Ladies and gentlemen, your Lakers are world champions once again, and Kobe Bryant is your Finals MVP. He was magnificent in this series, resplendent in this win. He epitomized the Lakers team that he led to victory. But your fearless leaders here at SS&R are no fools, and they can read the signs. They know that before going into hiding, the "haters" will take one final, last-ditch shot at tearing Kobe down and devaluing his performance in this game and this series, and so I have been asked to end that discussion before it starts. I can't say that I mind the assignment.
先生们和女士们，你们的湖人队又一次拿到了总冠军，科比又是你们的总决赛MVP。他在这一系列的总决赛中是值得赞扬的，赢得也很是漂亮。他率领着湖人卫冕成功了。但你们大无畏的SS&R领导者也不是傻的，他们总能吹毛求疵的说点什么。他们知道（吹毛求疵找到的蛛丝马迹）在躲起来之前，科黑们最终还是会把它找出来，负隅顽抗的也要拼死贬低科比在这一场比赛或者这一系列赛的伟大表现，所以我就有必要在这样的讨论开始之前结束它。我不得不说我很重视这个任命的工作。
So let's go ahead and get the "but" on the table. Kobe Bryant is the 2010 Finals MVP, but the haters will point to this: In perhaps the biggest game of his career, he shot only 6-24 from the field, needing 24 shots to score his 23 points. They'll argue that he was inefficient, that his play hurt the Lakers more than it helped them (or something absurd along those lines), that he failed to rise to the occasion the way other greats like Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan did in the Finals, and perhaps even that Pau Gasol was better and more valuable to the Lakers.
那我们就把这些“但是”放到桌面上来好好谈谈吧。科比是2010年总决赛MVP，但是科黑们又会有这样的观点了：或许是科比职业生涯最伟大的一场比赛，他的投篮仅仅是24投6中，出手了24次才得到23分。他们将会就科比的低命中率进行争论，这样的表现会伤害球队多过于帮助球队（又或者是其它一些比起我所说的这几行字更加荒谬的观点），他没有把握好机会来提升自己的表现，就好像魔术师和乔丹在总决赛做的那样，甚至有可能加索尔对于湖人来说表现得更好，更有价值。
Excuse me while I gargle. What complete and utter hogwash.
容许我停下来漱一下口，这些完全就是狗屁不通的。 Poor Shooting vs. A Defensive Game for the Ages
Let's put that 6-24 into perspective, shall we?
In Game 7, Pau Gasol shot 6-16 (and was 3-12 at halftime). Ron Artest, the hero of the hour, was 7-18 from the field. Andrew Bynum played limited minutes, but at 1-5, he also struggled while he was on the court. Lamar Odom was 3-8. Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown and Sasha Vujacic combined to shoot 0-6. Only Derek Fisher, at 10 points on 4-6 from the field (and 2-2 from distance, including a huge three late in the game), had a good shooting night for the Lakers. 低命中率VS防守为上的比赛
让我们来深刻剖析一下24投6中，如何呢？
在第七场，加索尔的投篮是16投6中（半场命中率是12投3中）。罗恩-阿泰斯特，这场比赛的英雄，也是18投7中。安德鲁-拜纳姆的上场时间很有限，但仅仅是5投1中，他在场上也是表现得很努力。拉玛尔·奥多姆是8投3中。法玛尔、香农-布朗和武贾西奇总共加起来也才6投0中。只有费舍尔是6投4中得到了10分（三分球是2投2中，其中还包括在终场结束前的大号三分），那一晚在湖人队里，这是一个很高的命中率了。
For the Celtics, Paul Pierce was 5-15 from the field. Rajon Rondo was 6-13, which was actually pretty decent in this game, but nothing amazing. Ray Allen was a dismal 3-14. Nate Robinson missed his only shot. Rasheed Wallace's percentage from the field isn't bad, especially considering he took four three-pointers, but the 11 shots he needed to score 11 points puts him about on par with Kobe with regards to offensive efficiency. Glen Davis was good, but his efficiency (4-6 from the field) didn't come in high enough volume (only six points in 21 minutes) to really have much impact for the Celtics. Only Kevin Garnett had "a good game" offensively for the Celtics, shooting well over fifty percent and scoring 18 points on only 13 shots.
