NBA – Page 8 – Cebu Sports Blog by John Pages

Prediction: Lakers vs. Heat in the ‘11 Finals

In a poll of eight experts, the question was asked: “Which teams will reach the NBA Finals?”

In the Western Conference, all eight critics answered in the same manner: L.A. Lakers. It’s hard to argue against their unanimous decision. The KB24-led squad from California are the two-time defending champs. Defeating the Boston Celtics last season four games to three, they captured their 16th NBA championship—on the 50th anniversary of their relocation to Los Angeles. And so, the Lakers are a sure bet to reach The Finals.

The Eastern Conference winners? One expert said “Orlando Magic” while another answered, “Boston Celtics.” But, six of the eight experts asked by NBA.com supplied the same response: Miami Heat.

Los Angeles vs. Miami. Think about it. Wow. Won’t this ending be a Wow-moment? A highlight for basketball? For the world? Imagine a Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James ending? No, make that The King named Kobe versus The Three Kings, LeBron/Wade/Bosh. In fact, just days ago, the Heat acquired Jerry Stackhouse. So make that Kobe vs. The Fab Four of Miami.

Lakers – Heat. I hope this happens. I’m sure, for excitement’s sake, plenty want to see this climax. It’s good for our heart. Our heartbeats pumping faster because of this fever and frenzy is good for our health.

How awaited is this finale? I “goggled” the words, “lakers vs heat nba final” and, guess what, a total of 6,590,000 results showed up. That’s plenty. That’s the interest in America’s two most famous ball clubs.

If this NBA conclusion happens, what a bonanza. What a golden possibility for this league to strike gold in the TV ratings: the Team In Gold versus the Team Who Wants Gold.

With the Lakers, we know what to expect. Kobe is Barack Obama. He’s the leader. He’s the man who’ll step up on the free throw line with 3.4 seconds left in Game 7 and shoot both free throws for the victory. We know that. We expect that.

The Lakers will win. The question is, Can the Heat burn and cook and scorch L.A.? And ignite their Fab Four to steal the NBA ring on their first try? We don’t know. “The Big Three of Miami are expected to dominate but can they play with chemistry?” said the story, “Lakers vs. Heat: NBA Finals Preview?” in Extrasportsnews.com. “Can they share the ball and win each game? In the previous year, the Big Three averages more than 20 shots each but here in Miami they can’t do that anymore, they have to play as a team. All of them has to sacrifice their stats. On the other hand, the Lakers are still, I believe, the favorite because they have proven that they can play ball.”

It all begins tomorrow. At 7:30 a.m., Philippine-time, the NBA season begins with the most-awaited of first games: Miami vs. Boston. Another… Wow! Last year’s Eastern Conference champion versus its strongest tormentor.

All eyes on this game—and on the entire season—will fall on LBJ. “James has absorbed more criticism over the last five months than he’d heard in his previous seven NBA years,” said Ian Thomsen of SI.com in “Countdown: 2010-11 season guide.” Thomsen added, “But how bad is all of this news in reality? Put it this way: What happens if James leads Miami to the championship this year? The answer is that the negatives all flutter away.”

True. If Miami wins, LeBron won’t be acclaimed The Hero—but his feat will be near heroic. A brand-new cast of characters win on their first attempt! The hatred towards LeBron will be forgotten. Do we still remember Kobe’s rape case? How he was castigated? That’s forgotten. But Mr. James has to win. Now. “It’s going to be easy to forgive LeBron because he has committed nothing worse than crimes of arrogance, and for those he has been roughed up and humbled. The punishment has been served, and if he wins I guarantee you he’ll have majority opinion on his side again,” added Thomsen.

The NBA’s slogan is “Where Amazing Happens.” Amazing begins in tomorrow’s Game 1 and, if we’re lucky, concludes with a Kobe vs. LeBron face-to-face.

Don’t you adore this sport? I Love This Game.

Boy Tiukinhoy is the David Stern of Cebu

Like the Commissioner of the National Basketball Association, who has been in command of the world’s most famous dribbling league since 1984, we have our own version in this Visayan land.

