NBA Finals: Celtic Green is Kobe Bryant’s Kryptonite

Before the NBA Finals started, the Los Angeles Lakers looked like the favorite. They had steamrolled through the superior Western Conference and were led by the league MVP, Kobe Bryant.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics were pushed to seven games by both the inferior Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers, and failed to win their first road game until their 17th game of these playoffs. 

Also, Boston’s “Big Three” was reduced to a duo, as Ray Allen shot from the perimeter as if he was Ray Charles.  In the closing minutes of a game, the Celtics were further diminished to a solo act as the “Big Ticket” (Kevin Garnett) transformed into the “Big Houdini” and disappeared in crunch time.

But suddenly, the Celtics have rediscovered the form that propelled them to win a league-best 66 regular-season games.  Garnett has steadily exposed Pau Gasol’s softness.  Ray Allen is playing like Jesus Shuttlesworth again.  And, of course, the world was introduced to the miraculous healing prowess of Paul Pierce.

The only thing he should have done differently in Game 1 after injuring his knee was to re-enter the game in the wheelchair and drill his pivotal two 3-pointers from a seated position.  Now that would have been a comeback for the ages!

Most importantly, however, Boston’s mostly stellar defense (except the horrid first-half performance in Game 4) has clamped down on Bryant, who shot an anemic 33 percent (15-for-45) in Games 1 and 4. 

Kryptonite renders Superman powerless, and the Celtics' defense throttles the lethalness of the self-nicknamed “Black Mamba” (by the way, bequeathing a nickname unto oneself is totally lame—but that’s a separate article).

So Kobe’s magical breakthrough season is on the verge of ending on a sour note.  A Lakers championship surely would have garnered Kobe a Finals MVP award.

When added to the best record in the West, regular season MVP, and recent widespread praise as the best player in the world, KB24 would have triumphantly capped a nearly perfect season.  But Boston has three chances to deliver the knockout blow, with two of the games occurring at home.

Can Kobe save the Lakers' season and deliver the championship that has eluded him since the acrimonious divorce from Shaquille O’Neal?

Only if Tim Donaghy was still refereeing.

(Just kidding!)

If he can, his legend would immediately be cemented.  And Kobe could nickname himself “I am Legend.”

Personally, I’m not a Celtics fan, but I want Boston to win.  I want KG, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to break through this year.  Kobe can wait.