Ive just read this ESPN article....
6 current players of the Lakers have ties to the O'Neal Trade.
Bynum, Odom, Gasol, Morrison, Brown and Farmar.
This franchise knows how to maintain an elite team. You unload a superstar...even at the time, you think you dont have fair value...but look at it now. Even while rebuilding, they dont go down the cellar...they still field a competitive team.
And while the Lakers had its share of "luck" on game winning plays:
.4 second shot of Fisher, the Horry 3 against the Kings and now this Artest shot.......the team must be consistently good so that you keep on getting those opportunities to win.
Suns meanwhile has the other side of luck on its tail....
The Boston triple OT in the 70s (Garfield Heard shot)
The Improbable 3 from Tim Duncan 2008
The famous Robert Horry Hip check to Nash in 2007
We'll see the rest of the series if the Suns can reverse their fortunes.....