A parody of Too Short's Recent Hit as a tribute to LeBron James

I go on and on.  Have my Cavalier team looking mighty strong.

Time to welcome a new playoff legend to the game. The name's Lebron, but you can call me "King James."

Started things out, with a triple double.  The first since Magic to do it so you know you in trouble.

Time to sit back and enjoy the show.  No matter how hard you try to fight it, you can't stop my flow.

Don't even think about trying to hold me down.  I'll still take you right to the hole, or drain it from deep down town.  Left you just standing there man, hope ya know ya just got clowned!

Don't forget I'm only 21.  Yet people still want to criticize me for what I haven't done.

What's that? You wanna compare me to #23?  Best believe one day players will try to measure up against me.

 Hook:  You can't play on my court, upon what desperate means will you try to resort?  Try to double and triple me down?  My whole team's well capable of throwing it down. Blow the Whistle!  Game Over Ref, Blow the Whistle!

Move out the way. While I dish out the dimes and hit them J's. 

Not sweating it, what more can I say?  It's all in a day's work as I set out to change the shape of the NBA. 

People said, "Beating the Wiz is one thing.  I tell ya this kid's dreaming if he thinks he's knocking off this Pistons team."

Well, we just won three straight after dropping the first two.  Just one win away, what's Detroit gonna do?

Taking things back to Cleveland baby.  You know the home crowd will be crazy.  Detroit, ya'll shoulda never got lazy, cause now your future's quite hazy.

May not have won the MVP, but finished with the most votes for All-NBA First Team.

Said it was, "the height of my career", but I think I'll top it as soon as this year.

 Hook:  You can't play on my court, upon what desperate means will you try to resort?  Try to double and triple me down?  My whole team's well capable of throwing it down. Blow the Whistle!  Game Over Ref, Blow the Whistle!

Refusing To Go Away Quietly

Things were not going well at all for the Atlanta Braves when they showed up at Shea Stadium in dire straits last Sunday,  desperately needing a win to avoid a series sweep by their division rivals, the New York Mets.  The Braves trailed the Mets in the N.L. East standings by 9 games heading into the contest, the most they have trailed in their division since August 11, 1993, and well aware of the fact that falling behind by double digits may prove to be too difficult to overcome, even for a team with Atlanta's history.

Though winners of 14 straight division titles, including that remarkable comeback year when they trailed the San Francisco Giants by 9 games in early August in 1993, there was a sense of great urgency amongst the team to turn things around.  Veteran Braves pitcher, John Smoltz, knew just what was at stake and would go on to pitch a beauty on just three days rest in that Shea Stadium Showdown. The Braves would win the game quite handily by 13-3 margin, and would go on to use that vital victory as the catalyst for a spectacular mini run this past week heading into tonight's home matchup with the Washington Nationals, winning 4 of their last five, and pulling within 6 games of New York.

New York would ultimately win this Saturday evening as well, but that only made a Braves victory that much more important.  After leading the Nationals early 2-0, and by a 3-2 margin as late as the 6th inning, Atlanta found itself trailing by 5-3 as the team came up to bat in the bottom of the ninth facing Washington closer, Chad Cordero.  Braves catcher, Brian McCann would come into the game for Todd Pratt, who had homered earlier in the game to break a 2-2 tie, and proceeded to hit a solo shot of his own off Cordero.  Ryan Langerhans and Marcus Giles would follow with a pair of line drive singles.  After a failed sacrafice bunt attempt by shortstop, Edgar Renteria, Chipper Jones would hit what would normally have been a double play ball, but lucky for the Braves the Nationals second basemen, Jose Vidro just happened to be out of position, allowing Jones to single and load the bases. Braves slugger, Andruw Jones came to the plate looking to end the game in dramatic fashion, or at least tie it with a deep fly to the outfield.  However, last year's N.L. MVP runner up would get caught looking at strike 3 after nearly accomplishing his feat off the prior pitch, but the ball would slice foul as it went down the left field line. 

