Down With The King

The real tragedy of the conclusion of the NBA Finals, and perhaps even this entire NBA season, is that the media's infatuation with LeBron James from the ill-advised "Decision" spectacle to his second run at a championship has dwarfed all other notable NBA topics. The big victim of all this is Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, who was in LBJ's shoes once as the guy who could never seem to "win the big one" until he finally did this past Sunday.

Dirk got his moment in the sun, posted up with NBA commissioner David Stern at center-court while his condor-like arms raised the Finals MVP trophy while hundreds of fair-weather Miami fans exited the building with their minds once again fully entrenched on the next "Early Bird Special". Still, it didn't take long for focus to shift back to the self-appointed King. James ruffled some feathers in the days after Miami's chokejob when he made comments that a nation, already turned off by LeBron's "look at me" show all season, perceived as arrogant.

The problem here isn't so much LeBron's arrogance, which was put in place since he was a teenager when everyone short of the Pope was putting him on magazine covers and christening him "The Next Michael Jordan", as much as it a national media unsure what it wants from the best player in the game. When LeBron hit free agency around this time last year, we all secretly wanted LeBron to go somewhere where he had the best chance of winning a title because, while we weren't quite ready to call him "The Next MJ", we wanted him to be the second coming of His Airness. After all, Kobe Bryant was nearing the end of his rope and who wanted to root for a guy once accused of rape anyway? In July of last year, LeBron did just that. We just didn't like the way he went about it. Furthermore, we painted LeBron as a sidekick because rather than continue to be a one man show, he openly admitted to needing help by teaming up with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami. Nevermind the fact that we had just finished watching an NBA Finals where Kobe and a star-studded supporting cast that starred one of the games best forwards in Pau Gasol, the game's premier perimeter defender in Ron Artest and coached by the game's best general in Phil Jackson just outlasted a Boston Celtics team that was comprised of All-Stars Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen(and an emerging star in Rajon Rondo).

Somehow, what LeBron was doing was different. Why? Because Michael Jordan would have never done it. Jordan would have never asked Magic or Bird to come to Chicago and tower over the league. So, because Michael Jordan was the epitome of all that is good with basketball(this despite a well-known gambling addiction and accounts by teammates and peers claiming Jordan was an arrogant schmuck of Donald Trump/Bill O'Reilly proportions) and LeBron was now the anti-Jordan, the path of least resistance was to paint LeBron and his cohorts as the villians. It was a role that "The Big Three" struggled with at first but eventually became something they came to terms with. They were the new Dallas Cowboys. They were the New York Yankees. They were the Floyd Mayweather of basketball. The team that looked so good on paper that those around them feared what their success may do to the sport going forward. It's why so many rooted for the resurgence of the Bulls led by the humble NBA MVP Derrick Rose come playoff time. It's why there was so much hand-ringing when the Heat finally ran out of gas against a Mavs team with Somalian-like hunger. Like most scripted movies, the bad guys died at the end.

My issue isn't so much painting LeBron and company as villains as much as it is why some are so surprised that James has come to terms with his new pubic standing. He knows reporters despise him. He knows guys like DeShawn Stevenson will always have a bone to pick with him. He knows he'll never be allowed to roam the streets of Cleveland. He knows he's persona non grata in areas outside of South Beach. Most importantly, he knows that this latest failure to win a ring will be all the basketball world will talk about for next five months until basketball starts up again or until our minds our occupied by the return of football. My issue is that we put a bullseye on a man's head and then became disappointed that he didn't beg for us to take it off him. LeBron's now the NBA's biggest bad guy. He's ok with that. It's not what he preferred, I'm sure, when he made his "decision", but it's something he can't take back now. The only cure is winning.

Which brings me to my next point......what would the book on LeBron be today if LeBron was a champion and not 0 for 2 in the NBA Finals? Look at how quickly we forgave Kobe's childishness when he won a ring without Shaq. Would winning the title this year have washed away all of James' past sins? And, if so, does that make those that hate him now hypocrites? And, if not, what will? What exactly is LeBron's crime? He chose to leave a miserable situation for a better one. Isn't that what we all are trying to do? Perhaps I'm coming off as a LeBron apologist. However, you should know that I was vehemently against the idea of "The Decision" and that LeBron's inability to take down an aging Mavericks team despite being the best player on the court for six games will go down as one sports' biggest disappointments. That being said, I don't believe in stringing out a man because he doesn't live up to OUR expectations and OUR projections of what he should be. LeBron James isn't Michael Jordan.

And you know what?

Nobody is.

