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The first meeting between these teams last season was met with enough hype to make P.T. Barnum blush. (It was also met with enough purple and gold lethargy to make a Lakers fan lose his Christmas brunch.) One year -- and two similarly disappointing series against the Dallas Mavericks -- later, and the setting has changed. The Lakers are trying to prove that a championship pedigree still exists, while the Heat are trying to prove their pedigree is matched by a championship heart. A win in AmericanAirlines Arena would help re-establish the Lakers' credibility, and a win with Dwyane Wade possible in street clothes would be a meaningful one for the Heat.

For a look inside Thursday's extravaganza, we talked some shop with Tom Haberstroh, who covers the Big Three & Co. for the Heat Index.

Brian Kamenetzky: Is Wade going to play Thursday?

Tom Haberstroh: I'd bet my authentic Drazen Petrovic jersey that Wade is not going to play. All the players at Wednesday's practice spoke as if he was already ruled out. Erik Spoelstra called him "day-to-day," which has been his status for a couple weeks now.

BK: So what does that mean? They're like Tim Tebow without him. All they do is win. Or at least like pre-losing Tebow.

TH: This is a great point. Maybe we have to look into this a little more, because LeBron made some Tebow comments before the game that Wade got hurt in ... Conspiracy! Wade being out means that LeBron James and Chris Bosh get to go back to their Cleveland and Toronto days, respectively. You saw the free-wheeling attitude Tuesday against the Spurs.

But I should add -- 4-0 does NOT mean that they're better without Wade. Bosh and LeBron are better without Wade, but the Heat are not better. Need to put this meme to bed.

Andy Kamenetzky: Kinda like the meme people throw out whenever the Lakers happen to win a game without Kobe. Having said that, how much confusion still lingers between LeBron and Wade in terms of co-existence?

TH: They're worlds better than they were Jan. 19, 2011, but they still have a way to go. I'm still clamoring for more Wade/LeBron pick-and-rolls, but something tells me Spoelstra is keeping that trick up his sleeve for the playoffs. But I think it's no secret that they need to create more actions where each of the Big Three are moving together, not just LeBron and Wade.

Of course, it makes it tough when Wade is in street clothes with a canary-yellow diamond in his ear weighing him down.

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Here are your 10 additional things to take away from the Lakers' 90-87 overtime road win against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday ...

At 7 feet, 250 pounds and one of a dying breed of true back-to-the-basket post players in the league, Pau Gasol has been relegated to the paint for most of his 11-year career.

When he dared dabble out on the perimeter the results haven't been pretty. Sure, he proved he could hit a 3-pointer in a pressure-cooker situation with that triple he connected on in the fourth quarter of Game 3 of the first round against New Orleans last spring, but he also infamously missed a potential winning 3-pointer at the buzzer that Phil Jackson had drawn up for him in a game against Portland a few seasons back and had just a 19-for-88 career mark from downtown.

That all went out the window with 2:02 remaining in OT Wednesday when Kobe Bryant sucked in the defense at passed out to a wide-open Gasol who was parked in the corner and calmly splashed the 3 to turn a two-point deficit into a one-point lead for L.A.

"I’m just glad that he found me and I was [shooting] with confidence and I practiced that shot enough that I can make it," said Gasol who had hit a 3-pointer in the preseason against the Clippers but started off the regular season 0-for-3 from deep. "I was also happy that I made it because I did not have a good game overall, so it was a big play for the team to make and I was happy I was able to score and knock it down basically."

Gasol finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, but had five turnovers, including two early in the extra period that led to the Jazz opening up a four-point lead.

Lakers coach Mike Brown said Gasol has "a green light to shoot the 3," and added, "as you could tell, guys trust him [shooting it]," but it wasn't such and easy decision for Bryant to cough it up.

"Coach [John] Kuester’s been urging me to trust him at the 3-point line, because he’s statistically one of our better 3-point shooters in practice and I decided to kick it to him and he knocked it down," Bryant said. "I thought about it [for what] seemed like an eternity and I thought, ‘What the hell.’"

After the pass, Bryant's thoughts shifted to the heavens.

"If you think [Tim] Tebow prays, when that ball left his hands I must have said 30 Hail Mary’s in 10 seconds," Bryant said.

Gasol made it clear that he's not going to go all Dirk Nowitzki all of the sudden and start using his 7-foot frame to launch from beyond the arc with regularity, but he said he wants to test his range from game to game to see if he's feeling it from deep on that particular night.