That would leave it up to young slugger, Jeff Francoeur to try and win the game.  Unlike Jones, he couldn't just drive the ball to the outfield and score a run, he had to get a base hit.  Francoeur was going to win or lose the game with this at bat with bases loaded, two out, in the bottom of the ninth.  You can't get a more classic baseball pressure situation than that!  It was somewhat fitting that Francoeur would be the one to come to the plate and continue the Braves recent run of good fortune, for he has been doing the same thing as of late for his own personal success. 

After beginning the year batting .081 with 0 homeruns and just 2 RBI after 9 games, Francoeur still was only batting .185 as recent as April 29th, a far cry from what many expected of the talented right fielder after a promising rookie campaign.  However Francoeur has turned it up in May, and tonight would prove to be no exception.  After laying off a bad opening pitch from Cordero that was well outside the strike zone, Francoeur would tatoo Cordero's second offering deep into the left field bleachers for a dramatic walk off Grand Slam! 

Francoeur is now batting .250 on the season, (.274 against N.L. East opponents) with 7 homeruns, and 31 RBI.  6 of those HR and 22 of those RBI have come when playing against a division rival this season, so Francoeur's hitting could not be more clutch for Atlanta.  Little debating the fact that the Braves now have yet another young talented star, still fairly fresh from the organization's astounding farm system, but one who was already drawing comparisons to the great Dale Murphy during his rookie season, and now is undeniably one on whom they can greatly rely upon to play a vital role as the club continues its quest for number 15.  Atlanta has now won 5 out of their last 6, and get to stay well within striking distance of New York by doing so.  New York better watch out, for this team is not going to go away any time soon.

A Tale of Two Teams

It was the best of times, It was the worst of times, it was time for celebration, and apparently not a time for deliveration, as the slumping Chicago Cubs played host to the scorching hot San Diego Padres.  Chicago discovered a new way of continuing their troublesome streak of hardluck, as the Cubs would lose a heart breaker to the Padres, and have now lost 13 out of the team's past 15 games while San Diego has now won 13 of their past 14.

Perhaps it had something to do with all the 13's that this game implied in terms of possible wins or loses, or maybe it was the fact that today's starting pitcher for Chicago, the legendary Greg Maddux, wears the jersey number 31, which just so happens to be the number 13 backwards.  Whatever the crazy circumstance may be, Maddux simply must slap is head in disbeilef and wonder when this streak of bad luck will finally come to an end.

It started for Chicago after first baseman and hitting sensation, Derek Lee went down with a serious injury that unfortunately for Chicago, would keep him on the sidelines for multiple months.  The club's offense would begin to slump, and everything would go wrong from shaky starting pitching performances, to ill-timed errors, right on up to a new development today, a blown save.  After a dominating performance by Maddux, pitching over 7 innings and allowing zero runs, no walks, and only four hits, while also striking out three, it seemed obvious that Maddux would register win number 324, and tie him with Nolan Ryan and Don Sutton.  He left to a standing ovation, and when the game got to the top of the ninth inning and Cubs skipper, Dusty Baker handed the ball to closer Ryan Dempster, it seemed like a sealed deal.  Maddux would get to celebrate a note worthy accomplishment and his team would get a win that it so desperately needs right now.  Afterall, Dempster had successfully converted 26 straight save opportunities, including 7 this year, dating back to July of 2005.

Yet once again, it would all go wrong for Chicago.  After allowing two runners to reach base, it would fall to Dempster to try and stop the bleeding and retire Padres catcher, Mike Piazza.  However Dempster's impressive streak would come to an end, and Chicago's would continue, as Piazza launched the ball right out of Wrigley Field on a three run shot to give the Padres a one run lead in the top of the 9th.  Chicago's offense then had no answer for Trevor Hoffman in the bottom of the inning, and yet another meltdown was complete. 