The conclusion of these Finals should have been about Dirk Nowitzki coming full-circle and winning the ring that had escaped him his entire career. It should have been his golden moment. Instead, much like the rest of the NBA, it was overshadowed by the world's newfound love-hate relationship with LeBron James. That, to me, is more tragic than any ill-advised, self-centered comment the once media-anointed King has made. We created this monster, so when do we get to blame ourselves? We created this monster in hopes that the memory of Michael Jordan would live on in a kid who spent his entire life trying to be like his mentor. Instead, LeBron James made the choice to be the man he wanted to be and not what we wanted him to be. Since when did being your own man make you the bad guy? Probably since we are the ones who write the scripts.

No Air

Kobe Bryant's legacy.

That was the selling point of this year's NBA Finals. It was all the media talked about. It's why Gabe tuned in. Kobe Bryant trying to add to his resume was supposed to make everyone forget that we saw this movie between the Celtics and Lakers two years ago. It was supposed to make us forget the media's 180 on "The Black Mamba". It was supposed to make us forget everything. Who cares about everything else? This series was about Kobe.

And you know what? In the process of watching Kobe do work, we got a somewhat entertaining NBA Finals(or so I'm told, since I stayed true to my word of boycotting the Finals). Kobe Bryant showed why he is the best player in the game for the first 6 games of a back-and-forth championship series.

Then, Game 7 came along....and Kobe shit the bed.

Now, I know Laker fans and Kobe slurpers are going to point fingers at me and go on one of their "You're a Kobe hater!" diatribes. I assure you, as I've said many times, I do not hate Kobe Bryant. I think his 2003 sexual assault charge shouldn't have been swept under the rug by reporters and, at times, I think he tries to disguise his selfishness on the court with a PR-cultivated phony persona off of it in front of the flashing lights, but for the most part, I like Kobe Bryant. He's among the top five guys I enjoy watching in the game right now. He's one of the 15-20 greatest basketball players of all-time and he was spectacular in both the first six games of these Finals and throughout the postseason(especially against the Suns).

That being said, for weeks, we got fed the storyline of Kobe's chased of the great Michael Jordan. It's all we heard about. "Kobe's trying to pass Mike. He's only one ring away.....blah blah blah." Then, in the biggest game of his life, when the stakes were high and everything was on the line, Kobe Bryant went 6-for-24 with 23 points(led all Lakers scorers) and 15 rebounds. When the game was down to wire in the last few minutes, it was Ron Artest's shooting, Pau Gasol's rebounding and Sasha Vujacic's two clutch free throws that helped put championship banner #16 on the rafters of the Staples Center. Kobe's excuse for his poor performance? He was tired. Spent. Exhausted. I'm sorry, did you say you were tired? The biggest game of your career and you needed 40 winks? Weeks of stories about your legacy and you fall flat in the end? Really? THIS was your selling point, America!?

I said before Game 1 tipped off that we will learn nothing. That the teams were evenly matched and the Lakers will win in 7.....You can thank me later. When the clock hit zero, the big stories after the game were Ron Artest being Ron Artest and thanking his shrink and promoting his single at the same time during the biggest postgame interview of his life(Hey, whatever keeps him out of the stands and away from robbing liquor stores is OK by me). Do you think that would happen if this was Jordan's Bulls winning a close Game 7 for the NBA championship? Do you think His Airness would be taking a backseat to Dennis Rodman in the biggest game of his life? Do you think Jordan would be too tired to carry his team across the finish line? Jordan once dispatched the Utah Jazz while being sick with the flu. That game, Jordan went 13-27, played 44 minutes, scored 38 points, had 7 boards and 5 assists. Scottie Pippen and Luc Longley chipped in. They didn't steal the show. He didn't use the flu as his excuse because he didn't have to. He brought Chicago back from down 16 and the Bulls won by two. He willed himself and his team to victory. He didn't sit back and prayed his teammates would bail him out. He didn't pull a Kobe Bryant.

Is Jordan's Game 5 of the '97 Finals vs. Kobe's Game 7 last night an unfair comparison? Maybe. But you brought this on yourself. We always put things in front of Kobe Bryant for him to destroy. We always give him obstacles. After the breakup with Shaq, we all made a big fuss over Kobe not being able to win one without "The Diesel". So Kobe went out last year and won a ring without Shaq. This year, we had no real obstacle for him, so we put the best basketball player of the last 12 years against a ghost. We told him to go out and surpass Michael Jordan. Instead of asking Kobe Bryant to be his own stand-alone legend, we, like we have so many Jordan clones over the years and like we will do for decades after with LeBron James, asked him to slay the giant. Michael Wilbon made a point in the post-game discussion about how this generation only remembers the great players of now and forgets past legends so easily. He said Kobe was in the Top 20 ever, while Stuart Scott(the hyperbole king himself) tried to bait Wilbon into pushing him into the Top 10. Wilbon's point was never clearer than when moronic Lakers fans booed former Celtics legend Bill Russell(only the greatest big man this game has ever seen and perhaps the sports world's most accomplished winner) during the MVP coronation(which, of course, went to Kobe). Phil Jackson, Kobe's coach for all five titles and Jordan's coach for all of MJ's six, wouldn't go as far as to say that Kobe is the best player he's ever coached. Rather, Dr. Phil said "he's right up there". Translation: Jordan is still King. Kobe's still a prince.

