The NBA needs to be restructured. I'm sooo tired of basically four teams always playing in the Finals. LA/BOSTON, LA/NY, LA/Chicago... Does anyone see a theme??? I do.

From *my* perspective, the NBA is always lookin' at the LARGER markets to win. That way, they can insure $$$$. Yet, what about a little thing called the GAME. What about the so called "smaller market" teams. Don't *they* deserve their chance to shine, in the national spotlight of an NBA Finals game???

Let's take a look back to the '90's. Chicago had an awesome team with the assistance of Michael Jordan. Portland also had an awesome team. Yet, Portland was *NOT* clinging to the hopes of *ONE* player... Unlike most NBA teams as of late, do. Portland had: Clyde "The Glide" Drexler, Terry Porter, Kevin Duckworth, etc.

Since 1976 the team had consistently *SOLD OUT* at home. The exclusion was when we had a group of players that had the euphemistic moniker "jail Blazers" that not only had their day on the court... but *IN* court as well. Those were sad times for the Blazers and for the fans. The *SOLD OUT* sign had to be put away.

Then came Brandon Roy and the start of a new era of what can only be called, a great come back. The Blazers also had Joel Pryzbilla, Marcus Camby, Greg Oden (our first #1 draft pick in decades, who has battled injuries). We also had a "Spanish contingent" of Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodrigez.

What is different about the Portland Trail Blazers and the rest of the NBA, in my opinion is a little thing called "unselfish teamwork". U don't have that in a Kobe, or a Micheal, or a Shaq. They think they *DESERVE* all the attention. Screw the rest of the team and screw the rest of the league for that matter. Case in point: When Kobe and Shaq were on the Lakers, Mr Whiney (Kobe) got upset. He felt he wasn't getting enough "attention".

Just this last season, in Portland; the Blazers endured over 200 days of players *NOT* being able to play due to injury. Those included players like: Brandon Roy, Joel Pryzbilla, Greg Oden (both Joel and Greg were out with knee injuries), etc. Yet, even in the darkest of days, the Blazers PULLED TOGETHER, shared the responsibility and found ways to win. Brandon Roy even came back to play after just having knee surgery a few weeks prior. Yet, he sacrificed his health to show the team what *THEY* meant to HIM!!! He also showed his fans (me included) that teamwork is what will bring success, not selfish players.

I fully understand that the NBA will not change it's ways... After all, they r in the business to make $$$. Why air a team from a small market and get no viewers... when u can get a team like the Lakers and garner HUGE revenues!!!

One can always hope that the NBA rethinks things... But it's highly unlikely.