Sport and Cinema.com

As the NBA regular season begins over the Christmas holiday weekend, we provide a quick trip around the league to assess the strengths and weakness in the different divisions and offer our view as to who will win it all in June.

LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki, two of the game’s best players and both hungry for that elusive pro basketball crown, lead the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks respectively into the NBA Finals that tip off Tuesday.

PG Steve Nash, Mavericks-Suns
SG Kobe Bryant, Lakers
PF Tim Duncan, Spurs
SF LeBron James, Cavaliers
C Shaquille O’Neal, Lakers-Heat-Suns-Cavaliers

In clinching their first round playoff series against Chicago Tuesday night, the Cavaliers did not look like the runaway freight train that carried them through the regular season.

For the third time in four years, Shaquille O’Neal will be playing for a different team. This one happens to have the league’s MVP and best record- LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Coming on the heels of winning the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award, Nike has produced a new LeBron James shoe.

According to their website, Nike states that the shoe is quite light yet responsive and provides, “super-responsive performance cushioning that brings the foot closer to the ground for optimum feel and aggressive maneuverability.”

With back-to-back playoff sweeps, the Cavs have cruised to this point. The holiday shouldn’t make them too rusty, however Orlando’s confidence has to be sky high coming off a grand performance knocking off the defending champions IN Boston in game 7 of their series on Sunday.