Yes. David Stern is to America what Felix Tiukinhoy is to our beloved Sugbu. Both are commissioners. Both serve as leaders of other organizations on a concurrent capacity: Mr. Stern as the Chairman of the Board of Columbia University; Mr. Tiukinhoy as President of food giant Virginia Food, Inc., makers of famous brands like El Rancho, Virginia, Champion and Winner. I like the last two VFI, Inc. brands. Don’t they speak of the league that Boy Tiukinhoy is leading? Turning ordinary teams into Champions and Winners?

As commissioner of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc., (Cesafi), he lords over universities, colleges, high schools. In fact, Mr. Tiukinhoy is so alike Mr. Stern that, very often, he, too, is called Mister Stern. And by “Stern,” I mean the real definition of the word: strict, tough, stubborn. That’s stern. Like David Stern. That’s Boy Tiukinhoy.

As Cesafi’s overseer, he has to be. You can’t be weak or indecisive if you’re the skipper. As chieftain of Cebu’s top school-based sports league, you have to be stern. Exacting. Bossy. Inflexible. At times, harsh.

Remember last year? When players were caught playing games outside Cesafi’s parquet floors? And were terminated from continuing play? Despite the school’s pleadings and clamor for mercy? Boy, he was stern. He didn’t budge. The rules, he said, are simple: They. Are. The. Rules.

In email exchanges last week, I asked Boy Tiukinhoy this: How difficult and stress-filled is the job? Considering that, in another instance last Sunday, on just Day Two of the Cesafi 2010 season, the UV Baby Lancers did not show up at the Cebu Coliseum because, they said, “we didn’t know the schedule.”

BT fumed mad. Then he said: “The toughness of the job is part of the territory.”

A sports-lover all his life, he has been the Cesafi commissioner since Day 1… when the league started in 2001. Until today… Year 10. Prior to Cesafi, there was the CAAA, the Cebu Amateur Athletic Association. He, too, for the last five years of that league, was the commissioner.

Any satisfaction you get from this work? I ask. A stress-loaded job that, in case we Cebuanos did not know, does not pay him salary, not even P10 per year? “I consider my work as CESAFI Commissioner,” he said, “as a community service without any remuneration.”

How many Cebuanos, I want to know, are willing to forgo of their full-day weekends, of weeknights, of the relaxation that comes after work, to deal with the problems of Cesafi? Only Mr. Stern of Cebu.

“It’s another world for me when I enter the coliseum which is different from the business environment,” he said. “I find the job a pleasant experience which removes whatever stress I encounter from the office.”

That’s good to hear. Here’s another good message from him: “I would not be effective without the support of the Secretariat headed by Bernard Ricablanca, the Athletic Directors, the Officers and the Board of Directors.” This means he is no one-man show. He seeks help. Encourages teamwork. Consults the Board. Another good act? From this man who, despite his diminutive size, has giant responsibilities? It’s the addition of non-sports events.

“Academic and cultural events have been part of CESAFI since we started,” he said. “As commissioner, not only basketball but also other sport events were given importance. This year, we will give even more focus on academic and cultural events.” He sent me a long list of Cesafi events that I did not even know existed: Oration, Debate, Extemporaneous contests; Math, Science, Computer, Current Events, and Spelling Quizzes. There’s a Song Solo challenge, an essay-writing contest, and—this is amazing—a Sudoko competition.

Stern? Nah… he’s sterling.

The fall from the rise of LeBron James

Two Sundays ago, I made a mistake. I declared LeBron’s joining forces with Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade as the right move. Now I’m having a change of mind. Sure, LBJ wants to win that NBA ring. Sure, it was legal. But here’s another sure thing: LeBron made millions of enemies.

His blunder wasn’t joining the Miami Heat—again, he’s a free agent and that’s his prerogative. His mistake was his decision to have “The Decision.” If you recall, LeBron announced to the world his Miami transfer not via a no-nonsense, 12-minute press conference. Instead, the self-proclaimed King promoted himself like a God—to the full hilt, holding six NBA teams as hostage and starting a fiery hype that engulfed the sports world.

Really?

On July 8 in the ESPN show “The Decision,” 13 million TV viewers locked-in for 60 minutes to watch his lips say the seven words that will be embedded in NBA history: “I’m taking my talents to South Beach.”

Why was this TV show dubbed a LeBacle? Simple: Knowing that he was going to hurt the 11.5 million residents of Ohio—fans who’ve embraced him as their native son the past seven years; knowing that he was going to disappoint the citizens of New York, Chicago, New Jersey and LA—couldn’t LeBron have focused the attention less on himself? Couldn’t he have done a plain announcement? Been more sympathetic? To his Cleveland family?

