CIO.com's Al Sacco is an avid Boston Celtics fan—and a BlackBerry user—and he can't help but see similarities between his favorite team and smartphone, along with some likenesses between the iPhone and Celtics-rival the Miami Heat. Here's why. The Boston Celtics are currently playing the Miami Heat in the NBA’s 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. The Miami Heat, led by superstars Lebron James and Dwayne Wade, are the clear favorites to move on to the Finals. But yesterday the Celts tied up the series in Boston at 2-2. As I sat watching the OT finish last night, leaning over my coffee table, on the edge of my seat, I looked down and saw my BlackBerry sitting next to my girlfriend’s iPhone. When I glanced back up at my TV screen, it occurred to me that the 2012 Boston Celtics are a lot like the current BlackBerry smartphone, and the Heat are similar to Apple’s iPhone. Call me crazy, but I started seeing BlackBerrys in white and green jerseys chasing iPhones in black. Here’s why. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe Anyone who follows Research In Motion (RIM) and BlackBerry has heard the term “aging OS” countless times during the past year in reference to the current BlackBerry software. And anyone who watches the Boston Celtics has also heard critics and analysts, including the inimitable Charles “That’s Turr-able” Barkley, refer to the Celtics’ aging Big Three: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Three former kings of the NBA, KG, The Truth and Ray are now “old,” and 2012 will presumably be their last year together in Boston uniforms. And yet all three of these men are still performing, albeit at a slower pace than they have in the past. But they could make it to the NBA Finals. (Please, please, please, please, please.) Like the Celtics, RIM’s BlackBerry OS is still in the hands of millions of loyal users, and it continues to perform, even though it has lost the confidence of many mobile users, especially in North America. The Celtics and the BlackBerry platform are no longer as flashy as they were in their heydays. The Miami Heat represent the opposite side of the coin, as does Apple’s ridiculously popular iPhone. They’re much younger. They’re much flashier and more fashion conscious.(Check out all of Lebron’s elaborate tattoos; none of Boston’s Big Three have inked sleeves, that’s for sure.) And they’re less “quirky.” The Celtics are gritty, and they’re all about getting the job done, no matter what their performance looks like. Kind of like the current BlackBerry OS. The Miami Heat love fancy alleyoops and Lebron slam dunks. The iPhone is a beautiful gadget that makes complex mobile-computing tasks look simple, and it offers a dazzling array of games and applications. The questions of whether or not the Celtics can move on to the Finals and/or win an eighteenth championship banner, or if RIM can reverse its downward spiral in the mobile space, remain unanswered, at least for the time being. But just because they’re older, doesn’t mean the game’s over just yet. BTW: My prediction for the Eastern Conference Finals is Heat in seven. I really hope I’m wrong. I also think San Antonio will go on to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, and then the Heat for the championship in six games. What say you, all-knowing reader? AS Celtics/Heat Images via prosportsextras.com Related content feature Mastercard preps for the post-quantum cybersecurity threat A cryptographically relevant quantum computer will put everyday online transactions at risk. Mastercard is preparing for such an eventuality — today. By Poornima Apte Sep 22, 2023 6 mins CIO 100 Quantum Computing Data and Information Security feature 9 famous analytics and AI disasters Insights from data and machine learning algorithms can be invaluable, but mistakes can cost you reputation, revenue, or even lives. These high-profile analytics and AI blunders illustrate what can go wrong. By Thor Olavsrud Sep 22, 2023 13 mins Technology Industry Generative AI Machine Learning feature Top 15 data management platforms available today Data management platforms (DMPs) help organizations collect and manage data from a wide array of sources — and are becoming increasingly important for customer-centric sales and marketing campaigns. By Peter Wayner Sep 22, 2023 10 mins Marketing Software Data Management opinion Four questions for a casino InfoSec director By Beth Kormanik Sep 21, 2023 3 mins Media and Entertainment Industry Events Security Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe