Los Angeles Lakers: 10 Reasons Why They Will Be NBA Champions

The Lakers come out on top of a wealth of quality teams. The Hornets, the Spurs, the Jazz, the Rockets, the Mavs, and the Suns were all in the jam-packed Western conference. Still, the fiesty Lakers claimed the best record.

The West prepared the Lakers for a tough road through the playoffs and prepared the team for any battle they may face. LA is fully ready to take on the Celtics and it has the confidence needed to defeat them.

4. They want it more

At the beginning of the season, all we knew about the Lakers was that they had a disgruntled star in Kobe Bryant. As fans, we were waiting to see the team self-destruct, waiting to see the team crumble to pieces, waiting to see Kobe kill the team.

Then by early December, the team had fallen to 12-12, and we were certain it was about to happen.

But it didn't. Instead, Kobe took the team on his shoulders and led the Lakers from that point to a 45-13 record. Bryant never let the team fall and brought everyone together. He served as a mentor to the young team and truly became a leader for an inexperienced team that was in dire need of one.

Kobe Bryant's passion and desire has never once been questioned. He instilled this same determination and heart in his teammates and now the Lakers see their hopes from the beginning of the season just four games away. For Bryant, it's a chance to remove himself from Shaq's shadow, and show that he can win a championship on his own.  

3. Phil Jackson

Need I say more?

Jackson is considered one of, if not the greatest coach in NBA history. His statistics stand alone when compared to other coaches. His nine NBA titles tie him with none other than Celtics' coach Red Auerbach.

Jackson established a name for himself with the Bulls, winning six titles in a span of eight years. Following Jordan's retirement, Jackson vowed to never coach again. But his love and passion for coaching brought him back after just one year to the Lakers.

He coached the Lakers to three consecutive titles with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal starring for the squad. He was able to utilize the triangle offense to keep both involved, along with players such as Rick Fox and Robert "Big Shot" Horry.

Jackson's legacy is questioned sometimes due to his inheritance of great players (Jordan and Pippen in the 90s, Shaq and Kobe in the early 2000s), but his coaching ability cannot be doubted. Jackson was able to take this great amount of talent and turn it into something special.

in Chicago, he created an offense that centered around MJ, but that depended on other players as well. In doing so, he avoided making the team one-dimensional and contributed to the Bulls' winning ways.

In Los Angeles, Jackson did a remarkable job in getting two superstars, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, to coexist. Jackson helped mature the star we now know as Kobe and crafted Shaq into one of, if not the most dominant big man to ever play the game. Regardless of the talent he had, his coaching prowess should not be questioned. He can certainly serve as a difference in this series, with his experience of winning.

2. Kobe

I could go on forever about the impact of Bryant, but I will try to keep it as short as possible.

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