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.

In a renewal of one of sports history’s greatest rivalries, Boston and Los Angeles meet yet again for the NBA crown. Beginning this week at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, a new chapter begins as the Lakers and Celtics meet for the second time in three years, and the 12th time overall.

Capped by a historic (Phil Jackson earns his 10th championship as a head coach, breaking the record he had shared with Red Auerbach) and gratifying (soothe an embarrassing loss to the Celtics in the previous year’s finals) win against the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals to earn their 15^th league crown in franchise history, this package contains all the highlights of the Lakers season.

The Lakers earned their 15th title on Sunday night in Florida as Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and Pau Gasol added 14 and 15 rebounds in a 99-86 Game 5 win over the Orlando Magic.

For Gasol it is his first NBA ring, for Bryant, the series MVP, it was his fourth and first in seven years and first without Shaq.

In a world of ifs….. if Courtney Lee doesn’t miss off a brilliant alley-oop pass from Hedo Turkoglu at the end of regulation, they go home all tied at 1. If Dwight Howard could’ve followed up the miss with his slam fractions of a section earlier, the series is even. If Orlando doesn’t commit 20 turnovers, they go home all tied at 1.

If.