Yes, yes, yes. Yes to all of the above. And, I’m sure if you give me LeBron’s number now and I ask him if he can redo how he packaged his decision, he’ll say Yes. I wish I could have given it less hoopla, he’d declare. For, as the saying goes, “Hindsight explains the injury that foresight would have prevented.”

Today, in Fox Sports, ESPN and dozens of other NBA commentaries, they sadly pronounce the same thing: Bad move, LeBron. Sad, isn’t it? From the most revered of athletes comes this worldwide repudiation and scorn. (Can you imagine the jeering and booing he’ll hear when Miami visits Cleveland?)

Commented Michael Jordan: “There’s no way, with hindsight, I would’ve ever called up Larry, called up Magic and said, ‘Hey, look, let’s get together and play on one team.’” Ouch. Does this mean LeBron did not have enough courage to stand up on his own and win? Yes, says MJ.

Charles Barkley added: “Mike and I are in 100 percent agreement on this. If you’re the two-time defending NBA MVP, you don’t leave anywhere. They come to you. That’s ridiculous. I like LeBron. He’s a great player. But I don’t think in the history of sports you can find a two-time defending MVP leaving to go play with other people.” (True. Instead, shouldn’t LeBron have enticed Chris Bosh to move to Cleveland?)

Now. What’s LeBron got to do? Well, simple: Win the championship. Now. This season. Anything short will mean more ridicule and damage to his already-damaged persona.

Not everybody’s a loser in this controversy, though. The big winner is Fil-Am Erik Spoelstra, the Miami Heat head coach. His mother, Elisa Celino, hails from San Pablo, Laguna. “I’m embarrassed to admit I’ve visited the Philippines only when I was three years old,” he said in the Phil. Daily Inquirer. “I’m definitely planning to go again.” Bringing with you the Three Kings?

The jackpot winner of this whole story? Of course, Miami. Quoting an AP story entitled “Heat business takes over on and off the court,” there’s now a dish in Miami called LeBron Burger. Served at the diner OneBurger, “It starts with Kobe beef (a nod to Bryant), with Swiss cheese, an onion ring (think championship ring) and jalapenos (for heat, er, the Heat).”

Hotels in Miami? One room, the “Heat Suite” for $2,500/night, includes a “Ferrari F430 rental, James’ favorite snacks, an iPod with his favorite tunes.” Mandarin Oriental has “Live Like LeBron” weekends—with basketball-shaped cookies.

Spa? There’s “LeBroyal Treatment” with “a massage, manicure, personal training session, jet-ski rental, gift package and a six-pack of beer.” For $149, it’s expensive—and better than lingam!

Boston won until LA stole the gold

BOSTON WINS GAME 7! That was the prepared headline. It was written. At the start of the final quarter of the final game of this NBA season, the score was 57-53—one of the lowest in The Finals history—favoring the Celtics. And doesn’t Boston win all low-scoring games? Don’t they triumph in all games via defense? “It was exactly the type of game we wanted,” admitted Doc Rivers.

Boston owned a 13-point lead and won… the first three quarters. The Lakers? In this game where a resale ticket costs over P50,000 ($1,099), LA played their worst game of the playoffs. Maybe, of the season. Kobe Bryant was 1-for-7 after the first quarter, 3-for-14 at halftime; in all, he missed 18 of 24 attempts. The entire LA team? At halftime, they shot 25.6 percent. At game’s end, it was 32.5 percent. Free throws? I’ve never seen them more lousy. Yet, in this off-day for LA which the TV announcer calls “one of the most poorly played games you’ll ever see,” it wasn’t Gilbert Teodoro’s color that won but P. Noy’s.

D-FENSE! D-FENSE! Those shouts reverberated inside the Staples Center. And while the Celtics are best in defense, the Lakers won this contest because of their D. Determination. Led by Kobe who said, “I just wanted it so, so bad.” That’s D: Desire. Maybe, this all-too-consuming Dream by Kobe was the reason why he missed so, so much… from free throws to threes to open jumpers. You can’t blame Mr. Bryant. After 82 games in the regular season and many more in the playoffs, even though he’s Superman, he’s super… but human.

