Kobe Bryant was hours away from another championship when that large, looming shadow appeared again.
Game 5 of the NBA Finals arrived along with a report that the Cleveland Cavaliers, realizing they needed more help for LeBron James, had renewed talks with Phoenix on a deal for Shaquille O'Neal.
The trade for Bryant's extra large ex-teammate went through on draft day, creating the tantalizing possibility of a Kobe vs. LeBron and Shaq final, and perhaps making Cleveland the favorite to face Los Angeles for this year's championship.
Unless it's Boston.
Or Orlando.
Or maybe San Antonio stops the Lakers from even getting out of the West.
All the top contenders made big moves, and the one that gets the best return on its investment could get the biggest reward next June.
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"A lot of teams in the East got better; a lot of teams in the West got better," O'Neal said. "It's going to be one of the most exciting years ever since I've been in the league."
Among the moves:
• The Lakers signed Ron Artest, an upgrade in talent on the court but a wild card in the locker room.
• The Celtics signed Rasheed Wallace, hoping the temperamental forward can either fill in for or play alongside a recovered Kevin Garnett.
• The Magic traded for Vince Carter, believing he can replace what they lost with the departure of Hedo Turkoglu.
• The Spurs acquired Richard Jefferson, giving them some much-needed athleticism on the wing.
Already among the best, those teams all could be even better.
"I think what happens is those teams, actually they were favored before the trades were made, and they became stronger," Boston coach Doc Rivers said.
At least one team may have needed to. James is the headline name in that free agent class next summer, which could include Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Yao Ming, Dirk Nowitzki and Joe Johnson.
Teams are lining up for a chance to be spenders — though a potential significant drop in the salary cap could hamper some plans. The Cavs don't want to risk losing their MVP from down the road in Akron, so they have continued trying to strengthen a team that had the league's best record last season before getting knocked off by the Magic in the conference finals.
Orlando also was busy, realizing it needed something more to finish the job this season.
"Our goal is not just to get back to the finals. We want to win championships. That's it. Championships are what matter, and we want to win a championship now," Magic general manager Otis Smith said. "The pieces we added were the pieces we thought we needed to win a championship. We're not content with just getting back to the finals. That's why we made the moves we made."
Opening night tonight features three of the contenders. The Celtics visit the Cavs in the first game of the season (4:30p.m. TNT), an early chance to gauge Garnett's health after knee pain shut him down late last season, wrecking Boston's chance for a repeat. The Lakers raise their championship banner later tonight when they face the Clippers (7:30, TNT).
The Lakers seem in great shape to make a run at a repeat. No team has won back-to-back since the Bryant-O'Neal Lakers won three straight beginning with the 2000 finals, but by adding Artest and keeping sixth man Lamar Odom, Los Angeles might be better prepared than any team since — especially with Bryant saying he feels healthier after a summer off following two straight off-seasons playing for the United States.
"We'll just be ready to go. We understand the challenge of winning another one," Bryant said. "We have the chance here, we have the talent to win another one."
O'Neal would love to be the one to prevent a repeat, and he thinks he can. He's already called the Cavaliers "probably the best team I've ever played on, on paper anyway" — which would be quite a feat because he has played on four champions.
SUNS KEY DATES
• Thursday vs. Golden State: The Warriors are not a big threat to playoff hopes, but the Suns need to re-establish home-court advantage after losing 13 at US Airways Center last season. The home sellout streak of 133 games might not last much longer but having pride at home and getting some leather-lunged fans back would help. The Suns lost home games to three lottery teams last season.
• Dec. 17 at Portland: Where will the Suns stand at this point? After a travel-weary preseason, the Portland visit will mark the Suns' 17th road game in their first 26 games. They go on two weeklong trips to the East in the first five weeks, including the first sight of Shaquille O'Neal in Cleveland on Dec.2.
• Dec. 25 vs. Los Angeles Clippers: The old tradition of Christmas in the desert is back with a second consecutive Noel game here. It is lower key with an ESPN night game against the Clippers. A heartbreaker last Dec. 25 to the Spurs destroyed the momentum gained by beating Orlando and Denver. A win this time sets the Suns up well for the next two home games vs. the Lakers and Celtics.
• Feb. 28 at San Antonio: This is the only Suns game ABC chose to show this season. If they drop a Dec.15 home game against the Spurs, they would have a four-game losing streak against San Antonio. If the Suns have proved formidable again and have not traded Amare Stoudemire by the February deadline, this will be their best stage to assert their standing.
• April 14 at Utah: It was the final game at Utah last season that cost the Suns a playoff spot. They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory that night. This trip is the regular-season finale, and something could be on the line, whether it is seeding or playoff life. It had better not be too important because the Suns have lost three straight in Salt Lake City.
Paul Coro, The Arizona Republic
