Bring it on!

For the first time in 21 years, the Lakers and Celtics will meet in the NBA Finals. For the Celtics, that was their last trip (the Lakers won the title 4-2). Instead of Magic vs. Bird, it will be Kobe vs. KG. None of the Celtics' "Big Three" has made it to the championship round, while Kobe and Derek Fisher have experience in four previous finals (winning three of them).


^Kobe knows that the only thing that matters in the NBA is the title.


{ KG led the Celtics to a 66-16 regular season record. In the playoffs, they are a mere 12-8.

To tell you the truth, I'm nervous about the matchup. The Celtics pounded the Lakers both times they met during the regular season, but that was before the Lakers traded for Pau Gasol. The difference maker in the series will almost assuredly be Kobe. Nobody has been able to stop him this post season and their is no one on the Celtics that can guard him as well as Bruce Bowen did for the Spurs.

The problem for the Lakers is that I'm not sure they can stop the Celtics. KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are a lot to handle. I think Ray Allen is the X factor. He hasn't played consistently for a while now. If he continues to struggle with his shot, the Celtics are toast. The Celtics' bench isn't nearly as deep as the Lakers', so they need the Big Three to be firing on all cylinders.

Although I'm nervous, I'm also confident. The Lakers have gone 12-3 in the playoffs against 3 teams that won 50 or more games, including the defending champs. The Celtics went 7 games against two mediocre teams and they took 6 games to beat a Pistons team with a hurting Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton. They are not playing their best basketball right now. My prediction - the Lakers will split the first two games in Boston and sweep the next three in L.A. LAKERS IN 5!!