Appreciating Kobe Bryant's Late Career Surge

In his 17th season, Kobe Bryant is still one of the 10 best players in the league. That says a lot.

I hinted at this a while ago in my recent Lakers video but I think we need to stop and remind ourselves what we are seeing with Kobe Bean Bryant in his 17th season.

We've seen Kobe do things that make us think Father Time hasn't grabbed him yet. Back to back 40+ point and 10+ assist games, something no Laker had done once in the last 40 years. His clutch 3-pointers against Toronto to send that game to OT and game-winning dunk had me thinking he was wearing No. 8 again.

He won NBA Player of the Month for February and NBA Player of the Week this past week. Not much to gloss over except Kobe is doing this in YEAR 17. 17-year veterans shouldn't be Top 5 in scoring. 17-year veterans change up their game to stay alive but rarely does it them and their team even deadlier.

Extra Tidbits: Lakers Talk and Hip Hop Thoughts.

The Lakers are 11-5 since I made my last recap video and there's reason for me to chop it up on Kobe becoming a facilitator. As great as he's played, I'm happy that Mike Antoni remembered that he's a coach and has to use his players better.

I also chip in with some words on my fellow Lakers fans regarding. Dwight Howard's free agency. Stop caring and stay focusing on this season. It's beneath us to beg for someone to make a decision and I darn sure don't want to guilt anybody to committing here. They gotta want it. But til then, I'm only worried on hoping Dwight can be effective while still not at 100%.

Also, here's a bonus for you. Starting this week, I'm going to a weekly blog post over at my man XLUSIVE's website. We've collaborated before and I wrote a review on his debut album back in 2011. I'll be talking music over there so it'll be a nice change of pace from here.

Here's the first post - Reliving 1993, the year the West Coast took over hip hop led by Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg. It set the stage for The Game and now Kendrick Lamar and the Black Hippy Crew breathing life into hip-hop.

Enough of the Lazy Michael Jordan Comparisons

In honor of Michael Jordan's 50th birthday on All-Star Sunday, I have one simple request: Can we stop lazy comparisons to him. I know it's tempting but we as fans need to stop this madness.

It's even more maddening to me because ever since I became an NBA fan at 10 years old (1994), I've listened to guys be awarded the "Next MJ" tag. Harold Miner, Penny Hardaway, Jerry Stackhouse, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, and of course Kobe Bryant. It's a game that's become predictable and sad when that doesn't come true.***

You know when I got tired of it for good? 2007. The day that ESPN's Jemele Hill made a convincing argument for Kobe being better than Jordan. I saw a debate on it on the AllHipHop.com message boards and it got pretty nasty as usual. A Kobe-MJ comparison made no sense because as I was getting a deeper sense of NBA history and analyzing game something hit me.

Me in 2007: "A Kobe-MJ debate tends to overrate Kobe and criminally underrate MJ." Basically saying that folks tended to elevate Kobe while forgetting the complete package that Jordan had.

"Black Days" and Sleepless Nights in Lakers Country

In a Facebook group I'm a part of, we were asked to name songs to describe this Lakers season. I named two and one of them was Soundgarden's "Fell on Black Days". It's hard, it's depressing and lyrically it's the soundtrack to a year I didn't expect in Lakerland.

I've been pretty quiet on my Lakers this year. Maybe it's because they've been too confusing to keep trying to understand. Maybe it's just that one too many stomach punches makes you numb. Either way, this season has been an unpleasant one. Just like 2004-05.

You remember that year, right? Shaq gone, Phil Jackson gone, Derek Fisher gone - just Kobe Bryant, Rudy Tomjanovich and a bunch of strange parts. Worst year I've seen as a Lakers fan as it was basically Kobe shooting the lights out and not much else.

