Kobe’s Braggin Rights…Lakers Celebrate Back to Back Titles
Tonight was the deciding game 7 between the Boston Celtics and defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. A game that suddenly became the Celtics’ to lose in the fourth quarter. Just like Phil Jackson said to his Lakers in game 6. And that’s exactly what happened.
Thought Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo would lead Boston to victory on the Lakers’ floor. Pierce was ballin’ like a star player was supposed to. Rondo was quick, making key layups, and set up teammates like Kevin Garnett in the paint. But after the Celtics got that 13 point lead, a few spurts of a run by the Lakers late in the third and fourth, coupled by their own struggles to make shots in the fourth, Boston let it slip away. Just as the ‘zen master’ predicted. It was LA who seized the moment and the 83-79 win to become back to back champions.
Kobe Bryant was passing out hugs. Shoot, he should have because his personal performance of 6-24 shooting (23 points) is a skeleton bone he’ll surely toss into the depths of his closet. Good thing Pau Gasol, Derick Fisher, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest stepped him out, saving Bryant from a possible hailstorm of criticism from the media and fans had the Lakers lost based on the way he played. Bryant explained he was tired. It happens, but not many would have excused a star player like himself in that case when a title is on the line…
Not knowing Michael Jordan played that 1997 NBA finals game 5 in Utah so sick, he fell into the arms of Scottie Pippen after scoring 38 points and the game winning 3-pointer. Why do I bring up Jordan? Well, the NBA world is already putting Kobe ahead of him in greatness.
And, basically, Bryant is still one ring shy of the GOAT. So my measuring stick says “NOT YET.”
Then they flip him over and say he’s the greatest Laker ever. Now that could be argued. But Kobe wasn’t even thinking about that. He was at the podium, too busy, bragging “I got one more than Shaq.”
Hey, that’s the truth. But instead of stickin’ it to the big fella, shouldn’t Kobe focus on buying a week’s vacation package for a few teammates? Bryant did thank Gasol, mind you, but before game 6 I said Artest and Odom had to come out of their funks and make some plays if the Lakers were to have a shot at a comeback and title.
Artest was right on time. Other than Kobe’s two free throws and mid-range jumper in the fourth, his 3-point shot shut it down. And 20 points, five steals and a ring later, ESPN’s Doris Burke gave Artest some mic time and he paid it forward to his psychiatrist. Of all folks. Oh, well, may the truth set him free. And this is his first title so let him make it.
Bryant is great and common sense says he led the Lakers to where they are. That’s where I’ll stop the presses because tagging Kobe as better-than-Jordan right now is quite a reach, and my arm ain’t that long. Let’s pick it back up when/if he surpasses Jordan with ring #7.
Meanwhile, someplace in LA, Bryant, a deserving Finals MVP, Fisher and Jackson -and even Magic Johnson, since he can’t help but be a biased ESPN analyst-shall bask in the afterglows of title #5 and the organization’s sweet 16th…
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