What more can you say?

In terms of putting a neat little bow on Kobe Bryant‘s legacy, this one didn’t exactly go as planned. In the days, hours and minutes leading up to Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the biggest topic of debate was what impact a win (or loss) would have on Kobe’s career. So with the Lakers winning their 16th championship as a franchise, Kobe getting the fifth ‘chip of his career, and L.A. its second in a row — albeit marked by Kobe playing one of the worst games of his playoff life — it’s tough to put a definitive period on the end of the sentence … If you only like scoring and offense, Game 7 was ugly. If you appreciate tough defense, cutthroat competition, and two teams willing to give up their bodies and beat the snot out of each other for a championship, Game 7 was beautiful. Read More »

Why the Lakers won: Offensive rebounds. You can’t win if you don’t have the ball, and as terribly as L.A. shot it for the first three and a half quarters, they would have gotten blown out if they hadn’t given themselves so many second chances and kept the rock in their possession. By owning the offensive glass, they were able to withstand Kobe’s 6-for-24 shooting night and the fact that Boston forced guys like Ron Artest and Lamar Odom to have to beat them. They were still close on the scoreboard when Kobe and Pau sparked a 9-0 fourth-quarter run to help bring home the ‘chip. Read More »

Clutch is a word that defines certain players. Robert Horry averaged just seven points per game in his career, yet will go down in history as “Big Shot Bob” owing to his penchant for nailing shots when it mattered most. Reggie Miller never won a championship ring, yet his clutch shooting performances in the playoffs (especially against the Knicks) will be remembered forever.

With Game 7 tonight, I present the most clutch lineup in the NBA today. These are the guys you would trust with the ball in their hands down the stretch tomorrow night: Read More »

You will hear multiple Game 7 statistics tonight, so let’s get the most important one out of the way: Three other series have gone to seven games with the 2-3-2 format – Pistons/Lakers in 1988, Knicks/Rockets in 1994 and Pistons/Spurs in 2005. The home team won each of those series.

While the most immediate comparison of Celtics/Lakers is Pistons/Spurs in 2005, this year’s Finals have resembled the 1994 Finals more than any other seven game series in history. Read More »

As millions across the globe tune in to the season finale tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers’ hopes for a 16th championship will rest largely on the shoulders of Spanish center Pau Gasol. The 7-footer, who has dominated the Boston Celtics’ frontcourt to the tune of 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, is representative of a gradual change in the NBA. The intense skepticism that formerly accompanied each and every foreign selection has begun to fade, with increasing success enjoyed by many recent imports. But as David Stern’s tentacles continue their surge across the globe, resulting in countless preseason camps held overseas, an influx of European sharpshooters, and even the newest issue of Dime China that just hit the office, there remains one team seemingly impervious to the stretching of the League’s global boundaries: the Boston Celtics. Read More »

It might not be as epic as when Neil Armstrong (supposedly) landed on the moon, but tonight’s Game 7 has the potential to be the best game of basketball anyone’s seen in a long time. And we want to know where you’re watching it. Share your NBA Finals experience with us in whatever medium works for you. Send us pictures via Twitter, post visuals on our Facebook wall, or e-mail us photos/videos of you and your crew. Read More »

This morning, our friends at LakersNation.com put together a piece titled A Hollywood Ending Deserves a Hollywood Cast. It’s an epic post that notes if each member of the Lakers lives up to their movie character counterpart, Laker fans can schedule a parade for Saturday morning down Figueroa. Read More »

Let’s be honest. In a Game 7, there are probably 40 keys to victory for Boston. We could go down the list with everything: Rajon Rondo playing well, Ray Allen making a shot or two, Shelden Williams never seeing the court. What it all comes down to is how bad the Celtics want it and if they can bounce back from the Game 6 debacle. Here are three of their largest keys to a championship tonight: Read More »

Don’t tell anybody, but I dropped my journalistic objectivity a few games ago and have undeniably been pulling for one team to win the 2010 NBA Finals:

The Boston Celtics.

It almost bothers me to say that, because for the most part, I’ve never liked the C’s. Read More »