Big Drew Carey: Shaq Traded to Cleveland

Shaquille O'Neal was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to Yahoo Sports. The deal sent Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, and the Cavs' 46th overall draft pick to Phoenix. Shaq has won four championships, and played with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Steve Nash, arguably three of the greatest players of this generation. Now O'Neal will play with possibly the greatest as his newest teammate is none other than LeBron James. The trade will no doubt create more buzz, tension, and marketing when Cleveland plays the Lakers, with the matchup of Kobe versus LeBron and Shaq.

Kobe Promises to Stay with Lakers

Kobe Bryant told reporters he will not be leaving Los Angeles anytime soon. Bryant has an option for the next season, and could opt-out if he chooses to. However, Kobe openly said both to reporters and at the victory rally that he will remain with the Lakers. He could opt-out purely to create a new contract though. Bryant sounded more concerned with the free-agency of Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza. Both were key in the playoff run, but with the salary-cap keeping both seems highly unlikely.

Kobe Does Conan

Just days after Joe Torre bantered and answered, Kobe Bryant made his own appearance on "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien". Among other things, Kobe talks about the drive to win the championship, playing in from of Jack Nicholson, and Phil Jackson's zen-like approach.



The second part is here:



The large Egyptian statue was from an earlier sketch.

Game 5: And the Winner Is...

...Your Los Angeles Lakers! The Purple and Gold defeated the Orlando Magic 99-86 to take the series 4-1, and were crowned NBA Champions. The game looked like a nail-biter as Orlando had a 2-point lead after the first quarter. But the Lakers stormed back, and outscored the Magic 30-18 in the second to enter halftime with a comfortable 10-point lead. It was all Lakers after that as they held on to win the game, the series, and the title. Orlando shot just .415 from the field for the entire game, and failed miserably on rebounds, 47-36. The Lakers were not perfect, but 8 blocked shots and 13 offensive boards helped pad their lead. Kobe Bryant was named MVP of the Finals as he had 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocked shots. Lamar Odom had 17 points and 10 boards off the bench, and Pau Gasol added 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Trevor Ariza chipped in 15 points, and Derek Fisher threw in 13. Rashard Lewis led the Magic with 18 points, and Dwight Howard had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Game 4: The Fish that Saved LA Pt. 2

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-91 in overtime, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. The Lakers entered the second half down by 12, but stormed back in the third quarter to take a 4-point lead. The Magic quickly responded, and took what looked like a sure 3-point lead with only seconds left in the game. However, Derek Fisher sent the game into overtime with a long 3-pointer. In OT, Fisher again hit a 3-pointer to give LA the lead for good. The Lakers won the OT period 12-4. Orlando was nowhere near their dominant shooting from Game 3, going 31-for-74 from the field. Their fatal flaws were the free-throws and the turnovers though; the Magic were 22-for-37 from the charity stripe and committed 17 turnovers. Kobe Bryant had 32 points and 8 assists, and Pau Gasol chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds. Trevor Ariza had 16 points as well, all coming in the second half. Fisher finished with 12 points. Dwight Howard led the way for the Magic, scoring 16 points, grabbing 21 rebounds, and blocking a record 9 shots. Hedo Turkoglu added 25 points, and Mickael Pietrus had 15 off the bench.

Game 3: So Close, Yet So Far

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Orlando Magic 108-104, but still have a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals. The game was close for most of the time, with neither team able to compile a double-digit lead. Orlando entered the fourth quarter with a 6 point lead, but the Lakers were able to cut it to two and even tie it on various occasions. However, LA could not overcome the hump, and never managed to take the lead in the second half. The Magic were on fire for most of the game, shooting .625 from the field. Free-throws took their toll on both teams, as the Lakers were 16-for-26 from the line while Orlando was 22-for-29. Kobe had a red-hot first quarter, but could not muster much after that, finishing the game with 31 points and a playoff-low 5-for-10 shooting from the charity stripe. Pau Gasol had 23 points, and Trevor Ariza added 13. Both Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar scored 11 off the bench. Five different Orlando players scored in double-digits, starting with Dwight Howard who totaled 21 points and 14 rebounds. Rashard Lewis and Rafer Alston followed as both scored 20 points. Hedo Turkoglu added 18.