"That won’t be the focus of my game, at all," Gasol said. "It will just be another weapon, another thing to add up to it."

Brown seems to be endorsing the option.

"He can shoot that thing," Brown said. "He can shoot it very well."

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The death of heavyweight legend Joe Frazier has naturally prompted considerable conversation about Muhammad Ali. Intense rivals, the two fought on three occasions, the first a victory for Frazier, and each match is regarded as a classic. The barbs Ali tossed at Frazier were outside the lines and below the belt. Ali's presence overshadowed Frazier's, but ultimately help create a foundation for the latter's legacy. They are permanently intertwined.

Monday also marked the 20th anniversary of Magic Johnson's HIV press conference, and while the remembrance of this milestone obviously didn't center around a rivalry with Larry Bird, that chapter of Magic's life also wasn't ignored. We've been reminded of how Magic selected few friends to learn about his situation from him rather than the media, Bird among them. Plus, HIV prompted his retirement, which in turn prompted reflection, and it's impossible to remember Magic's career without Bird entering the picture. The two are synonymous, which added a wonderful layer to an already iconic story.

Thinking about Frazier/Ali and Magic/Bird, I was reminded of how Kobe Bryant, despite 15 unforgettable seasons under his belt, never really enjoyed a legitimate rivalry. Unless you count the one with Shaq, but that hardly qualifies in this context. As teammates, their quarrels were depressing and counterproductive, even acknowledging the championships. As ex-teammates, the war of words has largely been one-sided, with Shaq dragging himself through the mud by refusing to let go. Either way, it's hardly been inspirational.

From there, it's hard to peg exactly who Kobe's rival would be.

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Should a television studio ever give Magic Johnson another shot at late night host (and if so, please call the show "The Magic Hour II: More Magic"), the Hall of Famer already has his jokes stockpiled.

Exhibit A came during a speech last Saturday at the University of Albany. When asked what he hopes will be the most lasting aspect of his legacy, Magic cited his impact on various downtrodden areas of L.A., then casually tossed in a zing at a certain NBA superstar.

"That's easy: Putting people to work in minority communities. There's going to always be great players in basketball. There's going to always be guys who win championships in the NBA, except LeBron..."

After laughing and telling the crowd "don't be mad," Johnson threw Kobe Bryant into the mix at LeBron's expense.

"Everybody's always asking, 'Who is better between Kobe and LeBron?' I'm like, Are you kidding me? I'm like you're kidding me ... Kobe, five championships; LeBron, zero."

After getting more laughs by promising James would "get better in the fourth quarter this year," Magic did note he's not "hating on LeBron." He "loves the young man" and considers him a "triple-double threat every single game."

Of course, that fish residing in a barrel had already been shot by then.

Less than 48 hours removed from "Kobe-only-7th-in-#NBArank-Gate," -- which prompted 750+ (and counting) comments largely devoted to "Kobe vs. LeBron" -- there's no need to regurgitate this debate. (And as I've noted on more than one occasion, I get bored by "Compare Kobe to Player X.") Besides, there's a bigger takeaway from Magic's comments than his endorsement of Bryant. It's his willingness to take unsolicited pokes at LeBron and the knowledge those cracks will be crowd-pleasers anywhere outside of South Beach.

Magic gave the people what they wanted, which these days are jokes at LeBron's expense. And that must be getting old for Ohio's former hero. Yes, LeBron's recent McDonalds commercial demonstrates how The King isn't above playing Jester with a finger pointed in his own direction. (It's actually a great way for LBJ to repair his image.) However, self-deprecating humor isn't the same thing as being the butt of the joke, which LeBron now regularly is. If Magic sincerely meant these remarks as friendly cracks, he's in the minority. For most taking shots, the barbs are meant to pierce.

Back in September, I noted how no player stood to lose more in the event of a canceled season than LeBron, and it was precisely for this reason. The longer we go without basketball, the longer LeBron's persona as a super-gifted, mentally-flawed athlete is allowed to fester. Not to mention, he gets one fewer shot at the championship necessary to stifle some critics, if not shut them up the entire lot of them.

For the time being, Magic's speech is a microcosm of LeBron's existence. Until we're back on the court, James will have no choice but to sit back and take it.

