Sunday, June 6, 2010

Hello everyone. Hello, hello, hello. I am so excited right now. Excited about basketball. The NBA Final are here and the Los Angeles Lakers are up 1 game to none with game 2 tonight in Los Angeles, California. Questions were raised after game 1 as to whether the Boston Celtics are "too old." I don't know whether they are to old, although I suspect they are. Pierce, Allen and Garnett are all at the latter stages of their careers. Rajon Rondo is the future of the Celtics, make no mistake. They will build around him, not Garnett or Pierce or Allen.

Although I initially wanted to see at least 1 new team in the finals, I am not surprised at all by the performance of Kobe Bryant. With all the talk in the NBA and among fans about Lebron James being the heir apparent to Michael Jordan, I think the conversation should focus on Lebron being the heir apparent to Kobe Bryant. If I was to start an NBA roster it would begin with Kobe Bryant, the next best thing to Michael Jordan. Kobe does all the things Michael did. He scores, he makes the difficult shot, the last minute shot, the incredible shot and the impossible shot. He plays relentless defense. You will not score 20 on Kobe.

He is consistent, just like Michael Jordan also. No other player in the league has shown his level of consistency. As a matter of fact, he has scored 30 or more points in 12 of his last 13 games in these playoffs. This is what Jordan did when it counted. He willed his team to play better and to win. Who will deny that this is what Kobe brings to the table, this is what he does. Michael Jordan is the only other player to be unanimously be identified with these traits.

For all the NBA greats, Michael Jordan stands alone. Perhaps Kobe is ready to stand next to the real King as the rightful heir. Lebron may have to play catch up. He has in his favor though a great commodity like Kobe had. Youth. The question I think is will Lebron mature as fast as Kobe. After all, Kobe did not have the expectations that Lebron had. Kobe was expected to be great but, who knew how great.

For me the real question as I enjoy this final round of basketball is how close we came to Michael and Kobe really going at it for the championship. Just as we are unlikely to see Kobe and Lebron really go at it in any meaningful basketball game. This is my reallyreallife.

Lakers in 5

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