To me, three lessons can be derived from this NBA Finale. First, basketball—like life—is about teamwork. Kobe’s team won not because of him–but because of him with his teammates. Here was a man transformed from being selfish to selfless.

Ron Artest? He was the Game 7 MVP. He guarded Paul Pierce, forcing him to miss 10 of 15 shots. He played 46 of the game’s 48 minutes, stole the Boston ball five times, scored 12 in the second quarter to keep the halftime tally close. “He brought life to the team,” said Phil Jackson. “He brought life to the crowd.”

Pau Gasol was the hero. That offensive rebound (he totaled 18 rebounds, nine offensive) after Kobe missed a three-pointer with 27.9 seconds left had Kobe saying at the end: “I can’t say enough about that Spaniard. That guy is unbelievable and just a hell of a player. We wouldn’t have won it without him.”

Kobe’s realization: Rely on others. Ask for help. Trust your teammates.

Lesson No. 2: Anybody can have an off day. You can’t expect perfection 100 percent of the time. This happens to Kobe, to you, to me, to the world champs, Lakers. What’s essential is to rise above this temporary lapse, this “off day.” The LAL, despite trailing 85 percent of the way, found a way. They never gave up. Never felt deflated nor discouraged. Look at Kobe. Inside his brain entering those final eight minutes, he must have wondered, “How can I mess up this bad?” Yet he persevered, passed instead of shot, rebounded 15 times, and converted—finally!—those free throws.

Lesson No. 3: The game is won in the end. It’s like a sprint. Anybody can take the early lead. But it’s the finish that matters. Championships are won in the final 300 seconds. Like a 400-meter dash. The winner isn’t the one who gallops off the starting line first or leads halfway, it’s the one who leads at the very last meter. That’s what the Lakers did.

“They scored 30 points in the fourth quarter, and for us, a defensive group, that’s the toughest part to swallow — that we gave up 30 points,” said Doc Rivers.

The Lakers summoned up all their past triumphs, absorbed all the deafening vibes of the Los Angeles crowd… and sprinted first to the finish. Much like the victory of our new Vice President, right?

One game left in this Hollywood blockbuster

(Wally Skalij/LA Times)

I wish tomorrow were a holiday. I wish last Monday’s Independence Day no-work schedule was moved to Friday. That way we can all watch this contest between two of the most significant brands in sport, Lakers and Celtics. Yup. From a best-of-seven series, it’s down to a best-of-one. Who’s the best one?

Here’s my prediction: The team with the most energy wins. We saw that yesterday. Right after the jump ball, the LA boys, buoyed by fellow Californians, rebounded, hustled, fist-pumped. The electricity of the Staples Center audience electrified their muscles. Kobe Bryant, the undisputed playoff MVP, scored 11 of his team’s first 21 points. He sizzled as hot as the Kobe Beef in Japan. No wonder the whole night the crowd chanted “M-V-P!”

The Celtics? They’re the Most Vilified People in Hollywood. Worse, their spirits were left in Boston yesterday. They were slow-footed as LA was sure-footed, they missed shots (Wallace, Williams and Davis scored zero points) as LA out-rebounded them 52-39, they were embarrassed inside the arena that houses 15 banners. Will it be 16 championships for the Lakers?

The odds are, Yes. Sixteen times the NBA Finals have culminated in a Game 7 and 13 of those were won by the home squad. Win or lose for BC or LAL, the sure winners are the hundreds of millions of fanatics—that’s us—who’ve been treated to ballgame spectacles this week involving the hands (NBA) and the feet (World Cup). “This is definitely a special treat for the NBA,” said Boston’s Ray Allen. “We’re going to Game 7, and this is The Finals, and it’s the Celtics and Lakers.”

Allen, who, like this seesaw series, has been hot-cold, cold-hot (he made eight three-point shots in Game 3 before missing 21 straight in Games 4 and 5), is right. Tomorrow’s finale is like an American Idol final where, after a season-long wait and dozens of cities visited, we’ll be treated to The Finale. It’s like Tiger vs. Phil tied going into the final day at the US Open in Pebble Beach. It’s RF vs. RN in the Wimbledon final next Sunday. It’s Money against Manny come November. It’s a best-scenario ending (well, OK, next to a Game 7 by LeBron vs. Kobe) that can only be rivaled if Spain meets Brazil in South Africa this July 11.

