The 2014 Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande has been uncorked on a (hopefully?) celebratory evening....

[JimHow]

Just win, baby!

[JimHow]

Wonder if I should decant....

[JimHow]

This is a brooding wine like its neighbor Pichon-Longueville Baron in 2014.

Reticent at first but revealing great depth with swirling in the Riedel sommelier series glass.

[stefan]

Yuch! I hope that the Mavs can do something never done previously. But it will take a lot more than Luka magic.

I am undecided as to who most deserves the MVP. I am torn between Joe Mazzulla and Brad Stevens, but am leaning toward the latter.

[JimHow]

Agreed on Brad Stevens, adding Holiday, White, and Porzingis while finally discarding Marcus Smart wins it in my book.

[JimHow]

This is a heavyweight wine. This in no way can be characterized as “feminine.” Both Baron and Lalande in 2014 seem like aberrations in that they are big and burly and not “easy drinking” like a lot of other 2014s, from both banks, at the ten year mark. After coaxing the terroir on this wine comes through, it is a full bodied Pauillac that will continue to develop for decades to come. A profound wine, cedar, blackberries, structured, frankly not like any other PLL I can think of comparing it to but a great representation of PLL nonetheless. This is a great PIchon Lalande. Rating: 96 points.

[marcs]

Joel and I often meet for little wine-based NBA watch parties. Last one was game 3 of this Finals and we had a grower champagne, 2012 Drouhin Chambertin clos de Beze, and a 2014 Boillot Moucheres (premox!). The game was disappointing and we gave up on this series…looks like it will be a gentleman’s sweep even after the blowout loss last night

2014 PLL got some fantastic reviews and came out at $90/bottle. I got half a case, sounds like I should wait to open the first one…

[JimHow]

Yes, the 2014 PCLL needs more age, but I was pleased with how it unfolded with air last night. It's a beauty.
As for the C's, I won't panic yet but if they lose Monday night I'll probably switch to whiskey as my beverage of choice.

[Ognik]

3:2
Go Mavs.
Sorry Jim. Not today.

[JimHow]

lol. I’m nervous.

[JimHow]

....

[marcs]

this thread is going to ruin the 2014 PLL for me by associating it with a Celtics championship...

[JimHow]

Ha ha I may have to drink one each of the next 5-6 years as the dynasty continues….

[stefan]

Dynasty for this team? What have you been smoking? There are too many strong teams now for any team to have a dynasty. Even with an easy win this year, the point total of the Mavs was higher than that of the Cs over the first four games.

[marcs]

Statistically these Celtics are one of the very best teams in all of basketball history, so they might end up a dynasty. The league done fucked up by letting them get Holiday/White/Porzingis while dumping their underachievers. Never trade with the Celtics

[JimHow]

A few statistics:

https://youtu.be/-THTeqiWGqQ

[DavidG]

Who would win a 7-game series between the 1986 Celtics and the 2024 Celtics?

[stefan]

1986 Celtics. One of the all time best front courts, and not shabby in the back, either. Not even close, IMO.

[JimHow]

I've really enjoyed this 2024 team, I like both Tatum and Brown, I like how they conduct themselves, they seem like two nice young men who have just the right amount of chip on their shoulder. They're both gymnasium freaks and hardly ever miss games, knock on wood, at ages 26/27 they can be around for another decade. Holiday, White and Porzingis have all become crowd favorites. The contract situations are great except for White because of the salary cap but ownership seems committed to re-signing him. When I was at the game in Cleveland it really stood out to me from near the floor what a force Holiday is out there on both ends of the court, just a whirling dervish.

You are right, though, Stefan, I don't know when I've ever seen so much great young talent spread out across the NBA, it is very healthy for the league that numerous teams have been in contention in recent years.

It's hard to compare different eras, of course, but yeah I gotta go with the '86 Celtics. Larry in his prime, and Bill Walton coming off the bench. I was at the "Sweet Sixteen" celebration in Government Center, there must have been at least a half million people there, I'll never forget Johnny Most coming to the microphone and yelling out "Welcome to Sweet Sixteen!"

[JimHow]

I think I told this story before, my earliest memory of the Celtics was 1969, my Dad was a big Celtics fan, his guy was Cousy. He and I drove down to Logan to pick up my Uncle Stan and Aunt Polly who were visiting from LA, Stan was a letter carrier, they lived in Thousand Oaks and had just flown in from LAX. It was in the middle of the epic 1969 Celtics-Lakers finals, Russell's last year. The Lakers were up 3-2 in the series and they were back in Boston for Game 6. We were waiting at the gate for my aunt and uncle. All of a sudden the gate opens and out walks Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, and the L.A. Lakers, on the commercial flight from Los Angeles, they were on my aunt and uncle's plane. Wow, what a memory.

[JimHow]

There's a movement to re-name Logan after Bill Russell. I'm all for it!

[DavidG]

Agree, I think ‘86 Celtics were one of the best teams ever.