Will someone please get Kerry Wood and Derek Lee back on this club that needs them so desperately?  It could prove to be that the much needed relief arrives as soon as this Thursday when Wood is scheduled to make his first start of the season, but don't gp holding your breath.  The way things have been going for Chicago as of late, who knows what further nightmares there are to come.  But then again, this kind of misfortune can't go on forever, can it?

I'm out of here like a Chad Cordero hanging slider!

Baseball has its quest to eclipse Hank Aaron. Football has the endeavor of trying to one day surpass Joe Montana. For the basketball world for the better part of the past two decades, the fascination and hype has centered around one simple, yet unanswered question: "Who is the next Michael Jordan?" All are daunting tasks, that while proven to be extremely difficult to attain, have ultimately served as the gold standard by which every professional athlete is to be measured against when establishing the level of greatness they have achieved in their respective sport. Yet, the task facing today's brightest stars in the NBA has perhaps proven to be the most difficult of the three to live up to.

Aaron's mark is a clear set number, that once broken, unless it happens to be shattered by a player utilizing questionable means, (though I will leave it up to the reader to ascertain which particular player I could possibly be referring to), will unquestionably be all said and done without further discussion. Montana, with his four Super Bowl victories and 3 unprecedented and unmatched Super Bowl MVP awards, could still prove to be an unsettled debate once his numbers have been matched and surpassed, though some are already placing New England Patriots Quarterback, Tom Brady, on his level by dubbing the former University of Michigan QB, the "Modern Day Montana", it is still largely a quarrel that will be settled by numbers. However when it comes down to Michael, mere numbers do not settle the discussion, though they certainly must help form the main basis for any argument that is to be brought when naming a Jordan successor.

Rather, one must also take into account the image, marketing ingenuity, global notoriety, and sheer game revolutionizing talent of the player that has become the most widely recognized athlete in all of professional sports for close to the past quarter century. That is why even suggesting that one day a current NBA star could live up to that borders on absurdity, and no easy or clear cut case can be made for any player at this time. There does exist a case however, based upon past and current performance in the sport along with a reasonable expectation of what can be achieved in the future, that can be made which allows for the possibility for a handful of players in the game today to flirt with the notion of one day being considered a player who was noticeably and unquestionably on a higher level than everyone else against whom he played, somewhat achieving a "Jordan Stature" in the history books, Two names exist that are mentioned with far more regularity than all others at this point in NBA history, Los Angeles Lakers guard, Kobe Bryant, and Cleveland Cavaliers forward/guard/boywonder, LeBron James.

Whenever Kobe Bryant's name enters any equation, there are sure to be no shortage of cynics who will refute any claim that portrays Kobe in a positive light, or which holds him in a higher regard than another highly talented superstar in the league. This is because just like Alex Rodriguez in MLB, or Michael Vick in the NFL, Bryant is one of those players that people simply tend to either worship or admonish. Though once a golden boy of the league, Bryant's past, yet well publicized troubles with head coach, Phil Jackson, and former Laker center Shaquille O'Neal combined with his wholesome image shattering sexual scandal in Eagle, Colorado, Kobe quickly became the polarizing force that he is today to many. There are some who would seek to dismiss Bryant's name from the "Jordan Stature" discussion immediately for that reality alone. What these same critics fail to realize however is the league's new golden boy and fellow lead front runner for "Jordan Stature",. who happens to also done the #23 in honor of his childhood idol, also has some questionable behavior for which he too should have to be held accountable for in the eyes of critics who chastise Kobe's merits due to some of his.

