It didn't exactly happen as I had written where I predicted a dominant Lakers performance that would leave no doubt as to the victor of Game 7 but in the end the Lakers prevailed (as predicted) and are once again champions of the basketball world. My hat's off to the Boston Celtics who proved to be a tough and worthy opponent who fought all the way to the bitter end which only makes this championship that much sweeter.
As gut wrenching and hard fought as it was, the best team with the best player in the league and playing in front of their home crowd came out on top to claim the NBA's ultimate prize. Kobe didn't have a dominating game but "grinded it out" for 23 points and 15 rebounds and simply willed his team to victory. He wins his 5th NBA title and earns his second Finals MVP honor as he continues on his quest to be "The Greatest" (not just of his generation but of all time).
Pau Gasol was instrumental in L.A. winning title #16 as he scored 19 points and grabbed a team high 18 rebounds with half of those coming from the offensive end. KG didn't fade as anticipated and did his best to keep pace with 17 points and 4 blocks. But in the end there was just too much "Boom, boom...Pau!" (Sorry, I couldn't resist)
The supporting cast did their job as well. Lamar rebounded and made clutch plays down the stretch. Sasha was "cool as the other side of the pillow" when he was called off the bench to sink two crucial FTs with 11 seconds left to give the Lakers a 4 point cushion. Shannon and Jordan furiously defended and hustled when they were out on the court. Not to be overlooked, Ron Artest was a huge factor in the Lakers' Game 7 victory. His defense made Paul Pierce work hard for his points which eventually took the Celtics away from their team offense in the 4th which allowed the Lakers to mount their comeback. Ron surprised everyone, maybe even himself, as he was also an offensive force chipping in 20 points and 5 steals. No shot was bigger than the 3 pointer he made with a minute left in the game that would help pacify a furious Celtics rally. We can all thank his psychiatrist!
Good old Mr. Dependable - Derek Fisher once again hits a clutch 3 pointer as the Lakers mounted a "come from behind" rally in the 4th quarter. Phil Jackson is putting any debate to bed on who should be regarded as the greatest coach in NBA history. It's almost safe to say, he IS the greatest coach in NBA history. He's run out of fingers for his championship "bling" as he claims title #11 as a Head Coach.
Fellow Laker fans, let's soak it all up and enjoy this "Back-To-Back" NBA Championship because come training camp in October, it starts all over again...and dare we say it? "Three-peat"!
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