而凯尔特人那边，皮尔斯是15投5中。朗多是13投6中，实际上这已经是相当让人满意的表现了，但也没什么好惊奇的。雷阿伦是惨淡的14投3中。内特-罗宾逊投了一个，还不中。拉希德-华莱士的命中率还算不错，特别考虑到他投了4个三分球，但是他也用了11次出手才得到了11分，与科比的“低效率”相比，也好不到哪去。格伦-戴维斯打得很好，但他的效率（6投4中）也并不是很高（出场21分钟才得到6分），对凯尔特人也没有太大的帮助。只有凯文·加内特打了一场好球，命中率超过了50%，仅用了13次出手就得到了18分。
The criticism of Kobe's offensive output in Game 7 is that he needed 24 shots to get his 23 points. However, the same is true of just about every player in this game. Virtually every player listed above took essentially as many shots as he had points. In fact, that is true of both teams overall: The Celtics took 71 shots to score 79 points (1.1 points per shot), while the Lakers took 83 shots to score their 83 points. At this point, here is the question that needs to be asked: Why are we holding Kobe Bryant to a different standard?
在第七场对于科比低效率的指责莫过于是他是需要24次出手才得到23分。然而，全场比赛的每一个球员的表现都是差不多这样的低效率。实际上，每一个球员的出手次数和他的得分基本上都是相同的。并且，这也同样适用于两个队：凯尔特人用了71次出手得到了79分（每次投篮得到1.1分），湖人这边的则是用了83次投篮得到了83分。基于这一点，这里就有一个问题是需要问的了：为什么我们对于科比的表现就得用不一样的标准来衡量呢？
The point is that this game was characterized by truly incredible defense, from both teams. In fact, from a defensive standpoint, I don't believe I have ever seen anything that compares, or even comes close. Expecting a player to score every bit as efficiently against that Game 7 Celtics defense as he does against far inferior defenses is simply asinine. It's like expecting a cyclist to ride as quickly up the steep slopes of the Pyrenees mountains, and into the wind, as he does on flat land with the wind at his back. It's like expecting a swimmer to swim as quickly against the current of a raging Atlantic sea as he does in an indoor lap pool. It's like expecting a car to drive as quickly and handle as smoothly on sand as it does on asphalt. It's— well, you get the point. It's absurd.
对于这两个队来说，这场比赛就是以真正意义上的不可思议的防守强度而著称的。事实上，站在防守强度的观点上看，我认为之前我所看过的所有比赛都是不能与之相比的，甚至接近的都没有。期待一个球员在面对第七场凯尔特人那样高效率的防守，跟他平时面对一些防守相差很远的球队时得到一样的分数，这样的想法是很愚蠢的。这就好像你期待一个自行车手在骑上比利牛斯山陡坡的速度会跟他在平地顺风的速度一样。就好像你期待一个游泳选手在波涛汹涌的大西洋的游泳速度会跟他在室内游泳池的速度一样。也就好像你期待一辆汽车在沙漠中的行驶速度会跟在沥青公路上的一样。所以现在你知道了你得到的观点是多么的荒唐可笑的。
Michael Jordan would have struggled to score against that Celtics defense. So would Magic Johnson, Jerry West, and Wilt Chamberlain. LeBron James did struggle against them. This was a Celtics team that played some of the best defense that anyone has ever seen, and in that Game 7, they took it to yet another level. Kobe wasn't the only player to struggle with his shot; in fact, if you remove his statistics from the Lakers' box score, the Lakers' shooting percentage is virtually unchanged. So let's not pretend that Kobe's shots were hurting the Lakers; the rest of the team was struggling just as much as he was.
乔丹在凯尔特人这样的防守之下，要得分也会很艰难。魔术师、韦斯特和张伯伦也不会例外。勒布朗·詹姆斯已经品尝过这样的滋味了。凯尔特人的防守强度已经达到了空前的高度了，而在第七场，他们的防守强度又提升到另外一种境界了。科比不是唯一一个受困于他们的防守的球员。事实上，如果你把科比的数据从湖人队的统计中去掉，湖人队的投篮命中率几乎是不会改变的。所以我们不要想当然的认为科比的投篮伤害了球队，队里的其他球员在这样的防守之下也跟科比一样的不好受。
Is 6-24 a pretty number? No. It certainly wasn't one of the greatest offensive performances of all time. But those interested in evaluating the game based on real insight, rather than nearly useless box score clichés, will recognize that 6-24 had fairly little to do with bad offense from Kobe, and a lot more to do with defense for the ages from the Celtics. And that defense affected everyone on the court for the Lakers (except, of course, for Derek Fisher), not just Kobe.