This team looked way too promising but even when they were assembled, I had my concerns. I saw folks giddy about Steve Nash but I saw an old point guard who was still efficient offensively but wouldn't solve the Lakers perimeter defense problems. I saw folks happy about Dwight Howard signing but I saw a guy who mentally might not fit with the team and who wasn't 100% back from the first major injury of his career.

And as much as I had some issues with Mike Brown, I felt he wasn't the biggest problem. He coached this team for 83 games, including playoffs, and did as well as he could given the circumstances.

2012-13 NBA Preview: Joy in L.A., OKC's White Flag, Boston Stranglers and Miami's Reign

It's about to be a good year to be a Lakers fan. Assuming everybody stays healthy - all eyes on Kobe's foot tonight - it's the most exciting team I've seen since 2003-04. Since we all know how that went, I'm also tempering my expectations and not talking championship yet.

But since Oklahoma City decided to blow up their core in the name of money, I'm saying the Lakers will be back in the Finals. By the way, Oklahoma City deserves props for not only reminding me of the 1995 Orlando Magic once again, but for scaring themselves into worrying about money instead of the immediate future.

At least the 1995 Magic had a chance to follow-up their Finals run with a great 1996 season that ended at the hand of the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. Sam Presti robbed this team of that chance by sending James Harden for a shoot-first old Kevin Martin, a talented rookie in Jeremy Lamb and draft picks. He also had the presence of mind to do this two days before the season. Genius!!

So the Lakers only have to worry about themselves and pray that everybody gels together. Steve Nash will do that just fine. Dwight Howard just has to be healthy and he'll dominate on the defensive end/rebounding side. Kobe just has to relax and stay healthy. Pau Gasol has to play like he did during the Olympics.

50 years, Wilt's 100: Why it Remains Great

50 years ago, in Hershey, PA, the Philadelphia 76ers faced off against the New York Knicks. When the dust settled, in front of zero television cameras and barely any radio evidence, Wilt Chamberlain put on the greatest offensive show in NBA history.

100 points. 36-63 shooting from the field. A remarkable 28-32 on free throws considering Wilt shot free throws as bad as Shaq. Throw in 25 rebounds and it was an incredible display of offensive genius.

The more you get away from it, the more you realize how extremely difficult it was and is now. I remember watching the last 5 minutes of Kobe's 81-point performance in utter awe because I didn't think I'd ever see somebody go off like that again.

I consider Kobe's performance one of the greatest of the modern era. It's up there with his 62 points in 3 quarters, David Robinson's 71-point game, Shaq's 61 and 18, Michael Jordan's 63 against the 1986 Celtics in Boston, Sleepy Floyd's 51 points vs. 1987 Lakers and any more you can think of. But they aren't greater than Wilt's for two reasons.

1. How many centers have followed suit?

If you look at the greatest scoring performances in history, only one center has scored more than 70 (D. Robinson's 71 on the last game of the 1993-94 season to get the scoring title). Considering that Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon (who's career high is 52 in Year 12) might be the most athletic centers of the modern era along with Dwight, that's impressive. And Robinson only topped 50 twice besides that.

Let's go further. Only two more centers have ever scored 60 points in an NBA game. George Mikan and Shaquille O'Neal both scored 61 points.

We typically think centers should score a lot of points cause they are bigger than anybody. But considering the 1980's-early 2000's was a glorious time for big men, putting up huge numbers was hard to come by. It also means it's a lot easier and likely for a great scoring guard to score 50-60 if they get going because they can do more with the ball.

Oh and if you want to include power forwards - only Larry Bird, Karl Malone and Tom Chambers have scored 60 points. So I'm not dismissing what Kobe has done but I'm saying it's easier for an elite guard to do it than an elite center. Which leads me to my 2nd point.

2. In the modern era with better athletes, why haven't guys put up more points?

We have Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant drawing comparisons to George Gervin and Bernard King. We have the unstoppable force of LeBron James and we had Allen Iverson. Dwight Howard can be unguardable. For a brief spell, Michael Redd, Gilbert Arenas and others could light up the court. We have relaxed rules on offense so guys can run free.