How quickly it seems that so many have forgotten that LeBron's golden ascension into the NBA ranks was partly tarnished by reckless behavior, that if exhibited by a college basketball player instead of a player who jumped straight to the NBA from highschool, would have been met with a much greater degree of discord and negative repercussions than the "Chosen One" had to experience. As many are quick to point out, James had every opportunity afforded him while he played in highschool and was hyped as a "Jordan Type Talent" before he ever played a single game in the NBA, appearing on Magazine covers such as Slam, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated. A few of his high school basketball games were actually televised on ESPN 2 and regionally on pay-per-view, and his well publicized basketball talents captured national attention from casual fans to well established athletes and celebrities alike. America simply could not get enough of young LeBron, which is odd because sports fan usually demand proven performance in the clutch and consistent success of their athletes before signing off on the insane amount of publicity and endorsements like James received, all while anointing them the "Chosen One." Obviously James was different.

However, the "Chosen One" could easily have been dubbed, the "Spoiled One", as if all the attention he received by the time he took to the floor his senior year of high school were not enough, the questionable dealings he and his mother would partake in while he was still in high school most definitely would be. Using her son's future earning power, LeBron's mother, Gloria James, secured a bank loan to purchase an $80,000 Hummer H2 for her son's 18th birthday that would lead to an investigation by the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) due to guidelines which state that no amateur may accept any gift valued over $100 as reward for athletic performance. James would later lose his eligibility after accepting two throwback basketball jerseys valued at over $800 in exchange for him posing for pictures to be displayed on the store walls of an urban clothing store in Shaker Square by the name of NEXT. His eligibility would later be restored by an appellate judge after he served a two game suspension and his team forfeited a win. 

LeBron by no means got a pass from the media at the time, but no where the grief he would have received had this kind of thing happened as a college basketball player. Let's be honest, had this occurred at Ohio State University and not St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, James would have in all liklihood developed a similar reputation as former Florida State Wide Receiver Peter Warrick and be labeled as yet another selfish and greedy young talent who pursues personal wealth and glory at the expense of his team.  Yet the misdeeds of a young LeBron seem to have faded from the memory of so many adoring fans today. About the only place you would ever hear about them now is in a biography of James, not from the media, and definitely not from the mouths of basketball fans. The reason for this of course is success. James has undoubtedly lived up to his billing thus far as a spectacular, yet still developing talent in the NBA, and in the realm of sports, nothing makes people forget negativity quicker than winning.

It is for this reason that Kobe's critics should realize that the same will hold true for Bryant if he continues to build upon his already more established success. A year ago Bryant was seen much more widely as a pariah than he is today, thanks to a reconciled relationship and return by coach Phil Jackson, a Bill Russell initiated makeup and truce with Shaquille O'Neal, and a return by the Lakers to the playoffs. The endorsements that once fled from Bryant after the Eagle, Colorado incident like fleas from a dying animal, have now begun to return, and Kobe is well back on the road to redemption. All he must do is return to winning and showcase his immense talent as he does so.

As for notable achievements and consistent success on the basketball court, Kobe has had much greater success, and the difference is not even close. Before dismissing this statement of fact by calling me a "Kobe guy" or a "LeBron Player Hater", realize that I awarded James the MVP this season over Bryant as you can tell by previously written MVP article a few weeks back. While James is simply remarkable when he has the basketball in his hand, his defensive skills pale in comparison to Kobe Bryant, let alone Michael Jordan. Kobe has made the NBA All-Defensive team six times, four as a First team selection, to LeBron's zero. Bryant has also succeeded in making the All-NBA team 7 times, 3 as a first teamer, to LeBron's 1 second team selection. LeBron is obviously at a much earlier point in his career than Bryant, and is still developing as a player.  Nor does James have nearly as much time in the league. However when mentioning a player's name even anywhere near the level of Michael Jordan, you need more to your credit than simply being the youngest to do this and the youngest to do that. Consistency over many seasons are needed, not a matching of lesser accomplishments, that while still impressive, do not add up to the stature that comes with numerous NBA Championships, scoring titles, and MVP awards.

