Kobe Bryant towers over a city street as he dribbles a basketball in the cover photo of a pamphlet distributed earlier this year to promote the world championships.

Don't blame LeBron James for leaving Cleveland. Don't fit him for a ring yet, either.

Veteran center Theo Ratliff has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Finally free to leave Cleveland, LeBron James is ready to hear reasons why he should.

Although Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak thought he would have to get lucky Thursday to draft a player who could make his roster this fall, he was feeling fortunate after grabbing two forwards widely expected to go a bit higher.

Add Cole Aldrich to the crowded race to become the starting center for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Phil Jackson thinks he is just about ready to walk away from his unparalleled NBA coaching career. The Los Angeles Lakers are all hoping he will change his mind in the next week.

Andrew Bynum survived the playoffs on his injured right knee, so the Los Angeles Lakers center is taking a few extra weeks to celebrate their title before getting the problem fixed for good.

Kobe Bryant sprinted after the ball, which Lamar Odom joyously flung downcourt to burn the remaining seconds in Game 7 of the NBA finals. With the celebration starting behind him, Bryant chased it down and then held it aloft to his teammates.

Those old guys ran out of gas just short of the finish line.

Here come the Lakers.

When the Celtics wrapped up Game 5 and moved one win away from an unprecedented 18th championship, the jubilant Boston crowd sent them off to the West Coast for the final time this season with one last chorus of that age-old "Beat L-A!" chant.