From the moment the SuperTeam! formed last summer in Miami, the NBA locked into an arms race for the finite pool of elite-level talent. Old-fashioned, garden-variety, championship-caliber teams weren't enough anymore. Either a roster could be punctuated with an !, or it wasn't good enough. The drumbeat grew louder in the moments where the Heat dominated. By the time they rolled through Boston and Chicago to win the Eastern Conference, among many the thinking had coalesced.

Beating the Heat means bringing three superstars to the table, preferably in the prime of their careers. Loosely translated, you can't beat 'em if you don't join 'em.

Then again, maybe not.

While most of the focus throughout the Finals has been on the shortcomings of LeBron James and where the Heat have gone wrong, the Mavs have proven themselves every bit the equal of Miami (actually, one game better). This despite having only one superstar (Dirk Nowitzki) surrounded by a variety of very talented-but-sub-elite teammates (Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Tyson Chandler) and even rolier role players (J.J. Barea, DeShawn Stevenson), with arguably their second best player (Caron Butler) in street clothes.

The Heat are undeniably skilled and capable of overwhelming teams for stretches, but their star pieces aren't a natural fit and they aren't without flaws, starting with a fourth quarter offense that will make your eyes bleed. Dallas has a collection of lesser level talent, but parts complementing each other far better and playing well at a very opportune time.

It works. Ask the Blazers, Lakers and Thunder.

Regardless of how the Finals play out, the Mavs have blown a massive hole in the notion the only way to compete with Miami now and down the line is to go superstar-for-superstar. A well-constructed, well-coached, poised, balanced team is capable of beating them in a seven game series. For those like me who believe the Lakers require targeted improvements and a generous refill on their motivation tank to be serious title contenders next year, it says the season need not hinge on somehow prying Dwight Howard from Orlando, Deron Williams from New Jersey, or Chris Paul from New Orleans.

Fortunate, because if it did we'd all be out of luck.

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Here are your 10 additional things to take away from the Lakers' 112-57 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday ...

Perhaps he did it because he really felt his team could use some extra motivation to avoid losing to a sub-.500 team at home the way it did against Indiana, Milwaukee and Memphis earlier on in the season.

Or perhaps he did it just because as head coach, you're supposed to do something to motivate your players regardless if your team is the back-to-back NBA champion and your opponent is coming into the game having lost 20 of 21 games and 10 straight.

So Phil Jackson took the cap off his dry erase marker and did a bit of coaching.

"On the board this morning I put on what our record is against them the last three years -- 1-5," Jackson said.

Never mind that the Lakers are actually 2-4 against the Cavs over the past three seasons; something clicked for the Lakers as they came out energized from the opening tip and executed possession after possession, quarter after quarter, until the final buzzer sounded and they could admire their work on the scoreboard: 112-57.

The 57 points the Lakers held the Cavaliers to was a franchise record for fewest points allowed since the shot-clock era began in 1954-55. The 55-point margin of victory was the third-largest in team history and dwarfed those losses they had to Cleveland in the past three seasons, as those four came by a combined 28 points.

A game after holding New York under 90 points and under 40 percent shooting from the field, the Lakers' revamped defense held Cleveland under 60 points and under 30 percent shooting (23-of-77 -- 29.9 percent).

"This is what hard work does," Kobe Bryant said. "We’ve really been focused on the defensive end and we’ve been getting better game by game."

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Here are your 10 additional things to take away from the Lakers' 121-96 win over the Trail Blazers Sunday:

1. Back in April 2009, the Houston Rockets were playing the Blazers in the first round of the playoffs and it was Ron Artest's job to try to stop Brandon Roy.

Houston won the series in six games, but the beginning didn't go so well as Roy scored 21 in Game 1 and then 42 in Game 2 to earn a 1-1 split.

After taking a 40-spot on the chin, Artest told TNT's Craig Sager: "Roy's probably the best player I ever played against. To me, he's the best shooting guard ..."

When Sager followed up by asking pointedly if Roy was better than Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, Artest only reiterated his statement, repeating, "He's the best player I've played against."

Artest got to tangle with the best he's ever faced again Sunday and either he played one of the best defensive games of his life or something's not quite right with Roy. The 6-6 guard came into the game averaging 22 points a night but was held to just eight points on 1-for-6 shooting from the field, and four of those points came when Artest was out of the game. In fact, when Artest checked out with 2:08 remaining in the second quarter, Roy had zero points. Some chest-puffing is in order when you hold the best player you've ever played against scoreless for a half, right?

