A 2010 D-League All-Star, Aminu played both NBA summer leagues in Orlando and Vegas.

Here’s how players who was with the Erie BayHawks at some point last season fared in the two NBA summer leagues in Orlando and Las Vegas.

Players are listed in alphabetical order.

Combo guard Blake Ahearn (Finished with BayHawks after being traded from Bakersfield to Erie for Alade Aminu) played four games for the Houston Rockets in Las Vegas and scored 11 total points. Shot 14.3 percent from the field, was 2-of-11 from 3-point range and have seven assists to five turnovers.

Power forward Alade Aminu (Finished with Bakersfield after Erie traded him there for Blake Ahearn) played five games for the Atlanta Hawks in Las Vegas and four for the Charlotte Bobcats in Orlando. Aminu averaged 10 points and 4.4 rebounds for the Hawks, 5.5 points and four boards for the Bobcats. He had 14 points, five rebounds and two blocks against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday in his last game in Las Vegas.

Center John Bryant (Started and finished season with BayHawks) played two games for the Milwaukee Bucks in Las Vegas and scored two total points in 12 minutes. He attempted two shots total, made one.

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These guys were once with the Erie BayHawks. Now they’re on NBA Summer League rosters.

Here’s a look at them heading into the summer league action in Orlando beginning today. 

PG Oliver Lafayette (Boston Celtics), PF Alade Aminu (Charlotte Bobcats), PG Donell Taylor (Orlando Magic) and C Darian Townes (Utah Jazz).

OK. OK.

LeBron James showed for his appreciation day in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, on Saturday – late. Spoke for no more than 30 seconds and bounced.

Don’t know what to make of it.

We’ve all tried to interpret the guy’s every move since the Boston Celtics eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers in stunning fashion in the Eastern Conference semifinals this season.

So I’m not going to determine anything based on a short speech.

Wait a minute. Who am I kidding? Here’s what I got out that.

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If Kobe Bryant wins a sixth NBA championship next season, can he then be on share the same stage with Michael Jordan?

The Los Angeles Lakers did it again.

Having been out of town and off work since Thursday’s Game 7 the Lakers won to win back-to-back NBA titles, I just got back at it today.

Very interesting Game 7, but the better team won the game and the series.

The Lakers have the best player in Kobe Bryant, the best coach in Phil Jackson and had home-court advantage.

Got a little help when Pau Gasol traveled on that inside bucket late in the game, but if Ron Artest can hit a 3-pointer in the clutch after building  town homes with all those bricks he was hoisting from behind the arc in this series, the Lakers were destined to win the game anyway.

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Jordan Farmar served up a facial on Kevin Garnett. Ouch.

The Los Angeles Lakers showed up tonight.

Well, the real Los Angeles Lakers showed up and put a hurtin’ on the Boston Celtics, 89-67, in Tuesday’s Game 6 to force and seventh and deciding game Thursday in Los Angeles. 

They clamped down defensively, Ron Artest showed up and Kobe Bryant set the tone. Couple that with Boston center Kendrick Perkins going down with a knee injury in the first quarter and that was the beginning of the end for the Celtics tonight.

Now Perkins did walk out the arena on his own, but if he can’t go for Game 7, Boston is done. 

Coming into the game with a 3-2 lead, the Celtics had a chance to close out the series, but also realized they had a game to play with. So you didn’t see them come out with the emotion needed to win on the road.

No need to talk too much about this because there isn’t much to discuss.

The Celtics played poorly (shot 33 percent for the game), the Lakers played better and Bryant was the best player on the floor (26 points, 11 rebounds).

So what are keys for Game 7?

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Boston point guard Rajon Rondo and his coach, Doc Rivers, are doing work against the defending NBA champions.

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo has been the best player in the NBA playoffs and he showed why in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

With the game on the line in the fourth quarter, Rondo had two steals, an amazing tip in over the much taller Lamar Odom and a game-sealing lay up in helping the Boston Celtics take a 3-2 series lead with a 92-86 victory Sunday.

Game 6 is Tuesday in Los Angeles. If the Lakers are able to win that game, there will be a decisive Game 7. It will be Thursday night in Los Angeles.

With it being a 2-3-2 format, the Lakers host the last two games because they have home-court advantage. All that will go for naught if Rondo and the Celtics win the series.

In his fourth season out of Kentucky, Rondo has emerged as one of the top point guards in the NBA. He really made his splash in leading the Celtics past the top seed in the playoffs – the Cleveland Cavaliers – and is at it again against the defending NBA champions.

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With Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers are still the favorites to win this year's NBA Finals. Game 5 is tonight.

2-2.

The NBA Finals has gone as I expected and with the series being tied heading into tonight’s Game 5 in Boston, look for the Los Angeles Lakers to upend the Boston Celtics in a close one.

Besides, I picked the Lakers to win the series in six games so they got to win tonight, right?

The key to this series has been when the Celtics makes it a physical, defensive game, the game favors them. Boston coach Doc Rivers preaches that to his team and when they follow accordingly, the Celtics are tough to beat.

When the game has a flow to it and players are allowed to play with freedom and display their skills, the Lakers have the advantage because they have the best talent.

They’d rather play that way than grind it out. With that being said, here are three things Boston has going in its favor tonight.

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The emergence of point guard Rajon Rondo sparked the rejuvenated Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals.

Kobe vs. LeBron.

Ya’ll wanted it.

Heck, I even had dreams about it, but then reality set in and I knew the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers weren’t going to meet in this year’s NBA Finals.

In fact, I said one of four teams would make it to the NBA Finals instead.

My latter three choices were the Denver Nuggets, Charlotte Bobcats and Atlanta Hawks.

My first choice: The Boston Celtics.

Wow.

Either I know the NBA or miracles do happen. I’ll lean more toward the latter, but I have to know something about basketball to even make that kind of prediction because at the time, the Celtics were struggling.

Now they’re rolling and making me look like an NBA expert.

Kobe Bryant has lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the last three NBA Finals and become more of a leader during this stretch of success. He has a chance to win a fifth NBA championship ring this year.

Let’s get it on.

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers are going to do it again. I know everyone wanted to see two-time NBA MVP LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers (for now) and Kobe Bryant go at it, but hey, seeing two teams renew their rivalry is the NBA Finals isn’t too shabby.

In 2008, the Celtics took the Lakers out in six games and in the series-clinching Game 6, they just ran them out the building with a 131-92 victory.

Two years later, the Lakers and Celtics meet again, but this time, Los Angeles comes in as the defending champs and unlike 2008, it has the home-court advantage this time.

The two teams are essentially the same from when they faced each other in 2008. You’ve got the Big 3 for Boston and Kobe Bryant is still the best player between the two teams.

 Here are the differences.

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Doc Rivers has now lead the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals twice in the last three years. Boston won it in 2008.

Up 3-0, the Boston Celtics had the brooms in  hand and were ready to sweep the Orlando Magic.

Then the Magic got tough and took two games to make it a series.

But on Friday night, the Celtics took care of business at home and beat Orlando, 96-84, in Game 6 to advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons. In 2008, they won it all and last season, they lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals to who else, the Magic.

Boston will play the winner of the Western Conference Finals series between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns.

With a 3-2 lead, the Lakers will try to close out that series in tonight’s Game 6 in Phoenix. If the Suns win, there will be a Game 7 Memorial Day in Los Angeles.

Don’t bank on eating hot dogs and watching a Game 7 Monday. Lakers should take care of business to set up a date with the Celtics.

Now back to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Here are three things we learned from this series.

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