Game 2: Lakers Sweep Home Stretch

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 101-96 in overtime, taking a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals. The series heads to Orlando for the next three games. The Lakers entered the fourth quarter trailing by two, but managed to send the game into overtime as Courtney Lee missed an alley-oop layup. LA won the OT 13-8. Both teams struggled to sink shots early in the game, as both teams tied at 15 at the end of the first quarter, the lowest scoring first in Finals history. The score was at 40-35 Lakers going into halftime. Orlando vastly improved their shooting, going .423 from the field, including 10-for-30 behind the arc. The Lakers countered by forcing 20 turnovers, but lost on the boards, being out-rebounded 44-35. Kobe Bryant led the way for the Purple and Gold with 29 points and 8 assists, and Pau Gasol scored 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Derek Fisher had 12 points and three clutch steals, and Lamar Odom was 8-for-9 off the bench, scoring 19 points and landing 8 rebounds. Rashard Lewis was deadly for the Magic, hitting six 3-pointers and scoring 34 points, throwing up 7 assists, and taking 11 boards. Hedo Turkoglu added 22 points, and Dwight Howard had 17 points, 16 rebounds, 4 steals, and 4 blocked shots.

Game 1: Perfect Start

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 100-75, taking Game 1 of the 2009 NBA Finals. The Lakers were sluggish early, trailing by 5 in the second quarter, but they started an offensive tear to go into the halftime leading by 10. It was all LA after that, as the Purple and Gold out-scored Orlando 47-32 in the second-half. The Magic could not escape the Lakers' stifling defense, shooting just .299 from the field and losing on the boards 55-41. Kobe Bryant led the way as he scored 40 points to go with 8 rebounds and 8 assists, his most dominating performance in his Finals career. Pau Gasol added 16 points, and Lamar Odom put up 11 and 14 rebounds as the wealth was spread throughout the Laker lineup. The Magic starting-five were dormant for the entire game, shooting a combined 11-for-46. Mickael Pietrus led Orlando with 14 points, Hedo Turkoglu added 13, and Dwight Howard had 12 and 15 rebounds.

Game 6: Movin' On Up

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 119-92, winning the Western Conference Finals 4-2 and clinching a berth into the NBA Finals. The Lakers led early, going into halftime with a 13-point advantage, and never looked back as they out-scored Denver 66-52 in the second-half. LA dominated in rebounds (38-27), assists (28-14), and field-goal percentage (.573-.438). Kobe Bryant had 35 points and 10 assists, and Pau Gasol added 20 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. Trevor Ariza scored 17 points, and Lamar Odom had another stellar game with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 25 points, and J.R. Smith had 24 points off the bench.

Game 5: Lakers Plead the Fourth

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 103-94, taking a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and putting them just one victory away from advancing to the NBA Finals. After both teams tied after each quarter, the Lakers dominated the fourth, out-scoring Denver 27-18 in the final period. LA managed to close the gap on rebounds, and out-blocked the Nuggets 12-4. Denver shot just .386 from the field. Kobe Bryant led the Purple-and-Gold with 22 points, and Pau Gasol added 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocked shots. Lamar Odom had his best game of the series, scoring 19 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and blocking 5 shots. The Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 31 points despite shooting 9-for-23. Chauncey Billups and Kenyon Martin both added 12 points.