"I want to keep my mouth shut," Artest said after the game. "I'm not saying nothing. I'm not touching that subject right there. I want to say some funny, stupid stuff, but I'm just not doing that today."

Maybe he didn't want to brag about beating a player who wasn't 100 percent.

"I think he was hurt," Artest later said. "Back, or knee or something. He wasn't himself. I've played against Brandon Roy a lot of times. He wasn't himself."

Phil Jackson wouldn't totally credit Ron's defense for the Roy disappearance either.

"I'm not sure that's all our making," Jackson said. "He looked to me like he was not ready to attack as much as he normally is. It looked to me like he was a little bit hesitant out there."

Artest's teammates were more generous with praise than PJ was. Bryant said, "Ron was ready to go, he took it as a challenge to get after him so I think individually he did a great job," while Pau Gasol said "[Ron] set the tone for us as a team."

Roy could have just been fatigued after playing 37 minutes on Saturday night. Then again, he's only six months removed from knee surgery that limited him to averages of 9.7 points on 30.3 percent shooting in the Blazers' first-round exit from the playoffs last spring.

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Comparisons between the two are ubiquitous to the point I'm always hesitant to put Kobe Bryant and LeBron James together in any discussion. Beyond the overkill, in sports, like politics, people tend to react viscerally rather than thoughtfully to any conversation including the pair. Still, we're talking about the two best players in the NBA, each transcendent in his sport for a number of reasons. And while I, like a lot of people, have been completely turned off by LeBron this summer (a process that started over the last couple seasons, actually), if he were a character in a novel, the events of the past weeks, with so much speculation about his nature as a player and person, would make his story more interesting.

And Lord knows Kobe's narrative is pretty compelling.

PODCAST
Brian investigates the Summer of LeBron and its backlash, why LBJ ended up in South Beach, the evolution and redemption of Kobe Bryant, and the potential legacies for both with J.R. Moehringer, author of features on both superstars for GQ Magazine. PODCAST

Putting the two of them together is basically unavoidable, so to do so in a thoughtful way is always appealing. I had the chance to do just that Friday afternoon in an extended conversation with writer J.R. Moehringer, who for GQ profiled Kobe back in March and this month authored the magazine's cover story on LeBron entitled "Three Weeks in Crazyville."

We covered a range of topics, from the process that led to "The Decision" and its horrendous execution (Moehringer was at the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich that night, and said the trainwreck of a TV show wasn't half as uncomfortable as the atmosphere in the building), and Moehringer's interesting take on what LeBron was looking for in Miami (at approximately the 9:50 mark). We compare the personalities of Bryant and James, as well as the influences each had from as young players in the league (14:20), and what about Kobe's career arc could be instructive for James (22:00).

Approximately 30 minutes in, Moehringer and I discuss Kobe's moment of vulnerability after Game 7 of last season's Finals, and how compelling it will be to watch him play out this chapter in his career, still with gas left in the tank but far closer to the end than the beginning.

In some things we agree ("Twilight Kobe" is going to be completely fascinating), in others we don't (I think he's a little too easy on LBJ at times), but Moehringer has great insight and perspective, and it's refreshing to have a conversation about these two guys that doesn't involve yelling.

Click below for a few excerpts...

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Online Dictionary defines "misdirection" as "the act of distracting; drawing someone's attention away from something." The idea is to push focus in one direction long enough to pull off an act otherwise impossible under a steady watch.

Magicians, for example, create just enough spectacle to shove the proverbial rabbit inside the hat on the sly. Attention is fixated on the right hand, leaving the southpaw to sneak around undetected. Over the years, as the scale of tricks have increased, so has the misdirection. Eye-popping visuals and stages littered with set pieces have become commonplace as increasingly smarter audiences are being fooled. Bells and whistles in the name of entertainment, but also a conscious effort to cover up what's right in front of people.

LeBron James is not a magician by trade, but he's definitely been a man of spectacle and entertainment. Tossing around chalk dust before games. Sideline skits with teammates. A subscriber to the idea of bigger being better. He's also been a consistent practitioner of misdirection over the last few years. His sleight of hand has commonly been referred to as "Summer 2010," and its ensuing hype has been the most effective misdirection this side of Houdini, along with the most overlooked element since James began teasing us with the proposition of leaving Cleveland.