那24投6中是一个漂亮的数据吗？不是，这当然算不上是史上最伟大的进攻表演之一了。但那些真正具有洞察力的比赛评论员，与其对于这些无用的数据有兴趣，还不如说24投6中的命中率是跟科比自身的糟糕进攻没有太大的关系的，更多的是因为凯尔特人毫不松懈的高强度防守。而这样的防守强度影响了湖人在场上的所有球员（当然了，费舍尔例外），而不仅仅是科比。 Boston's Defense in Perspective
To see the effects of Boston's defense, have a look at Pau Gasol, whom some advocated as the "real MVP" of this series. He shot .536 in the regular season and .565 in the playoffs before the Finals, but only .478 against Boston. That's a drop of .058 compared to the regular season, and .087 compared to the rest of the playoffs. 透视凯尔特人的防守
要想知道凯尔特人的防守会有多大的杀伤力，看一下曾经被一些人认为是总决赛真正的MVP加索尔就知道了。在常规赛，他的投篮命中率是53.6%，而在总决赛之前的季后赛中，他的投篮命中率是56.5%，但面对凯尔特人时却只有47.8%了。这比常规赛下降了5.8%，比总决赛之前的季后赛的下降了8.7%。
How about LeBron James? He shot .503 from the field in the regular season, and .567 in the playoffs prior to meeting Boston. Against the Celtics, however, he shot only .447. That's a .056 drop compared to the regular season, and a .120 drop compared to the rest of the playoffs.
关于勒布朗·詹姆斯又会怎样呢？他在常规赛的投篮命中率是50.3%，在遇到凯尔特人之前的季后赛的是56.7%。然而面对凯尔特人，他的投篮命中率仅仅是44.7%。这比常规赛下降了5.6%，比遇到凯尔特人之前的季后赛更是降了12%。
Kobe Bryant shot .456 from the field in the regular season, and .483 in the playoffs prior to meeting Boston. Against the Celtics, he shot .405. Viewed alongside James and Gasol, Kobe's .051 drop in field goal percentage compared to the regular season, and .078 compared to the rest of the playoffs, actually seems quite normal. In fact, both Pau and LeBron suffered larger overall drops in shooting efficiency against the Celtics than did Kobe.
科比在常规赛的投篮命中率是45.6%，在遇到凯尔特人之前的季后赛的是48.3%。面对凯尔特人，他的投篮命中率是40.5%。跟詹姆斯和加索尔放在一起比较的话，科比的投篮命中率比常规赛下降了5.1%，比遇到凯尔特人之前的季后赛下降了7.8%，实际上这看起来是非常的正常的。事实上，在面对凯尔特人时，詹姆斯和加索尔的投篮命中率下降的幅度是比科比还要大的。
This is what the Celtics do. If you expect to score at an extremely efficient rate against them, you're going to be disappointed. Sometimes it seems like an accomplishment just to score against them at all. This is something we all immediately recognize... except when we're talking about Kobe Bryant. Perhaps it should be seen as a compliment to Bryant that he's expected to be immune to the defense that has had the same effect on everyone else. But isn't it interesting that so many of those who have for years proclaimed the box score to be inherently flawed can't seem to get past a single box score statistic in evaluating Kobe's Game 7 performance?
这就是凯尔特人能够做到的（防守）。如果你期待着可以在他们面前非常的有效率的得分的话，那你将会是失望的。有时候这看起来就像，只要你能够在他们面前得分，就是成功的了。除了谈论科比，我们都必须马上意识到这些（防守强度所带来的后果）的。可能我们得赞扬一下科比了，因为他比其他人对于这样高强度防守的免疫力要来得强。但是竟然有那么多的人都是执迷不悟的以单一的数据统计来评价科比在第七场的表现，这不是很可笑的吗？ Putting History's Greatest Players in a Defensive Context
Let's try and place Boston's D within the larger context, shall we?
Michael Jordan appeared in six NBA Finals series. These are the defensive ratings (points allowed per 100 possessions) of those six teams: 105.0, 104.2, 106.7, 102.1, 104.0, and 105.4.
Magic Johnson appeared in nine NBA Finals series. These are the defensive ratings of those nine teams (Celtics teams in italics, teams that beat Magic's Lakers in bold): 101.0, 103.9, 100.9, 104.4, 106.3, 106.8, 105.3, 104.7, 105.2. 防守背景下的历史最伟大的球星们
让我们尝试着把凯尔特人的防守放到这伟大的背景当中，可以么？
乔丹出现在6次NBA总决赛中。这里是那6个队的防守评定等级（每100次进攻所得到的分数）：105.0、104.2、106.7、102.1、104.0以及105.4。
魔术师出现在9次NBA总决赛中。这里是那9个队（粗体数字为凯尔特人击败魔术师的湖人时的数据）的防守评定等级：101.0,、103.9、 100.9、 104.4、106.3、106.8、105.3、104.7、105.2。
This year's Celtics team had a defensive rating of 103.8. That's better than five of the six defenses Jordan faced in the Finals; it's better than seven of the nine teams Magic faced in the Finals.
