Game 7

For sports fans, nothing is more dramatic than game 7 of a playoff series. Tomorrow night, the Lakers and Celtics will meet in game 7 of the NBA Finals to determine who will be crowned the 2010-11 NBA champions. Besides the NBA title being on the line, there are many other subplots that make this 7th game must see tv.

Kobe Bryant is attempting to win his 5 championship which would tie him with Magic Johnson and put him one behind Michael Jordan. I have a difficult time putting Kobe in the same class as Magic and Michael, but if he does win this 5th championship, it would be hard to argue that he doesn't merit consideration as one of the all time greats. That being said, if he happens to lose game 7 to the Celtics, it will also impact his legacy greatly. The Lakers should have a huge edge in this game playing with home court advantage (Vegas has them as 7 point favorites). I could never see Magic or Michael losing a game like this where their team was such a heavy favorite. It will be up to Kobe to not only have a great game, but to inspire his teammates to play their best basketball tomorrow night. If Kobe has another effort like he did in game 5 where he played a spectacular individual game but was unable to get anyone else on the team going, it will be very difficult for the Lakers to win. Will Kobe be willing to give up the spotlight in order to win a championship? That is something I'm very interested to see.

For the Celtics, tomorrow night may be their last chance at a title with this particular group of players. It was evident throughout the season and in certain games of the playoffs that this isn't the same team that won the title in 2008. This is especially true for Kevin Garnett, who at times has looked like he is playing on his last legs. The Garnett that used to attack the basket, challenge every shot (even after the whistle was blown) and battle for every rebound will not be available for the Celtics tomorrow night. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, the other members of Boston's big 3 from 2008 have also been inconsistent throughout this series and who know what the Celtics will get from them tomorrow. In my mind, what is most important for Boston is to get their dazzling point guard, Rajon Rondo more involved in an up tempo game. Rondo has the ability to spread the floor and get Garnett, Pierce and Allen going offensively. If that happens and the big three get hot, they can certainly turn back the clock for one more game. This is a proud group of players and despite all of the adversity they faced this season, they find themselves one game away from a second title in 3 years. If any team can pull off a game 7 victory on the road, it would be a battle tested group like the Celtics. I can't wait for the tip-off!

On a side note, this Lebron situation is getting more interesting by the day. Tom Izzo turning down Cleveland's coaching offer leads me to believe that he wasn't confident that Lebron will be returning to the Cavs. Hmmmmm.