Look, I despise Michael Jordan and I like Kobe. I could have easily banged the drum like so many will do these next few months that Kobe has dethroned MJ. Certainly, Kobe has dominated a tougher era and has managed to do so without even going to college. The acceleration from plucky young gunner to seasoned winner was almost instantaneous. He didn't have to wait nearly a decade to taste a championship like Jordan did and like James inevitably will. That being said, he's not Michael Jordan, and he never will be. Jordan vs. Bryant will be the Louis vs. Ali of our generation. Diehard Jordan fans will NEVER put Kobe ahead of MJ even if Bryant wins 12 championships and Lakers fans will always opt for their guy over Jordan, even when evidence like last night's stinker clearly shows that Jordan is still above Bryant. It's a neverending debate.

These Finals were supposed to be about Kobe's legacy, Kobe's chase of Jordan, Kobe's 5th ring. Instead, it should be about Kobe choking when it matters most. Of course, lucky for Lakers fans and Bryant himself, nobody is crazy enough to tell THAT story.

That's why I'M here.

Don't Hate The Hater, Hate The Game

Hater: A person that simply cannot be happy for another person's success. So, rather than being happy, they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person. Hating, the result of being a hater, is not exactly jealousy. The hater doesn't really want to be the person he or she hates, rather the hater wants to knock someone down a notch.

Realist: Realists have a firm grip on reality and can see things for what they are, not what they are told they are. Realists have their own views and do not fall victim to propaganda, misconception or titles. (Both definitions provided by urbandictionary.com)

Hater. Realist. Pessimist. Devil's Advocate. I probably fit the bill on all of those terms. Why? Because I believe, in my heart of hearts, that 90% of everything we read, hear, see, watch, and are told is bullshit. Gabe described me as an "all-purpose hater". By definition, that may very well be true. I'm just the type of guy who likes to go left when others go right. It's just my nature. You may say that makes me a hater. I may say I'm just a realist. It's a neverending debate.

In the definition of "hater" above, it says that the "hater" makes a point of exposing a flaw. So, in typical hater fashion, allow me to do so. I'm not going recycle my thoughts on the NBA Finals. I've said my piece. Gabe has said his. We agree to disagree on this one. However, in the coverage of these NBA Finals, I find a common thread: Kobe Bryant's legacy and his pursuit of Michael Jordan.

Now, if you've heard my thoughts on Jordan, you will DEFINITELY think I'm a hater. Personally, I find that the man feasted on weak competition and the media glossed over his fatal flaws (selfishness, huge ego, extreme gambling problem, etc.) because he a. was a consistent winner and b. a endorsement cash cow. You didn't want to have opposing thoughts on Michael Jordan because you would lose money. His face and persona sold magazines, sneakers, hot dogs, soft drinks, underwear....the whole nine. You didn't want to go up against that.

The same now holds true with Kobe Bryant......and that is where my issues lies. Seven years ago, the same media that now fawns over Kobe's thirst to top Jordan were ready to throw "The Black Mamba" to the wolves. In 2003, Kobe Bryant was in the same situation that Tiger Woods and Ben Roethlisberger are currently in. He was a superstar athlete taking a public relations ass-whooping because of a well-publicized tawdry sexual encounter with a woman who was not his wife. Kobe got the two-for-one special back then. Not only was Bryant being pummelled for being an adulterer, but he was being accused of being a rapist. Endorsements dropped Kobe with such speed, it would make C.J. Spiller's head spin. The media had a field day. Kobe's jersey sales plummeted. Sure, the case never went to trial because the accuser wouldn't testify and Kobe did admit to having an affair (claiming, however, that the sex was consensual) and Kobe stole a page out of the Tony Soprano handbook and wooed his wife with a overdramatic apology and a big, fat, gawdy ring (Although, Tony never cried. Why? Because Jersey Italians don't cry!). Still, much like most celebrity rape charges that never see the light of day in a courtroom, we don't know what exactly went on in that room. All we know is Kobe inevitably reached a settlement with the victim in her civil suit.

