I'm sure everyone wanted to see Cleveland Cavs versus the Los Angeles Lakers. LeBron James play Kobe Bryant. The media would fawn over every play. We'd see highlight after highlight of Kobe's baskets then Lebron's shots. Thank God that didn't happen!
The Finals might have easily have become a P.T. Barnum sideshow. And, frankly, the NBA deserves better. Now, you have one team, the Lakers who played in the Finals last year and are hungry to take the crown. And, the Orlando Magic, a very good team with a bunch of talented young players. The Magic deserved to play in the Finals. They earned it. They beat the 76's, the Celtics on their home court in a game 7, and the favored Cavaliers, who won 66 regular season games.
Dwight Howard showed that he is a force to be reckoned with. He had 40 points in Game 6, and played terrific throughout the series. So, did his teammates.
If Cleveland got in, you'd never hear the end of a Kobe-LeBron showdown. And, the NBA is bigger than that. It deserves to see two teams fighting it out. Kobe may be the best player on the court but he incorporates his game with the Lakers. He doesn't touch the ball everytime the Lakers come down the court. The Lakers have better players than Cleveland and deserve the recognition they will get. Gasol and Lamar Odom are very strong players ---not just guys who fill out the floor.
I don't know who is going to win. The Lakers will be favored. But at least we will see basketball and not a circus. And, the NBA will be better for it.