How important is the Staples Center for LA in Game 7? HUGE. A total of 11 playoff games Pau Gasol and his gang have played and they’ve won 10. That’s a 90% winning clip. But Boston has to feel upbeat, as I’m sure coach Doc Rivers will remind them. After succumbing to an NBA Final Game 1 loss, they rebounded to win Game 2. Mentally, this tells their internal circuitry: We can do it.

Again, I go back to the E word: Energy. Who has it more—who’s more Excited and Emphatic—triumphs. “Our energy went down a little,” said Rajon Rondo of their Game 6 effort. “We just came out and didn’t have it.”

“I thought we would play better,” added Doc Rivers. “I just thought they were ready. I just thought the Lakers played harder, better. They executed, they trusted more.”

Maybe it’s the crowd (can you imagine if the Los Angeles fans brought vuvuzelas for Game 7?). Maybe it’s the threat of losing, like they did in 2008 to the same faces, that sparked those plugs inside Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom. Maybe it’s just the you-win-now, I-win-next yo-yo effect that happens when two past champions collide. It’s even. Now, at 3-3, it’s even. Tomorrow, the final odd number, one team will cry, another will rejoice.

In all this, nobody has more experience than No. 24. “No different to me,” said the four-time champ, No. 24. “I don’t mean to be a buzzkill, but it’s not. I know what’s at stake, but I’m not tripping. It’s a game we’ve got to win, simple as that.”

(Michael Dwyer/AP)

For with Kobe, his philosophy is simple: 48 minutes left this season then I get my fifth ring, one for each finger. I call him The Ring Bearer. This draws him one closer to The Air King, Michael J., and five more than The Supposed-to-be King, LeBron J., who has zero.

My pick, green or yellow? Expect the same winning color as May 10.

LA rebounds with a steal in Boston

LA won Game 1, Boston won Game 2, LA won yesterday, Game 4 to Boston, Game 5 for Los Angeles, Game 6 to…. Game 7? This is the NBA Finale. That’s how it’s supposed to be. A seesaw. A pendulum. One swing here, another sway there. It’s a boxing fight of 10 men minus the red gloves.

Yesterday, I only saw the final 12 minutes. The hero of the game, of course, was Derek Fisher. He’s 35 years young and keeps four NBA championship rings at home—while many have none—yet, he’s still hungry for one more ring to make it all five for his fingers.

“Won the game for them,” said Doc Rivers. “Derek Fisher was the difference in the game. We lost our composure a little bit down the stretch — a 4-point game, all you need is a stop. We let Derek Fisher dribble the ball all the way up the court, unattended, get a three-point play. If you get a stop there, we had plenty of time. But that’s where we (need) the mental toughness. We’ve got to hang in there. It’s not going to be an easy game, none of them are going to be, and that’s what we have to do.”

In all, Fisher netted 16 points—nothing too extraordinary a catch. But, when you examine that 11 of those points came in the fourth quarter, then that’s the reason why his team leads 2-1. “He’s our guy that pulls everyone together,” added Kobe Bryant of his teammate who stands as tall as my brother-in-law Rommel Desnacido at 6-foot-1.

“To come through tonight again for this team, 14 years in, after so many great moments, it’s always quite surreal,” said Fisher. “It’s quite humbling to experience it again and do it again. But it’s like being a kid, man. You just never get tired of candy.” For, with Derek Fisher, the NBA crown looks like candy. It’s tempting, sweet, mouth-watering and, once tasted, always desired.

How about Ray Allen? Wow, what a split personality. In Game 2, he converted eight 3-pointers. That was an NBA record. Yesterday? He attempted to smash another National Basketball Association record: 13 times he attempted, 13 times he missed—barely missing the all-time record for misses (14). “I thought all of his shots looked flat tonight,” said Boston coach Doc Rivers. “I don’t know if he had any legs.”

Maybe he overspent himself in Game 2. Like Robin Soderling who upset Roger Federer and squeezed out a five-set-win in the semis against Tomas Berdych in the French Open, only to lose stamina in the final against Rafa Nadal, maybe it was the same with Allen. “Ray went 0-for-13,” said Glen Davis. “Who would have ever thought that?

