JLR Presents: The Saga of the NBA Finals

Last Thursday, basketball-loving creatures (or at least the ones who fancy purple and gold) were once again treated to another grandiose display of skill and talent: Game One of the 2009 NBA Finals.

Before the contest, there were sideshows: Lamar Odom's sweet tooth was highlighted, among others, but the most serious segment concerned the doubts of Kobe Bryant's quest to claim another NBA ring without the "Big Diesel" Shaquille O'Neal at his side.

To clarify the matter, just ask Shaq himself, who made a statement on his Twitter regarding the matter (now that's social networking at it's best)!

He stated that he wants Kobe to win his fourth title.

Shaq probably wants to redeem himself a year after he maligned Kobe, commenting on Bryant's inability to win a championship without him and criticizing his performance in the '08 Finals against the abysmal Boston Celtics (which is most unbecoming of a gentleman).

The fact that he wished the best for Kobe says it all. What great PR for the Cactus!

Come to think of it, why not ask the president Barack Obama himself?

He put it simply: "Lakers in six."

Could he be wrong? Well, what does Kobe himself think?

I think he showed us when he played inspired basketball from the get-go. What does G-O-A-T stand for, now?

The Mamba put the matter in his own hands, scoring 40 points, grabbing eight boards, and dishing out eight assists.

He almost single-handedly carried the Los Angeles Lakers on his broad shoulders and overwhelmed the Orlando Magic—or, for that matter, the whole city of Orlando.

Forget about LeBron James now. He may be better than Kobe, but hell, in order to win gracefully, you must first learn how to lose with class.

The King is a sore loser!

In closing:

If Kobe plays the whole series the way he did Game One, I may agree with Obama in closing Gitmo, but I'll definitely overrule him in NBA predictions.

I say Kobe in five!

...I mean, Lakers in five!