今年凯尔特人的防守评定等级是103.8。这要比乔丹6个总决赛所要面对的球队的其中5个还要好，这也比魔术师在总决赛中遇到9个球队的其中7个还要好。
But even that is misleading, since even the dullest of NBA observers knows full well that the Celtics in 2009-10 regular season were nothing like the team that showed up for the playoffs — let alone the team that nearly won the NBA championship. During the regular season, this Celtics team employed a deliberate strategy of saving their best players for the post-season. As a result, over their final 54 games they were 27-27. Their defense in the regular season, after Christmas, was barely a shadow of the defense they played in the playoffs. In fact, it was actually quite bad.
甚至这还是具有误导性的，就连最傻的NBA观察员都会知道在2009—2010常规赛里的凯尔特人和那个在季后赛中差一点赢得总冠军的凯尔特人根本就是判若两队的，防守强度根本没法比。常规赛当中，凯尔特人故意把他们最好的球员雪藏起来，为的就是季后赛。这种战略的结果就是，在最后的54场常规赛当中，他们是27胜27负。在圣诞节过后的常规赛里，他们表现出来的防守仅仅是他们在季后赛所表现出来的防守的一个缩影而已。事实上，这样的防守也是不敢恭维的。
Perhaps that is the most significant indicator in all of this. Their regular season defense, when compared to the way they played in the playoffs and especially the Finals, was really pretty terrible — and yet, it was better than that of 12 of the 15 teams Magic and Michael played in the Finals.
Meanwhile, the Celtics' defense in the 2010 Finals, particularly in that Game 7, was much more reminiscent of their team that won the 2008 NBA Championship. That team's defensive rating? 98.9.
可能这是最为重要的指示了。他们常规赛的防守强度，相对于他们在季后赛的防守强度，特别是总决赛的，已经差了很多了。尽管如此，综合起来还是比魔术师和乔丹在总决赛中所遇到的15个球队中的12个的防守强度要好的了。
同时，凯尔特人在2010总决赛的防守强度，特别是第七场，真的是很容易让人联想起他们赢得2008年总冠军时的表现。那时他们的防守评定等级是98.9。
Michael Jordan never played against that kind of defense in the Finals. And yet, in nine of the 35 games he played in the NBA Finals, he took more or less the same number of shots as he had points — including one in which he took 43 shots to score 44 points!
Very few NBA Finals game logs exist for Magic Johnson, but in the one season I could find, he had one game in which he took 13 shots to score 14 points against a Chicago defense that rated at 105.2 points allowed per possession. Despite never playing against a team with a defensive rating below 100 points per possession, we can safely assume that in eight other Finals appearances, Magic likely had a number of other games in which his offensive output resembled Kobe's in Game 7.
乔丹从来没有试过在总决赛中跟这种防守的球队对抗。可是，在乔丹打的35场总决赛中有9场，他的得分和出手数字几乎是一样的，里面还包括了一场他出手了43次得到了44分！
魔术师的总决赛数据存在的可不多，但我发现在一个赛季，他有一场比赛是出手了13次得到了14分，当时面对的公牛队的防守评定等级仅仅是105.2。尽管从来没有面对过防守评定等级低于100的球队，但我们可以轻易的推断出，要是面对相同级别的防守时，魔术师在另外的总决赛中也是会有科比在第七场时那样的“低效率”的表现的。
Neither Magic nor Michael ever faced a team in the Finals with a defensive rating below 100 points per possession. Kobe has done it twice. The first time was with a team of inexperienced players, most of whom had never been out of the first round; only Derek Fisher and Luke Walton had ever been to the Finals, and Luke Walton had been a rookie at the time, averaging only seven minutes per game. Pau Gasol had only been with the Lakers for three months.
The second time Kobe faced a defense of that caliber, he took those same players and beat it.
不管是乔丹还是魔术师都没有在总决赛中遇到过防守评定等级低于100的球队，但科比就面对过两次。第一次是队友们缺乏经验，他们中的大多数人都没有突破过季后赛首轮，只有费舍尔和沃顿经历过总决赛，而沃顿那时候只是一个菜鸟，场均只有7分钟的上场时间。加索尔加入湖人也才仅仅是三个月而已。
科比第二次面对这样水准的防守时，他带领着队友击败了对方。
The Box Score and the Double Standard
Perhaps what irks me the most is the double standard critics continually employ to devalue Kobe Bryant's play. When he was younger, his critics devalued his play by claiming that he was "just a great scorer," and nothing more. This was, of course, not true; Kobe has virtually always led the Lakers in assists, has always rebounded well for a guard, and is one of the few players who is great on both ends of the floor. But his detractors recognized none of this; to them, he was "a great scorer," but nothing else. They painted him as one-dimensional and elevated over him other players whom they saw as doing more things than just scoring to help their team win.
