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Watching my Houston Rockets extend the top-seed Los Angeles Lakers to a seventh game proved three things to me.
Rick Adelman is an exceptional basketball coach, the Lakers won't last more than six games against Denver and LeBron James is officially the best basketball player in the world.
If you were waiting for him to lead his team to a No. 1 seed, he did that. If you were waiting for him to win an MVP award, he did that. And if you're waiting for him to win a ring, it's only a matter of weeks now.
But if you were waiting for evidence that LeBron has eclipsed the former best player in the world, may I suggest watching the 2009 NBA playoffs.
Evidence this powerful could've convicted O.J. of murder and proven there was a gunman on the grassy knoll all by itself.
First, the statistical proof. James is averaging a league-high 32.9 points per game while shooting 53.2 percent from the floor. He's also adding 9.8 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game, all while playing just 39.3 minutes a night.
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Kobe's third in playoff scoring with 28.6 points a game, but the tough defense of Houston has forced his shooting percentage to drop slightly to .464. Bryant's 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game are great, but those are usually the halftime averages for LeBron.
All things considered, LeBron's statistical dominance to this point can mostly be attributed to the easier defenses he has faced to this point. Kobe has had to work harder for every point, and has battled in low scoring games with a Rockets team determined to make Kobe work harder than he ever has.
But if the statistical evidence isn't enough, look at the success of the two stars' teams.
LeBron's team has yet to lose. In fact, no team has come within 10 points of the Cavaliers.
The Lakers, after dropping the Jazz in five games -- their one loss coming by two points in at Utah -- have seemingly hit a wall against a most unlikely foe.
Not that the Houston Rockets weren't expected to compete with the Lakers, but the team people envisioned battling L.A. for seven games has a few different faces contributing.
The injuries to the Rockets are no secret, but the impact they've had has been incredibly underplayed.
Without their only true centers in Yao Ming and Dikembe Mutombo, the Rockets have made this a series. The fact that Kobe has allowed this must be addressed.
More than anything, Kobe's ascent to the top was driven by his killer instinct. There have been several players who could look like Jordan or play like him on any given night, but it was once thought that only Kobe had the fire that fueled Air Force 23.
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So I ask this, if Jordan or James was facing a team without any big men, in a series where even if Houston was completely healthy they'd still be an underdog, would they be forced to play seven games?
Would M.J. let Aaron Brooks be the best player in any of the games? Let alone more than one?
Would LeBron let his team 'take games off' like they say this Lakers team can do from time to time?
Furthermore, if you were to put LeBron on the Lakers instead of Kobe, would he lose a single playoff game to any team, let alone this Rockets team?
Somehow I doubt LeBron, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum would lose to any team whose top four players are Ron Artest, Aaron Books, Shane Battier and Luis Scola.
Fact is, when the Lakers lost game six after already having their 'let down game', LeBron slid smoothly into the throne he's been waiting for.
Photos by Getty Images