Then, a funny thing happened on the way to reporters asking questions: Kobe became a Jordan-esque winning machine. After a couple years of a PR nightmare that included Kobe demanding out of L.A. like a spoiled brat, Bryant ended up getting everything he wanted: some quality role players (Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and later on, Ron Artest) and, most importantly, the media off of his back. After all, much like Jordan in the 90's, nobody wanted to risk irritating the game's biggest star by delving into controversy. So everyone agreed to just drop it. It's a thing of the past, right? Winning cures everything! Who cares that this man may have forced his way into a woman that wasn't his wife, then had his well-paid attorneys and PR people apply an asphyxiating hailstorm of pressure on the victim until she tapped out? Do I think Kobe raped Katelyn Faber? I don't know, and you know what, neither do you. However, it's easier to take the path of least resistance and get on the good side of the man who is dominating the NBA like his mentor did a decade or so ago.

Look, I don't hate Kobe. I'm just enough a realist to know that the same media that pucker up to his million dollar ass now were hurling daggers at him seven years ago. Now, it's all about Kobe's legacy. Seven years ago, it was about locking the guy up. I've chosen to not forget that, even if some have. What does this have to do with my lack of excitement over the Finals? Well, nothing. There is a small part of me that has a hard time rooting for someone who may have committed sexual assault not so long ago and the only thing keeping that part from amplifying is my utter dislike for Jordan (I grew up admiring Magic Johnson. Yes, the same Magic Johnson whose philandering gave him the HIV virus and ended his NBA career. Stars aren't perfect. I get it). You may say "But Dave, that was seven years ago, he wasn't convicted...blah blah blah." Tell that to O.J. Even before he got locked up for being the ignorant goon we always knew he was during his famous double murder trial, O.J. never seemed to get the benefit of the doubt. There were people who thought he did it and got away with murder (like myself) and people in denial. People who genuinely thought O.J. was innocent and were not only supporting him because of racial solidarity were few and far between. He never experienced the type of public relations 180 that Kobe got (and that's not to say that he should have. Frankly, the world's a better place with that asshole behind bars).

Similarly, there are two schools of thought regarding the Finals. There are guys like Gabe, who loves the sport of basketball and sees this Finals matchup as a furthering of the sport's greatest rivalry as well as yet another chance to see one of the three greatest players of all-time "do work" in hopes of another championship ring. In the eyes of BoomRoastedSports' "all-purpose hater", it's the continuation of the pursuit by a man, once considered the most hated man in the sport, of surpassing the legacy of his legendary mentor, who proved to be the cocky, arrogant, self-centered jerk that I always thought he was during his Hall of Fame speech.

That may make me a hater, but I think I'm just being a realist.

Kobe, Phil, and Doctor Rivers

Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Finals

Yesterday, on Twitter (@rodriguezg and @DLSmooth82 Find us, follow us. I'm sure you can figure out who is who.), Dave referred to me as the Bucwild to his Star. (Look up Star and Bucwild if you have never watched their videos. Funnier than hell. Amazing.)

I didn't like that comparison, at all. In fact, I don't think it is apt, mostly.

There is one way in which it is true. Star is a hater. Dave is a hater.

And they are sort of general all-purpose haters. They can find something wrong with anything. I am a much more focused hater. My hate is intense, but reserved for very few, like the Philadelphia Eagles or Nickelback.

If you have read what Dave has been putting up here and at prosportsblogging.com then you know he is not excited about this year's NBA Finals. Consider this the other side of that coin.

I'm really excited about these finals. Rather than find it boring that the Celtics and Lakers are in the finals again I find it exciting for historic reasons. These games are about pursuits of greatness. All-time greatness. Historic I can tell my kids I saw these guys play and coach greatness.

Kobe isn't trying to beat the Celtics in these finals. He is trying to beat Michael Jordan. He is chasing Magic and Kareem. Amongst all of the talk about LeBron James and this summer of free agency, the fact that Kobe is the best basketball player on the planet has been forgotten. People forget that he has no weaknesses because he plays with so much grace, intelligence, and finesse. He is an artist. He does everything right. LeBron is great, probably the second best player in the world, but don't ask him win a title, hit a game winning shot, or make a mid-range jumper for that matter. Kobe is an assassin. He is the greatest finisher in the game. He has four titles on his resume already, and will probably have a fifth sometime in the next two weeks. Kobe's role as the leader of the Lakers' last title is obvious, but don't discount his impact on the three-peat Lakers in the early 2000's. Yes, Shaq was on those teams, but Shaq took portions of those seasons off and was never in close games at crunch time because he was a liability. Shaq couldn't finish, Kobe could and still does. Kobe needs to win these finals not to win just them, but to continue on his quest to be seen as the greatest player ever.