In that context, perhaps you can understand how frustrating it is to hear people talking about Kobe Bryant having a bad, or even terrible game on the basis of one thing, and one thing only: his struggle to score. The reality is that Kobe did so much more than score in Game 7, and much of what he did contributed directly to the Lakers' victory. 比赛数据和双重标准
可能让我最为厌烦的就是一而再，再而三的用双重标准去评价科比的表现。当他年轻的时候，科黑们就认定科比就是一个得分手而已，其它的都不行。当然，这是错的。科比事实上总是用助攻来带领着湖人，对篮板的保护也做得很好，他是联盟中少有的几个在攻防两端都很出色的球员。但科黑们完全没有意识到这些。对于他们来说，科比就是一个得分手，其它的就没有用了。他们把科比描述成一个单一的只靠得分来帮助球队的人，而不会上升到像其它球员那样除了得分还可以在其它很多方面帮助球队取得胜利。
在这样的背景之下，也许你会明白，仅仅是因为科比打了一场不好的球，又或者仅仅是他的得分效率不高，科黑们就在说三道四了，这是多么的令人沮丧的。这事情的真相就是科比在第七场中除了得分，还做了很多其它方面的贡献，而这些直接领导了湖人走向胜利。 Whatever It Takes
An MVP-caliber player is not necessarily the guy that scores a lot. An MVP is a player who does whatever is necessary for his team to win. Sometimes, as was the case in Game 6 of the WCF or in Game 5 of this series (even though it resulted in a loss), that means taking over and scoring lots of points. Sometimes, as was the case in most of the WCF, it means dishing out lots of assists. 不管发生什么
一个MVP级别的球员不一定就是得分最多的那个家伙。谁在球队需要什么就做什么来带领球队取得胜利的，谁就是MVP。有时候，科比在西部决赛的第六场，又或者是总决赛的第5场（尽管是输了）的英勇表现，这些都表明得分可以接管比赛。有时候，科比在西部决赛做得很多了，这意味着大量助攻可以掌握比赛。
Sometimes, it means grabbing rebounds and playing defense. That was the case in this series. In all seven games, the team that won the rebounding battle won the game. Every NBA observer in the world understood that the key to this game, not only for the Lakers but for both teams, was to rebound the ball. Pre-game articles and studio crews hammered that point into the ground. By the time the game started, it almost seemed as though nothing else even mattered.
In that context, Kobe Bryant grabbed 15 rebounds. That's more than Ron Artest and Andrew Bynum, combined. Or Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum. Or Lamar Odom and Ron Artest. It's more than Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, combined. It's more than Big Baby and Kevin Garnett, combined. In fact, it's five times as many rebounds as Garnett, and three times as many as Artest or Bynum, and twice as many as Odom or Wallace. I could go on, but you get the idea. The only player that out-rebounded Kobe Bryant was Pau Gasol — and despite playing under the rim and towering over Kobe, Gasol's 18 rebounds barely outpaced Bryant's 15.
有时候，这意味着强势的抢篮板和努力的防守。这些就是在这系列赛中所发生的实例。在这七场比赛当中，哪个队抢得更多的篮板，哪个队就会取得胜利。每一个在这世界上的NBA观察员都会明白什么是比赛的关键，不仅仅是对于湖人，也是对于这两个队，那就是努力的去抢篮板。每一场比赛的文章和广播都在强调着这一点。随着比赛一开始，篮板球就变得每个必争的了，很是重要。
在这样的背景之下，科比抢了15个篮板。这比阿泰和拜纳姆，又或者是奥多姆和拜纳姆，又或者是奥多姆和阿泰加起来都还要多。这甚至比华莱士、加内特和雷阿伦加起来都还要多，这也比大宝贝和加内特加起来也要多。事实上，这已经是加内特的5倍，阿泰或者安猪的3倍，奥多姆或者华莱士的2倍了。我可以继续数下去，但你很快就会得到结论的。只有加索尔的篮板比科比多了，除了位置上以及身高的优势，加索尔的篮板18个也只是比科比的15个抢多了3个而已。
Together, Kobe and Pau out-rebounded the Celtics' starting five, 33-31.
The Lakers won this game not because of Ron Artest's second quarter scoring or Pau Gasol's second half shooting. They won this game by out-rebounding the Celtics, and while Pau Gasol's 18 rebounds should absolutely not be undervalued, they were not necessarily uncharacteristic; after all, he averaged 14.5 rebounds in the conference semifinals. It was Kobe's truly remarkable rebounding that set the tone for the Lakers and led them to a 53-40 rebounding advantage that decided the game.
