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Los Angeles Lakers: Five best NBA Finals in team history

By Jason Reed

EL SEGUNDO, CA - SEPTEMBER 25: Kobe Bryant #24 and head coach Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers pose with NBA Finals Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during Media Day at the Toyota Center on September 25, 2010 in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
EL SEGUNDO, CA - SEPTEMBER 25: Kobe Bryant #24 and head coach Phil Jackson of the Los Angeles Lakers pose with NBA Finals Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during Media Day at the Toyota Center on September 25, 2010 in El Segundo, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Los Angeles Lakers’ best NBA Finals: 2. 2010 vs. Boston Celtics

Perhaps recency bias does come into play a bit as we rank the 2010 NBA Finals ahead of the 1972 NBA Finals but this series also has some really important historical meaning and has a soft spot in every fan’s heart as it is the last time the Lakers were kings of the world.

First of all, it was Lakers vs. Celtics. We saw the same matchup two years earlier and the Celtics got the best of the Lakers. This was not just the most historic rivalry in NBA history playing out on center stage, but it was Kobe’s chance at revenge.

This was also for Kobe’s fifth championship. While he never reached Michael Jordan, which would have happened if the Chris Paul trade went through, this did give him two championships without Shaq, giving him the ultimate bragging rights as he proved he could win more without Shaq at his side.

Throw in the fact that it was simply a great series in terms of the basketball being played and this is undoubtedly one of the best NBA Finals of all-time. A seven-game series featuring the two most historic teams in the league with the best player in the league being showcased? That is history.

Every Laker fan remembers the day of Game 7 and how anxious they were every single time both teams took the ball up the court. It was a back and forth, gritty battle in which the teams only scored a combined 162 points.

The Lakers outscored Boston by eight points in the fourth quarter to win championship number 16, get revenge and cement Kobe Bryant’s legacy all at the same time.

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