<< 2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers | 2010-11 Los Angeles Lakers >>
Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers were hungry for more in the 2009-10 NBA season. They looked to be one of the best teams in basketball after going 57-25 in the regular season.
The Lakers did not struggle in the slightest out west, winning in six, four, and six games respectively against clearly inferior opponents. Their only slight challenge came from the Phoenix Suns, but Bryant was able to get over that hump with some help from Pau Gasol and Ron Artest.
In the Finals, they went up against their rival, the Boston Celtics. The Celtics struggled in the regular season, but defeated both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic en route to the Finals.
The 2010 NBA Finals remains one of the best series in NBA history. Both teams got plenty of excellent shots to win it all. The Celtics held a 3-2 lead heading back to Staples Center, and won game 6 in a landslide.
In Game 7, nearly everyone struggled to shoot the ball. However, an absolutely incredible performance from Gasol and a clutch shot from Artest helped lift the Lakers over the Celtics. In what ended up being the most impactful moment in Bryant’s storied career, the Lakers beat the Celtics to win his fifth title and the Lakers 16th. They sat just one behind Boston for the all-time lead.
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