So why aren't guying scoring 50-plus more often? You can argue that guys are on more loaded teams so they won't benefit from Wilt in Philly, Kobe from 05-07 or LeBron in his Cavs days being a lone gunner. Defense surely hasn't improved But here's some facts via Basketball-Reference since 2002-03 (highest scoring games since that season)

Carmelo has TWO 50-point games. Jamal Crawford has had more than him.
LeBron has nine. Two over 55 points (Career high is 56)
Dwyane Wade has three 50-point games, all in 2008-09 (Career high is 55)
Kevin Durant just had his first 50-point game on Feb. 12
The fact Andre Miller had his 50-point game in 2010 at 33 is stunning. Speaking of which, only 9 of those performances came after the guy was 30 years old
Iverson had a 51 point game in 2007. He had the third most 50-point games in that span.

Dwight Howard isn't on this list at all (career high is 45 points). So what does it mean? It means that guys may be more athletic and know how to score but it takes a perfect storm and incredible dominance to have a great night in the NBA. Some guys aren't as fundamentally sound so they can't score in a variety of ways. But even if you can impose your will, it takes a lot more than physical talent or offensive gifts to put up 50. Heck, we go nuts when a guy has 40!

Oh yeah, as far as scoring 60? Besides Kobe, only McGrady, Arenas and Iverson have scored 60 in the last 10 years. As for the Black Mamba, he's scored 50 or more points 24 TIMES in the last decade. It's a tribute to Kobe's incredible offensive arsenal and a reason why he's the legendary player he is.

And yet it all reminds you how incredibly difficult it is to score 50. Now imagine somebody being hot enough to score 100! It requires you to make at least 30 shots from all over the court and Kobe made 28 in his historic night.

What Kobe did in January 2006 was incredible in this era. And using that B-Ball ref. link I just posted, it shows you how incredible it really was.

We may see it again one day but I doubt it. I've seen kids score 36 and 39 in a high school game. I witnessed a high school classmate score in the 40's. People went nuts when Jimmer Fredette put up 52 last year. It's a lot of luck and skill and the ability to score from anywhere. That's why Wilt's record won't be passed and that's why we need to always respect this as the greatest offensive performance in NBA history.

Virgo Kent's NBA Preview (Welcome to the NBA NWO)

I may be excited for the NBA season to start Sunday but I have far less patience for the business of the game. I don’t care for owners who only see losing profits instead of seeing their role in it or trusting their basketball people to do their part. I don’t care for poor GM’s who can’t evaluate talent and chemistry and contribute to players wanting to go elsewhere.

I don’t care for David Stern threatening to ruin the game I love with his power trip. I don’t care about people mad at players realizing the power that we gave them and fulfilling Curt Flood’s dream to be agents of change instead of being happy to play and make money.

I want to get back to discussing basketball but it feels like after seeing what this lockout is about it feels secondary. I’m gonna try to anyway despite every time I think of David Stern or see the LA Clippers, I know we are watching a league that should be enjoying a great 2010-11 campaign but comes back after a drama summer.

Stern used to be the best commissioner in sports but like all great men of power, they get delusional the longer they hold it. When they get threatened by something powerful (in Stern’s case, the Malice at the Palace), they start overreacting to keep that power. Richard III did it, Tony Montana and Michael Corleone too. So did Adolf Hitler and other leaders.

It started with the dress code. Then it led to curbing everyone’s enthusiasm after being fouled with handing out technical fouls for the slightest anger instead of just far worse whiners. Now it came to being a bully in the lockout proceedings ("I know where the bodies are buried?"), something Bryant Gumbel took a justified step further.

With the aid of the owners, he held the league hostage in this lockout without addressing the main concerns. Yes, the players gave $3 billion back but how does that make the league better? When guys are still getting crazy, overpaid deals? When a luxury tax only hints at what could be possible with revenue sharing? So he and the owners bullied the players into a deal knowing that the fans would ultimately hate them if they didn’t.