The Celtics are looking to add to their number of titles. They already have the most number of championships in NBA history. They are one of the all-time greatest franchises in sports history, not just NBA history. So are the Lakers for that matter. And that doesn't happen by accident. Franchises have to earn that stature. They have to win often and for long periods of time. The Celtics and Lakers do that and do it better than any other franchise in the NBA.

I also think this series could bring something back that has been missing from the NBA, an intense rivalry. The kind of rivalry that brings in casual fans. I'm talking the kind of rivalry rarely seen outside of college football these days. Alabama-Auburn for the hardwood. Texas-Oklahoma in high-tops. Current NBA stars are too friendly with each other. They compete on the court, but then are boys off the court. The Lakers and Celtics of the 70's and 80's hated each other. It was a hatred, with some respect, born out of a common quest for greatness. The players had an intense desire to win, at any cost, no matter who was in the way. Kobe has that. Kevin Garnett has some of that. Maybe this series can tap into some of that.

Greatness is always hated, but only sometimes appreciated. I'm going to appreciate what we're watching, and let Dave hate.

NBA Finals Preview

We will learn nothing.

Looking for a fearless prediction for the NBA Finals, which start tonight in L.A., there you go. If you read my piece on the Finals on ProSportsBlogging.com (shameless plug), then you know I'm not too enthused about the latest edition of Lakers vs. Celtics in the NBA Finals. We've seen this movie before. Matter of fact, we've seen this movie only two years ago. Nothing has changed. Kobe Bryant is great. We knew that two years ago. Phil Jackson is a mastermind. We knew that two years ago. The "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen know how to perform like a cohesive unit during the postseason. We knew that two years ago.

If there's anything new in this year's Finals, it's the emergence of Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo went from young up and comer in the 2008 Finals to legit Top 3 point guard over the last month or so. He is, unquestionably, the Celtics' biggest X Factor. If he plays against the Lakers like he did against Cleveland, with 400-year old Derek Fisher in front of him, then the Celtics' streak of owning the Lakers will continue. Really, though, that's it. Two years ago, we had the rebirth of the Lakers-Celtics rivalry, the first L.A.-Boston NBA Finals since 1987. Two years ago, we had Kobe Bryant attempting to win his first ring without Shaq. Two years ago, we had "The Big Three" trying to win their first ring...period. All of those plotlines have been checked off. Boston beat L.A. in 6 games in 2008. The Lakers came back last year and Kobe won his first post-Shaq title. So, instead, we are left with a retread of a good movie. It's like finally unwrapping that DVD copy of "The Departed" that's been sitting on your desk for two years and re-watching it. Will you be entertained? Sure. Will you learn anything new? Probably not. So, since I don't feel like stepping on my PSB column and I don't want waste any more time rambling about a Finals matchup I clearly am not excited about, let's have some fun instead.

2010 NBA FINALS: FUN WITH NUMBERS

32 - The number of combined NBA championships between both the Lakers and Celtics

12 - The number of times the Lakers and Celtics have met in the NBA Finals including this year.

9 - The number of times the Celtics have beaten the Lakers for the NBA title.

7 and 13 - The number of times that Lakers guard Kobe Bryant and Lakers coach Phil Jackson, respectively, have made the NBA Finals including this year.

4 and 10 - The number of titles Bryant and Jackson have, respectively, as player and coach.

6 - The number of rings Bulls legend and former Jackson pupil Michael Jordan had when he retired.

1,436 - The number of times you will hear broadcasters mention Kobe's pursuit of Jordan's 6 rings during the Finals.

2 - The number of times Celtics forward Paul Pierce will take a hard foul and milk it like he'd been shot with a sniper's bullet.

12 - The combined number of minutes of air time Pierce will get as he overacts and grimaces on the floor as physicians tend to him.

8 - The number of technical fouls, give or take, both teams will acrue in these Finals

5 - The combined number of those 8 techs that will belong to Lakers nutjob Ron Artest and Celtics loose cannon Rasheed Wallace. The other three will go: Kendrick Perkins 1, Pau Gasol 1, Doc Rivers 1.

10 - The number of times the broadcast team will mention Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau as a head coaching candidate in New Orleans, Chicago or New Jersey.

2,398 - The number of times the broadcast team will mention LeBron James' free agency plans.

35 - The number of threes Ray "Jesus Shuttlesworth" Allen will hit in this series as he gets closer and closer to conning the Celtics(or some sucker) into overpaying him this summer.

