Kevin’s Precious, Pau’s Lost Mojo by Prospero E. Pulma Jr.

Kevin’s Precious, Pau’s Lost Mojo

A ring-hungry Gollum and a mojo-less Austin Powers stood out from the hardcourt hysteria that was the 2008 NBA Finals. Just watching an extremely talented player like Kevin Garnett morph into a defensive and offensive monster on TV was so scary that I pitied the guys who were on the receiving end of his rage, the men in the gold and purple jersey I mean. He dove for loose balls, blocked shots, rebounded powerfully, and sniped at the ring even when his team was up by a comfortable margin. KG was on fire that he seemed possessed, resembling Gollum fighting for possession of the One Ring, his precious. Unlike Gollum who lost his precious in the end, KG can sleep with his, wear it, flaunt it before the world.

Austin Powers without his mojo, that was what Pau Gasol became in the Finals. What happened to the player whose defection to LA triggered similar blockbuster trades in Dallas and Phoenix? His scoring average plunged from a high of 22 early in the playoffs to 14 in their face off with Boston. His other stats also dropped, which allowed the Celtics to freely maul Kobe that it would not have been surprising if Leon Powe or even Rajon Rondo was sent to contain the Spanish superstar, a very risky move since it might have pushed his blood to the boiling point, letting him match KG’s fury. If that happened, I would not have watched a fiery Gollum and an emasculated Austin Powers but two Gollums fighting for the One Ring.

-Prospero E. Pulma Jr. -