was there, too.  So was Cousy and Heinsohn and Jo Jo White and Cedric Maxwell.  Somewhere up above, I'm sure Dennis Johnson and Red were lighting up their victory cigars.  And after looking as uncomfortable as one guy can when showing only half of his face in a TV Commercial for the Finals, I'm sure Larry was calling Magic to rub it in.  The Celtics are once again the kings of the basketball world.  I am smiling widely when I say this:  Celtics Nation -- our long national nightmare is over.  The Celtics brought home number 17.

A word, though, on the Lakers.  I am not a Kobe fan, but I will take a moment to defend the guy.  Since the comeback win last Thursday, everyone has been tripping over each other to pronounce Kobe Bryant overrated.  I don't really care for him, and this win is just a bit sweeter knowing it comes at his expense.  But, the idea that he is somehow less today because he didn't win this title without Shaq is a little crazy.  Shaq may have been the man for the Lakers, but it's not crazy to say that Shaq wouldn't have won 3 straight in L.A. without Kobe.  And for as great as Jordan was, he didn't bring home any rings without Scottie Pippen.  So maybe Kobe was more Robin than Batman when Shaq was around, but don't completely discount the role Kobe played in those titles.  It's not like he was just standing around on the court watching Shaq bulldoze the competition.  If guys like Jordan, LeBron and Kobe proved that it is possible for an NBA team to overcome their weaknesses and win when they have an extraordinary superstar in the line-up to carry the team, then the Celtics 2007/08 season is just another example that more often than not, the best team wins.  So cut Kobe some slack.  He is an all time great, but Gasol, Odom, Fisher, etc are not.  They are capable of being very good players, but that isn't the same as great.  The Celtics -- as they have throughout their storied history -- won as a team.  The "Big 3" lead the way, but as much as they will define #17, the story isn't complete without guys like Eddie House, Leon Powe, PJ Brown, Sam Cassell, Kendrick Perkins, and my favorite player on the team -- Rajon Rondo.

The next few days and weeks are a time when we should enjoy the moment.  This will live in my memory along side the Yankees of 1996 and the Cardinals of 2006 as a return to glory for one of my teams.  We'll see what this incarnation of the Celtics can do for an encore, but even if they win the next 4 titles, they will never win another that will mean as much to me as this one does.