For LeBron, 2-3 years' worth of impending free agency hoopla has been about more than just gluing himself to the forefront of the sports world's consciousness. About marketing his "brand." About ego out of control. At times, it hasn't been about much more, the most glaring example being "The Decision," tonight's farcical press conference announcing where he'll play next season. An hour devoted towards what can be comprehensively explained in 15 minutes tops, unless the destination happens to be the Timberwolves.

It's an exercise in laughable and potentially cruel excess, driving home in embarrassing fashion how no amount of spotlight is enough for LeBron.

Still, even acknowledging this insatiable craving, the constant reminders of a possible departure haven't served just to hog attention away from LBJ's fellow NBA superstars. There's been an additional -- in many ways, more important -- byproduct. This (previously) never-ending soap opera has conveniently doubled as a compelling distraction from an inconvenient truth:

LeBron hasn't won anything yet, and he's moved steadily further away from that critical goal.

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Lost in the wake of Cleveland's Game 6 loss in Boston and the What now? talk for LeBron James is something of greater interest to Lakers fans: We may have just seen the evaporation of the last, best chance to watch James and Kobe Bryant square off with a title on the line while both are at the top of their games.

ESPNLA.com's Arash Markazi has a great piece illustrating what we, as basketball fans, have lost should this be the case:

"...All great stories have heroes and villains, ebbs and flows, drama and intrigue and that's what Kobe versus LeBron potentially represented. It represented everything we miss about the NBA during the 1980s when we'd have either Magic versus Bird, Magic versus Dr. J, Bird versus Dr. J or Magic versus Isiah every year for a decade. These weren't distinctly separate characters who never played one other; they were intertwined and were ultimately judged by how they fared against each other on the biggest stage. That's why the league was so transcendent then. Anyone sitting down to watch the NBA Finals back in the '80s knew who the top two players facing each other were. It was like a heavyweight boxing match, back when people actually knew who the heavyweight champion was..."

I picked L.A. and Cleveland to meet in the Finals before the start of the season, and admit part of my choice was based on wish fulfillment. I wanted to see LeBron and Kobe battle for a Larry O for the romantic reasons Markazi describes. I hoped for something tangible adding clarity to the seemingly endless 23 vs. 24 debates.

Maybe I'm a sucker- rarely is the reality as good as the fantasy- but at least I'd have plenty of company, right?

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Call them "Cavaliers." Seriously.
"Cavalier."

PODCAST
Andy and Brian discuss the X-Mas Day showdown with the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Brian Windhorst, who offers thoughts on Shaq, LeBron vs. Ron Ron and the puppets. Plus, we discover a subtle way for Lakers fans to heckle LeBron! " Podcast

And there you have it. A way to not only razz the visitors at Staples, but in way that'll go completely over their heads. I'm picturing it now:

Lakers Fan: "Hey, LeBron! You're playing like a Cavalier out there!"

LeBron James (after a confused pause): Um, yeah... I know. (points to his jersey) That's the team I play for, dude.

Another Lakers fan: "Shaq, I've seen Cavaliers box out harder than that!"

Shaquille O'Neal (totally lost): You mean Daugherty?

And so on and so forth. The only thing better than getting in the Cavs' heads is getting in their heads and they don't even understand why. Have fun.

Because you can never look at a game from too many angles, I tracked down some insight from Cavs Blog scribe John Krolik of the True Hoop network. Kid's still in college and something of a genius, and BK and I like to think we discovered him back in the day when we were running a now-defunct local sports site. We really didn't, but it's a great story that makes us come off like seers. Anyway, I threw five questions his way regarding the Cavs and the holiday matchup. Give what he's saying a whirl and see what you think.

1) You were on record as critical of the Shaq deal when it happened, if memory serves. As we speak, how do you think Shaq's fitting in? Has Mike Brown discovered more ways of using him or do you picture his minutes/ production continuing to drop and Brown mixing and matching front court lineup?

John Krolik: I'm not sure if my initial reaction to the Shaq deal could be called "critical," but I'd say I was skeptical from the beginning of how he'd fit in with the existing pieces on the team, especially Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Since the Cavs gave up almost nothing for him (or so it appeared at the time, as most assumed Ben Wallace would never come all the way back from the injury he sustained mid-season), and had the core of a 66-win team still intact, my assumption was that Shaq was a guy who could potentially make the team better and be safely discarded if he didn't work out. You can judge for yourself what my reactions were to Shaq before the season (why pretend I have secrets?), but here's me being (I think) cautiously optimistic about the acquisition when it happened and cautiously pessimistic about the prospect of Shaq starting about a month later.

