Kobe Bryant has long played under the enormous shadow of Shaquille O'Neil. Tonight, however, he stepped out of that shadow to lead his Los Angeles Lakers to not only a victory but the NBA title as Los Angeles Lakers became the winners against the game with Orlando Magic

The NBA wanted the matchup of Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James, but it was not to be. Instead, we have Kobe vs. Dwight Howard, and the Lakers are pursuing their 15th championship (10th in Los Angeles), while the Orlando Magic have never won a game in the Finals.