This was all about restoring power, not fairness or competitive balance*. Nowhere was this more evident than Chris Paul being arranged to go (NOT traded) to the Clippers, instead of to the Lakers in a 3-team deal. Instead of respecting a great GM who made his team better and weakened a Western power despite giving them Paul, the owners whined and Stern acting as co-owner of a team killed the trade for “basketball reasons”. That’s the power move of a desperate man who isn’t thinking clear.

*(By the way, the league hasn't had competitive balance in 31 years. Look how many teams have won NBA titles since 1980. The NBA is the only league where half of the teams makes the playoffs. Factor in 3-5 teams that just finish outside and that's 19-21 teams out of 30 who are in playoff contention. By definition, those teams are competitive.)

The Hornets got a younger package from the Clippers (and guys who looked like they were not happy to be there.) The Rockets, who thought they were getting Pau Gasol, look worse. The Lakers looked lost and flustered for the first time in seven years and gave Lamar Odom away for less than they got Gasol for. The Clippers got way more exciting and got their biggest free agent in years.

If this was a genuine move, it’d be earthshaking in its own right. But the earthquake feels artificial. Instead of nature doing her thing, it’s a man made quake that could have seismic consequences on the rest of the league, its perception and a lot of other shady instances in league history.

The Decision last year was the creation of the NWO in the WWE. The Chris Paul trade being killed was the Montreal Screwjob that made WWE Chairman Vince McMahon go from owner to power player screwing with the system. One was pivotal but ultimately more beneficial for the league despite people mad at LeBron and Chris Bosh. The other was also pivotal but deeper consequences within the league that are dangerous.

Hate these guys if you will, but David Stern did far more damage to the league than they did.

All that matters now is that the powers that be have showed their hand and I’m worried what more foolishness could transpire next. David Stern and the owners have long been the Hidden Hand behind the scenes overseeing this league but now that a new world order is in effect, this could threaten what we see and love if you care about the NBA.

But this isn’t all doom and gloom. Here’s some quick hit storylines I’m watching.

1.  Will the Heat win this year? I don’t see why they aren’t the favorites. The team that lost last year got better with Shane Battier but all eyes will be on Dwyane Wade's health and if LeBron James will play angry with a lil more developed game in the post/midrange.

2.  Can Dallas repeat? I think they’ll get back to the Western Conference Finals. With Lamar Odom and a crazy X-factor in Vince Carter, they might just be another Green Bay in terms of sneaky defending champions.

3. Can Memphis sustain its great run? I've seen Portland rise and fall. Memphis looks like a team that caught fire but I have no clue what will happen the year after. The great mystery of the West.

4. The last hurrah for the Lakers/Celtics/Spurs. Last postseason was the changing of a guard in the league. This will be the last chance for this teams to remain elite and I think the Spurs have the best mix of youth to stay around.

5. Kevin Durant finally wins MVP? Maybe this depends on Russell Westbrook and how he handled his postseason. But Durant showed why he’s the most unstoppable offensive force in the league and I think this year he gets even better.

Oh yeah, can somebody explain to me how Kendrick Perkins got on the Buddy Love diet?

6. Lob City? Chris Paul trade hate aside, the Clippers are exciting for the first time in 10 years. Time will tell if they are as good as they were 5 years ago or if Donald Sterling will interfere with this run of good like he always does.

7. Kobe’s last hurrah. I said this summer that nobody has been an All-NBA selection after their 15^th season except for Shaq and Kareem. Prior to 2 weeks ago, Kobe looked as healthy as he’s been in years. But after that wrist injury and his divorce, there’s no telling how he’ll play this year and it’s pivotal because it could be his last as the KB that we know.