这样，科比和加索尔的篮板加起来就比凯尔特人5人先发的篮板总数还要多了，33：31。
湖人能够赢得这场比赛不是因为阿泰第二节的得分，也不是加索尔下半场的精准投篮。他们之所以赢得比赛主要是因为比凯尔特人抢了更多的篮板，当然加索尔抢的18个篮板那是绝对不能够低估的，这必然会成为典型的，毕竟，在西部决赛时他能够抢下场均14.5个篮板。而真正的关键是科比真正出色的保护了篮板，并且为湖人的比赛设定了基调，领导湖人的篮板以53：40领先，这决定了比赛的胜负。
When they weren't dominating the Celtics on the boards, the Lakers were suffocating the Celtics on the defensive end. In the pivotal third quarter stretch, the Lakers held the Celtics to only 17 points, while cutting a 13-point lead to four. In the entire second half, Bryant held Rajon Rondo to eight points on 3-7 shooting, five assists, and three rebounds.
Finally, in the final period, Kobe Bryant took control of the game by being aggressive, getting the Celtics into foul trouble, and getting to the line. While he missed all but one of his shots, he got to the line nine times, hitting eight shots. Those who have emphasized the 24 shots Bryant needed to scored 23 points may want to pay attention to the work he did in the fourth quarter, where he scored 10 points on only four shots. Forget the final game — in the final quarter of this series, Kobe Bryant took control and dominated.
当湖人不能在进攻上称霸凯尔特人时，他们最终选择了用令人窒息的防守来克制对方。在关键的第三节，湖人只让凯尔特人得到了17分，而且把13分的劣势追上只差4分了。在整个下半场，科比很好的防住了朗多，让他7投3中仅得到8分，5次助攻和3个篮板。
最终，在比赛的最后阶段，科比以很强硬的侵略性控制了比赛，让凯尔特人陷进了犯规麻烦，而自己也一次次的走上了罚球线。尽管他只投中了一个，但他9次走上罚球线，并且罚中了8分。那些老是强调科比用了24次出手才得到23分的科黑们，应该把注意力放在科比第四节中所做到的表现，他仅仅用了4次投篮就得到了10分。不要老把数据放在心上，总之在总决赛的最后时刻，科比完全的控制和主导了比赛。
In a post-game interview, Kobe was asked what his mindset was in the game, in light of his poor shooting, and what he did to still put his imprint on the game. His response effectively sums up the effort to lead his team to a repeat championship:
"Two things. Get to the free throw line; I got to attack. My jumper's not falling, I got to figure out some gaps, which is tough to do against this team. They do a great job shrinking the floor. So I had to get to the free throw line, and I had to rebound the ball. You know, rebounding has won every single game in this series, and I had to make sure I got my little behind on there."
在一个季后赛的采访上，科比被问到当他手感不好时，在比赛中的想法是怎样的，而且要怎样做直至他掌控了比赛。科比的回答有力的概括了他是做了怎样的努力来带领湖人实现卫冕的：
“只有两点。第一是必须得走上罚球线；第二是我必须要加强进攻。我的跳投不准，因为这样强烈的对抗我就很难想办法找得出一些空档来。他们的收缩防守做得很好。所以我必须得站上罚球线，必须得去抢篮板。你知道的，这个系列赛都是哪个队的篮板多就是哪个队胜利的，我必须竭尽所能去做到这些。”
Commentators often speak of great players doing whatever they can to help their team, when their shot isn't falling. You know what I'm talking about — in your best Mark Jackson voice, say it along with me: "His shot isn't falling, but he's doing other things to impact them game!" Why is it, then, that no one seems willing to point out the many ways Kobe did just that in Game 7?
Do they think it's coincidence that in a series so clearly influenced by rebounding, in the final game for all the marbles, a 200-pound guard of average size, with old knees and waning athleticism, just happens to pull down 15 rebounds?
评论家们都说一些伟大的球员们，当他们的投篮不准时，他们就会通过其它任何方式来帮助球队。你知道我要说的是谁了，就是你们认为最好的乔丹对我说的：“当他的投篮不准时，他会用其它的方式来接管比赛！”好像没有人愿意指出科比第七场中在其它方面所做出的巨大成功，这是为什么呢？
在一个以篮板为胜负的系列赛中，特别是在这最后一场，一个体重200磅，中等身材，带着受伤的膝盖以及竞技状态正在衰退的后卫，奋不顾身的抢下了15个篮板，难道科黑们真的认为这是一个巧合吗？ The Bottom Line
No one is saying Kobe didn't struggle to score in Game 7 — at least, through the first three quarters. What we're saying is that even the greatest of the greats would have struggled against Boston's defense, as have all who have faced it. They can say that Michael or Magic wouldn't have struggled so much in a Finals Game 7, but neither of them faced a defense like this one. Jordan, meanwhile, never played in a seventh game in the Finals, so we'll never know what he would have done in such a game. Knowing MJ, he likely would have tried to take over the game himself, much as Kobe did — and against this Boston defense, the result likely would have been pretty similar.
