[nj.com]The Most Undeserving Championship Team In NBA History

I don't like how he felt about the Rockets 94.

Why does he have to explain Kobe rated below Dream? Dream was the MVP and DPOY in that same year. I'm tired of this Dream winning the title by himself mess. That team played great team defense and offense. Different players stepped up their games to win the championship. Also, no mention of Mario Elie and Herrera.

http://www.nj.com/newark/index.ssf/2009/06/the_most_undeserving_champions.html

The Most Undeserving Championship Team In NBA History
by Kris Seals
Sunday June 14, 2009, 11:56 PM

The Lakers just won their 15th NBA title. The team is smiling, and the players are finally relieved from the defeat that haunted them since last year. Are they champions? Yes. Did they deserve it? Not at all.

Can Kobe Bryant win a title without Shaquille O'Neal? Yes. Can Kobe Bryant win a title without getting Pau Gasol in a trade for a hamburger (Kwame Brown), Trevor Ariza (who the Knicks gave away to get Steve Francis) and last but not least, a team that did not bother to show up (Utah), a team without its two key players that forced a game seven (Houston), a team that made stupid mistakes (Denver), and a team that had a history of choking away games against the Sixers, Celtics, Cavaliers, and two games against the Lakers (Orlando), NO!

Last year, they loved Kobe so much that they gave him the MVP, even though he did not deserve it (Chris Paul was far better). This year, they loved him so much they gave him a championship, even though he did not deserve it. Way to go, NBA. You must be proud.

By the way, Kobe Bryant is NOT unstoppable. I am not even an NBA coach, and I know how to do it. 1. You MUST guard him with a player 6'7" or taller. 2. That player cannot be slow-footed. 3. The player must have a good defensive mind, and not fall for pump fakes or draw fouls. 4. This is the MOST important key...your team MUST make Kobe work on defense.

Here is the proof. The Lakers lost a six game series to the Spurs in 2003. Why? Bruce Bowen - 6'7" - guarded him on defense, and Manu Ginobili made Kobe run all over the place. In 2004, the Lakers would lose in the Finals to Detroit. Why? Tayshaun Prince - 6'9" - guarded him on defense, and Richard Hamilton made him run all over the place on offense.

Phil Jackson tried a unique lineup to try to combat it, but Larry Brown had a great counter, by putting in Corliss Williamson, and posting up Bryant. Bottom line, Kobe had to play defense.

Last season, the Lakers lost to Boston. Why? James Posey - 6'8" - handled Bryant. Posey ended up getting a nice contract with New Orleans because of it. Also, Ray Allen forced Kobe to run all over the place.

It does not hurt to have a smart coach either. Now, I am not saying that Stan Van Gundy is lousy, but he is in no shape, form, or fashion Gregg Popovich or Larry Brown. Van Gundy had Courtney Lee, a rookie, on Bryant. Suicide, pure suicide. Also, I am not even going to bring up the mess that caused Orlando to lose game four.

Ironically, Mickael Pietrus did a terrific job on Bryant. The only problem is that people like Jameer Nelson kept trying to double team and draw fouls against Bryant. First of all, if someone is doing a good job on Bryant without doubling, then do not double. Simple. Better to have Kobe score 40 and lose than to have him kick the ball out to Derek Fisher and others and win. Secondly, Jameer Nelson has to understand where he is on the NBA food chain. He has a better chance of finding a clean renewable source of energy than getting any call on Kobe Bryant. LeBron James can get that call, and maybe even Dwyane Wade. But Jameer Nelson? No.

Now, I am pretty sure that some of you are just thinking, "Oh, he's just some Kobe hater". Not at all. My problem is I like to see the best basketball possible, and this was just a pure unadulterated disappointment. Other than the Rockets, who were without Tracy McGrady for the whole series and Yao Ming after game three, no one stepped to Bryant and the Lakers. They all laid down and choked it away, just like Luis Castillo on that fly ball against the Yankees.
As far as the legend of Kobe Bryant goes, it remains unchanged, even after winning this title. The facts are the same: great player, but NOT Michael Jordan. Also (forget about Shaq for a moment) can he win a title without Phil Jackson? I seriously doubt it.

The way I see it, Kobe it at least - at least - below the following all time: Jordan, Magic, Russell, Bird, Kareem, Oscar Robertson, Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Why Olajuwon? Simple. Kobe has had Shaq and Pau Gasol in his title runs. Who did Olajuwon have in 1994 when he took on Patrick Ewing and the Knicks? Otis Thorpe, Sam Cassell, before he was an All-Star, Robert Horry, before he was "Big Shot Bob", Vernon Maxwell, and Kenny Smith, in his later years. Nothing on that team rated like the Lakers title teams this decade. In fact, Olajuwon is the only player in history to win a title "virtually all by himself". (Also, give LeBron another five years, and let us see what he does from now.)

By the way, if Kobe REALLY is as good as you make him out to be, then let him beat my game plan. In fact, I am going to pull a Jim Fassel here, you know, laying down the chips, and if you want in, get in, if not, get out. I DARE you to try to legitimize this championship. Feel free to comment.

So, Kobe and the Lakers should enjoy this one. If the rest of the league is smart enough to read this - and use it - they can say goodbye to the word "dynasty", and hello to the word that truly summarizes this title run: "fluke".

 

it was about teamwork. Even Hakeem said it, when he accepted the MVP trophy.

And please, our supporting cast was better than the Lakers.

Otis Thorpe was a double double each night with 60% FG percentage.
And Otis Thorpe was an ALL STAR (92)

Kenny 94 would drop 30points each night on Fisher, handchecking or not.

Vernon would be like 3 Michal Peitruses.

They didn't even talk about Mario Elie and Carl Herrera, who were big off the bench.

Sure it was a young Horry and young Cassell, but Horry was so athletic back then and Cassell was still huge in the playoffs.

Dream was the best, but he didn't win it by himself. You don't need a bunch of 'stars'. Who was a star on the Lakers?

Pau? Odom? Bynum?

Those guys wouldn't even make the all star team in the 90s.

 

For the record, I think the Lakers deserved it cause they won it.
However, their path to the Finals had teams that weren't 100% healthy and were a bunch of chokers and bad coaching.

SVG not fouling before Fisher's 3 was stupid.

If you watch the 95 Game 7 game vs Phoenix aka Mario's KOD game,
after his shot, what did Rudy T do?

He FOULED the Suns, he DID NOT want them to hit any 3s.

The Rockets were clutch and made their free throws .

 

gasol wouldn't make it to the all star game in the 90s.

What? Shaq? David Robinson? Patrick Ewing? Karl Malone? Shawn Kemp? Charles Barkley?

is he even comparable to any of those guys?

 

he is the only star but he didn't win it all by himself. else sleepy flloyd and buck johnson would have rings. get it now? also. I told allstars in the 90s at his pf center position. pau is good in this era but would not be an allstar in the early 90s. oh. didn't pau get eaten like a dish of tapas by garnett last year?