8. Rip Hamilton might be the best signing of the summer. Shane Battier to the Heat could compete with this but if Hamilton has anything left, he gives Derrick Rose another weapon with postseason experience. I like this for Chicago, who I think is still the No. 2 team in the East.

9. Will Golden State finally reach the postseason? Mark Jackson is my early pick for Coach of the Year if the Warriors get there. It’s about time Monta Ellis, Steph Curry and that high risk, high reward lineup makes good on their promise and mature into a formidable team.

10. Dwight Howard? This is going to be annoying and this offseason annoyed me on it. My prediction is he plays most of the season in Orlando. He's either going to New Jersey or the Lakers but watching Chairman Stern find a way to meddle in this too.

11. Which rookie will impress the most? Another weak draft class at first but I’m interested in the Cali kids I covered who are in the league (Darius Morris, Derrick Williams, Jordan Hamilton, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Tyler Honeycutt). Curious to see what Kemba Walker does in Charlotte? How quick Jimmer Fredette gets humbled. Kyrie Irving’s growth in Cleveland. 

The end of an era

I haven't felt this bad about a Lakers exit in 7 years. For those counting, that goes past the 2008 NBA Finals and towards 2004. What I saw and heard yesterday was the last gasps of air being stomped out repeatedly while the victim just laid there praying for the end to come.

Seeing Phil Jackson at his last press conference and his kids wearing the X and XI hats reminded me of the 2004 when Phil brought them on stage as he "retired" from coaching after the Pistons dismantled us. Watching Andrew Bynum throw that cheap shot and walk off shirtless said it all - we were dethroned and kicked out the kingdom without a whimper.

As I watched Phil's last speech, I thought about how my entire hooping life was centered around him. I hated him as much as I hated the Chicago Bulls and came to love him coaching the Lakers. It reminded me how much this series made everything come full circle.

I've got no shame saying this - it's the end of the Lakers as we know it. Death by firing squad and the guilty parties? Jason Terry (13 3's, two shy of Derek Fisher's record for a 4-game sweep), JJ Barea (who's still running around like a headless chicken), and Dirk Nasty, who resoundingly restored and rebuilt his reputation as arguably the greatest international player to ever play in the NBA*.

*After watching "Once Brothers", I still believe Drazen Petrovic is the greatest international player ever besides the 80's version of Arvydas Sabonis. But unfortunately he passed before being the best NBA international player ever.*

Terry impressed almost as much as Dirk did. I said that the key to the series would be Terry vs. Odom and it was clear who the more impactful 6th Man was. Terry's been breaking my heart since I watched him at Arizona destroy UCLA 10 years ago and he deserves co-MVP of the series with Dirk Nasty and his variety of unstoppable shots. Oh yeah, Mark Cuban is now 4 wins away from the Finals.

I already played the Blame Game with the Lakers over at Bleacher Report so now I'm looking at the bigger picture. Something happened with this team after 17-1 stretch and it's more than just Kobe got old, Gasol got scared, the Lakers bench disappearing, Artest looking old and Andrew Bynum becoming part beast, part No More Mr. Nice Guy. This team's identity was stripped and nobody found a way to keep everyone refocused.

No love for Bynum's cheap shot on JJ Barea either. Like I said on Twitter, I've given my share of hard fouls but you always go for the ball to make it legal. Whatever suspension he gets (as long as it's 5 games max), it's deserved.

You always knew that the Lakers would find a way to respond in April-June with focus and intensity but this year, that just didn't happen. It's no surprise that in Kobe's two 30+ point games this postseason, the Lakers lost. He didn't have enough consistent support and he couldn't bring those type of performances against Dallas in the 4

Suddenly, I have flashbacks of 2004. My lowest moment as a Lakers fan. The team got battered in 5 games by Detroit and you knew that team would never be the same. Phil Jax left, Shaq was traded, Derek Fisher left and all you had was Kobe and whoever the team could keep or find around. I was left missing Shaq and hating Kobe for shooting us out of that series.

