NBA Finals

Tonight, a rivalry is renewed as the Boston Celtics and the Los Angles Lakers square off for the NBA championship for the first time since 1987. When the playoffs started, this was the match-up that most basketball fans wanted to see. They were the two best teams in their respective conferences, and this will be the first time that both number one seeds meet in the championship game since 2000. The Celtics have the best defense in the NBA holding playoff opponents to 87 points per game, and we all know as the mantra says, "defense wins championships". The Celtics also have the leagues best road record during the regular season, and that is important also. Although it took the Celtics until the eastern conference finals to win a game on the road, I believe that trend can and will continue in this series. The Celtics also have some intangibles slanted in their favor. Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen all have never been nor won an NBA title. They are hungry for it, and anything short of a championship would be a failure for this season.
In come the LA Lakers. They have been scorching the nets averaging 107 points per game in the playoffs. The Pau Gasol steal...I mean, trade has clearly put them over the top creating that inside-out game with he and Kobe Bryant. Don't forget about the rest of the bench and role players such as Lamar Odom, Joran Farmar and company who have been lights out. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the Celtics also have a deep bench and can match up pretty well with the Lakers. The Celtics have the better team in this series but, it will not be enough to stop Kobe Bryant. Yes, basketball is in fact a team game however individual superstars can take over games and win it on their own. I watched Dwayne Wade, who's team was down 0-2 in the series to Dallas and losing by 12 with two minutes to go in game three before he made up his mind that the Heat would win the Championship. He proceeded to score the rest of his team's points that game, and he lead the way to the title. Last season I watched Lebron James send the Detroit Pistons home by himself, despite Detroit having the better "team". That's before we even get to Michael Jordan and his six NBA titles. Which all bring us to this years' MVP Kobe Bryant. If he wants this championship and want to vindicate himself without Shaq, he will do just that. He has all the weapons in his arsenal to single handily defeat an opponent, and he will do just that. Even if his team goes down 0-2 such as the 2006 Heat did. NBA series don't truly start until the home team loses and when that happens, it will be because Kobe Bryant made it that way. I am taking the LA Lakers in seven games for the title.