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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No one shot the ball as poorly as Ron Artest did last night.

Well Andrew Bynum was 0 of 5, but he’s got a bum knee. Artest seemed to have a bum brain because he took  two ill-advised shots late in the game. He shot 2 of 9 from the field, 0 of 3 from 3-point range.

However, he woke today the hero.

Artests’s put-back bucket of a Kobe Bryant air-ball, 3-pointer at the buzzer gave the Los Angeles Lakers a 103-101 home win against the Phoenix Suns in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals.

With a 3-2 series lead, the Lakers can earn their third straight trip to the NBA Finals with a win in Phoenix on Saturday night.

If the Lakers can't figure out the 2-3 zone, Suns coach Alvin Gentry will stick with it.

Did Phoenix Suns coach Alvin Gentry seek advice from Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim about this or what?

The Suns’ 2-3 zone has made life miserable for the Los Angeles Lakers as they have tied the series, 2-2, after losing the first two games in Los Angeles. Game 5 is tonight in Los Angeles.

 I mean, we all know Boeheim is the master of the 2-3 zone on the collegiate level. Syracuse’s nickname is Orange and the Suns wear orange, too, right?

Phoenix gave up an average of 126 points in its two defeats against the Lakers. In their two wins, the Suns haven’t allowed more than 109 points in either game.

 Now the Lakers are still scoring a ton of points and Kobe Bryant can guy any defense, but here’s the problem.

1. The Suns are resting on defense, so to speak, in that zone, which helps their offense.

2. Since the Lakers don’t have a point guard that can penetrate and break the zone down, they just swing the ball around. The triangle offense is designed to go a man-to-man defenses, not zones. So Ron Artest, Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown have to make open perimeter. Derek Fisher and Bryant can, but those other guys I just mentioned are not as money from deep.

3. The Lakers are an inside team and the zone allows Phoenix to help more in defending Pau Gasol. Even though the Suns are smaller, more bodies Gasol discourages the passer from throwing the ball in the paint.

When watching Game 4 of the Western Conference finals tomorrow night (Tuesday) on TNT, you’ve got to check out Craig Sager’s suit.

For those who don’t know, Sager, a sideline reporter for the network out of Atlanta, wears the most outrageous stuff. I know brothers who wear ultra-bright colors and they wouldn’t be caught dead in what Sager sports.

I remember covering a Cleveland Cavaliers-Detroit Pistons playoff game in Cleveland and Sager had on a lavender suit and shoes to match. Someone said to him, “Hey, nice Gators (alligator shoes).” Sager replied, “No, it’s crocodile.” I was like Flavor Flav.

“Wooooooooooow!”

Rajon Rondo and Doc Rivers are on the same page for Boston, which is bad news for everyone else in the playoffs.

Come on David Stern.

We don’t need a break this long between playoff games. We really don’t, but then again, we’re not playing the games.

However, the time between these games is pretty ridiculous. Yo Dave, you’re better than that.

After playing Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals Tuesday, the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics won’t play Game 3 until Saturday in Boston.

Game 3 of the Western Conference finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns will be Sunday in Phoenix.

They played Game 2 Wednesday.

What amazing is after Game 3 of these two respective series, the remaining games will be played every other day as long as each series continues.

That’s even more puzzling, but I have a greater issue with the time in between Game 2 and Game 3. Each team should take advantage of the time off, though.

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He's not considered the game's top player today, but Kobe Bryant is hearing "MVP" chants during the playoffs. He's seven wins away from winning his fifth championship ring.

Although Kobe Bryant is only 31 years old, he’s a 13-year veteran and has played in 1021 regular-season games, 186 playoff games.

So he’s not an old man, but after the wear and tear of playing that many games not including his run with Team USA for the 2008 Summer Olympics, Bryant is no longer a young pup with no facial hair, either.

However, Bryant looked like the man teams hate to see come playoff time in putting up 40 points for the Los Angels Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Phoenix Suns on Monday night.

The Lakers won, 128-107. Game 2 is Wednesday in Los Angeles.

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The Orlando Magic are the only team that hasn't lost a game in this year's NBA playoffs.

Well, let me rephrase that.

The Orlando Magic are looking very strong.

They’re 7-0 in the playoffs and just taking Atlanta to the cleaners. Hard to gauge their wins against Atlanta because the Hawks are so disoriented, but Orlando has something to do with that.

After winning Game 3 by 30 points on Saturday, Orlando will close out its Eastern Conference series against the Hawks on Monday in Game 4.

Dwight Howard seems to have adjusted to the fouls, but what’s great about the Magic is they’ve got five guys who can get 20 points at any time.

Hard to guard a team like that. The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to have their hands full with the Magic in the Eastern Conference finals.

I know. I know.

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Dwight Howard and the Magic the only team to sweep a first round series this season.

With only one more first round series remaining (Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference ) a conference semifinal series beginning tonight (Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference) , let’s look at see how I fared in my opening round NBA playoff predictions.

Eastern Conference

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Chicago Bulls
Series result: Cavaliers win series, 4-1
Rankin prediction: Cavaliers, 4-1
Final word: Bulls just didn’t have enough to overtake LeBron James and the top-seeded Cavs.

(2) Orlando Magic vs. (7) Charlotte Bobcats
Series result: Magic win series, 4-0
Rankin prediction: Magic, 4-2
Final word: Even with Dwight Howard a non factor offensively, Orlando was good enough to sweep the Bobcats.

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Charles Barkley played with an elbow injury in the 1993 NBA Finals against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls

Seeing LeBron James play through a right elbow injury for the Cleveland Cavaliers reminds me of a former NBA superstar who tried to win a championship with a bum bow: Charles Barkley.

When he led the Phoenix Suns to the 1993 NBA Finals, Barkley played through a painfully inflammed right elbow against the then two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls lead by Michael Jordan.

Barkley had a great series, but looking back on it, he wore this bulky wrap, didn’t play as good as he could have and the Bulls won the series in six games by winning Game 6 in Phoenix.

Want to talk parallels between Barkley and James in this situation.

1). James will win his second league MVP award this season and Barkley was the NBA MVP in 1993.

 2). The Suns had home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and the Cavaliers have it in this season’s playoffs.

 3). That was Phoenix’s best chance to win a title with Barkley and this may be Cleveland’s last chance to win one if James decides to sign with another team after this season.

Did Usher hit the switches to get Shaq to Cleveland?

In his latest single, In My Bag featuring rapper T.I., Usher sings a few lines in the second verse that suggests he played a part in Cleveland getting Shaquille O’Neal.

I’m the coolest. The Fonz.
Courtside hollering out plays to LeBron.
Ask Shaq what he need man.
Made the call now we got him up in Cleveland.

Usher is a part owner of the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers traded for O’Neal, who was with the Phoenix Suns last season.

Now the song is pretty braggadocios so Usher might have been exaggerating a bit, but I wonder if the Grammy winner made the call.