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Kobe Bryant led the L.A. Lakers to their first NBA title without Shaquille O’Neal this past summer, and the Lakers are favored to ruin Shaq and LeBron’s holiday when the Cleveland Cavaliers visit Staples Center on Christmas Day. Tip off is at 5 p.m. on ABC.
With just a couple weeks into the NBA season, the Lakers hold a league-best 23-4 record with Bryant, the NBA Finals MVP, averaging 29.3 points — second to Denver Nugget forward Carmelo Anthony’s league-best 30.3 points per game.

All eyes are going to be on the matchup between Kobe and LeBron James, the NBA MVP last season.
LeBron is averaging 28.8 points, third-best in the league, for the Cavs, who the Orlando Magic beat in the Eastern Conference Finals last summer to play the Lakers for the NBA championship.

By Teneshia LaFaye
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Kobe Bryant can opt out of the final year of his contract this summer and go help LeBron James and his former Lakers teammate Shaquille O’Neal to win Cleveland’s first NBA title.
But it’s very unlikely. Kobe is coming off an NBA Finals MVP performance and wouldn’t stoop to being a supporting player for league MVP King James. Plus, Kobe enjoys running the Lake Show too much.

However, two years ago, it was a different story.
Kobe hoped to be traded over to the L.A. Clippers or the Chicago Bulls in May 2007 because he was unhappy with the direction the Lakers were headed after a first-round playoff exit for the second consecutive season. Three years earlier, the Lakers’ front office traded Shaq to Miami and he went on to win his first NBA championship without Kobe.

Kobe felt duped after signing a new contract with the understanding that L.A.’s management would bring in marquee players to immediately put the Lakers back in contention for an NBA title, their first since Kobe and Shaq paired up for a three-peat from 2000-2002.
But when Kobe found out that the Lakers were actually rebuilding, he went to the national airwaves and expressed his desire to be traded on two national radio shows unless former GM Jerry West returned and the roster was upgraded to put the team in title contention.
It’s a good thing for Kobe the Lakers ignored his trade demands. The Lakers finally assembled a championship roster to win the franchise’s 15th NBA title this past season. And with the NBA Finals’ MVP trophy in his possession, Kobe is finally content to stay in L.A., where he was all smiles riding atop a tour bus with his wife, two daughters and teammates in a parade through downtown to celebrate the Lakers’ NBA title.


Actually, when Kobe was asking to be traded two years ago to avoid the team’s rebuilding, he remained optimistic that L.A. would come through with roster upgrades and he expressed a desire to stay in L.A. while voicing his desire to leave to win a championship.
And now that he’s led the Lakers to a coveted NBA championship and his team is likely to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals for a third consecutive year, it appears that Kobe will finish his career in L.A., unless the team becomes disloyal when his talent wanes and trades him after all.

By Teneshia LaFaye

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/teneshialafaye
Add me on Myspace: www.myspace.com/tlafaye

The Orlando Magic are making their first NBA Finals appearance since the year before their original Man of Steel Shaquille O’Neal left to win three NBA championships with the Lakers.
Shaq, now with the Phoenix Suns, never sold his house in Orlando, and he has said he wants to own the Magic someday.
But, the Magic’s former No. 1 draft pick also has allegiance to the Lakers, who Orlando visits Thursday to tip off the best-of-seven NBA Finals. Despite his public feud with Kobe Bryant, Shaq said earlier this year that he wants to retire his No. 34 in L.A.’s Staples Center, where he earned three NBA Finals MVP awards during the Lakers’ NBA championship triple-peat from 2000-2002.
So is Shaq pulling for the Magic to win their first NBA title or former ally and nemesis Bryant to win his fourth with the Lakers?
Well, Shaq, who already has four rings for winning another NBA title with Miami in 2006, wrote on his twitter page Wednesday afternoon:
“That’s right. I am saying it today and today only. I want Kobe Bryant to get number 4. Spread da word.”
This was in response to someone asking Shaq if he meant he was pulling for the Lakers when he wrote “I’m a go wit the lake show” on Twitter on Sunday night, a day after the Magic defeated LeBron James’ Cleveland Cavs in Game 6 for Orlando’s first Eastern Conference title since Shaq, Penny, Nick, Dennis and Brian won the title for the city in 1995.
Could Shaq be pulling for L.A. because the Magic’s new Superman and 2004 No. 1 draft pick Dwight Howard has replaced him as Orlando’s biggest star aside from Mickey Mouse?
Or it could be because it would be cheaper for Shaq to buy a Magic team that’s never won an NBA championship than one who has won the big one?
Regardless of the reason, Shaq has put it on the record that he is pulling for the Lakers to beat the Magic.

By Teneshia LaFaye
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/teneshialafaye
Add me on Myspace: www.myspace.com/tlafaye