Sport and Cinema.com

He enjoyed outstanding success as a player and general manager for the Los Angeles Lakers, was voted one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players and his image has long been the NBA’s logo, but in his new book, West By West My Charmed, Tormented Life (co-authored by Jonathan Coleman), Jerry West presents a lot more of the dark shadows that have haunted him behind the glory of the arena spotlight.

ESPN is now offering on DVD the remaining 15 of the 30 films from its original slate in the highly acclaimed “30 for 30″ series.

The game’s most storied rivalry in a highly anticipated rematch, two years in the making, now comes complete on DVD. The two most successful franchises in NBA history pick up where they left off in 2008. It is the Boston Celtics against the Los Angeles Lakers for the NBA crown.

The world’s best players have just tipped off another season of the National Basketball Association and it is a long way from October to June.

But here’s a quick look of who should be at the next level when the games go up in intensity come playoff time.

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.

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

A day after Boston took game one over Orlando in the Eastern Conference Finals on the road, Phoenix comes to Los Angeles to begin play at the Staples Center for the right to advance to the NBA Finals.

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.

The strain on Kobe to carry a team that was supposed to lean more on Ron Artest and Lamar Odom has been evident down the stretch. The health concerns of Andrew Bynum will likely increase the burden on Bryant. For the Thunder to have a shot, they will need to have Russell Westbrook step up as it is likely that Kevin Durant will be slowed from the attention showered on him by the Lakers D.

It is a tough criteria, some play longer seasons, others go solo, a few operate complex machinery while others merely navigate their bodies through wind or water.