2010 NBA Champions: Lakers Crush FC Barcelona, Defend World Club Finals Title

Phil Jackson's Los Angeles Lakers didn't need to head anywhere for Game 7 of the 2010 FIBA World Club Finals against Euroleague champions FC Barcelona Bàsquet.

In the end, the NBA Champion Lakers were up to their shifty tricks yet again. 

Adding salt to the wounds opened up by Spain's shocking 1-0 stinkbomb against Switzerland at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Los Angeles edged Xavier Pascual's FC Barcelona, 83-79 before a healthy crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center.

"Man, to be crowned FIBA World Champions as well as NBA Champions...it's quite an honor," said FIBA World Club Finals MVP Kobe Bryant. "Credit to Barça, they gave us all we could handle, but we took it to them."

The news was met with sheer disgust and irrepressible anger. Effigies that had Kobe's number and image were burned outside the Palau Blaugrana, as well as racist slurs aplenty.

"Kobe is a [expletive]in' cheat," said Marcel Orizaba, a 22-year old skinhead from Barcelona. "The refs are all cheats. This competition is a joke. [Expletive] them all!"

"I cannot believe that we wasted a golden opportunity to salvage our horrid performance by La Furia Roja against the Swiss," said Ernesto Cortes, a 44-year old arms dealer/right-wing politician. "This cannot go unpunished. Fire Xavier [Pascual]!"

Bryant led the Lakers with 23 points while Ron Artest added 20 and Derek Fisher added 10.

"I kind of feel for Barça because that was my first-ever major club I played, but I had to do what I had to do," said Pau Gasol, who scored 19 points and 18 rebounds in the victory. "No hard feelings.

"This year, Barça a well-coached team, and play an exciting brand of basketball. We were on our heels all night against the Euroleague champions."

Gasol played for FC Barcelona from 1999-2001.

Pete Mickeal led Barça with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Erazen Lorbek added 17 points, Fran Vasquez added 11 points, Ricky Rubio scored 14 points and 10 assists, and Juan Carlos Navarro scored 13 points in the defeat.

"We are the champions of the world!" exclaimed Orly Sandoval, a Lakers fan and construction worker from Mission Hills. "It was exciting to watch. And I didn't have to get off from work early to see them play! Wonderful."

"I hate Barcelona," said Herb Schultz, a Lakers supporter for five decades and a retiree from Leisure World in Seal Beach. "I don't like their soccer team, and I don't like their basketball. In fact, I didn't even know they had one, so good thing we made the spics know their place."

"I'll stick to watching their football team at the Camp Nou," said Linda Morales, an FC Barcelona supporter from Madrid. "I was about to renew my season tickets, but no more. No more."

"Does God hate Spain?" wailed Emilio Marquet, an 88-year old homeless hermit who sleeps near the Sagrada Familia. "You betrayed me, Lord! I will never forgive you!" He immolated himself, but was extinguished soon after he lit himself on fire and was sent to an institution in the city.

"I didn't know FC Barcelona had a basketball team when we first started this series with them," said Artest after the match. "But we treated them as if they were the Celtics. They play real hard. I'm impressed. I was hoping that we would see Ricky [Rubio] compete in the NBA. He is a star to watch down in Europe."

"I told the players before the series began to play without any pressure," Pascual said after the contest. "We come very close to succeeding our mission in shocking the basketball world.

"To our fans in Spain, I deeply apologize for our team's loss tonight, and I thank you for your support. I will assure you that out team will return home with our heads held high and a new level of respect secured for the long haul."

The parade for the Lakers' FIBA World Club Finals championship is scheduled for next Monday.