The Charmed Life Continues

So the Lakers, the NY Yankees and the Microsoft of the NBA, defied absolutely no odds tonight by burying the Nets and collecting their third trophy in as many years. We've discussed Shaq already, so let's look at the two other members of the Lakers' travelling hit squad that won't be replaced (bye, Mitch Richmond!): Kobe and Phil.

Kobe Bryant carries the world's biggest chip on his shoulder, and I can't figure out why. He acts like being on a championship team is vindication for some past wrong, and I don't get it. This guy has led a super-charmed life. The majority of NBA players come from tough, brutal backgrounds; Kobe was raised in the gentle Italian countryside. Many highly-touted rookies get drafted by the NBA's bottom-feeders; Kobe was drafted by Charlotte, from whom he had already demanded a trade to LA, which he immediately got. Lots of superstars went through growing pains in the league before they reached their peak; Kobe was anointed as the Chosen One, the Next Michael from the start, and has had the commercial exposure and the free-throw-volume to go along with it. He's a great player, no sense denying it. But, Kobe, stop acting like this is something you've struggled all your life for. You're in the right place at the right time.

And speaking of the right place at the right time...Yoda himself, Phil Jackson. The man who managed to take the teams with the greatest players in the league and win with them. What a feat! Now even normally smart people like Dr. Jack are trying to rank Phil with Red Auerbach. I cannot let this go. Red coached the team, built the team via the draft and terrorizing other league GMs, made the travel arrangements, sold popcorn, and controlled the water-pressure in the Garden's visiting locker room. Phil let assistant coach Tex Winter draw up the vaunted triangle offense, found teams with Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal, and rolled the ball out onto the floor.

Phil apologists say that it's harder coaching now because there are more teams. Um...yeah, but a lot of those teams are Cleveland, Denver, Golden State and Atlanta. Nice try. In Red's day, even the bottom-feeders had guys like Lenny Wilkens and Oscar Robertson. They say it's harder coaching now because the playoffs are longer. Of course, it helps that teams like the mid-90s Knicks and current Blazers are there to make sure Phil's teams get a nice rest during the playoffs. They say Phil's gotten three three-peats. Red had six. Let's go through them.

1959-60-61. 1960-61-62. 1961-62-63. 1962-63-64. 1963-64-65. 1964-65-66. Yes, kids, that's 8 titles in a row. Call me in 2007 if Phil's on the verge of tying that.