AWARDS

Most underrated storyline of the Finals: The fact that Ron Artest and Rasheed Wallace will be playing a high-stakes seven game series for the NBA Championship - The reputation of Ron-Ron and 'Sheed precede them. You have to expect there will be at least one or two moments of frustration Artest will have when Pierce gets the best of them and Ron goes ape shit. You can also expect there to be at least one or two moments where a call goes against Wallace and 'Sheed starts ice grilling the refs with that Manson glare. If there is any reason for me to tune into these Finals, it will be the potential of mayhem when the NBA's two biggest headcases share the floor.

Storyline That Was Big in 2008 But Won't Matter in 2010: Andrew Bynum - When Boston was abusing Pau Gasol and the rest of the Lakers inside, back in '08, some wondered if things would be different if young, emerging center Andrew Bynum wasn't sitting around in street clothes. Two years later, Bynum is nothing more than a run of the mill center on a very good team. There's a chance Bynum flashes his immense potential and becomes the X Factor for L.A. that Rondo was/is for Boston. That chance is dependent on his tricky knees not getting the best of him. Of course, the same can be said for Kevin Garnett, but Kevin Garnett has an excuse as he's 12 years older than Bynum. Bynum will be defended by a solid post defender in Kendrick Perkins which, on top of the fact that Bynum doesn't have much of an offensive game, will pretty much minimize the Lakers' Shaq heir apparent. By Game 4, the Lakers will find out that Bynum can't hang with the big boys and will be looking for someone beefier to man the middle......and that person will be Khloe Kardashian-Odom.

The X-Factor: Rajon Rondo - What Rondo did to Cleveland was nothing short of incredible. He wasn't nearly as breathtaking against Orlando and, with Kobe probably guarding him for most (if not, all) of the series, Rondo might not put on the show in the Finals that the Celtics are hoping for. Kobe guarding Rondo frees up Ray Allen to drop bombs on the Lakers(much like he did in '08). I guess that makes Allen the X-Factor of the series, but the Celtics don't beat L.A. if Rondo doesn't prove himself worthy of Kobe's attention. If he puts up triple doubles like he did against Cleveland, Kobe will be too spent on both ends of the floor to carry the Lakers. However, Kobe didn't get his rep as one of the game's best defenders by accident. Rondo's in for a challenge.

My Take To The Bank Prediction, courtesy of Bank of America: At least one game will be decided by either a Ron Artest bone-headed technical foul or a Rasheed Wallace rushed three pointer. Trust me on this one. Wallace is so in love with his jumper that he'd take it to Vegas and put a ring on it, if he could. The man wants no part of banging inside. He's a glorified small forward. As for Artest, his bad history with the refs is going to work against him at some point in this series. It's the Finals. The pressure is on and you know Artest will be feeling it. This series will be the one people who hated the Artest-Ariza swap will point to if Ron-Ron loses his cool and the Lakers get spanked by Boston yet again.

The REAL Prediction: Lakers in 7 - Look, I know Boston owns L.A., but this Lakers team is a bit deeper than it was in '08. Even if Bynum turns out to be just a big body, he at least gives the Lakers six extra fouls to use. Artest is going get in Pierce's grill and, provided he can maintain composure, that combined with Kobe guarding Rondo will limit the Celtics' two biggest scoring options. For the Celtics, the series comes down to "Can Kevin Garnett's knee hold up?" and Ray Allen's ability to expose Derek Fisher. If the Celtics show their versatility and show the Lakers they have too many options on offense, the Celtics will win their 18th title. However, if the Lakers can man up on D(something they couldn't do in the Phoenix series), then I like them to edge this one out. My MVP is obviously going to be Kobe, as I expect him to evoke the ghost of MJ and get his payback on Boston from two years ago.

Regardless of how it shakes out, I assure you, we will learn nothing.

NBA Finals Preview

After following up my Lakers-Cavs miss with a bold prediction that the Cavs would come back from 3-1 to topple the Magic, it would be understandable if anyone reading the next few paragraphs will simply write it off as incoherent jargon. That being said, I got the Magic in 7 as Game 1 tips off in a matter of hours. I'll get to my reasoning in a minute, but first a quick rant on Kobe Bryant:

Earlier in the week, Gabe and I collaborated on a list of NFL stars you love to hate. To me, the list of NBA stars America loves to hate starts and ends with Kobe Bryant. The reason the marketing behind "Kobe vs. LeBron" worked so well(or would have worked so well, had LeBron held up his end of the bargain) is that it was the perfect example of the old "Black Hat, White Hat" cliche'. Kobe is everything you want in an antagonist. He's cocky, he's defiant, and he doesn't seem to care much about what you think of him. However, of all the adjectives placed upon "The Black Mamba", here's one you don't hear quite as often: Stupid.

