Finals Afterthoughts

Superman might be more powerful than a locomotive and can jump buildings in a single bound, but he can't defeat a rapist.

In what proved to be a mildly entertaining NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers dispatched the Orlando Magic in my prophetic prediction of five games.

If Orlando could make a few more free throws (and not jinx themselves by trotting out Nick Anderson during Game 4), this series would still be going. But the truth is the Magic aren't a great team. Stan Van Gundy might be the NBA equivalent to Michael Scott. Rashard Lewis embodies why max contracts are ruining the league. And for all his physical gifts, Dwight Howard is a goofball who is an incredibly limited offensive player.

Even this current Lakers team can't be considered great. Yet. They have the best coach and the best player. They have some nice pieces in place. But I never felt like they really got it going the way they did towards the end of last season, leading up to the 2k8 Finals.

No doubt they will be a force in the league for years to come. They are too young and too well coached not to be. It will be interesting to see how they go about free agents to be, Lamar Odom and the ever improving Trevor Ariza.

For Kobe and Phil, this title is about their legacies.

In six years, Kobe went from being the world's most famous rapist to a return champion. Kobe has more titles than Jordan did at his age, a gold medal, two All-Star Game MVP's, a regular season MVP and now a Finals MVP. Sure, there's plenty to not like about him ("Kobe Doin Work"). But you simply can't deny his place as one of the all-time greats to play this game.

Phil is cemented as the benchmark for coaching excellence in professional sports. Say what you want about Phil always having the best players. But how many titles did MJ win before Phil? Shaq? Kobe? Phil is the difference maker.

And while we're on it, what's the deal with all the Lakers haters? They aren't the Yankees who buy their wins with overpriced players. They aren't the Red Sox with the biggest d-bag fan base on earth (solely directed at Sox fans post 2004). And they aren't the Cowboys with the biggest d-bag owner on earth.

No. The Lakers are simply the best run sports franchise in the country. Jerry Buss might be the best owner ever. Over his 30 years as boss, Buss' teams have given Los Angeles nine championships. No other current owner is even close.

The Lakers have a tradition rich with some of the NBA's best players ever. Jerry West is the NBA's logo! Magic Johnson is arguably the best point guard ever. Kareem put the ball through the hoop more times than anyone in NBA history.

They also have some of the best uniforms in professional sports.

Can't we just be happy that Adam Morrison finally got his title?