Game 4: Deja Vu Splits Series

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets 120-101, evening the series at 2 games apiece. The game was reminiscent of the Lakers' loss to Houston in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, in which LA was clobbered despite holding a 2-1 lead going into the game. Denver grabbed 58 rebounds, 20 on the offensive glass, as opposed to the Lakers' 40. The Nuggets also had 14 more free-throw attempts than LA. All five of the Nuggets' starters scored in double-figures as Denver did not trail since the beginning of the game. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 34 points, and Pau Gasol had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Andrew Bynum was productive as he added 14 points. Chauncey Billups led Denver to victory with 24 points, and J.R. Smith added 24 points as well. Carmelo Anthony was quiet with 15 points, but his help was not needed as the Nugget bench outscored the Laker bench 42-24.

Game 3: Rocky-Mountain Comeback

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 103-97, taking a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Finals. Denver had an 8 point lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Lakers roared back, out-scoring the Nuggets 32-18 in the final period. Trevor Ariza had another game-changing play as he stole an inbounds pass, was fouled, and converted both free-throws to give the Lakers a 4-point lead with just seconds left. LA struggled to convert at the foul line though, going 31-for-45. Denver shot just .393 in the game, missing 22 of 27 3-pointers. Kobe Bryant sliced and diced the Nuggets' defense, scoring 41 points, including a clutch 3-pointer that gave LA the lead for good in the fourth. Pau Gasol had 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Ariza added 16 points, 9 of which came on 3-pointers. Carmelo Anthony was cooled off, scoring just 20 points before fouling out late in the game, and Chauncey Billups had 18 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds. Chris Andersen added 15 points off the bench, and also blocked three shots.

Game 2: Lakers Can't Repeat

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets 106-103, evening the series at a game apiece. The Lakers started off hot, leading by 8 after the first quarter, but the lead fell to just one-point at halftime. Denver stepped up in the fourth quarter, scoring 26 points to take Game 2 and split the series heading into Denver. The Lakers caught the Nuggets' free-throw bug, going only 27-for-35 at the stripe. The missed free-throws proved to be the difference, as both teams were evenly matched in every category, including rebounds, offensive rebounds, assists, turnovers, 3-pointers, and blocked shots. Kobe Bryant led LA with 32 points, and Trevor Ariza added 20 points and 4 steals, but had a pivotal turnover as he lost the ball after Pau Gasol tipped it to him on a jump-ball with just seconds left in the game. Gasol had 17 points and 17 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony led all scorers with 34 points and added 9 rebounds, and Chancey Billups put up 27 points.

Game 1: Lakers Escape Denver's Clutches

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 105-103, taking an early 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Finals. The Lakers nearly lost the game, at one point trailing by 13, before they took the lead for good in the last seconds of the fourth quarter. Derek Fisher hit a 3-pointer as time expired at halftime to put the Lakers up by one, but Denver came back to take a 2-point lead at the end of the third. LA out-rebounded the Nuggets 46-37, including 17-7 on the offensive boards. Denver's key flaw came at the charity stripe, as they were just 23-for-35. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 40 points, and Pau Gasol added 13 points and 13 boards. Derek Fisher scored 13 as well, and Trevor Ariza grabbed 3 steals, including one on an inbounds in the last seconds with Denver down by two. The Laker bench was outstanding, scoring a total of 27 points as opposed to Denver's 16. Carmelo Anthony ripped LA's interior defense apart as he scored 39 points, and Chauncey Billups added 18 points and 8 assists.

Game 7: Lakers Cruise to Series Victory

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 89-70, winning the Western Conference Semi-Finals four games to three. The Lakers returned to form after struggling in Game 6, and used stifling defense to keep Houston from mounting a comeback. LA out-rebounded the Rockets 55-33, as well as 13-5 on the offensive glass, and blocked 10 of Houston's shots. The Rockets could not score more than 20 points in any quarter, and only shot .368 from the field. Pau Gasol dominated the inside, scoring 21 points, grabbing 18 rebounds, and collecting 3 blocks. Trevor Ariza had 15 points, and Kobe Bryant added 14, three steals, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. Andrew Bynum scored 14 points, snagged 6 boards, and blocked 2 shots. Aaron Brooks led Houston with 13 points, and Luis Scola had 11.

The Lakers will play the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.