Immense talent, youth, and upside are all notable assets, but do not assure you the right of being compared to the game's greatest, no matter how on par you are with that player's achievements early in your career. With the past troubles of so many other bright stars who have enjoyed fame and fortune at a very early age in the NBA, a major setback and tarnished image for LeBron isn't completely out of the question by any stretch. Afterall, Kobe was once the squeaky clean golden boy of the NBA who shocked the world one day with his foolish sexual escapade. Who knows what may one day crop up and rear its ugly head for James?  Even if LeBron's image is secure for the remainder of his career, there is still the task of elevating his game further and maintaining it for a great number of years to come, winning some of those NBA titles, scoring titles, and MVP awards that I previously mentioned along the way, by no means an easy task.

In reality, the only reason LeBron's name even comes up in this discussion is because it is exactly what everyone has been pre-programmed to believe since the day we first heard James's name. He has shown great promise, uncanny natural talent, and perhaps even a glimpse of what further greatness there is still yet to come, but it could also be mere speculation, hype, and wishful thinking on the part of a nation's unrelenting quest to find the, "Next Michael Jordan." When it all comes down to it, love or hate him, Kobe Bryant is just flat out closer to approaching Jordan stature than LeBron. Kobe is chasing Jordan, but LeBron is still chasing Kobe at this point, and the statistical evidence and multiple NBA Championships are undeniably there to back up that claim.

This is a rebuttal to the opposing argument, and is the second of a two-part duel posting between Belle and I, as we debate who is most worthy of being dubbed "heir apparent" to Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant or LeBron James?

32,292 career points. 5,633 career assists. 2,514 career steals. 6,672 career rebounds. 6 NBA Championships accompanied by 6 NBA Finals MVP awards.  5 time MVP of the league.  10 league scoring titles, seven of which came consecutively, stretching from the 86/87 season through the 92/93 season.  11 time All-Star.  All-NBA 10 times.  All-Defensive First Team 9 times.  All for the right for "His Airness", Michael Jordan, to go down in history as the greatest ever. 

As remarkable as the statistics Jordan accumulated were, his legacy would be cemented not merely by his impressive statistics, but also by the way he revolutionized the game and the manner in which not only basketball, but all sports merchandise in general, would be marketed in future generations.  The name "Jordan" quickly became synonymous with the name "Nike".  His name would become associated more closely with "Gatorade" than the University of Florida Football team for which the product got its namesake.  He would become the first athlete to unleash his own shoe and clothing line, with prodigious resuts, raking in far more money from his numerous endorsements and successful business enterprise than he could ever of hoped to receive from the Chicago Bulls.  Jordan would be chosen to endorse everything from the "Wheaties" cereal we would eat in the morning, to the "Fruit of the Loom" underwear we sported underneath our clothes throughout the day.  Everybody simply wanted to "Be Like Mike!"

As the legend's great career unfortunately had to draw to a close, a gaping void would encompass the NBA as the league and its fans ached for a comparable superstar, or "Air Apparent" to replace our mighty, "Air Jordan", and buttress the continuance of the thrilling and awe inspiring spectacle the league had become thanks to #23.  Soon, the first of many mini-stars and Jordan wannabes who wanted to, "Be Like Mike" would emerge and receive countless endorsements from both fans and the media to assume Jordan's now vacated title of, "King of the league".  First we had Miami Heat guard, and two time Slam-Dunk Champion, Harold Miner, one time better known as, "Baby Jordan", but who bore little resemblence to the legend other than the two meaningless Slam Dunk Titles, a competition that became largely overrated and meaningless after Jordan and the "Human Highlight Reel", aka Dominique Wilkins would end their epic annual battles for the trophy.  Players like Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, and Tracy McGrady would soon follow, and at one time or another would all be touted as the "Next Jordan." But alas, the chatter would prove warrantless and shortlived, as all those aforementioned players would fall from the cherished spotlight of annointment, not to mention all still happen to be seeking their first championship ring to slide up their fingers, nowhere even close to tieing Jordan's six blinged-out digits. 

