On Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers used grit, determination, and clutch play in the 4th quarter of Game 7 to outlast the Boston Celtics for the 2010 NBA Championship. It was a wild finish to an unpredictable, entertaining NBA Finals between the last two NBA champions.

Both teams were filled with rosters of previous champions, proven head coaches, and ultimate competitors. It was no surprise that this series went 7 games and came down to whichever team could execute best in the last five minutes of a tight, physical game.

Years from now, the Laker players will look back upon this NBA Finals and remember how incredibly tough it was to win this one. Every player contributed and fought hard for their team to get it done. But how will fans, analysts, and historians look back upon this 2010 champion Los Angeles Lakers team?

This year’s Finals was a particularly important one in terms of the legacies of a certain player, coach, and rivalry. Here are the 3 most significant things about the Lakers’ 2010 NBA Championship:

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1. Kobe Bryant’s Laker and Historical Legacy -
Above anything else, the 2010 NBA Finals was Kobe Bryant’s stage to perform. In such a competitive matchup between equally great teams, it was up to Bryant to be the difference maker, as the best player in the series. After a tremendous series, he struggled mightily in Game 7. He shot just 6 for 24, firing killer misses throughout the night. But when his shot wouldn’t fall, he made an impact in the game in other ways. He grabbed 15 huge rebounds, played fantastic on the defensive end, and stepped up big in the 4th quarter. He only had 6 field goals, but 3 of them came in the final period. There’s no question that Bryant willed his team to victory in 2010.

As a result of the win, Bryant’s legacy has now reached another level. For months, people have been discussing things like Bryant’s ranking in Laker history, and his overall value in NBA history, compared to players like Jordan and Bird. With the 2010 title, all of these topics become legitimate conversations. Kobe now has 5 rings; that’s 5 more than Charles Barkley and Karl Malone. It’s 4 more than Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, and Julius Erving. That’s 3 more than Isiah Thomas and Wilt Chamberlain; 2 more than Larry Bird, and 1 more than Shaquille O’Neal. He now has the same number of rings as Magic Johnson, and 1 fewer than Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In terms of KOBE VS SHAQ, it’s now advantage Kobe. Shaq was the most dominant player in the league for 10 years, and may be the most single dominant force of all time. But Shaq won 4 titles since 1992, including 2 losses in the Finals. Kobe came into the league in 1996 and now has 5 titles, including 2 Finals losses. 5 for 7 trumps 4 for 6. Each won 3 as teammates and lost one as teammates in 2004 to the Detroit Pistons, and each lost as the leader of their own respective teams (when Shaq was with Orlando in 1995). But now Kobe has won 2 titles without Shaq, while O’Neal won 1 without him (with Miami). Shaq was the Finals MVP in each of their titles as teammates, which is an interesting facet of the debate. But Shaq was nowhere close to the MVP when he won in Miami, while Kobe was the obvious MVP of the last two championships. Their games and styles can be debated, but their legacies as winners have become more defined. In terms of greatness and legacy, Kobe’s 5 rings gives him the upper hand on Shaq. Kobe > Shaq.

In terms KOBE’S RANKING IN LAKER HISTORY, let the debate begin. Kobe is the leading scorer in Lakers history, just ahead of West, Kareem, Baylor, and Magic. Kobe has 5 rings as a Laker; that’s way more than West, Wilt, or Baylor. As great as those guys were, and they’re all top players in NBA history, they can’t touch Kobe’s Laker legacy. It’s time to start comparing Kobe vs. Kareem and Magic. Both Kareem and Magic won 5 titles as teammates in the 1980’s. Kobe has won just as many; 3 of them came with Shaq, but 2 came without him. Pau Gasol is a great player, but he is the clear #2 to Kobe. Bryant is proven as a true winner, and the distinctions as greatest Laker are up to personal preference and style. Magic redefined the way the game was played in the ‘80’s, and Kareem simply dominated the paint on his way to becoming the leading scorer in NBA history. But both players did it together as teammates with other great players alongside them. Bryant, now, has completed his 5 rings with more adversity. He won a 3-peat with Shaq, but won 2 with a collection of others. Along the way, he endured a sexual assault trial and fans’ fear of him being traded or leaving as a free agent. He came back stronger than ever, won 2 more titles, and has become an untouchable legend in Lakers lure. So what’s greater; the sheer dominance and greatness of Magic and Kareem’s 5 titles and gameplay that changed the NBA forever? Or Kobe’s enduring of adversity to win 5 titles as part of two separate eras? There’s nothing Kobe hasn’t done to prove his legacy as the greatest Laker in history, and it’s simply a matter of great debate at this point. Kobe, Magic, and Kareem can each make a case for the greatest L.A. Laker of all time.

