LA Lakers: Will the Team Be Ordering More Championship Rings This Summer?

Wow, those rings look pretty darn sweet.

These are the Los Angeles Lakers’ new bling to commemorate their 2010 NBA Finals title.

And who would not want one of those?

The lure of an NBA championship ring is what ultimately made LeBron James bolt to the Miami Heat for a title grab.

LA is used to this by now, being a two-time defending NBA champion. Bryant has five rings while coach Phil Jackson has a whopping 11.

Now that the Heat have retooled and other teams have strengthened their rosters, the question is can, the Lakers repeat a third time?

The answer is an emphatic "Yes!"

The Lakers roster is the deepest in the league by far, with many players being on the roster for three, four, five or more years.

Bryant is the league’s best player with an MVP, two Finals MVPs and two scoring championships. His career 25.3 points per game is not his only strong suit, as he is an eight-time NBA All-Defensive first-team selection.

No. 24 hit the gym harder than ever this summer when he heard Miami loaded its team with star power.

He is still hungry, just like Michael Jordan was.

Besides having the NBA’s most dominant player, Bryant is complemented by a stupendous frontcourt.

Pau Gasol is the starting center and helped Kobe win the last two titles and the secondary star. Gasol has solid fundamentals and could put up 20 points and 10 rebounds a night. He also is an above-average passer for a big man.

Lamar Odom, a former sixth man, is now the starting power forward. Odom can block, steal and pull down 10 boards a night. When he is hot with his jumper, Odom is very challenging to defend.

Ron Artest was extremely key in the Lakers title run last year, giving shutdown defense on small forwards around the league.

Artest, a former NBA Defensive Player of the Year, can also score for average and hit some important shots in the playoffs, including the game-winner in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

Andrew Bynum, when healthy, adds to LA’s frontcourt depth. Bynum, 23, has five years of experience and averaged 15.0 points and 8.3 rebounds in 65 games last season. He has a nice inside game and a big body (7’0" and 285 pounds) to clog up the scoring lanes.

Starting at point, Derek Fisher brings experience and leadership. A five-time NBA champion with the Lakers, Fisher has 199 playoff contests under his belt.

A bench full of talented players puts the Lakers ahead of the field.

Matt Barns is backing up Artest, but he started for the Orlando Magic.

Steve Blake, 299 career starts, can fill in for Fisher if the 16-year veteran's skills diminish this season. 

Luke Walton, Shannon Brown, Sasha Vujacic, Derrick Caracter and Theo Ratliff round out the Lakers bench. 

With the league’s best player and a tremendous supporting cast, expect the Lakers to repeat and for us to discuss their 2011 championship rings soon.