Some have said, at various points throughout the series, that Pau Gasol was the Lakers' MVP of the Finals. After the game, one of my friends said to me, "Kobe is the MVP of the entire series, but if it were based on a single game, Pau Gasol or Ron Artest would be the MVP of Game 7." 最后的话
没有人能够否认科比在第七场中得分遇到了麻烦，至少，前面的三节比赛都是这样的。我们需要说的是即使是史上最伟大的球员在面对凯尔特人的防守时，得分也是会变得很困难的。科黑们也许会说，乔丹或者是魔术师不会在第七场中遇到那么多的麻烦。但是不要忘记了他们也从来没有面对过这样强悍的防守。更甚者，乔丹根本就没有在总决赛中打过第七场，所以我们无法知道他在这样的一场比赛中会是怎样的表现。众所周知的，乔丹也是跟科比一样，喜欢自己来接管比赛的，所以面对凯尔特人这样的防守，结果也是跟科比差不多的。
有一些科黑说，通过整个系列赛的关键环节，加索尔才是湖人的总决赛MVP。比赛过后，有一个朋友这样对我说：“科比是整个系列赛的MVP，但如果单单是就一场比赛来说，加索尔或者阿泰才是第七场的MVP。”
It is true that Ron Artest was huge for the Lakers, particularly in the second period, when the rest of the team struggled. Without his second quarter offense, or his defense throughout the game, the Lakers' comeback would have been impossible. For that, he would be deserving Game 7 MVP. At the same time, however, it was Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol who dominated the rebounding game, and it was Kobe and Pau who attacked the Celtics in the fourth quarter, putting the Celtics in the penalty early and getting to the line a combined 18 times in the period.
事实上阿泰对于湖人的作用也是巨大的，特别是下半场，当其他的队友无法得分的时候。要是没有阿泰下半场良好的进攻，又或者是他整场比赛的防守，湖人要想卫冕，那是不可能的。因此，他是值得被称为第七场的MVP的。然而同时，科比和加索尔又在篮板上牢牢的控制了比赛，又是他们在第四节的疯狂进攻，使凯尔特人频频犯规，很快就达到了犯规罚球的次数，并且在这个时间内联合奉献了18次罚球。
In fact, Gasol and Bryant had nearly mirror image games from start to finish. Both shot poorly in the game; at halftime, Gasol was 3-12 and Bryant was 3-14. Both players dominated the glass, pulling down 18 and 15 rebounds, respectively. Specifically, both players had eight rebounds in the second half. Finally, both players got to the line 11 times in the second half, including nine each in the fourth quarter. Gasol was better from the field in the second half, going 3-4 to Kobe's 3-10; Bryant was better from the line, going 10-11 to Gasol's 7-11.
But the offense doesn't run through Ron Artest or Pau Gasol; it runs through Kobe Bryant, and so the responsibility falls on him. As Doc Rivers said after Game 3, another game in which Kobe struggled with his shot:
"He struggled from the field, but he did make a lot of plays. I think people fail to realize the reason a lot of the other guys are open is because Kobe Bryant is on the floor."
事实上，加索尔和科比从比赛的一开始到结束，都是有一个很相似的表现的。两者的投篮都不好，半场时，加索尔是12投3中，科比是14投3中。两者都主导了篮板，分别抢下了18个和15个篮板。特别的是，他们两个在下半场都抢到了8个篮板。最后要说的是，他们两个在下半场都是11次走上了罚球线，包括了在第4节都是有9次罚球。加索尔是好在下半场的投篮命中率上，4投3中对上科比的10投3中，而科比是好在罚球命中率上，11罚10中对上加索尔的11罚7中。
但进攻的主导并不在阿泰或者加索尔身上，而是在科比身上，所以责任就落在了他的身上。同样是科比的投篮遇到麻烦的第三场赛后，道格·里弗斯说过：
“虽然他的进攻遇到了麻烦，但他却在比赛中做出了很多的贡献。我想大家都不明白为什么其他人在场上会有那么多的空档呢？那是因为科比在场上吸引了很多的防守。”
It was Kobe who drew double and triple teams, leaving other players open two and three passes down the line. And in that critical final frame, he showed once again that the fourth quarter belongs to Kobe Bryant, as he scored 10 points on only four field goal attempts.
At the end of the day, it wasn't Kobe's best game. But he was better than Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo, better than Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. He was as good as Ron Artest and Pau Gasol, and the three of them fought and struggled their way, in a manner both ugly and beautiful, to lead the Lakers to victory.
Rebounding won the series, and Kobe Bryant averaged 8.0 rebounds per game in the Finals — more than any Celtics, and second only to Pau Gasol. Game 7 wasn't the best game of his career, but he pulled down 15 rebounds and dominated the fourth quarter, leading the Lakers to victory. I'd say it was still pretty good.