No one. Not even Ray. “This is why you always have to be humble, thankful,” said Allen. “You have to continue to work on things to make you successful. I never hang my head. Tomorrow is another opportunity.” That’s the spirit. That’s being positive. Let’s see what happens to his hot-and-cold hands in Saturday morning’s (RP time) Game 4. But, for now, the series is back where it belongs—home-court advantage for the Lakers. If they win the next game, it’s over for the Celtics. A 3-1 lead is insurmountable. Thus, Game 4 is a must, must-win for Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo. Win those 48 minutes of play time, then another in Game 5, then the pressure and pendulum shifts to the West Coast in Los Angeles. But these Green Goblins have to win the next two on their home turf.

One man is optimistic. He’s Paul Pierce. “The Lakers are a high-powered offensive team that is used to scoring in the 100s and we’ve got the game in the 80s,” he said. “It’s our type of game. Usually, we win these type of games.”

Usually. But LA is not your “usual” team; they’re the reigning champs. They’ve got KB24, Pau, Artest, Lamar, and the captain of their ship is Fisher.

Kobe Bryant and his golden Los Angeles

I used to idolize Michael Jordan. Who didn’t? But when he retired the Chicago Bulls jersey, then, after he stopped wearing the Washington Wizards uniform, my interest in the NBA faded. Then LeBron James arrived. Here was Air Jordan’s Heir. Yet, after seven years and numerous Most Valuable trophies collected, he has zero titles; LBJ is no MJ.

Kobe Bryant is. Though, in his own words, he admonishes the comparison. “I don’t want to be the next Michael Jordan,” he said. “I only want to be Kobe Bryant.”

What a performance thus far by the 6-foot-6, 205-lb. “NBA Player of the Decade” from 2000-09, as named by TNT and Sporting News. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, Kobe showed the world his Barack Obama-like leadership acumen on the basketball court. He scored 30. He blocked Tony Allen’s shot. He sprinted to dunk an alley hoop seconds later. He banged a three-pointer to lift his Los Angeles city to a 102-point haul. He rebounded seven times, assisted on six, made 9 of 10 free throws, and caused frown lines on millions of Celtics fans worldwide.

Kobe Bryant is. For here’s one lesson I’ve learned from watching KB24—a life lesson that we can all use: “He who wants it more, gets it.” Get it? I repeat: Nobody in the NBA wants that title more than Kobe… and that’s why he’ll get it.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it’s sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot,” Kobe was once quoted.

Amazing, right? For herein lies his secret—and the secret of life: The man who wins is the one who thinks he can. The man who, like the 31-year-old Kobe, has more enthusiasm, more vitality and will, more eagerness and zest and spirit than anybody else… wins.

Kobe Bryant is. That’s who he is. That’s why he’s won four times and will add another. It’s called focus. It’s named tenacity. At one episode in Game 1, the comedian Chris Rock, one of Hollywood’s most celebrated, sat beside Kobe in the front row and kept on talking to him, clowning around, dishing out tips and words. Kobe’s reaction? None. He hardly noticed the superstar. His eyes and mind and focus were serious, all zoomed in towards one goal: winning the ballgame.

“I’m chasing perfection,” he once said. Yup. True. In this case, Kobe’s definition of chasing “perfection” is chasing “a fifth NBA championship.” He longs for L.A. to win their 16th title and move them just one behind Boston’s record of 17.

He who wants it more, gets it. What a lesson Kobe is demonstrating to his audience. From the stern look on his game face to his three-point-shots despite the in-his-face defense to his fist-pumping, Kobe shows us that he wants it more than Pierce or KG or Rajon.

“Some are destined to succeed, some are determined to succeed.” I like that quotation. I’m sure jersey No. 23 does, too. For this word—Determination—is Kobe Bean Bryant’s middle name. It’s embedded in his system. It’s the reason why, failure after failure—a rape case in 2003 that nearly collapsed his life and reputation, an embarrassing Game 6 finals loss of 39 points to Boston in 2008—he’s able to overcome the challenges.

“Everything negative – pressure, challenges – is all an opportunity for me to rise,” is another of Kobe’s more popular Quotable Quotes.

Kobe Bryant is. He’s the reason why the team in gold will win gold.

Scanning the sports horizon for athletes with similar conviction and single-mindedness, I can think of one other today. He, too, embraces the motto, “He who’s more determined, triumphs.” And, like Kobe, who’s gunning for his 5th NBA crown, this man, tonight at 9 p.m. in our Cebu cable TVs, will aim for his 5th crown in Paris. Watch for Pau Gasol’s countryman from Spain to win the French Open.

