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Lakers Flashback Friday: Could Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol Have Beat Heat’s Big 3?

By Timothy Jenkins

Jan 28, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) shake hands prior to the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) shake hands prior to the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 28, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago Bulls center Pau Gasol (16) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) shake hands prior to the first half at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

What if Kobe Bryant and the Lakers had faced the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals? What would the result have been?

In a 2011 dream world, the newly formed Big 3 of the Miami Heat would’ve faced the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2011 NBA Finals rather than the Dallas Mavericks. Obviously that’s not how things played out, but imagine an alternate history where that was the case. Would Kobe Bryant and the Lakers have then been able to win in a series against LeBron James and company?

On July 8, 2010, LeBron infamously decided to “take his talents to South Beach.” In a move that shook the entire professional sports world, James left the Cleveland Cavaliers to join the Miami Heat that featured 2006 Finals MVP, Dwyane Wade. The Heat also added multi-time All-Star Chris Bosh, who had decided to take his talents to South Beach just a day earlier. These three quickly formed a dominant trio and ran nearly unimpeded through the Eastern Conference en route to four-straight NBA Finals appearances and two NBA championships over their run together.

Let’s pretend for a minute though that things played out differently right from the jump. As we know, the Miami Heat finished their first season together with a 58-24 record and an appearance in the Finals. Although the Dallas Mavericks ended up representing the Western Conference in the Finals against the Heat, the entire world had anticipated a showdown between Miami and the two-time reigning NBA Champion Lakers. Assuming the Lakers had defeated the Mavs and then made the Finals that year, would they have been able to knock off Miami for a third-straight NBA title?

We’ll try to find out.

Next: The Case for the Heatles

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