That's why this is worse than 2008. When the Lakers lost Game 4 after a 22-point lead, that was rock bottom. The 39-point soul stomping finale in Game 6 was a mere formality but as bad as that was, you knew the Lakers would be back. That team wasn't ready to win a title yet and they showed why in 2009 and 2010.

In 2004, you didn't know what was going to happen or if the Lakers would ever return to being a contender. It was a beating that tore apart your insides and left you lost about the present and future. That's how this feels. The Mavericks - the MAVERICKS of all teams! - got tough, stole the heart and soul of my Lakers and ended not just a season, but an era. 

Game 4 yesterday will forever be one of the worst losses of the Lakers era. Game 6 in  08 was bad but Game 4 that year to me was worse because an epic choke job is worse than a beatdown when you're already reeling. This game was also the latter but it still hurts because it means more than an exit.

I've never seen so many Laker legends embarrassed like I saw Magic Johnson, Jerry West, Michael Cooper and James Worthy come out and criticize this team. Last year, they all celebrated us beating the Celtics. A lot can change in a year.

Next year, the Lakers will be still be a Top 4 team in the West but they won't be a contender for the NBA crown unless they make some drastic longterm moves. That means getting players who will be effective for longer than 2-3 years and building up Trey Johnson and Devin Ebanks to be guards of the future. After 2011-12, it's gonna be the 90's all over again with a new direction and back to contending in the West but not a championship contender.

I saw Kobe decline like I feared he would in 2009. Those knee/ankle injuries are adding up and he can't carry the Lakers on his back anymore. He's still a top-10 player in the league but in 09, I said that he has 2-3 years before he drops. This is when it happens. And now Dr. Jerry Buss has some tough decisions to make after we've spent the last couple years mortgaging the future for the present.

I won't be surprised if half the roster is gone by next training camp. I just know that I'm seeing the Kobe era end before my eyes and next year will be the next stop on the decline. Can't even bear to read most of the columns describing the game because it's like a numbing whirlwind of dirt being thrown. This is my eulogy and final word. It was a great run and it's a shame it ended like this.

Predictable Outrage (Kobe's COD Commercial)

The minute I heard Kobe Bryant was doing a commercial for the new Call of Duty game, I had a feeling people would be upset. Kobe said a month ago that he only did it because it looked silly and he felt that it wouldn't offend his young fan base.

I still knew that no matter how the commercial looked, Kobe would somehow be blamed. The commercial's been out for 2 weeks and already I'm starting to see the predictable handwringing that's coming from the media.

First off, my thoughts of the commercial. It's creative in showing how popular 1st-person shoot-em-up's have become. We've come a long way from me growing up with Wolfenstein and later Goldeneye and Duke Nukem. Everyone loves COD and this game was just as anticipated as Madden, NBA 2K11 or anyone. The commercial shows that with a variety of folks in there - including Jimmy Kimmel.

It's not offensive to me at all. Yet like clockwork, here come the reactions to the commercial about it  being a letdown to fans. The LA Times' Lakers blog had a unique take saying that it appeared to trivialize war by making it too simplistic. This I can agree with as opposed to this article by ESPN's Tim Keown that used the sad death of a child by automatic weapons to scold Kobe for doing this while Black-on-Black crime continues to happen.

It's a sad story and I feel the folks involved. They have every reason to feel outraged as it hits close to home. But I feel they were used by the writer, who targets Kobe and the commercial instead addressing the real issues that plague our communities and lead to violence.

If anyone wants to blame somebody, blame Activision for promoting this game and having a commercial that made war/battle seem trivial. But blaming Kobe is too easy a cop-out. Not when this game is going to be marketed toward kids or the general public whether Kobe's in it or not. Nobody's mad that Jimmy Kimmel's in this commercial but because sportswriters want to act like the morality police in the wrong places, it's time to target the Mamba.

