Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times: “Of all his rivals real and imagined, Kobe Bryant is the only one left. ‘Bottom line, he’s still here,’ Lakers assistant Brian Shaw said. ‘And that means something.’ For the league’s most enigmatic star, that means everything. It means that, even if you can barely stand to look at him, you’re going to have to watch him. It means that, while you may not like him, you’re going to have to respect him. And when all the hyperbole has settled, it means you have to swallow hard and admit that nobody on either team deserves a championship more. Nobody. He drives us crazy with inconsistent moods crouching behind a perpetual game face, his desire to be loved constantly clashing with his need to be feared. He makes us nuts with a shoulder that bears a huge and inexplicable chip that even 13 seasons among loving fans cannot whittle away. We want to know him, he could forever become an enduring fabric of this city if we knew him, but that door opens only a crack, and only for a moment, before being slammed shut with pursed lips or an angry glare.”
Dave McMenamin of NBA.com: “Now his head is nearly bald as subtle tufts of white follicles dot the middle of his hairline. Perhaps they are evidence of the wisdom that’s been cultivated under his scalp. His formative NBA years were spent being out of the loop when it came to the inside jokes and nights-out-on-the-town stories of his 30-something year-old teammates. It led to an isolated way of being. He came in as a rookie touting ‘my talents’ that he was bringing to the league and continued to seek individual milestones for the next decade — All-Star appearances, scoring titles, endorsement dollars. But he learned from it. ‘He was perceived as the little brother — he played his role,’ said Rick Fox, one of the playboys that Bryant teamed with in those early days. ‘When conversations were had, his wasn’t the first word that was heard. He wanted to be the big brother. He had the desire to lead a team.’ Eventually Bryant became the elder statesman and he forged friendships his own way. Shaq cultivated camaraderie after hours, Kobe built bonds before practices.”
John Denton of HOOPSWORLD: “Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, who’s been known to obsess over a thing or two this season while becoming a lightening rod for criticism because of his strong-willed takes on a variety of topics, said he isn’t worried about the Magic being overlooked in this series. Van Gundy trotted out one of his favorite lines this week, saying that if the NBA’s system was similar to the college football’s Bowl Championship Series, the Lakers and the Cavs would have been in The Finals. But this, of course, isn’t the BCS. ‘I don’t get too worried about who is the favorite or if we’re getting enough respect and all of that because it’s not relevant, doesn’t matter and it will decided out on the court,” Van Gundy said. ‘This isn’t the BCS. Pick it anyway you want, but we’ll still actually be out there playing for a championship. It’s doesn’t matter that we’re underdogs,” Van Gundy continued. ‘What it really comes down to is that we’re still playing. I know this: We’re the only team left with a chance to beat the Lakers. You can say our chances are whatever you think they are, but I know for sure our chances are better than 28 other teams.’”
Andrea Adelson of the Orlando Sentinel: “Smith made sure every person, from the basketball side to the business-operations side, knew winning the NBA title was the only acceptable goal for a franchise that has seen its share of misery. He hung pictures of the NBA trophy at RDV Sportsplex in Maitland, where the Magic practice. He sent postcards with the NBA trophy on them to players and coaches, reminding them of their purpose. ‘Otis has never shied away from that,’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ‘Nobody’s been afraid of the expectations. Otis has put the team together and set the vision, and he deserves all the credit in the world. ‘Smith, 45, takes a unique approach to his job as general manager. Smith has the perspective of a player, having played in the NBA for six seasons, including three with the Magic from 1989-92. He understands their needs, what they go through daily and how to help them best. … But what perhaps makes him most special is his hands-on approach with the team. Smith never wants to get in the way of the coaching staff, but he is at every practice and travels with the team. He is constantly there. Most GMs are not.”