To be fair to those players, and to Jordan's legacy for that matter, it would be a major error in judgment to proclaim any current player as being on Jordan's level, and down right ludicrous to declare one of today's current NBA stars to be better than or destined to dethrone Jordan as the most impactful and talented basketball player ever.  However, that is not to rule out the possibility that one of today's current stars could be likened to having acheived "Jordan stature" by the end of his career as the best best player of this generation for more than a decade, while coming close to Jordan's statistical achievements in the process.  There is one player who is above all others in that regard.  One who already has more in his favor to be confidently dubbed as such an heir.  That player is unequivocally Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard, Kobe Bryant.

Aside from sharing the same position and identical height as Jordan, Kobe also shares Jordan's renowned and remarkably strong work ethic as well as a stunning capacity to improve upon his already solid game each and every season he has been in the league because of it, a virtue that led to Bryant being hand picked by Jerry West to help return the Lakers to their championship winning ways.  Jordan was widely recognized as the league's best clutch shooter during his tenure in the NBA, and Kobe is recognized hands down as being that player in today's NBA.  In 2005, a poll among the league's General Managers overwhelmingly voted Bryant as the player you want taking the last shot for your team at crucial moments in a basketball game. This was before Bryant would embark on one of the greatest seasons ever witnessed on the NBA hardwood, surpassing even Jordan with some of his statistical achievements.  

After becoming the first guard ever to bypass college and jump straight from highschool to the NBA,  Bryant was secured by the Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac from the Charlotte Hornets.  He started slow, coming in off the bench while playing behind Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel, but his strong competitive spirit and uncanny natural talent would earn him a starting role before long.  Bryant would play an intregal part, as he teamed up with Laker center Shaquille O'Neal, and helped lead Los Angeles to three consecutive NBA Championships from 2000 to 2002.  At age 23 he had already accomplished what it took Jordan until age 30 to accomplish.

Many will contend that it was Shaq's Lakers, not Kobe's who won those rings, and that Kobe would not have won those three rings without the big guy there to help carry the team, a claim which anyone in their right mind has to agree with.  They also point out the kind of success, or lack thereof, that Kobe's Lakers have had in the two years minus Shaq.  However those critics need to pay attention to the kind of success that Michael Jordan's Bulls had minus Scottie Pippen and Horace Grant.  Jordan's Bulls went three and out in the first round two years in a row before those two players emerged and the Bulls won their first ever playoff series against Cleveland in 1989. 

Critics insist that Kobe is "too selfish" and doesn't make those around him better, greedingly hogging the ball in pursuit of his own personal glory and not his team's.  Yet Jordan drew the same criticism early in his career.  Even in that Game 5 against the Cavs, it was still all about how far just Jordan could carry them.  Doug Collins, coach of the Bulls at that time would famously remark when asked to elaborate on how the Bulls won the game in clutch time responded, "That play was, 'Give the ball to Michael and everyone else get the @#%@ out of the way!'", much like Kobe in the final moments of Game 4 in the opening round of the playoff series with Phoenix this year.  It is worth noting that had there still been a best of 5 opening series in place in today's league, like there was in Jordan's day, it would have been a game winning shot which would have propelled the Lakers into the next round. 

It wasn't until after the 89-90 season under the tutelage of coaching great Phil Jackson when the Bulls nearly beat the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, but the infamous "Jordan Rules" ultimately prevailed, that Jordan was finally willing to buy into the Triangle offense that he had resisted for many years.  Bryant has been criticized in the past for viewing that same system as being too boring and instead resorting to engineering his own style of offense that would run counter to what the sceme seeks to accomplish.  But Bryant did greatly buy into it during the playoff series against Phoenix.  Perhaps a similar turnaround is in store for Bryant.  

