Ranking each NBA Finals of the decade from worst to best

5. 2010 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston Celtics (4-3)

Competitiveness: 9/10
Conclusion: 9/10
Overall excitement: 8/10
Average score: 8.7/10

From the moment the Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals, everyone was gearing up for their inevitable rematch at some point in the near future. This much-anticipated rematch between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers was everything we needed to kick the decade off right.

Kobe Bryant was the one waiting most eagerly for another series with the Celtics. While he had already proven himself as an all-time great with his performance in the 2009 NBA Finals against the Orlando Magic, Kobe wouldn’t be satisfied until he exacted revenge on the Celtics, who had beaten him just two seasons ago.

As for the Celtics, they were still thriving due to their core of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. Finishing with a 50-32 record, the Celtics traversed through a very difficult Eastern Conference. Knocking off the likes of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Dwight Howard on their way to the Finals, it was clear the Celtics were ready to compete at the highest level.

Meanwhile, the Lakers had an interesting path to the Finals themselves, beating a young Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden in round one, only to face the Steve Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire-led Phoenix Suns in the conference finals. By the time the NBA Finals had begun, both teams had endured a number of significant challenges.

The series began with each team trading blows. The Lakers opened up with a Game 1 win behind Bryant’s 30 points, only to be topped in Game 2 when Allen poured in 32. Due to an all-around great team performance in Game 3, Los Angeles managed to jump out to a 2-1 series lead.

However, things were about to get ugly for L.A. Despite Kobe having his two best offensive games of the series, the Celtics won both Game 4 and 5. With his back against the wall, it was time for Kobe to figure out a new plan of attack. Simply carrying the offensive load wasn’t going to be enough to eliminate this stacked Boston team; Bryant would have to get his hands dirty if he wanted to win this series.

In Game 6, the Lakers displayed an unbelievably tough defense, holding the Celtics to just 67 points, which was the lowest points scored from a Finals team since 1998. Kobe received huge help from players such as Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace, who combined for 32 points and 19 rebounds.

All of this brought us to a climactic final game in which neither team was willing to roll over. Even when the Celtics took an 11-point lead in the second half, the Lakers battled back and held a three-point lead with under two minutes to play.

This is where Bryant showed his growth as a player and allowed someone other than himself to attempt a big-time shot. When a double-team forced Kobe to pass the ball, World Peace stepped up and drilled a critical 3-pointer to extend the L.A. lead and secure the victory.

In the end, Bryant finished the series averaging 28.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as he won his second consecutive Finals MVP award. This series helped cement Kobe as one of the best NBA players of all-time.