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: “Kobe Bryant smoldered. Gone was the giddy exuberance of his early NBA Finals appearances when everything his boundless ambition could imagine seemed within his grasp. There were no signs of the triumphant MVP swagger he brought to last season’s Finals when he seemed to relish every moment of his presumed trip back to the top of the NBA. He and the Los Angeles Lakers were back, speaking as agonizingly as if they had been blown out of the 2008 Finals on Tuesday. And while the Orlando Magic basked happily in their role as party crashers, hoping to achieve the ‘greatness’ the Lakers consider part of their DNA, the Lakers ached for another Finals pursuit of another title to begin. ‘This is what I play for,’ Bryant said with a look and tone as stern as a senator staring down a Supreme Court nominee. ‘As a team, the emotion that we have with this team is a little different this time around than it was last year. A little … calmer, more ready to go.’ Before long, Magic center Dwight Howard climbed to the same spot on the podium Bryant had occupied and before he could even take his seat, found something worth his celebrated smile. He looked at the long-legged chair set up for Lakers coach Phil Jackson and said, ‘Hey, Phil’s chair! Can I sit there?’”
Marc Berman of the New York Post: “No matter that Patrick Ewing will be wearing a tailored suit and not a uniform tonight, the ‘Big Fella’ believes winning a championship as a coach is as satisfying and should quiet his critics who harp on him not owning an NBA championship ring. ‘It means a lot,’ Ewing told The Post yesterday. ‘A player, coach, winning a championship means a lot. That will shut everybody up. Everyone who says I don’t have one, it will shut them up when I do have one.’ In truth, Ewing’s presence has been vital in developing Dwight Howard as an inside force. Ewing says Howard will be better than him, if not already. Howard will never have the fadeaway jumper Ewing had, but that’s about it. ‘Of course,’ said Ewing, inducted into the Hall of Fame last September. ‘Look at the athleticism he possesses. He’s still a young man. Once he incorporates everything, he will be better. He’ll be one of the best players to play this game.’”
Rick Exner of The Plain Dealer: “The Orlando Magic begin the NBA Finals in what is an unusual position for a team from the East. Orlando is representing the conference which had the better overall record during the regular season. The 2008-09 season marked the first time in 11 years that the East outplayed the West during the regular season. Eastern teams compiled a 231-219 record against the West, led by Cleveland (26-4, .867), Orlando (22-8, .733) and Boston (21-9, .700). The top teams from the West against East opponents were Portland (22-8, .733) and the Los Angeles Lakers (21-9, .700). Worst was Sacramento, which managed just one victory in 30 games against the East (.033). The plus-12 advantage for the East was a dramatic reversal from the 66-game advantage for the West last year. In 2003-04 it was so lopsided that the West had a plus-112 record against the East.”
Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer: “The spending will continue with the new Chinese investors purchasing about 15 percent of the team. While Gilbert stressed that they were buying out a minority owner (David Katzman), the key is when Katzman wanted out, Gilbert didn’t have to write a check of more than $50 million for his share. The new investors covered that, leaving the high-ceiling budget for next season in place. ‘Dan very much wants to win,’ said General Manager Danny Ferry. ‘When an idea is mentioned, he starts with a ‘Yes,’ no matter how expensive. He tries to see how it can work, where some other owners may not be so open to taking a risk. He is open to risk because he knows that can yield a real reward.’ Gilbert is doing everything possible to attract and retain talent. The arena is first class. The practice facility is first class. The game presentation (except the blaring volume) is first class. Gilbert has poured more than $25 million into upgrading those operations. The Cavs truly are a first-class organization, the only NBA team to get past the first round of the playoffs in each of the last four seasons.”
Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star: “Chris Bosh, the Toronto Raptors all-star, suggested strongly Thursday that he will forgo signing a contract extension this summer, setting himself up to be among a historically stacked NBA free agent class next year. ‘(When) I signed a three-year (extension in 2006)… I had a goal in mind, and that was to put myself in the best position (in 2010) … I’m thinking I just want to stick to my goal, stick to what I was doing,’ said Bosh. ‘That’s a part of the plan … I just want to address things (after) next season. There’s a reason why I did things the way I did them back then.’ Bryan Colangelo, the Raptors president and general manager, has spoken optimistically about the odds of inking his best player to an extension this summer, when Bosh could sign a three-year addition to his current deal as early as next month. Still, Colangelo was hardly taken aback by word that Bosh was leaning strongly toward opting out of his current deal in 2010, when the 6-foot-10 forward would be among a crop of free agents that includes LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. ‘I have been pretty clear that that’s what I anticipate his position to be,’ said Colangelo.”