(AK's note: After reading John's original thoughts on the Shaq trade, he's right, not nearly as pessimistic as I recall. I guess I was mixing up Krolik with someone different who thought that deal didn't really help short or long-term. Me.)

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Love me or hate me
-Kobe Bean Bryant, 2006

To some degree, "Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James" doesn't actually matter to Lakers fans. At all. Sure, a large portion don't care for LeBron's ugly mug and don't appreciate when other fans suggest that The King is a better baller than the Mamba. Or when the media suggests he's a better teammate. Or when David Stern suggests he could go down as G.O.A.T. Yeah, those things don't sit particularly well with Kobe's faithful. But nonetheless, many don't consider that a "Kobe vs. LeBron" thing, because the issue isn't really "about" James at all. He's just a symbol, the latest embodiment of what appears a staunch effort by haters, media and the NBA itself to prevent Bryant's obvious goal: Being considered the best to ever lace 'em up. And frankly, as comments pulled from our Facebook Page show, some fans are plain sick of it.

PODCAST
Andy and Brian discuss Kobe and LeBron's "rivalry" and the approach behind their marketing campaigns with Chris Raih, Managing Director of Zambezi, a creative agency that works with both superstars. Podcast

Having lived in L.A. since 1990 and passionately followed the Lakers from the mid-90's on (I still consider myself every bit "Laker fan" as "Laker scribe"), I've hardly known a purple and gold world that didn't include and/or center around Kobe Bryant. And no matter what world I've been a part of, I can't recall an athlete that's prompted a reaction so polarizing. (Full disclosure: I have no "problems" with Kobe on a personal level, where our relationship has always been cordial if purely professional, but as a player, he's definitely frustrated me as often as he's left me breathless. Over the last few years, however, it's been almost entirely "Column B.") But beyond the divisiveness, what's always struck me is the passion Kobe's believers put forth on his behalf. It's somewhere between worship and flat out zealotry, often defensive at a minute's notice. I've been chided for my deep seated "hatred" of Kobe in response to posts I've written selling his virtues as MVP. Fans are continually on the lookout for backhanded compliments or subtle digs, rarely willing to let a compliment stand. It's truly a protective mindset.

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PODCAST
Andy and Brian discuss the X-Mas Day showdown with the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Brian Windhorst, who offers thoughts on Shaq, LeBron vs. Ron Ron and the puppets. Plus, we discover a subtle way for Lakers fans to heckle LeBron!. " Podcast

The name of the show just rolls off your tongue, huh? It's times like these where we're glad our parents decided not to hyphenate names upon getting married.

Anyway, as some of you may know Brian and I have been part of ESPN's podcasting roster (or as we do it, "podKasting," with a "K") for quite some time. The launch of ESPN Los Angeles and the Land O' Lakers blog, won't change things one bit, except we'll be doing so more frequently. So we're excited about that and hope the Laker Nation feels the same. And with that, I present the first show in the new ESPN Los Angeles era!!!

The show focuses mostly around a discussion with the Cleveland Plain Dealer's Brian Windhorst, Cavs' beat writer and interview subject extraordinaire. With the Christmas game less than 48 hours in the distance, we break down some important matchups, talk about the Kobe Bryant-LeBron James "rivalry," and why the team hasn't gotten off to the same dominant start as last season. One reason? To be honest, the problem lies at least partially with Shaquille O'Neal, and as a few excerpts below demonstrate, Windhorst is equally honest in evaluating this stage of the big fella's career:

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In life, there are three elements safely deemed "certain": Death, taxes, and NBA analysts comparing Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. While the first two issues can be avoided until periods ranging from "April 15th" to "hopefully several years away, knock on wood, as I down another vitamin and drag my fat butt to the gym," basketball fans know "Mamba v. The King" is unavoidable, particularly with the X-Mas Day showdown lurking around the corner.

You know the endless jabber is coming, so why not get it over in one fell swoop? Land O' Lakers breaks down the NBA's top pair of dogs every which way from Sunday with the ultimate tale of the tape.

Hey, why not jump in headfirst with a decision difficult enough to plague mankind for centuries? LeBron's career numbers and Kobe's are a wash, but Kobe's career-high smokes everyone not named "Wilt" or "Chamberlain." Kobe's able to score in more ways and spots, but LeBron's spent more time racking points while teamed with fewer teammates worth guarding. How do you make a call? Actually, you don't.
Edge: Push

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