Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers: Perhaps the Best Team in the Past Decade

So I was kickin last night on the sofa in my Gilbert Arenas Jersey, T-Wolves Hat, and a pair of T-Mac Sneakers while sippin on some chocolate milk.

As I was doing so, my mind slipped into what I call "Sports Mode"—The stage where I could be scorching my hand on the stove, pretending to listen to a friend, or eating a good meal and yet still none of it would matter. Nothing interferes. "Sports mode" is the time where I am completely and totally submersed and absorbed in another dimension (okay, that sounded way nerdy, but you get my point).

Anyways, on this certain episode of "Mitch's Sports Mode" my mind was contemplating the NBA finals. Not a particular finals, but the finals in general, and what we could expect in the future.

LeBron James recently announced that he would be joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. I can't help but think about the future of the finals and naturally assume that the Heat will be apart of it. And then, of course, the Lakers always seem to find their way there in the end.

However, at length I came to the conclusion that we need someone else competing in the finals. Someone who wants a championship more than anything else in the whole world.

Then it hit me.

There isn't anyone else. In all honesty, Kobe Bryant still wants a championship more that anyone out there. Who is starving for a title more than Bryant? There is simply no one. He is the best and perhaps most complete player in today's game...hands down.

He has a gorgeous jumper (unlike LeBron), he is amazingly clutch (unlike LeBron), and he is one of the best defenders in the league. He can shoot from anywhere whether he is being double-teamed or triple-teamed.

Kobe has it all. He is versatile, highly motivated, and aggressive (all unlike LeBron). Kobe just went for his fifth ring like it was his first one ever. He was every bit as urgent, and with the team he has, they were able to win the finals. Second time in a row. The Lakers are simply great. But are they more than just great?

Yes, they are.

In fact, the Los Angeles Lakers have the best team we have seen in 10 years.

Yeah...it's arguable...but honestly, I can't think of a team in the past decade that was better than the present-day Lakers.

Yes, the old Lakers team was solid: Kobe, Shaq, Fox, Malone, etc. The Celtics have been tough: Rondo, Pierce, Garnett, Allen, Perkins, etc. The Heat look dangerous: Wade, Bosh, and James...They could end up being the best team of all time, but it's too early to tell.

The Spurs come the closest, although not close enough: Parker, Duncan, Ginobli, Horry, Bowen, Barry, Finley, etc. The rest of the teams have been as inconsistent as Phillip Rivers in a two-minute drill.

As I said, it's arguable...therefore, to be fair to the upset Spurs fans sitting in Texas, I will give a small breakdown of the two teams.

So let's think about it: Bryant, Fisher, Gasol, Bynum, Odom, Artest, Vujacic, and Walton. They would not lose to the Spurs.

Fisher, one of the most experienced veterans, would hold his own against Parker. Kobe would outplay Ginobli, Bowen, Horry, or anyone else. Gasol and Bynum are too creative and mobile for a fundamental Duncan to handle. His creativity level doesn't match theirs. The rest of the players fall into place.

The Lakers would tear the Spurs apart. Now that that is settled we can think further:

What makes a great team? Let's look at the decade before:

Blazers

They were just a rough playing, unpredictable, street-style team. Stoudamire, Sabonis, Grant, Wallace, etc. The only thing that would have made them more gangster was if they had Denzel Washington as their head coach, and "The Game" on the bench.

Rockets

Should be mentioned because they were consistently solid. Barkley, Maloney, Drexler, etc.

Kings

They were so white trash that just the thought of them scares anybody...even Jared Zabransky. However, Bibby, Divac, K-Mart, Stojakovic, Webber, Christie, and Williams together were just terrifying. They were scrappy, and they were lethal.

Jazz

John Stockton, Karl Malone, Jeff Hornaceck, Bryon Russell, Greg Ostertag, Shannon Anderson, etc. Stockton (Hall of Fame), Malone (Hall of fame, MVP), and Hornaceck (All-Star)...all on the same team. It would have taken a freak of nature to beat that team. And sadly, that's exactly what happened. A freak of nature did beat that team...twice in a row.

Bulls

Jordan (the above-mentioned freak of nature), Pippen, Rodman, Longley, Harper, Kukoc, and Kerr. This team played extremely well together. Jordan drew double-teams, which gave Pippen room to shine. Phil Jackson also was able to coach them flawlessly. Jackson and Jordan worked together to bring the Bulls six rings.

All of these teams had great players and were able to use them in an effective manner. So now, what is it that makes the Lakers so great?

I think it has a lot to do with Phil Jackson. Phil is the greatest coach of all-time. No arguments necessary. A head coach can really make or break a team's moral. Phil Jackson is extremely experienced and knows how to handle pressure. He knows how to motivate players. He knows the formula for winning rings...He has mastered it.

But I think the key factor to the Lakers' greatness is that everyone on the team knows who the boss is. Everyone knows who runs the show. Kobe does. It's his team. The way Kobe and Co. are playing proves that they still want it.

They are showing no signs of slowing down either. Depending on how the Heat turn out, I really think that LA could do it again next year. And if they do, we might have to consider "Kobe's Lakers" as one of the best NBA teams of all-time.

Stay tuned.