Boston versus Los Angeles: This is it!

Kobe Bryant is not Michael Jordan. But he’s getting close. With Kobe’s fifth NBA ring just four games away, he’s nearing MJ’s record of six NBA crowns. And, in the much-debated Kobe vs. LeBron contest, we know who’s the true season MVP. One is at home wearing pajamas; the other is playing on Friday.

“Kobe is so good, he makes incredible normal for us [and] those that are around him,” said Lamar Odom. “He spins away from a double team, leans back and hits those medium range jumpers. He uses his footwork to free himself while he’s double-teamed. There aren’t too many players in the history of the NBA that can make those plays. I always commend Kobe for his competitiveness, his preciseness, the way he studies the game and his goal as far as being the best player ever.”

Incredible made Normal. Opposite words turned into synonyms by Mr. Bryant. This series, he’s been Jordanesque; making 52.1 percent of all his shots, and averaging 33.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists. Don’t those numbers remind us of MJ? Here’s more: He scored 30 or more points in 10 of his team’s last 11 games. Plus, if you watched Game 6 two days ago, you will never forget the one shot that caught us in disbelief: Facing Grant Hall on the three-point-line with 34 seconds left, he fired a jaw-dropping shot that blackened the sun of Phoenix.

Incredible is Normal. “He’s one of the very few guys that I have seen play that literally can will the ball in the basket,” said Derek Fisher. “He has the ability to lock in on the rim.”

Like an F-16 jet with laser-guided missiles that “locks-in” and rarely misses the target, so is Kobe. When the ball leaves his fingers, there’s a magnet attached to it that forces the object to swoosh inside the ring’s middle.

“Hey, I’ve known him all his life, since he was about 16,’’ said Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry. “I’ve always been a big fan of his. He knows that. He probably solidified my thought process as to he’s the best basketball player right now.’’

Ouch, LeBron. Beware, MJ. Which brings us to The Finals. It’s the Rivalry of Rivalries. It’s the Yankees vs. the Red Sox, Ali fighting Frazier, Borg-McEnroe, Prost vs. Senna. For no two NBA teams have won more, loath each other more… than Gold vs. Green. The NBA Finals have been contested 63 times and, on 32 occasions, either Boston or L.A. has triumphed.

Starting 1959, they’ve met 12 times in The Finals. In that era, the Celtics beat the Minneapolis Lakers for the first of their eight straight NBA crowns. Those were the 1960s when Jerry West guarded Bob Cousy.

In the 1980s, we remember what transpired: Magic Johnson faced Larry Bird three times, with his Lakers victorious twice. That last game was in 1987. Then, 21 years after, the courtship happened again. This time, in 2008, it was the league’s MVP in Kobe vs. The Big Three of Boston. Against an impenetrable defense, Green beat Gold, 4-2.

And, now. This. Friday, 9 a.m., Cebu time. The Rematch. The Revenge. The Rebirth of a Rivalry. Call it what you may, but KB24 calls it by another name. “It’s a sexy matchup,” he said.

Sexy? Ha-ha. I hope he’s not reminding us all of his past “sins.” But Kobe’s telling the truth: In Los Angeles, it’s a world of glamour, glitz, Greta Garbo. It’s Hollywood. In Boston, it’s cold and hostile territory for the Californians.

What does Phil Jackson have to say? “We remember more than anything losing on our home court, a situation where we had some defensive lapses and they took advantage of it,” he said. “This year we have home-court advantage, and we look forward to the rematch with great intensity.”

Home court advantage, in politics or sport, is an advantage. This time, the Lakers want to score early. And, with the 2-3-2 format, those first two games are at the Staples Center. If LA wins those, they’ve got momentum. If Boston steals one in The City of Freddie Roach, it’s Advantage, Celtics.

Like you, I can’t wait for Friday.

Scorching hot in Phoenix, can the Suns win?

Ninety four teams have attempted to come back from a 0-3 deficit in the NBA and 94 have lost. That number includes yesterday’s loser, the Orlando Magic. Don’t tell the Men In Blue they didn’t try. They did. In Games 4 and 5, their vacation plans were readied by the Boston Celtics. But Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and Co. fought. They forced a Game 6. Sadly, that’s as far as they were allowed by this unstoppable Green Machine whose bloodline includes Larry Bird and Bob Cousy.

