Like Magic versus Bird

They don’t match up against each other because Kobe Bryant plays the two-guard spot and LeBron James is a small forward but if ever their teams collide in the NBA Finals this season, expect their rivalry to conjure visions of Larry Bird versus Magic Johnson and Bill Russell versus Wilt Chamberlain.

Bryant, 31, and James, 25, are the two most dominant players in the pros today. They’re a cut above the rest. When they take to the floor, it’s like two superheroes are on the court in a surreal portrayal of what ordinary mortals can’t do.

Bryant is the league’s leading scorer with a 30.1 average and James ranks No. 3 at 28.9. The Los Angeles Lakers star is also averaging 5.6 rebounds and 4.7 assists while hitting .472 from the floor, .317 from three-point distance and .837 from the line. Cleveland’s King James, on the other hand, is averaging 7.7 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting .502 from the field, .352 from three-point range and .778 from the stripe.

In the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers are running a shade behind Boston for top honors with a 28-10 record. The Lakers are No. 1 in the West with a 28-8 mark.

Bryant has played on four NBA title squads, was named MVP in 2007-08, is a three-time MVP in the All-Star Game and has led the league in scoring twice. Three of his NBA championships came with Shaquille O’Neal in the middle and now, the Big Diesel is watching James’ back at Cleveland. Bryant once fired 81 points in a game, the second highest total ever behind Chamberlain’s monumental 100-point effort in 1962. James’ best output was 56 against Toronto in 2005.

James is the reigning NBA MVP, has led the league in scoring once and is a two-time MVP in the All-Star Game. He led the Cavs to the Finals in 2007 but Cleveland was swept by San Antonio. James, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson are the only rookies in history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists so the Cavs star is in elite company.

Bryant is in his 14th NBA season and has so far compiled 24,902 career points. James is in his seventh campaign and has a career total of 14,090 points. In five years, James should be able to raise his total to 25,000 points at his current rate of about 2,200 a season. He’ll reach the mark two years ahead of Bryant who averages about 1,850 points a season.

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Lang Whitaker of Slam Magazine predicted Bryant will regain the MVP trophy this season and the Lakers will beat Cleveland in the Finals. “If you’re looking for an early MVP candidate, look no further than Kobe,” wrote Whitaker. “He’s coming off his first Shaq-less title and he’s going to have to manage to keep the Lake Show running smoothly all season in order to go back-to-back. We’re not trying to fade LeBron who remains the most talented all-around player in the NBA but if L.A. can win 60+, the MVP should be KB’s for the taking. As for picking a champion, Slam’s rolling with the Lakers. We think the Cavs will advance to the Finals where the Kobe and LeBron puppets will finally be free to face off. After which Kobe can ask Shaq to taste ... well, you know.”

The Sporting News also predicted the Lakers to whip Cleveland in the Finals. In its analysis, TSN said the key is Phil Jackson who holds the record for most NBA titles ever as a coach with 10 – one more than Red Auerbach. “Jackson still hits the right buttons with players and getting Lamar Odom to thrive in a role off the bench was a masterstroke,” said TSN.

Athlon Sports said the Lakers will win again but at Boston’s expense in the Finals, not Cleveland’s.

“With Bryant, Pau Gasol, Odom and, if he can stay out of trouble, Ron Artest, all operating under Jackson, the master strategist, with Andrew Bynum, the potential weapon who can render all other conversations moot, you have to like the champs’ chances to repeat,” said Athlon. “Will they be as hungry now that they’ve finally won their first post-Kareem-Magic title without O’Neal? Other teams have had that problem after waving the trophy. This one could, too, if it weren’t for Kobe who lives to win rings in the same way Tiger Woods lives to win majors.”

Sports Illustrated agreed with Athlon Sports’ forecast and also said L. A. would beat the Celtics in the Finals. But the weekly magazine anchored its analysis on guard Derek Fisher’s backcourt leadership.

“In big games, Fisher delivers when it matters most,” said Sports Illustrated’s Ian Thomsen. “Fisher still makes the hardest shots look easy, thanks to an off-season conditioning program that enables him to keep up with much younger point guards. Guided by Lance Armstrong’s training staff, Fisher has transitioned from a regimen heavy on lifting weights to one of maintaining flexibility through mobility and core drills. Fisher hasn’t missed a regular season game in four years. As reassuring as it has been to have Fisher’s shotmaking down the stretch, the Lakers will rely even more on their oldest player’s behind-the-scenes leadership in incorporating high-maintenance newcomer Artest.”

Thomsen pointed out that the NBA’s oldest starting backcourt combination with Fisher, 35, and Bryant, 31, was the only one to start all 82 of its team games last season.

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On the way to the playoffs and inevitably to the Finals, there will be unforeseen factors, like injuries, that could make or break a team’s chances to advance.

At the moment, it’s interesting how the West continues to lord it over the East. The balance of power clearly shows that West teams are superior. If the regular season ended today, all eight West playoff qualifiers would be batting over .500 with two teams, Utah and New Orleans, out of the circle despite winning records. In contrast, two East qualifiers will make it with losing records – No. 7 Charlotte at 16-19 and No. 8 Milwaukee at 15-18.