Genesis

Memories

NBA Analysis

1989 Playoffs

MJ vs. MJ

"Flashback who's that...dancing to the latest..."

Teena Marie - Square Biz

I originally wrote this story back in June, during the NBA Finals for The Starting Five. A lot has changed since then, however the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics are once again atop the NBA food chain, as they will play in the marquee Christmas game at 5pm EST.

Rewind

The NBA Finals have a nostalgic flavor to it, with Los Angeles playing against Boston for all the marbles. If I didn't know better, I would think I fell into a time portal and landed somewhere in front of a floor model color TV, circa June '87. That last sentence alone is enough to perplex anyone younger than I, because I'm guessing, the thinking by the younger reader would be...since when did television broadcast in anything but color, and why would anyone place a TV on the floor? Nevertheless, let's stay on memory lane, but I'd like to talk about a time near and dear to my heart...1990.

I was in middle school once the calendar read January 1990, and as I reflect, it's funny what mattered most to me during that time. I was an intelligent child, and I had my unique view on the world around me, like Kevin Arnold in the hit drama The Wonder Years. If I wasn't my begging my mother to let me grow my hair proud and tall like Kid in House Party, then I was trying my best to dunk, or better yet get the new girl in my neighborhood, to notice me. In the midst of all that, naturally I had to keep up my grades, and when I wasn't playing outside until the street lights came on, my friends and I played video games. I had a SEGA Genesis, and the company Electronic Arts changed my life when they started making sports titles. I can recall John Madden Football and the long days and nights I spent using the 46 defense on opposing QB's, but it was Lakers versus Celtics and the NBA Playoffs that changed EVERYTHING as I knew it.

Lakers versus Celtics was important because in my youth we had 2 televisions (one in the living room and the other in my parent's room) and no cable. I would watch the 76ers every once and a while when they played on Channel 17, and when the games weren't on, I would listen along on the radio. I begged for cable, however it wasn't a necessity and by the time the house in which I grew up in had cable...I was already grown and had been graduated from college a couple years. (If you figured it out, it was a few years ago.) Before COMCAST, the games were on PRISM in Philadelphia, and since neither company had roots at my residence, it was the video game that could provide me with the NBA at the flick of the power button on my SEGA. I learned all the rosters, and had hours of fun using the signature moves. My friends and I would play the video game, and then make the half-mile trek to the playground hoping to get picked to play with the teenagers. If that didn't work then we had to play in between games, or wait until the older guys were finished.

Magic had his #32 and Big Game had the goggles For my crew, we were all sports all the time. It was street football, you know 1-2-3 hold, basketball, king ball, wall ball, stick ball, or riding our bikes. I knew about the NBA, but it was more centralized on Barkley, Ron Anderson, Hawkins, Dawkins, G-Man, Reggie Miller (I had to cheer for the skinny guy) and of course Michael "Air" Jordan. Electronic Arts enabled me to appreciate the Lakers vs. Celtics rivalry as it delivered the NBA like never before. The Western Conference was a mystery to me before that game, so when I say it was life changing, it started the love affair with pro basketball that will never end.

This video game means more to me now because of the information that it provided way back when. I still have the game as it sits in my office as a reminder of when life was a lot easier.

Life is good, and with sports, it's THAT much better.

Merry Christmas!

Peace.

The Most Known Unknown.