A Much-Anticipated Celtics-Lakers Game

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MICHELE NORRIS, host:

Whether they've been naughty or nice, basketball fans will have a special present waiting for them on Christmas day. It's a showdown between the defending champion Boston Celtics and the team they beat to win that title the Los Angeles Lakers. As if the match up between those two arch rivals wasn't enough, the Celtics and the Lakers are both off to a remarkable start this season. And since it's Friday Stefan Fatsis joins me now to talk about this and other NBA news. Stefan, these two teams have a lot to strut about just how good are they.

Mr. STEFAN FATSIS (Sportswriter): Oh, they are historically good right now. The Celtics have won 24 of their first 26 games, they're just the third team ever to do that. The Lakers have won 21 out of 24 games so far, they lead the league in scoring. And here's the sign of team greatness for both. Their best players Kobe Bryant on Los Angeles, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett on Boston are scoring significantly less than during most of their careers even than last year.

NORRIS: Now they're good, but there are a few other teams that are not quite ready to concede just yet, particularly the Cleveland Cavaliers, their star Lebron James is having a phenomenal season.

Mr. FATSIS: Yeah the Cavs are 21 in 4. They are right behind the Lakers. No surprise that Lebron is averaging 27 points a game, that's second best in the league, but what's been especially impressive is how he has become a stellar defensive player. Scouts and coaches say that he simply improved that part of his game, it's reflected in Cleveland's team statistics, they are the stingiest team in the NBA, the only team allowing fewer than 90 points per game. So I wouldn't hand the Eastern Conference trophy to Boston just yet.

NORRIS: Now it sounds like Lebron is also trying to raise his profile. He's stepping up his off court activity. Tell us about that.

Mr. FATSIS: Yeah, ESPN reported this week that Lebron is partnering with the rapper Ice Cube, they're going to produce a drama for ABC about an intercity basketball phenom who winds up playing in a small town sort of Friday Night Lights.

NORRIS: And this is not his first Hollywood venture?

Mr. FATSIS: No, he's the executive producer of a documentary called "More Than A Game," it followed Lebron and his high school teammates in Ohio and it premiered recently at the Toronto Film Festival just sold for theatrical release and it's getting terrific reviews.

NORRIS: Lebron's an interesting businessman, he's also the cause of much of the off court speculation about what he plans to do when he becomes a free agent and I think that's in 2010 is that correct?

Mr. FATSIS: 2010 and we're talking about it already. And we're actually kind of obsessed with it - the New York media has been all over this. Lebron is coming to New York and Lebron hasn't discouraged the talk. The Nicks are structuring their roster now solely with an eye toward 2010, they're trading players with long term contracts so they've got salary cap space to sign Lebron when that day comes. Other teams are doing the same thing because other stars are also going to be on the market then, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosch, Amari Stoudemire, there's a nice essay on slate.com by Neil Pollock like about how this is a distraction for the NBA. On the one hand this is how the business of the league works, on the other hand teams are supposed to be trying to win not giving up on the next two seasons.

NORRIS: And does trying to win explain why six teams have fired their head coaches already this season?

Mr. FATSIS: Well, it's 20 percent of the league and the teams that have replaced the coach Toronto, Washington, Oklahoma City, Sacramento, Philadelphia, and Minnesota all got off to terrible or worse than expected starts, but there's more to it than that. Teams are under pressure to win, especially in this economy when they need to give fans a reason to keep coming out to games. It's hard to change players in the middle of the season - the coaches easy to let go of, justifiably or not. Look up in Toronto Sam Mitchell was the NBA coach of the year just two seasons ago - fired now.

NORRIS: Stefan, you come to us with two statistical milestones that you think are worth noting this week. What are you talking about?

Mr. FATSIS: Well the first one is Chris Paul the point guard for the New Orleans Hornets, just a terrific player. He broke the record for the most consecutive games with at least one steal, 106 that's amazing. The second is equally impressive if less complimentary in the next few days maybe on Christmas, Shaquille O'Neal will miss the 5000th free throw of his career. Only Will Chamberland has reached that unreachable star and no other player comes even close. I got to give a hats up here to John Hollinger on ESPN for noticing this dubious statistic.

NORRIS: Ouch. Thank you Stefan.

Mr. FATSIS: Thanks, Michele.

NORRIS: That's sportswriter Stefan Fatsis, he joins us most Fridays to talk about sports and the business of sports.

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