This year one of the most infamous rivalries in sports history has returned: the Lakers and Celtics. This is without a doubt the most famous and contested enmity of all time in the NBA. We can say that most of the NBA spirit has a debt to these 2 teams, their past games and post season series. They undeniably carry a lot of tradition and are among of the most prestigious teams in history due not only for their continuous match up in NBA finals but also thanks to the players who previously have worn their uniforms.
So much has changed since they last meet at the 2008 finals. Back in the day, Paul Gasol had played with the Lakers for less than a season and was only starting to understand how to fit in the triangle offense of Phil Jackson. The Celtics made his job a lot harder in their series by putting many big guys around him from start to finish. Today, Gasol is an a lot more experienced player in the NBA environment, and knows what to expect form the post season the finals now; he now is an established player in the offensive strategy, having accepted that this is not only Kobe's team, but his own as well. He had a solid performance in previous games, with a lot of Double-double's, so he is a real threat to the Celtics as of now. Kobe has affirmed that this is just a regular final to him, and that he only has one goal: winning the championship to get another ring. But this comes from a player that also spoke out against the Suns in the previous series, stating he wanted to send Phoenix home to get even for previous eliminations in the first rounds of 2006 and 2007. It is more than likely that he has some kind of grudge against Boston ever since they won 6 games of the finals in 2008 against the Lakers. Revenge is a dish better served cold.
The Celtics has had a lot of changes since they last met with L.A., but the most significant is Rajon Rondo; in 2008 he was considered the weakest link of the starter team, but now after a career high, franchise records, solid performance and a lot of effort he might be the primal force behind the offensive and Boston's spirit. He has become the key player for the Lakers to set a good defensive against to stop him from doing what he does best, to make every possession a dangerous one by driving to the paint or feeding the ball to his team mates. They may be veterans now, but they remain the Big 3, and you can't leave them out from defensive rotation or they will make L.A. pay the price. If the Celtics keep their veterans healthy for the rest of the series this should make things a lot harder for the Lakers.
Kobe is now rid of the stigma of not being able to get a ring without Shaquille O'Neil, so he has finally risen himself above any shadows from the past. Despite his collection of injuries the fire within him is burning high. He keeps a spectacular performance game after game, almost every night since the beginning of the post season. It can be said that he represents determination and finesse, so Tony Allen has his work cut out for him. He has to face many strong players in these playoffs, such as Dwyane Wade, Lebron James and Vince Carter, but nothing will be more difficult that face a self-determined Kobe in the finals.