For someone who got a solid education at a decent school in upper-class Pennsylvania, Kobe makes a lot of dumb decisions. He's fluent in multiple languages, but inexperienced in the subject of common sense. He's a slick shooter, who can't stop shooting himself in the foot. Kobe emerged on the scene as the Robin to Shaquille O'Neal's Batman, but Kobe's ever-growing ego wouldn't allow him to play second fiddle to The Diesel, thus forcing the death of the greatest inside-outside combo in recent memory and the elimination of the possibility of true Laker dominance. Kobe would then go on to destroy his sparkling, endorsement-friendly image even further by way of a well-publicized rape charge. Now, whether the sex was consentual or not, the fact remains that Kobe made a poor decision by even having another woman in his hotel room to begin with. The snowball effect continued to grow as years past from Kobe demanding a trade or a better supporting cast(ripping his GM and young center rigourously in the process) to his recent statement that it would be "crazy" to think that Shaq could have won his first three championships without him(Side note: As good as Kobe was at the turn of the century, the Lakers were still Shaq's team, so sorry Kobe, it's not unrealistic to think a team of Shaq, Glen Rice, a young Derek Fisher and an underrated Eddie Jones could have won those titles. Unlikely? Sure, but not impossible).

All the negative pub leads to where we are today, with many outside of L.A. actively rooting against Kobe to win his first ring without Shaq. Part of the reason the NBA and fans worldwide clamored for LeBron to make the Finals against the Lakers was because, at least up until his over-dramatized Game 6 walk-out, he was a more universally acceptable player. A great person and great player. We didn't want Kobe to pass the torch to LeBron, we wanted LeBron to take it from him. Now, it's up to "Superman" to conquer "The Black Mamba", which leads me to my reasoning behind my upset special.

1. Superman Returns. Already on his way to being a household name, Dwight Howard(much like Paul Pierce last year) has used the postseason as his coming-out party. On the biggest stage the NBA can provide, he'll do battle with a Lakers frontcourt that's softer than a 12 pack of Charmin. While forward Pau Gasol and center Andrew Bynum have some defensive skill to make Howard work a little, Howard is too big and strong to be contained by both men combined, let alone individually. The Lakers have had their struggles with talented big men throughout these playoffs. The Rockets gave them all they could handle until Yao Ming broke his foot and L.A. was routinely denied inside by the defensive pressure of Chris Anderson, Kenyon Martin and Nene' in the Nuggets series. While Howard is still developing on offense, he's the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and his brute strength and freakish atheletic ability will be able to compensate for his lack of technique.

Howard's presence inside will force Lakers' coach Phil Jackson into two options: Double down on Howard and leave one of Orlando's dangerous shooters open on the perimeter(a strategy that killed the Cavs) or stay at home on the perimeter and let Howard get his inside. While option B would seem to be the safer option, keep in mind that the horrendous officiating in these playoffs have limited banging inside. If Gasol or Bynum get into foul trouble, the Lakers have nothing behind them(The same holds true for the Magic if fouls force Howard to the bench early). With all those factors in mind, defensive stops will be hard to come by and the Magic are not the team you want to get into a shoot-out with.

2. Support System. While the Magic lack a genuine #2 behind Howard(though you could make the case Rashard Lewis is the Pau Gasol to Dwight's Kobe), they do have a stable of good players. Rafer Alston, Lewis, Courtney Lee, and Hedo Turkoglu all came contributed in big spots throughout these players and never more so than in the Eastern Conference Finals. The possible return of star point guard Jameer Nelson poses another problem for the Lakers, especially since their point guards Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar are human turnstiles on defense.

The Lakers, however, return the same supporting cast from last year's Finals runner-ups with the exception of the emergence of forward Trevor Ariza, the finally healthy(for now) Andrew Bynum and newly acquired guard Shannon Brown. While Ariza's defense and clutch shooting came up big in the Denver series, it remains to be seen whether he can turn it up another notch in this series. Another factor for the Lakers will be enigmatic forward Lamar Odom's production off the bench. While Odom is a versitile player whose size and skill set allow him to play and guard many positions, he has the tendency to disappear quicker than a Big Mac at Jessica Simpson's house. If Odom can be a spark off the bench, the Lakers could finally live up to their billing as the NBA's best team, but if the supporting cast fails Kobe like it did last year, this could very well be a short series.

