RealClearSports - 2009 NBA Finals

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Top Plays of the 2009 NBA Playoffs (Part II) - The Painted Area

We countdown the top plays of the NBA playoffs including the athleticism of Josh Smith and huge game-winning shots....

The Man Who Built the 2009 NBA Champions - Bill Plaschke, LA Times

The Lakers acted as if they didn't need him. The Lakers know they would not be NBA champions without him....

Phil and Kobe Have Come A Long Way - J.A. Adande, ESPN

Over the five years during Jackson's first stint as Bryant's coach, the two had grown distant. Jackson asked management to trade the young star. And when it looked like Jackson wou...

Lakers, Magic Face Tough Offseason - Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated

Both teams have significant decisions to make this offseason that will affect their ability to get back to this stage. Let's examine both teams....

Magic Must Drop Alston for Team Unity - Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel

"Skip to My Lou" must skip outta town if the Magic are to move forward with Jameer Nelson as the starting point guard and de facto leader of the team. Just call it addition by subt...

No Reason to Think Kobe Won't Win Again - Michael Rosenberg, Fox Sports

This is Bryant's team — and his title, more than anybody else's. But Kobe Bryant wants more. As he looked around the locker room Sunday night, I bet he was already thinking a...

What's Next for the Lakers? - Mike Bresnahan, Los Angeles Times

The Lakers needed only five games to defeat the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals, and they are already favored to win it all again next season, but what will their roster look like ...

News Flash: Bryant Been This Good for Awhile - Mark Heisler, LA Times

Winning was always everything and second place the same as last, but it's especially true on the level Bryant functions on, the quest to be the best ever....

No Debate: Jackson is Top Coach - Michael Wilbon, Washington Post

Jackson has won 10 of the last 19 NBA championships, and didn't even coach in two of those seasons. He's had great players and just as importantly -- probably more importantly --...

Dispelling Clichés from Lakers Championship - Bill Simmons, ESPN

Did Kobe change from last year? Did the Lakers actually like each other? Why were we force-fed these storylines?...

Van Gundy Remained Quiet About his Brother - Richard Sandomir, NYT

ABC’s Jeff Van Gundy warned us: He could not be objective about his brother, Stan, the Orlando Magic coach. But he did not say that he would barely let St...

Kobe and Phil Prove All Detractors Wrong - Mike Wise, Washington Post

Gasol's not soft, Odom's not a drifter who never reached his potential, Fisher isn't just old, and Kobe can win without Shaq....

Lakers Get Some Luck in Winning the Title - Steve Aschburner, SI

The Jazz letting Fisher sign with Lakers, Grizzlies giving them Gasol, Yao Ming's fractured foot, and Garnett's knee injury are just a few of the things that helped Lakers win it a...

Future Still Bright for the Magic - Israel Gutierrez, Miami Herald

As impressive as the Lakers looked Sunday, with Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol joining Bryant in playing like superstars, Van Gundy's team has the brighter future....

Lakers Get Taste of Redemption - Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times

Bryant, the Finals MVP, becomes possibly the most unburdened player in NBA history as he finally wins a title without Shaq....

Embarrassing Way for Magic to Exit - George Diaz, Orlando Sentinel

The Magic bumbled their way through the evening, turning the Am into a roadhouse version of the Staples Center. It was an embarrassing way to say goodbye to the season....

Kobe's Best Move: Learning to Trust Teammates - Jeff Miller, OC Register

They won as a group, a “family” being the word so many of them used afterward. But there’s no question this march was about one man, and it wasn’t Coach Phi...

Lakers Celebration Motivates Magic - Chris Sheridan, ESPN

Want to know why Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson sat there on the Magic bench, after that final buzzer? Because Howard wanted Nelson to feel every raw, painful emotion that was tea...

Will Phil Jackson Go for Number 11? - Michael Ventre, NBC Sports

Jackson doesn’t need to return next season to cement his place in history. But can Jackson turn down coaching a team that should be favored to repeat?...

Magic Run out of Comebacks - Joe Henderson, Tampa Tribune

The Magic were behind 2-1 against the 76ers, but prevailed. They were down 3-2 to the Celtics, but prevailed. They took a shot from LeBron, but prevailed. But they finally met thei...

Kobe Has Matured into a Leader Over Last 7 Years - Ian Thomsen, SI

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Look how I've changed, the young Kobe might have said.Kobe Bryant looked in the mirror in the late afternoon Sunday and saw buried reflections of his former self. ...

Kobe Proves his Greatness isn't Diesel Powered - Ken Berger, CBS Sports

He emerged from the room where they take the championship photos, the moment that proved to Kobe Bryant that this wasn't a dream. A few minutes before midnight, seven years since h...

Does Dwight Howard Want to be Great? - Juiced Sports Blog

Orlando’s franchise center has the talent to take over the basketball universe, but does he have the drive and the maturity to truly become great? That is the question...