This past 05/06 season was a spectacular breakout in the career of Kobe Bryant, and is greatly responsible for adding even more fuel to the fire that was already raging in regards to Bryant/Jordan comparisons.  Having already averaged over 40 points per game for an entire month once in his career in January of 2003, Bryant would do so a second time in February this year, averaging 43.4, the eighth highest mark all-time for an entire month and thus becoming the only player other than Wilt Chamberlain to ever average 40 for a month more than once in their career.  Also joining Wilt exclusively was Bryant in becoming just the second player to ever score 80 points or more in a single game.  He dropped 62 points in just 33 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks, single handedly outscoring the entire Mavericks team during that time 62-61.  It was the first time such a feat had been accomplished after playing three quarters since the advent of the 24 second shot clock. 

Bryant was in Jordan's company as he joined MJ and Wilt as only the third player in NBA history to score 40 points or more for 9 consecutive games.  He would ascend above Jordan's company and join only Wilt and Elgin Baylor as the only players to score 45 points or more in four consecutive games.  The last time that happened was all the way back in 1964.  Bryant then had to one up even Elgin Baylor, registering 27 games in which Kobe scored 40 points or more, breaking Baylor's mark of 23.  He also broke Baylor's franchise record for most points in a season, which had stood at 2,719, with his own mark of 2,832.  Bryant's season points total happens to be the 7th highest all-time and the most since Jordan scored 2,868 in 1988, easily earning him the league's scoring title this year. 

Bryant's numbers speak for themselves. There simply isn't anyone close to him in the league today who can take over and dominate a game offensively like Kobe can on a regular basis at the level that he does.  Bryant isn't purely a scorer either, but plays very solid defense, much like Jordan, and unlike some of the game's other great shooters who received more MVP consideration than Bryant this season.  Can we all say LeBron James and Steve Nash?  Kobe has already been All-Defensive First Team 4 times in his career, and seems to be improving his already solid defensive skills each season as his career progresses. 

As an 8 time All-Star at just 27 years old, and already sporting a repertoire hosting some of the games most notable statistical accomplishments to go along with his three championship rings, Bryant has a clear head start on any competition he might have to battle for the legacy of being this generation's greatest likeness to MJ.  He does have a ways to go in terms of the number of scoring titles and MVP awards he must win, not to mention another three piece set of NBA Championships he must win to approach what Jordan accomplished as a player.  However, much to his favor, Bryant is just now entering his prime, and come this time next year, will only be as old as Jordan was when the legend first began his run of championships.  Bryant only needs himself a strong supporting star like Jordan had with Pippen, possibly a third like Horace Grant, to continue to lay his strong claim to one day assume Jordan's vacant throne atop of the NBA world as the undisputed heir of greatness. 

The pieces may still be accumulating for Los Angeles, but with Kobe as the centerpiece, the Lakers could have a dynasty in their destiny yet again.  It is as simple as getting Kobe a talented counterpart who is up to the task of brilliantly complimenting the best player in the game today, and cement their history together as the most accomplished and talented duo since Scottie and Jordan.

* This article is published as a dual-posting with Belle and her opinion that LeBron James is better suited as the next heir to the throne.  Check back later this week for my rebuttal of Belle's position.

It had been over 30 years since the last time a NBA team came back to win a playoff series after suffering three consecutive losses in a best of seven series, but it  proved to be a streak destined to meet a fiery doom come this Saturday night, as the Phoenix Suns torched the Los Angeles Lakers in a lackluster Game 7, scorching their way to a 121-90 win.  It would not be the only long standing streak to be set ablaze this evening in the desert however.

The Suns astounding comeback in the series, culminated with tonight's win, also put an abrupt end to a couple other notable streaks that have become a celebrated tradition in both Lakers circles and in the history of the league.  Lakers coach, Phil Jackson, winner of a remarkable 10 Championship Rings (one as a player and nine as a coach), had never lost an opening round playoff series in his NBA career.  It was a streak dating back to his first season as an NBA coach in 1989 with the Chicago Bulls.  After tonight's Laker loss, and early exit from the playoffs, that run is now history.  Also coming to an end was Laker guard, Kobe Bryant's perfect Game 7 record, not to mention the fizzled hopes of an all-L.A. second round matchup at Staples Center.