3. Fate. The last month or so has proven that the Magic are the team you don't want to bet against. They've defied every postseason cliche' known to man by being a average defensive team that relies mainly on getting hot behind the arc and has a coach that tends to clam up in tense situations. Yet here they are. They've survived scares from an underrated Sixers team, a shorthanded but very game defending champion Celtics team and a Cavs team that many forcasted would make mincemeat of them. They're a giant killer led by a giant. Recent history has proven that teams that rally behind the underdog card tend to prevail more often than not.

On the other side of the Magic is a Lakers team that has at times looked dominant and at other times looked shaky. They needed crucial injuries to bail them out against Utah and Houston and needed spotty officiating to close the casket on Denver. While all the talk has been about this being "The Year of Kobe". However, we've been waiting for Kobe to make good on all the hype of him being due since the dismantling of the 2004 Lakers team that choked away the Finals to the Pistons. "The Year of Kobe" has led to more jilted enthuisiasm and false hope than Chinese Democracy. The Lakers have yet to beat the Magic this season, a stat shared by the Cavs prior to the Eastern Conference Finals that went overlooked behind all the Kobe-LeBron propaganda.

The Magic stand four wins away from proving the doubters wrong once again, and this time, I'm not crazy enough to bet against them.....but then again, consider the source.

---Dave

NBA Playoff Preview

Every team in the NBA has two games or fewer left in their regular seasons. The field is set and the playoffs get underway in about a week (and will probably finish just in time to open training camp.)

Let me start off by saying that to me, the NBA playoffs are the premier basketball playoffs. Sorry college basketball guy, but the NBA has a better product and bigger stars. Colin Cowherd said it best when he said college basketball is like a Christmas decoration. You hang it up, give it attention for five or six weeks, and then pack it away for the next ten and a half months. I couldn't agree more. Give me Lebron, Kobe, D-Wade, and Dwight Howard over Tyler Hansborough, Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, and a bunch of 6'6" "big men."

So let's look at the West first because, well, it's pretty simple.

The Lakers will represent the West in the NBA Finals. L.A. scores more points than any team in the playoffs. Their oppponents score less than 100 points per game against them. Let's not forget that they always have the best player on the court too.

The only legitimate threat to the Lakers went down when Manu Giniobili hurt his ankle. The Spurs may be able to pull it off, but it is a long shot. They have loads of experience. They also have Bruce Bowen, the most tenacious defender not named Ron Artest. Bowen has a history of giving Kobe fits, but if there is anyone who can elevate his game, it's Kobe. The Spurs would have to play four of their best games to beat L.A.

The Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, and Portland Trailblazers are all either a game up or tied with San Antonio in the standings right now. The Blazers are too young and inexperienced. They need a few more years. Houston is also not playoff tested. Tracy McGrady has famously never been past the first round. The Nuggets are good, but Carmelo hasn't led a team deep into the playoffs since he left Syracuse. They haven't made it to the second round of the playoffs since 1994.

Remember, success in the NBA is built on stars and experience. Each team will only go as far as their biggest star can lead them. Every team has to pay their dues and be tested before they can win.

(Blog intermission, Norman Chad style - Did you see that Al Franken was declared the winner in the Senate race in Minnesota? Let's look deeper into the fact that voters in Minnesota have voted a pro wrestler into the governor's mansion and a comic to the Senate. Both times the person who lost the race was Norm Coleman.
Uhhh, Norm? How do I say this? Maybe politics ain't your game dog. It's probably time to open a bakery.)

Now let's look at the Eastern Conference. This situation is a little more complicated, but not by much. This is a three team race. Everyone from Atlanta (locked in at the 4 seed) down; thanks for playing. Better luck next year.

Boston is playing well right now, winning eight of their last ten, but they will eventually lose because Kevin Garnett is not 100%. He may return for the last game before the playoffs, but he will be rusty. Without Garnett at full strength they can't win. Orlando is too young. They will cut their teeth this year and be a legit threat in the future.

In my mind the Cleveland Cavaliers will meet the Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Cavs are playing lights out right now. They also have home court advantage throughout the playoffs (Finals included provided they don't lose their last two games and L.A. wins theirs). This is huge because they are currently 39-1 at home and one game away from tying an NBA record by going 40-1.

So, Lakers and Cavs in the Finals. I know I just got done arguing for Cleveland and their home dominance, but the 1 in their 39-1? A ten point loss to the Lakers in February. All the Lakers have to do is win one in Cleveland and the take care of business at home. Also, the Lakers have an easier road to the Finals. Theoretically, the Cavs will have to battle through either Boston or Orlando just to get to the Finals. They'll be tired.

Give me the Lakers in seven.

- Gabe