Lakers, Orlando Magic: Opposites attract
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Fate may have decided that Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were too similar for the NBA Finals.
Two MVPs, two Nike/Vitamin Water guys leading their teams, were too much for some to bear.
Science teaches us that opposite charges attract and like charges repel.
No one should be shocked that the Orlando Magic and Lakers are meeting in the NBA Finals, because these teams have little in common with each other.
Their differences are obvious, from the star players to the coaches and their styles of play.
Even their paths to the championship have been completely different.
Superstars: Excuse the ultra-competitive Bryant for not laughing when he is called for a foul. Bryant’s will to win and his preparation habits are well documented; Spike Lee’s documentary “Kobe Doin’ Work” featured Bryant as a man obsessed with the intricacies of the game. Excuse Dwight Howard for keeping perspective while playing a game that earns him millions of dollars and has little consequence to the global economy or the many other challenges facing our world.
Coaches: Both worked with Shaquille O’Neal. The similarities probably end there. Regardless of the situation, expect a staid Jackson on the Lakers bench and an animated Van Gundy on Orlando’s side.
Style: Last year, commentators said the Celtics beat the Lakers because Boston was more physical. This year the Lakers have resembled the Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boys. Bryant, Derek Fisher, Trevor Ariza and Andrew Bynum have been assessed flagrant fouls, with Bynum and Ariza receiving multiple flagrant fouls. Fisher was suspended for one game after leveling Luis Scola of the Houston Rockets. Although the Magic has already lost Howard and Rafer Alston to suspensions for flagrant fouls this postseason, it hasn’t been nearly as physical as the Lakers. The Magic relies on the pick-and-roll and three-point shooting to win games.
Path: The Lakers made reservations for the 2009 Finals as soon as the last second ran off the clock in the 2008 Finals. Anything short of a championship will be another disappointment for the Lakers and their fans. The Magic and its fans are ecstatic in celebrating the team’s first appearance in the Finals since 1995. The Magic is Orlando’s only major professional sports team and the city has rallied behind the team in its quest for a championship.
Game on.
-- Gabriel Taylor