Bleacher talk Kobe-Lebron Show?

CEBU, Philippines – NBA Commissioner David Stern is “halfway” glad that the NBA finals cast is 50% complete. Kobe Bryant, the other side of the anticipated leading actors of the NBA Finals “show,” is now resting after a tough six-game series against Denver. The bad news is that the other side of the coin isn’t developing according to the script, at least not just yet. Everyone is already expecting a Finals showdown between Kobe Bryant and Lebron James as if it were the only script available for the current season. I can guess that even if they’ll never say it openly, the NBA’s finance and marketing teams are also praying for an LA-Cleveland finale.

I feel really sorry for the Orlando Magic and Dwight Howard. They find themselves in a tough situation of being the “unexpected” guest at a big party. It’s as if they were invited to the party, but with the hosts not really praying that they arrive. In fact, I had wanted to see a Denver-Orlando finals just to prove that the NBA doesn’t need the Kobe-Lebron show. But I guess the sporting gods do have a very strong influence on the NBA. Oh well.

But why all the fuss? For starters, the NBA as part of the entertainment industry, is very much a business. Revenues play a very big part of the business and this is where many feel Orlando (or Denver ) might not be able to deliver as much as Cleveland and Lebron James in terms of ticket sales, TV ratings and sales of NBA Finals merchandise. The Lakers already have an excellent track record in this department. Not only are they based in the entertainment capital of Hollywood, they’re also a very consumer/fan-friendly organization that recognizes that on top of merely playing ball, they also have an obligation to entertain sports fans. I’m afraid you can’t say the same for other teams in the NBA.

Having Kobe in the finals already assures a huge TV following across the globe. He may not have the appeal of a Michael Jordan (not yet), but he’s certainly the NBA’s current top draw in the same way the Manny Pacquiao plays the role for boxing. This now guaranties that the biggest advertisers around the globe will be flocking to the TV partners of the NBA. For the Philippines, one can expect Solar Sports executives to sport ear-to-ear smiles, and they haven’t even stopped smiling fresh off the success of the recent Pacquiao-Hatton fight. Along with the TV following will come additional sales for NBA and Laker merchandise, from simple NBA Finals t-shirts to replica jerseys, baseball caps, mugs, car stickers, paper weights and more.

Ticket sales at the Staples Center is already a given. All Laker games are almost always sold out, including the regular season games. Tickets will now rise to sky-high prices, but complain all you want, people will still pay for this and fill up the Staples Center. I can hear the cash register ringing wildly now. Jingjing!

Another group of people praying hard for a Kobe-Lebron show are the people at Nike. With Tiger Woods, Manny Pacquiao, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, F.C. Barcelona and Manchester United brandishing the Nike swoosh on TV, the addition of Kobe and Lebron would mean a grand slam of sorts. I wonder if this is why Adidas is the official outfit of the NBA? Check out the three stripes on the warm-up outfits of all NBA teams and you’ll see what I mean.

And here come the contrabida Orlando Magic. Up 3-2 over Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals, they’re not listening to the script. In fact, they prepared their own script for the big show. They’re telling all to forget the 23 vs. 24 show of Nike stars. It’s going to be Kobe against a Magic show. Don’t forget that Magic is also part of the entertainment business, and Dwight Howard and company have brought in a full Magic show that will feature Howard’s # 12 and three Adidas stripes.

But it’s never over til it’s over. The sporting gods are madly at work and we’ll soon find out if the NBA’s prayers for a Kobe-Lebron show will be granted.

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Time-out: Congratulations and bon voyage to Dra. Joy Navarro for making it to the residency program of LSU-Shreveport. We’ll miss you! You can reach me at [email protected]. – THE FREEMAN