If I had to pick an MVP for Game 7, I don't know what I'd do. The Lakers couldn't have won without Artest's defense, or his second quarter offense, but neither could they have survived the fourth quarter without either half of their one-two punch. Fittingly for this particular game, all three struggled, and yet all three led their team to victory despite their struggles.
这是因为科比老是陷入二人和三人的包夹当中，这就使其他的2个或者3个球员获得了空档。而在关键的时刻，科比再一次在第四节来了一次show time，他仅仅用了4次出手就得到了10分。
在这样的一个夜晚，这不是科比表现最好的比赛。但他做得比皮尔斯和朗多好，也比加内特和雷阿伦做得好。他的表现就跟阿泰和加索尔的表现一样好，他们三个都是用自己的方式来挣扎或者战斗，以一种丑陋但同时也是华丽的方式来带领湖人走向胜利。
篮板主导了这个系列赛的胜负，而科比就是以总决赛场均8个篮板领先于凯尔特人的所有人，仅次于加索尔。第七场不是科比职业生涯最好的比赛，但他抢下了15个篮板，而且主导了第四节，带领湖人取得胜利。
我能够说的就是这几乎就是完美的了。
如果要我选择一个第七场的MVP的话，我还真的是不知道应该选谁。要是没有阿泰的防守和他在第二节的进攻表现，湖人不会赢。但是如果没有科比和加索尔在第四节的强势表现，湖人同样不会赢得总冠军。在这样的一场特殊比赛里，他们三个都表现得很挣扎。尽管是这样的困难，他们也还是让湖人取得了胜利。 Merely Mortal
I'll leave you with this thought (I know what you're thinking: "Finally!"): Kobe's post-game press conference after Game 7 was the most honest, open, and transparent that we've ever seen him. As our own C.A. Clark already pointed out, he was more vulnerable than we've ever seen with this quote:
You know, I just wanted it so bad. I wanted it so, so bad. Plus, I was on [Empty]. Man, I was really, really tried. And the more I tried to push, the more it kept getting away from me.
As Ron Artest said in his post-game presser, Kobe was just trying to win. And you know what? At the end of the day, even Kobe Bryant is a human being. Even Kobe Bryant can become overwhelmed by the moment, and even Kobe can have a bad shooting night. Guess what? It's happened to all the great players who came before him, and it will happen to all those who come after him. 仅仅是人类
我将要告诉你们这个想法（我知道你们是在想终于要结束了）：科比在第七场的赛后新闻发布会上表现得非常的诚恳，公开和透明的让我们看到他是怎样的一个人。就像我们克拉克曾经指出的，我们听到这样的话，才知道科比是多么的脆弱：
你知道的，我真的是太想获胜了，我真的是很想很想。真的，我整个人都是空的了，我真的真的是累了。我越想要去推它，它就会离我越远。
就好像阿泰在赛后的采访说的，科比只是想要胜利。你知道什么呢？在这样的一个夜晚，科比也只是一个凡人而已。即使是科比，也只能在那样的时刻无可奈何了，即使是科比，也得接受有一个晚上的命中率是很糟糕的。猜猜这是为什么呢？在他之前所有的伟大球员会发生这样的情况，在他之后的也会。
If you can't afford him his humanity, you don't deserve to watch this great sport.
But like C.A. said, though the moment overwhelmed him briefly, he responded with the heart of a champion, controlled the game by rebounding the ball, attacking the Celtics' defense, and getting to the free throw line in the fourth quarter, and led his team to victory. In a world that has yet to succumb to being overrun by machines and robots... what more can you ask for? After this game, Kobe's dad said it best: "When you don’t have your game and you find a way, that’s a champion."
Shouldn't we celebrating and marveling at what Kobe was able to do to overcome his his shooting woes, rather than picking holes in a game that was, ultimately, worthy of a champion?
如果你不能承担得起他凡人般的表现，那你就没有资本去看这伟大的运动。
但就像克拉克说的，虽然这样的时刻暂时的让科比无可奈何，但他却用一颗总冠军的心来回应，用篮板来掌控比赛，不断的冲击凯尔特人的防守，在第四节一次次的走上罚球线，从而带领球队取得胜利。
在这个机械横行，肌肉压垮的世界上，你还能够奢求什么呢？赛后，科比的老爸说得很对：“当你不能通过自己的方式去比赛，但仍然取得了胜利，那才是真正的冠军。”
我们与其在这样的比赛中鸡蛋里挑骨头，为什么不为科比克服了投篮上的问题，从而赢得了总冠军而庆祝呢？这样的奇迹不是更值得赢取总冠军吗？
