Kobe man on a mission

MANILA, Philippines - For Los Angeles guard Kobe Bryant, it’s all about defending the homeland. And if the Lakers beat Boston in Game 7 of the NBA Finals at the Staple Center this morning (Manila time), the mission will be accomplished.

The odds are heavily stacked in favor of the Lakers because in 16 previous Finals that went the distance in NBA history, only three were clinched by road teams. Boston did it in Los Angeles in 1969 and in Milwaukee in 1974. Washington was the third team to clinch on the road at Seattle in 1978.

Since Washington’s feat, only four of the next 31 Finals lasted the full route and home teams weren’t denied as Boston beat L. A. in 1984, the Lakers defeated Detroit in 1988, Houston upended New York in 1994 and San Antonio took out Detroit in 2005.

Beyond the homecourt advantage, what’s going for the Lakers is Bryant’s championship temerity. He’s out to prove there’s no better player on the planet in the post-Jordan era. Not LeBron James, not Dwayne Wade and certainly not Paul Pierce.

Bryant, 31, is the consummate clutch player – he demands the ball when it’s crunch time. It’s in his nature to put his team on his back. Bryant couldn’t care less about odds or match-ups or statistics. He’s not afraid to be the goat. He’ll take the last shot to win it or lose it.

Austin Burton, writing in Dime Magazine, called Bryant the NBA’s Bruce Lee – ”a study of focus, precision, efficiency, attention to detail, killer instinct, raw talent, charisma and sheer love of the fight ... (he) seems on a mission to prove no injury, illness, danger or distraction will stop him from dominating this sport.”

Last December, Bryant suffered an avulsion fracture of his right index finger during a game against Minnesota. The fracture has healed but Bryant is left with an arthritic knuckle that is swollen and painful. To play through the impairment, former NBA gunner Chuck (The Rifleman) Person was brought in for advice on creating more backspin and friendlier rolls off the rim by applying a little extra pressure on the middle and ring fingers in Bryant’s release. Bryant did as he was told and the results are evident.

In the Finals, Bryant is playing like a man possessed. He’s averaging 29.5 points, torching the Celtics for 30 points in Game 1, 21 in Game 2, 29 in Game 3, 33 in Game 4, 38 in Game 5 and 26 in Game 6. Bryant was unstoppable in the third period of Game 5, firing 19 points including three triples. And to set the tone in the first period of Game 6, he erupted for 11 points. Bryant could’ve collected more points but coach Phil Jackson pulled him out with 3:21 to go and the Lakers up, 88-62.

Another thing going for the Lakers is Jackson’s title tradition. He has won 10 titles and figured in 12 Finals in the last 19 years. No NBA coach has been as successful – not even Red Auerbach who collected nine championships with Boston. Curiously, Jackson has never been involved in a Game 7 in 12 Finals appearances – this is his first time.

Jackson, 64, won six titles with Chicago and four with L. A. Bryant and guard Derek Fisher were constants in the four Lakers championship squads. When L. A. beat Boston, 91-84, in Game 3 of this year’s Finals, Fisher delivered 16 points and broke the Celtics’ back down the stretch. The explosion was reminiscent of Fisher’s heroics in Game 4 of last season’s Finals against Orlando when he knocked down a pair of clutch triples to ice it for L. A. “Both shots came after Bryant gave up the ball and trusted him in critical moments,” wrote Ronald Lazenby in Lindy’s Pro Basketball Yearbook. “You have to wonder where lonely old Kobe would be in this world if not for Fisher?” Shaquille O’Neal was no longer Bryant’s teammate last season.

Fisher, 35, entered the league with Bryant in 1996-97 and is the Lakers’ senior statesman. To prepare for this season, he worked with Lance Armstrong’s training staff in improving his flexibility through mobility and core drills.

If somehow the Celtics relive the Bill Russell memory of 1969 when Boston beat the Lakers in Game 7 of the Finals at Los Angeles, it’s likely the fall guy will be Ron Artest who has been described as a “high-maintenance” loose cannon.

Artest joined the Lakers to take Trevor Ariza’s spot this season and his volatile temperament has been a cause for concern. In the Finals, his primary role is to defend Pierce. Occasionally, he throws up wild shots and Jackson could only cringe in dismay. But in Games 1 and 6, Artest chipped in 15 points spiked by three triples – a major lift as the Lakers won both outings, 102-89 and 89-67.

Dime Magazine’s Aron Philips called recruiting Artest “a big gamble.” He said, “much like the addition of Dennis Rodman to the Bulls, adding talent and personality don’t have to be mutually exclusive – if the Lakers don’t take home another trophy, all the blame is going to fall on Artest.”

The season has come down to one last game – a winner-take-all showdown for all the marbles. It’s a situation that every player dreams of and lives for. Bryant is in his element when the title is on the line. Nobody wants it more than the Black Mamba.