How Kobe Dominated The 2009 NBA Finals

There's no question that Kobe Bryant simply dominated the 2009 NBA Finals. He led his LA Lakers team to a convincing four games to one win over the Orlando Magic. Winning his fourth NBA title, Kobe cemented himself as one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball. He showed a level of talent and maturity seldom seen by today's NBA stars—especially those stars that are known for scoring boatloads of points for their teams. There was no question in anyone's minds who the MVP of the NBA Finals was. Kobe's dominance of the 2009 NBA Finals extended to both ends of the floor and included the improvement of his teammates as well.

The race to the 2009 NBA Finals promised to match up the league's two marquee players, Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. Unfortunately, the Cleveland Cavaliers couldn't get past the road block that was Dwight Howard and his Orlando Magic ball club. Coincidentally, what turned out to be a mountain for the Cavaliers was never more than a minor speed bump for the Lakers. Never once, even in the only lost game of the series, did the Lakers relinquish control of the matchup. At the helm of the 2009 Western Conference Juggernaut was Kobe Bryant. The Magic simply had no answer for the guy. He ate away at the Magic's defense like an aggressive cancer. Kobe's domination of the 2009 Finals series exposed the holes on the Orlando Magic's basketball armor.

Kobe's domination of the Finals contests was simply him being what his team needed at any given time. When the Lakers needed a basket, he'd get it. If they needed a defensive stop, he'd stop it. In game one Bryant dropped 40 points. More impressive, however, were the eight assists he dished out. Kobe showed that he'd developed a certain trust in his teammates that all team leaders need to show in order for their team to prosper at the end of the playoff season. Nothing is more evidence of this than the fact that the other four starters all averaged in double figures during the whole of the NBA Finals. Kobe's domination of the NBA Finals extended to his teammates, who dominated in their respective rights. So much, in fact, that because of the Lakers offensive prowess and overall defensive dominance, they beat Orlando by 25 points in game one. Dwight Howard had been totally shut down and Orlando as a team shot less than 30% from the field.

Kobe Bryant averaged 32.4 points and 7.4 assists per game for the NBA Finals. He hit 43% of his shots, and 36% of his long range bombs. Shooting better than 84% from the free throw line, he was an unstoppable offensive force. He also pulled down 28 rebounds and had seven steals over the five game series. He dominated all aspects of the 2009 NBA Finals.

Kobe's dominance of the 2009 Title match-up was not just on the offensive end. It was Kobe's contributions on the defensive end of the floor that helped to secure close victories after the game one blow out. Crucial defensive plays throughout the remainder of the games kept Orlando on their toes. The Magic never really had a chance to gain any composure. The Lakers defense forced Magic players to play out of their roles. The Lakers defense dictated which Magic players would take crucial shots at important moments. Needless to say, the wrong players were taking the shots, causing the Magic to lose the Finals.

The Magic had no chance. You can shut down a prolific scorer. The Magic did this well with Lebron James. You can't, however, shut down a superstar that makes his teammates play better as well. There was simply too many ways for the Lakers to hurt their opponents. All of these ways of course were born out of the necessity to pay so much attention to Kobe Bryant. That was the true sign of Kobe's dominating brilliance in the 2009 NBA Finals. Sure he could score a lot of points, but his team became far more effective because they stepped their games up and followed him.