Game 6: Lakers Slow Out of Gate in Loss

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Houston Rockets 95-80, tying the series at 3 games apiece and forcing a decisive Game 7 to determine both teams' fate. The Lakers were put into an early hole after Houston took a 17-1 lead to start the game, and never recovered. LA scored just 15 points in the first and fourth quarters as their poor shooting did them in; the Lakers shot just a paltry .357 from the field. Kobe Bryant led the Purple and Gold with 32 points, and Pau Gasol added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Jordan Farmar was the only other Laker to score in double-figures with 13 points. Aaron Brooks exploited LA's perimeter defense as he scored 26 points, and Luis Scola put up 24 and 12 rebounds. Carl Landry added 15 points off the bench. Game 7 will be played on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Game 5: Lakers Exact Revenge

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 118-78, taking a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Lakers dominated from the beginning, outscoring Houston 35-24 in the first quarter. The Rockets then scored 15 points in each of the next two quarters. LA put up a .512 shooting percentage, while Houston shot just .326. The Purple and Gold defeated the Rockets in almost every catagory, including rebounds, assists, steals, turnovers, blocked shots, and fouls. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 26 points, and Pau Gasol added 16 points and 13 rebounds. Andrew Bynum had his best night of the playoffs, scoring 14 points and grabbing 6 rebounds, and Trevor Ariza had 13 and 3 steals. Jordan Farmar, Lamar Odom, and Josh Powell each scored in double-figures off the bench. Aaron Brooks led Houston with 14 points, Luis Scola had 12, and Von Wafer added 13.

Game 4: Lakers Go Silent in Loss

The Los Angeles Lakers fell to the Houston Rockets 99-87 in Game 4 of the Western Conference semi-finals, evening the series at two games apiece. The Lakers were quiet right from the start, exiting the first-quarter trailing 29-16, and entering halftime down by 18. Only a 33-16 fourth quarter made the final score respectable. LA was only 11-for-18 from the free-throw line, and Houston was 17-for-20. Both teams were evenly matched in shooting percentage, turnovers, and blocked shots, while the Rockets won in rebounds, assists, and fouls. Pau Gasol dominated with the absence of Yao Ming, scoring 30 points, and Kobe Bryant was quiet with just 15. Shannon Brown added 14 off the bench. Without Yao Ming, the Rockets took advantage of their back-court offense as Aaron Brooks scored 34 points. Shane Battier had five 3-pointers and finished with 24 points, and Luis Scola added 11 and 14 rebounds.

Game 3: Five's For Fighting

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 108-94, taking a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Lakers were without the services of Derek Fisher after his suspension, but made the most of his absence as all starting five Lakers scored in double-figures. LA held Houston to just .417 shooting from the field and forced 17 turnovers, compared to the Purple and Golds' six. The Rockets had 19 offensive rebounds, but could not outscore the Lakers in all four quarters. Kobe Bryant finished the game with 33 points, and Jordan Farmar had an impact in his first career start, getting 12 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds, and two steals. Lamar Odom added 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Trevor Ariza scored 13 points and grabbed 4 steals. Ron Artest led the Rockets with 25 points before leaving the game with a flagrant-2 foul in the final seconds of the fourth quarter after hitting Pau Gasol hard. Yao Ming added 19 points and 14 rebounds.

Game 2: Lakers Even Series

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets , evening the series at one game apiece. The game became very physical very fast, with five players collecting technical fouls and Derek Fisher was ejected with a flagrant-foul 2. The Lakers opened up the gate early with a 41-point first quarter, but the Rockets quickly turned the tide by tying the score at halftime. However, LA out-scored Houston by 13 in the second-half and held on to win the game. Kobe Bryant put up 40 points to lead all scorers, and Pau Gasol added 22 points and 14 rebounds. Fisher had 12 points as the Lakers were a perfect .500 from the field. Ron Artest led the Rockets with 25 points, and Carl Landry added 21 points off the bench. Artest was also ejected after engaging in an argument with Bryant.