The most glaring contributing factor that led to these developments in this series was the lack of a champion's heart on the part of Los Angeles.  The Lakers were only seconds away this past Thursday night from becoming just the eighth #7 seeded team in league history to hand a #2 an opening round elimination from the playoffs, that is until a clutch Tim Thomas three point shot would cinder those hopes and force an unwelcomed return to the desert for the Lakers.  Prior to that Game 6 loss in L.A., team leader Kobe Bryant had stated that his greatest fear that could come back to haunt them in regards to the series was, "youth and inexperience." It was an ill-fated omen that would indeed come to fruition, as immaturity, lack of focus, and an inability to effectively exucute on the part of every Laker, save for Kobe, would plague Los Angeles throughout Game 7.  The Thomas three pointer proved to be a fatal dagger from which the Lakers could not recover, as it pierced straight through the team's heart and killed their will to compete.

Heading into Saturday's game there were extremely high expectations of a glorious and dramatic finish to an already gripping series that has hands down been the best of the opening round, with the Washington vs. Cleveland matchup, featuring the LeBron James vs. Gilbert Arenas showdown, as the only other series that even comes close to measuring up.  Yet it seemed as if only Kobe Bryant bothered to show up and participate in the contest, leading to an embarrassing and pathetic last-ditch effort on part of Los Angeles to close out the series on the road, as the Lakers' season would flameout under the heat of the Suns attack.

Unlike in earlier Laker defeats, early foul trouble and costly turnovers would not prove to be L.A.'s undoing however.  In this disappointing loss it would be a lack of execution in the paint that was to blame, and a surprisingly dominating presence countered by Phoenix at the other end of the floor, an aspect of the matchup that had previously favored the Lakers up to this point. Two Laker players whose past effectiveness down in low had been instrumental in L.A.'s success during the series were especially quiet in Game 7, Lamar Odom and Kwame Brown.  Brown would finish an uninspiring 2 of 10 from the field, while Odom would tally his lowest scoring and rebounding totals of the series, finishing with only 5 boards and 12 points.  Unfortunately for Los Angeles, their struggles would not be the only ones the Lakers would have to suffer through.  Laker guard, Smush Parker would extend his slump yet another game, shooting only 4 of 13 from the field, putting his shooting at 7 of 37 over the past three games, two of which ended in Laker losses. 

The Lakers' play tonight has to raise serious doubt with the notion that Kobe's remarkable scoring average this season was rooted only in selfish motives, and not out of team necessity.  Bryant unquestionably proved that he had to carry this team offensively, just as he did in the regular season, over the last two games.  The other Laker players simply were not talented or experienced enough to exhibit strong play consistently for the duration of a seven game series, providing further validation to those who support Kobe for MVP this year.  Bryant would finish the first half with 23 points on 8 of 13 shooting, compared to 9 of 30 shooting for the rest of the Laker team.  He would finish with only 24 points in the game on 8 of 16 shooting while the Lakers would fail to improve upon their production much, shooting 17 of 50.  The Lakers demonstrated this series that though they have some promising players around Kobe right now, capable of playing key roles in winning games for brief stints, the suporting cast is also lacking in many regards.  It has clearly been demonstrated that the Lakers have a ways to go before they can realistically hope for a return to the NBA finals, let alone another championship, not at least until more talent is placed around Kobe.  It is an undertaking they now have all off-season to think about it. 

Meanwhile Staples Center remains host to another playoff series this postseason, just not one that will feature the Lakers.  A job very well done by Phoenix, whose reward is getting to face that other team from Los Angeles.  A team who have finally been given the opportunity to emerge out from behind the Lakers shadow, even if its not the way everyone in Southern California would have hoped to see it happen.