Granted, we're barely a year removed from Gilbert Arenas' not-so-funny incident where he brought guns into the Washington Wizards' locker room. What Agent Zero did was stupid and reprehensible but if the media wants to put this in the same context with a video game and a light-hearted commercial, then it thinks we're even stupider because we can't tell the difference.

Yes, Kobe's the face of the NBA and has to watch what he does. But this commercial was over-the-top and I didn't take it like he was endorsing real violence as much as any of the folks in there who were involved. The commercial did its job.

Gun violence is real in this country. Thank God it's not as bad as it was during the 80's when inner cities turned into the Wild Wild West. If you want to target the real enemy, go after the video game companies that make these games. Look at the American public and our fascination with guns, violence and shoot-em-up games.

Video games are only the tip of the iceberg. Save the outrage for the real culprits of violence but don't blame fantasy for real issues. I respect anyone's choice to buy or not buy this game but don't shoot the messenger.

Sweet Sixteen!!!! (aka Drive for Five aka Back to Back!!!)

Maybe I'm dreaming - somehow I found time to do that last night in trying to sleep - but did Ron Artest really save the day and help the Lakers win the NBA championship??? Did we really a NBA title with Kobe Bryant doing more as a rebounder/slasher than a shooter?

YES and YES! Like my man Mojo Hoops predicted - Game 7 needed Ron Artest to step up in a huge way knowing that the pressure would be on Kobe and Pau Gasol to show up. 20 points, 5 steals and 5 rebounds. It was the 2003-2004 Artest turning back the clock to show why at his peak, he was one of the great 2-way players in the league who could score and do the dirty work.

No shot was bigger than the late 3. It was reminiscent of Jordan trusting John Paxson and Steve Kerr to win the game instead of him. Artest said it best, Kobe passed the ball and heeee made a 3!!!!!

QB's Finest must have listened to his homie Nas or something because he was the X-factor. He made Paul Pierce work for everything and he honored his promise to Kobe two years ago. Get me to LA and we'll win a title. From the Palace Brawl to being the MVP of the biggest game of the series. He's come a long way and his pure joy, plus the hilarity of his postgame interview and press conference, are a sign of it.

And what about Pau Gasol? Just like Kobe, he couldn't shoot well. He missed free throws. He continued to let Kevin Garnett drive baseline. But he stayed a beast on the glass and he made shots when he had to. This was huge for him earning his name back from GaSoft to Gasol (19 pts, 18 rebs).

This game was about the team. The first 3 quarters saw Kobe try to shoot his way to the title and it was excruciating. The ghost of John Starks in 94 was slowly floating over the Lakers bench as I worried every comeback would see an ill-advised shot take us out of it.

Derek Fisher said to focus on trusting everyone in the 4th quarter. Phil Jackson said pass the ball - this is Kobe doing work, not doing it all himself. Like any shooter, he attacked the basket instead of settling. His teammates rose up and hit shots and made plays. Who would've guessed that Sasha Vujacic would be in a position to make 2 FT's to help seal the deal and he did.

Oh by the way, Kobe had 15 rebounds. That's what great players do - find other ways to contribute. Somebody help him in that pic, his hands might get a lil' heavy from the hardware

The City of Angels is the City of Champs for the 2nd straight year. Kobe and D Fish have 5 rings. Phil Jax has 11 rings like Bill Russell. We watched Oklahoma City push us, watched the Jazz just fade to the wayside and witnessed Phoenix give us a tougher series than anybody expected.

The Lakers won every Game 6 they saw in the postseason. They showed heart when their backs were against the wall. Champions don't waltz to a trophy, they grind.

One more word: Boston gave us a heck of a series. Like any rivalry, it's only great when both parties bring out the best in each other and they did. To paraphrase Group Home, 2008 was yours, 2010 was ours.

I'll look at Kobe's legacy in another post. Right now, let's celebrate another title Lakers fans. Who's going to the parade?