NBA Playoffs 2011: Are Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers as Big a Story as LeBron James?
The only thing for certain is death and taxes.
If Ben Franklin had his time again, perhaps he'd give NBA playoff upsets a mention.
This spring, there is no place for a sure thing.
The first heavyweight team to fall by the wayside was the Western Conference's No. 1 seed, the San Antonio Spurs. Not far behind them were the champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. What's more, if the Miami Heat have their way, the Lakers and Spurs are soon to be joined by the ageing Boston Celtics—champions in their own right.
The league-leading Chicago Bulls are making hard work of the Atlanta Hawks, while the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat are the only two teams to have looked half-convincing.
How about those Grizzlies? Memphis' month of May is more traditionally associated with barbecues and blues, rather than giant-killing basketball franchises.
Amidst all the commotion, it's not easy to determine which storyline carries the most weight.
A lot of Lakers fans suspect Sunday's woeful exit at the hands of the Mavericks signalled doomsday for the franchise. No longer can Pau Gasol be relied upon to take over the mantle from Kobe Bryant as the team's premier player.
Suddenly, the front office is urged to do some serious shopping over the summer.
This is a huge story in itself.
Five-time champion Kobe Bryant can't lead his Lakers past the second round? Phil Jackson without his honeymoon ending? This doesn't sound like L.A. basketball to me.
I mean, come on—for all their consistency, this is a Dallas Mavericks team who have made just one trip to the NBA Finals in the past decade.
However, in spite of all this, I'm not sure the Lakers are the biggest story of the postseason.
LeBron James, love him or hate him, is one win from redemption.
Just don't tell Cleveland that.
Ever since LeBron James was accused of quitting on his Cavaliers, he's been the most heavily scrutinized sportsman on the planet.
Sorry, Tiger. Off-court issues aside.
If the Miami Heat manage to take Game 5, 6 or 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinal, LeBron will have managed to do the one thing the basketball world doubted he could.
That is, beat the Boston Celtics.
Every triple-double, chase-down block or aerial highlight will count for nothing if James can't savour one final victory.
This is a player who has been recognized, for two of the past three seasons, as the most valuable in the game.
Right now, LeBron James is the face of basketball.
If the "King" doesn't make it to the top, his standing among the giants will again be in question.
That's a story we've all heard before.
What do you think? Who's your pick for the biggest story of the 2011 playoffs?
