CHEAPSEATS, I COULD NOT HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF, THE ENTIRE WORLD KNOWS THAT THE LAKERS ARE KOBE & SHAQ'S TEAM, BUT FOR LA TO WIN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP WHICH I FEEL THEY WILL THE ROLE PLAYERS ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE READY TO HIT OPEN JUMPERS IN CLUTCH SITUATIONS. THE LAKERS ARE KNOWN TO STEAL THE FIRST GAME ON THE ROAD IN ALL THEIR PREVIOUS CHAMPIONSHIP RUN'S IN THE PAST 5 YEARS, I WOULD STRONGLY SUGGEST TO EVERYONE TO LOOK AT THIS GAME AS THE $$$$ MAKING GAME OF THE SERIES, I KNOW KARL MAY EVEN BE LESS THEN 50% BUT ALL WE NEED HIM FOR IS HIS DEFENSIVE KNOWLEDGE TO GUARD RASHEED ON THE BLOCK AND FRUSTRATE HIM WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS QUITE EASY AND TO GET US HIS USUAL 7-12 BOARDS A GAME, ANY POINT PRODUCTION IS A PLUS, POINTS WILL COME FROM KOBE AND SHAQ AND THE LAKERS ARE ALWAYS KNOWN TO HAVE A ROLE PLAYER STEP UP AND PRODUCE LIKE WALTON IN THE LAST GAME, RUSH IN GAME 6 VS. MINN. AND FISHER'S SHOT AGAINST SAN ANTONIO, DON'T SLEEP ON THE LAKE SHOW QUITE YET, DAVID STERN JUST NEEDS HIS RATINGS, LAKERS WILL STILL WIN THIS CHAMPIONSHIP, IT JUST MIGHT GO 7.......