Kobe has “1 more than Shaq”; Lakers Win 16th NBA Title
By Bob Metz
The Staples Center was filled with elation as Lamar Odom threw the ball down the court as time expired, and Kobe Bryant ran for the ball in jubilation as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics 83-79 in game 7 of the NBA Finals.
In what was a hard fought, ugly game to cap a series which – to it’s credit – featured the 2 teams in the NBA that has now accounted for 33 of the 64 NBA Champions since the 1946-47 season – the league’s first.
Game 7 was close most of the way, but with the Celtics leading for most of the first 3 1/2 quarters. Then Kobe Bryant smelled victory, and though admittedly exhausted, led his team to victory by getting 10 of his 23 points in the 4th quarter – 8 from the free throw line – and history was made.
Bryant picked up his second NBA MVP award, becoming only the ninth player is NBA history to do so.
Bryant had an off night shooting, only converting 6-24 FG’s and adding 11-15 FT’s in his game leading 23 points. Ron Artest was the most consistent player the Lakers had shooting 7-18 for 20 points, including 4-5 from the free throw line, and Pau Gasol scored 19 points.
The Celtics played hard and played well for most of the game. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 18 points, and Kevin Garnett had 17 in the narrow loss which actually saw the Celtics as the more balanced team. The resolve of the Lakers – led by Bryant, Artest, and Phil Jackson however – ruled the day in game 7.
Happenings after the game were almost as entertaining as the action on the court. Ron Artest thanked all of the people in his ‘Hood’ as well as his psychiatrist immediately following the game in a post game interview, and Kobe, after the game admitted that he was happy to have 1 more title than Shaquille O’Neal, with whom he has feuded since their days as teammates, which saw the two superstars win 3 straight NBA championships together.
In 2008, long after Shaq was gone from the Lakers and Kobe’s team lost their bid to win an NBA title, O’Neil took the microphone in a NYC club and verbally assaulted Bryant in the form of a freestyle rap, telling the future Hall Of Famer to “tell me how my (expletive) tastes” and “Kobe you can’t do without me”.
Bryant and O’Neil seemed to have put their feelings aside when they led the Western Conference to victory – and were co-MVP’s – in the NBA All-Star Game in 2009. It’s quite obvious though that the battle of the superstars wasn’t over, and that the younger Kobe in all likelihood has won the war.