Last night the Big Four of the Celtics ran out of gas. The pre-season games, 82 regular season games, and four grueling playoff series let the future hall-of-famers gasping for breath in the 3rd period. Playing in the Lakers’ house didn’t help their cause. Kobe got an early birthday gift in a 3-point shooting foul. LA played a mugging defense. Kobe had submarined the Celtic center in game6. No foul. Still the game was close. If any of the Celtics hit a shot during the 3rd quarter’s scoring drought, the final outcome could have gone either way.

Rasheed Wallace had played a stellar 1st half. His lungs were sucking vapors in the last 24 minutes. Doc Rivers, the Celtics coach, suggested the nappy-haired shooting center might have played his last game. Temper-ridden and prone to technicals. He is the all-time leader in Ts and after the game ‘Roscoe’ as he’s known to LeBron James headed to the officials’ locker room. Security prevented him from speaking to the referees. His foul-out on Kobe in the last 25 seconds proved to be the difference in the 83-79 score.

“I just want to talk.”

LA had a 37-17 edge in free throws.

His talk might have been a little too threatening to the officials and the NBA. After all Wallace lashed out at the refs in 2008

“All that bullshit-ass calls they had out there. You saw them calls. The cats are flopping all over the floor and they’re calling that shit. That shit ain’t basketball out there. It’s all fucking entertainment. You all should know that shit. It’s all fucking entertainment.”

Pro Wrestling.

And my man Roscoe is more right than he is wrong..

As for his retirement, I played ball in the DeKalb playground this evening. 2 on 2, then 3 on 3. I hit from deep and score from the paint. I’m 58. 5-11. Vertical leap of 1 inch. Old School. We won both games and my teammate asked my name.

“James. James Mahon.”

Everyone knew what I was talking about and so does Rasheed.

Rasheed got some game left in him. Some techs too.

Go Roscoe Go.