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Kobe Bryant(notes) has the NBA title, he needed most—the one without Shaq.

Bryant’s seven-year chase of a coveted championship is over. He’s got his fourth, and Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson his record 10th, a ring for each finger. One year after failing in the finals, Bryant and the Lakers have redemption, and all the rewards that go with it.

They earned their 15th title on Sunday night as Bryant scored 30 points and Pau Gasol(notes) added 14 and 15 rebounds in a 99-86 win in Game 5 over the Orlando Magic, who ran out of comebacks.

It took longer than Bryant expected, but he has stepped out of former teammate Shaquille O’Neal’s(notes) enormous shadow—at last. His fourth championship secured a strong case can be made for Bryant being the league’s best player since Michael Jordan hung up his sneakers.

O’Neal, now with the Phoenix Suns, was glad to see the Bryant win another title.

“Congratulations kobe, u deserve it,” O’Neal said on Twitter page. “You played great. Enjoy it my man enjoy it.”

Bryant’s coach stands alone.

Jackson, the chilled-out, bow-legged Zen Master who won six league titles in the 1990s with Jordan in Chicago, now has won No. 4 with Los Angeles and broke a tie with legendary Boston coach Red Auerbach as the winningest coach in finals history.

“I’ll smoke the cigar tonight in memory of Red,” Jackson said. “He was a great guy.”

Bryant and Jackson, whose relationship strained and briefly snapped under the weight of success, are again at the top of their games.

Together.

Nothing was going to stop Bryant, who spent the postseason scowling, snarling, baring his teeth and all but breathing fire at anything in his path. For weeks, the All-Star has worn his game face, and only when the victory was his in the final seconds did the finals MVP allow himself to smile.

After the final horn, he leaped into the air and was quickly engulfed by his teammates, who bounced around the floor of Amway Arena. Bryant then gave a long, heartfelt hug and shared a few words with Jackson before sweeping up his daughters, both wearing gold Lakers dresses, into his arms.

The Los Angeles Lakers has a return trip to the NBA Finals to the tune on 119 - 92 thumping of the Denver Nuggets. Kobe Bryant played as himself and scored 35 points in 60 percent shooting, dished out 10 assist and grabbing 6 rebounds with only 1 turn over. His three-pointer right in the face of J.R. Smith mid fourth quarter gave the Lakers a 101-82 lead and forced Denver Coach George Karl to call a timeout.

The Lakers shot 57.3 percent from the field to avoid having to play a Game 7 in the Western Conference finals back at the Staples Center.

They will finally get some much-needed rest after playing every other day for a grueling two weeks.

These Lakers, who are headed to their record 30th NBA finals and are seeking their 15th title, are a more grizzled group—but also more bruised and battered — than the one that fell to Boston in the finals last year.

“Now we’re in a place where we didn’t get the job accomplished last year,” Bryant said. “Hopefully we will this time.”

The Lakers have been here before, a chance to close out an opponent in a Game 6, the opportunity to get more rest and advance.

But the Lakers failed the last time, when they could have eliminated the Houston Rockets in the sixth game of the Western Conference semifinals but lost by 15 points.

"It's the most fun because it's the most challenging, especially with the team that we're playing and the environment that we're playing in," Kobe Bryant said about playing in a Game 6. "It's going to be a very, very tough game."

The Lakers lost Game 4 here by 19 points, their most lopsided defeat in the playoffs. The Lakers talked after shoot-around today about matching Denver's energy tonight.

Lakers learned their lesson the last series against Houston and made sure they will get Game 6 and close out the series right after the opening tip. This time its their turn to wait for their opponent while the Cleveland Cavaliers whose 8-0 on the last 2previous series was 1-3 against Orlando before stealing Game 5.

Lakers will have 5 days rest no matter what happened to Cleveland - Orlando Eastern Conference Finals.

First it was a push now a trip, what would Dahntay Jones do next to Kobe Bryant?

Dahntay Jones, of the Denver Nuggets, is gaining a well-earned reputation as a dirty player. The NBA needs to come down hard on Jones for his push in the back of the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant followed by an inexcusable dirty trip of Bryant in Game 4. Both incident wasn't a flagrant in the eyes of the officials and the trip isn't even a foul. Jones has to be harshly disciplined. That trip could have been much more dangerous. He could have hit Bryant in the shin and we could have had a broken leg, an injured ankle or something else serious. There is no place for dirty play like this in the NBA. This is the playoffs and we can expect good, hard and physical play. But, those two plays are indicative of a guy who is doing things outside of good and hard-nosed basketball.

Dahntay Jones must be suspended.

Update: Jones got a flagrant 1 call after the NBA office reviewed the game. One more flagrant call and he will get 1 game suspension.