Lakers Get Number 15 - Forum Blue And Gold

Bask in the moment, soak it up. There are so few moments of pure joy in life, so few moments where we as a collection of people with a common bond can truly revel in something....

Idolatry of Lakers is Ludicrous - TJ Simers, Los Angeles Times

The Lakers won. Yippee, hooray for them and all that stuff. Phil now has more rings than Red, like any of us could sleep waiting for this moment, while Jeanie continues searching f...

Roll over Red, Phil is the Best Now - Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo! Sports

Red Auerbach loathed Phil Jackson. He never hid it. Every word out of the Boston Celtics patriarch about the Los Angeles Lakers coach dripped with dismissive sarcasm, downright dis...

Kobe's Team Better Than LeBron's...That's It - Gregg Doyel, CBS Sports

I've seen Kobe Bryant make shots that nobody else in basketball can make. I've seen him produce the best six-minute stretch of individuality of this season. And I've seen his team ...

For Van Gundys, Coaching Is A Family Matter - A. Wojnarowski, Y! Sports

Bill and Cindy Van Gundy had to leave the house for the airport at 4 a.m. on Friday, a vacation their sons had booked months ago for a 50th wedding anniversary gift. Before an Alas...

Expect Lakers To Do This Some More - Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times

OK, Mr. Elusive Man, here's the deal. I asked it. You said it. I'm holding you to it.It was late in Saturday's news conference when the topic of Kobe Bryant's future arose. Maybe...

Jackson Proves He Is a Championship Coach - Jason Whitlock, KC Star

I’ve never been much of a Phil Jackson fan. Give me Michael Jordan, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant and I’ll fill a trophy case, too. Jackson, the coach of the L...

Win Or Lose, Magic Fans Will Savor Game 5 - M. Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel

One more chance for the Magic.One more game at the Am.One last Star Spangled song by little incandescent Gina Incandela.Oh, say can we see another Magic miracle?...

Jackson Wouldn't Be Here if it Weren't for Jeanie - Mike Wise, Wash. Post

Now that Phil Jackson is one win from coaching immortality, the story can be told: He didn't return for Red Auerbach's record. Or Kobe Bryant's legacy. Or money. He came back for -...

Kobe Bryant as Next Lakers Coach? Why Not. - Henry Abbott, TrueHoop

As Auerbach handed the reins over to Bill Russell, why couldn't Phil Jackson hand the reins over to Kobe Bryant -- either before or after Bryant retires as a player?...

Ariza, A Reluctant Star - Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times

His shining moment in Game 4 of the NBA Finals had brought attention to Ariza, something he prefers not to have....

Magic, Van Gundy Fail at Basics - Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel

I've said it once and I'll say it again, I love the coach's spontaneity and nonconformity, but there comes a time when you need some poise and patience....

Greatest Shots in Lakers History - Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times

If we were listing the two greatest shots in one game, then Fisher would win. But just one shot, one chance, one toss for one giant gold trophy? The Thursday night heroics of No. 2...

Magic Repeat Mistakes of 1995 - Dick Scanlon, The Ledger

Missed free throws and not fouling is not new to the Orlando Magic....

Van Gundy to Blame, Not Dwight Howard - Jason Whitlock, Fox Sports

Van Gundy is responsible for one of the greatest choke jobs in NBA playoff history. If he had any pride, he'd resign today and let Patrick Ewing coach Game 5 on Sunday....

There's No Magic for Orlando - Art Spander, RealClearSports

The Lakers are the better team, the championship team, and the only question was when they would play like champions. The answer was not long in coming....

Kobe Bryant is Almost Like Mike - Rick Morrissey, Chicago Tribune

If Bryant were under the influence of truth serum, he would admit he has patterned his entire career after Jordan's, speech cadence and all....

Fisher Never About Starring, Just Winning - Bill Plaschke, LA Times

This is going to sound crazy, but even Robert Horry never hit consecutive shots this big....

Phil Jackson Does Nothing Very Well - T.J. Simers, Los Angeles Times

We probably won't know who has been actually coaching the Lakers this series until Phil's next book is published....

Magic Employ 'Kitchen Sink' Strategy on Kobe - Josh Robbins, Orl. Sentinel

A little bit of everything -- and everyone -- gets hurled his way to try to stop him. Even for a superstar such as Bryant, that's about as pleasant as cleaning a bunch of dirty dis...

Hey Kobe, Smile! You're Winning - Mike Wise, Washington Post

With all the grimacing and frowning and cold stares the past week, this whole big-meanie act flies in the face of the Kobe I used to know....

Nike Talks About Puppet Ads - Mike Penner, Los Angeles Times

"It really wasn't about pitting Kobe versus LeBron in the Finals for us," Nike spokesman DeJuan Wilkins said....

2009 NBA Finals

Kobe Hints He'll Be Back As Lakers Celebrate

LA - Enjoy the Parade and the Deficit

Magic Willing to Pay Price for Turkoglu

Why Magic Lost, Lakers Won, and Chances to Repeat

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