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0 Comments | USA TODAY, June, 2008 | by Jon Saraceno

These NBA Finals offer much in the way of nostalgia: the spirit of legendary coach Red Auerbach hovering over the Zen Master, Kurt Rambis clothesline replays ad nauseam and a constellation of former Celtics and Lakers stars. Savor those classics, then check out five things to watch:

This juicy matchup not only has pure hoops intrigue, it offers a savory soap opera backdrop.

After the Los Angeles Lakers traded Shaquille O'Neal in 2004, Allen, playing for the Seattle SuperSonics, made a prescient observation regarding Bryant's future: "If Kobe doesn't see he needs two good players to be a legitimate playoff contender, or win a championship in about a year or two, he'll be calling out to (owner) Jerry Buss that, 'We need some help here,' or 'Trade me.' And we'll...