BEAT LA! Did you see that banner? One Celtics fan raised up high that poster in yesterday’s NBA Eastern Conference finale. He’s right. For who, but the boys in Gold-and-Blue, does Boston want to face? LeBron James they’ve ousted in the quarterfinals, last year’s conference champs—the Magic—they’ve outclassed in the semifinals, now it’s time for The Super Bowl of the NBA, the Oscars Night of dribbling, basketball’s Wimbledon final.

Ponder on this for a moment: Which team, apart from a LeBron against Kobe face-to-face, would we all want to see? Orlando vs. Phoenix? Nah. Zzzz. Sure, those two have their admirers but they’re nowhere near the zealots of Lakers vs. Celtics.

It’s like boxing. Mayweather against Mosley was thrilling; Pacquiao versus Clottey was crazy inside the Cowboys Stadium. But those fights were mere rehearsals. They were preliminaries. The show we all await to see—in November—is Manny beating Money.

Same with tennis. A Djokovic – Murray final at the ongoing French Open won’t prevent you and I from watching next Sunday; but that’s boring. We anticipate that. Nothing beats Federer and Nadal.

Just like the NBA. No two teams are as opposite, no two squads have as much historical pedigree and will bring more eyeballs to watch than the upcoming Final.

BEAT LA! But, wait. While it’s Mission Accomplished for Boston, it’s still Mission To-Be-Accomplished for LA. Up against the Phoenix Suns this 8:30 a.m. (RP time), they’re facing Steve Nash who predicted, “We’re going home and win Game 6 and come back in Game 7.” That’s confidence. That’s the voice of a two-time Most Valuable Player.

BEAT LA! That, too, is the chant of the Suns today: to scorch, burn, light aflame Los Angeles when they set foot inside the US Airways Center in Arizona. This contest is terrific: Pitted are Nash, the 2005 and 2006 MVP, against a one-time MVP in Kobe (2008). Nash is Canadian; Bryant is as American as Barack Obama.

No doubt, the Lakers will attempt to finish their Western Conference series today. With Boston’s Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo to watch their game with both feet up on a chair, with masseurs massaging their stiff backs—they’re fully relaxed—it’s still a work day for the Lakers. And if LA loses Game 6, it’s a pressure-packed Game 7… while Boston is getting those foot massages.

Phoenix? Despite on the precipice of losing the series, they’re undaunted. Here’s why: In this LA-Phoenix series, the home team has won every single game. Plus, the Suns have won their last six consecutive playoff games at home. Will it be 7-0 for Amare Stoudemire?

“We don’t plan on going to Phoenix and losing three times on their home court,” said LA coach Phil Jackson. “We’re not making this trip over there just to fill a date. We’re going over there to win a game. We’re highly motivated for this game, but we understand that if it has to go seven, we’re damn well ready to come back home and defend our home court again. This is a series that has taken a lot of different faces to it in the course of these five games, and we don’t expect Game 6 to be any different.”

My prediction? BEAT LA! No, not for the Lakers to lose this morning, as I’m no fan of the Suns—though it would be a perfect reward for them, after four decades in the league, to finally win an NBA Championship—I’d want for that Boston Celtics fan holding that “BEAT LA” banner to hold it aloft once more… against Los Angeles.

Green vs. Yellow

Now that LeBron James is asleep, it’s time to expect an L.A. vs. Boston finale. This isn’t too bad an ending. For while we all predicted LBJ to hoist that NBA trophy and point it upwards to the Quicken Loans Arena ceiling in Cleveland, we’re now about to feast on a sight that’s even more savory: the greatest rivalry in all of basketball.

Who’s my pick between Green vs. Yellow? (Gibo v. Noynoy?) While my favorite color is green, I’ve always been a Lakers fan. I grew up in the 1970s and ‘80s idolizing Magic Johnson’s 6-foot-9 large-frame parting the Celtics defense like Moses. Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Pat Riley, Kurt Rambis, James Worthy… those are names that are forever etched in my mind’s memory bank.

I like the Lakers. And though they’re the reigning NBA champs, beating Ranjo Rondo and the Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen will be a struggle for the boys from the City of Freddie Roach.