NBA doing the proverbial dance of joy

Yeah, but can he win a championship with Rick Fox?

First, the NHL was awarded its wet dream getting Sidney Crosby and the hated Detroit Red Wings into their Stanley Cup finals.

Now, it's the NBA.

League officials could not have written up better themselves. Forget the fact that you have four somewhat to sure-fire legit Hall of Famers (Kobe, KG, Paul Pierce and Ray-Ray Allen). Forget that the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics were the best teams in the NBA this season. Forget that both franchises looked like ships at the bottom of the ocean one year ago.

Hell, forget that Kobe wanted a trade nine months ago and forget that both franchises pulled off unreal trades (one gutsy, the other not so much) to put them in their current positions.

It's the Celtics and Lakers! Over the course of the league's existence, they have never had a better rivalry, more or less a rivalry that reared its ugly head during two different generations. These two teams could put together their all-time best players on a team and it would be the greatest basketball game ever.

The Finals that start tonight is just as much about Wilt and Russell, Cousy and West, Bird and Magic, McHale and Rambis as it is about KG, Kobe, Pierce, Gasol, Allen and D.J. Mbenga.

Of course, those latter guys help.

As for this series, I'm a Celtics guy because I'm a Larry Bird guy. The problem is this: I'm not a KG or Ray Allen guy.

Many folks are choosing the Lakers because of the X-factor -- Kobe Bryant. Obviously, very smart. However, here are ways the Celtics can beat the Lakers.

Home Court
It's the Celtics' to lose. They've been great at home. Staying that course is vital.

Rajon Rondo
He was a gigantic question mark coming into the season. He's played admirably. The key with him is pressuring the older Derek Fisher into foul trouble and getting Jordan "Swinging Doors" Farmar into the game as much as possible like Deron Williams in the Utah series.

Rebounding
The Lakers are not a good rebounding team. Lamar Odom can be effective, but both he and Gasol can be push out by tougher, bigger guys. See: Garnett and Kendrick Perkins. Not only should the Celtics outrebound the Lakers by 15 every game, but they must hit the offensive boards to get easy baskets.

Limiting Everybody
Typically people think to stop the Lakers you either have to stop Kobe and let everyone else beat your or stop everyone else and force Kobe to beat you. Why not just limit everyone 5-10 points under their average and force them into bad shots?

KG
When the Lakers need a basket, the ball goes one way. Who's going to be that for the Celtics? Many are saying the historical/cultural pressure is on Kobe to win without Shaquille O'Neal. But what about KG? If he spits the bit this series, his image is tarnished forever.

Prediction
Lakers in 6
Until Kobe proves otherwise.