A long road of grit, talent, ups and downs has come to a magnificent end with the Lakers 15th championship.
Well tested by the Houston Rockets in the Western semis, and the Denver Nuggets in the conference finals, they entered the big show the favorite, and showed they worked out their inconsistencies by defeating a tenacious Orlando Magic team 4 games to 1.
The signature of this team's character emerged in Games 5 and 6 of the Western Conference finals, when they emerged from the shadows of an uncertain 2-2 tie against the talented Nuggets with dominating wins.
The championship signature was not only the team backbone play of Finals MVP Kobe Bryant, but the big-time clutch shots of Derek Fisher, the 3-pt. dagger to take Orlando to OT, and another 3-pt. shot in OT, off a great feed from Bryant to help seal the deal, and open up a 3-1 series lead in Game 4.
The Game 5 denouement was well in hand for the champs, from half-time on. An incredible 16-0 run in the 2nd quarter set up the 10-pt. half-time lead. They kept control and defeated the Orlando Magic 99-86.
Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Trevor Arriza were consistently big time support throughout the playoffs and finals.
The championship gives coach Phil Jackson a record 10 rings; 6 with Chicago, 4 with Los Angeles.
This is a team in an excellent position to continue to rumble from the top of the mountain for years to come.
Rock on, L.A. Lakers!
Keywords: Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Champions, Orlando Magic, Pau Gasol, Phil Jackson, Trevor Arriza
