Now that the confetti has fallen, bottles were popped and tears were shed, the Lakers are once again the NBA champions, and without Shaquille O'Neal. The Orlando Magic fell seemingly without a fight in Game 5 and some are questioning whether they were the best team in the Eastern Conference to face the Lakers.
Nathaniel Sligh, senior business management major, wasn’t pleased with the outcome of the game, but gave credit where it was due.
“Even though I didn’t want the Lakers to win or go to the NBA Finals at all, I feel that Kobe Bryant did a great job leading his team,” Bryant said. “He was able to take control of the game when he needed to as well as delegate tasks to his team.”
One can't seem but wonder if the outcome of the series would have been the same if the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers, would have beat the Magic as predicted. Everyone had Kobe and LeBron facing off in the finals, even Nike, which used commercials of Kobe and LeBron puppets to promote the two going to battle for an NBA title.
I'm sure we would all agree, unless you're a die-hard Magic fan, that a Kobe and LeBron matchup would have been more entertaining than the quickly subdued Orlando Magic. The Magic fizzled out quicker than Master P's basketball career, playing like they were just content with being in the Finals instead of having the Lakers hunger to win.
While Dwight Howard reevaluates his position with the Magic and prepare for next year, Kobe Bryant is in his glory after winning his fourth NBA title. Bryant led his team to winning their fourth title in the past ten years as well as solidified himself as an immortal in sports, silencing all critics who claimed he was incapable of winning without Shaq.
"It was like Chinese water torture," Bryant said in reference to his discontent with critics saying he couldn't win without Shaq. "I would cringe every time. I was just like, it's a challenge I'm just going to have to accept because there's no way I'm going to argue it. You can say it until you're blue in the face and rationalize it until you're blue in the face, but it's not going anywhere until you do something about it."
Although both have taken their jabs at each other in past seasons, it seems they have finally found a common ground being away from each other.
O'Neal acknowledged Bryant on his Twitter page saying, "Congratulations Kobe, you deserve it. You played great. Enjoy it my man enjoy it."
The Lakers have solidified the team as a dynasty without the assistance of two star players, but one. With Bryant and the tandem of the core players who played major roles this season, the Lakers are prepared to be a force in the NBA for years to come. Now that the cloud of O’Neal and the doubts that Bryant couldn’t win without another star player have been removed, Bryant has placed himself in a position to be considered one of the greats in sports history.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Shock of Playoffs
Upsets in sports are inevitable, but no one saw the upset of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James not facing each other in the finals.
Keeping up with the NBA playoffs this year has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. Being a die-hard hometown fan, of course I was crushed when the Bulls didn't take the series against the Celtics but as a Chicago fan you get used to the phrase "Wait until next year." We've actually all been brainwashed to believe this optimistic phrase year after year. Most of us are still waiting for a ridiculous Billy Goat curse to be broken.
With all of the commercials and advertisements playing the role of the Oracle, it was almost a certainty that King James and Kobe were going to face off for the ultimate prize in the NBA. Some even questioned whether the entire playoffs were fixed to have the two best players in the NBA compete, which would ultimately boost ratings and mean more revenue for the NBA. Although this would have meant more revenue for the NBA, the Orlando Magic defied all the corporate big wigs and fans rooting for a Kobe/LeBron matchup.
Capturing the Eastern Conference title, the Magic have positioned themselves to be a force in the finals as well as for years to come. With young players that have a drive and passion to win, the Magic may be a force for the Cavaliers and King James to reckon with even in the distant future. Dwight Howard is gaining more experience as he goes along and is averaging over twenty points and fifteen rebounds in the playoffs and is emerging as a powerhouse of the NBA to the likes of Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Charles Barkley.
The strong supporting cast of Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, and Hedo Turkoglu are becoming more unified and providing their opposition match-up problems as a result of the height advantages of Magic players.
The Lakers have their work cut out for them come Thursday night on their home court. Orlando has become the Cinderella team that no one expected to get this far. The NBA now has to pull the Kobe and LeBron commercials and replace LeBron with Dwight Howard. Might not sound as appealing, but the Magic have earned their place in history.
Keeping up with the NBA playoffs this year has been a roller coaster ride to say the least. Being a die-hard hometown fan, of course I was crushed when the Bulls didn't take the series against the Celtics but as a Chicago fan you get used to the phrase "Wait until next year." We've actually all been brainwashed to believe this optimistic phrase year after year. Most of us are still waiting for a ridiculous Billy Goat curse to be broken.
With all of the commercials and advertisements playing the role of the Oracle, it was almost a certainty that King James and Kobe were going to face off for the ultimate prize in the NBA. Some even questioned whether the entire playoffs were fixed to have the two best players in the NBA compete, which would ultimately boost ratings and mean more revenue for the NBA. Although this would have meant more revenue for the NBA, the Orlando Magic defied all the corporate big wigs and fans rooting for a Kobe/LeBron matchup.
Capturing the Eastern Conference title, the Magic have positioned themselves to be a force in the finals as well as for years to come. With young players that have a drive and passion to win, the Magic may be a force for the Cavaliers and King James to reckon with even in the distant future. Dwight Howard is gaining more experience as he goes along and is averaging over twenty points and fifteen rebounds in the playoffs and is emerging as a powerhouse of the NBA to the likes of Bill Russell, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Charles Barkley.
The strong supporting cast of Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, and Hedo Turkoglu are becoming more unified and providing their opposition match-up problems as a result of the height advantages of Magic players.
The Lakers have their work cut out for them come Thursday night on their home court. Orlando has become the Cinderella team that no one expected to get this far. The NBA now has to pull the Kobe and LeBron commercials and replace LeBron with Dwight Howard. Might not sound as appealing, but the Magic have earned their place in history.
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