Finally, in terms of KOBE VS JORDAN, the conversation has officially been opened up. Let's make it clear: Michael Jordan is the player that Kobe Bryant has always strived to become. Jordan is the greatest player to ever play the game, and Bryant should be honored to be in the same breath. But he’s getting closer and closer to reaching Jordan status each season, in some ways. They’re eerily similar in their games, styles of play, and competitive nature. Michael Jordan won 6 titles as part of two 3-peats. Kobe had a 3-peat from 1999-2001, and is now part of a back-to-back champion. If Bryant could somehow, someway lead the Lakers to a 2011 championship and second 3-peat, Kobe Bryant vs. Michael Jordan will become a raging debate. For now, it’s just an eligible conversation. Bryant has done nearly everything that Jordan did. Kobe has 5 titles, Jordan had 6. They’re each 10-plus-time NBA All-Stars. They’re both multiple-season league scoring champions. Jordan was first team All-NBA 10 times and All-NBA defensive team 9 times. Kobe has been All-NBA first team and defensive team both 8 times. They each won All-Star Game MVP’s 3 times. Kobe won a Slam Dunk Contest, and Jordan won 2. The difference is, Jordan was a one-of-a-kind talent in his era. Jordan won 5 MVP’s, and Kobe has won 1. That’s the major difference between them, and it’s unlikely that Kobe will win another regular-season MVP award. Michael Jordan is the greatest player in NBA history for a reason. A large percentage of sports fans, including myself, consider Jordan the greatest athlete ever. It’s remarkable that Kobe has even reached a level of discussion with Jodran. But, given all of the stats and similarities between them, it’s now in the realm of possibility that Kobe could be as great and historically significant of a wing player as Michael Jordan was. 1 more title, and Kobe is on the same level as a winner. Perhaps Jordan is untouchable as a dominant talent and legendary player, but Bryant is getting closer to the same level of historical greatness.

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2. Phil Jackson’s Pedestal -
The 2010 NBA Championship now gives coach Phil Jackson 11 championship rings. That’s right, ELEVEN RINGS!! This win officially puts Phil on a pedestal of greatness. In terms of head coaches, Jackson’s 11th title puts him two past Red Auerbach’s 9 rings, and firmly establishes himself at the top of that list without any debate. He’s the most successful NBA coach of all time. And now, his 11th ring also ties him with Bill Russell for the most rings of any player or coach.

Forever, Bill Russell has been the one player in NBA history associated with winning and was the one on top of the records; taking home 11 titles with the Celtics’ dynasty in the 50’s and 60’s. But after Jackson’s Lakers defeated that same Celtic franchise in 2010, Phil can rightfully be mentioned in the same breath as Russell, as the greatest NBA winner of all time. Each man has enough rings to put on a toe. There’s no room on Russell or Jackson’s hands for their last piece of hardware. Russell won his 11 titles in a 13-year span when the Celtics owned the league. Jackson has won his with 2 different teams and built three separate 3-peat dynasties, while he is working on his 4th. We’ll see if Jackson decides to come back for a shot at the 3-peat in 2011; the 64-year-old Zen Master may decide to hang it up after this incredibly tough and fulfilling 2010 champion season.

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3. Lakers-Celtics Rivalry Nearly Even -
The Lakers and Celtics are the two unquestioned dominant NBA franchises of all-time. The two teams have combined to win more than half of the titles in league history. Going into the 2010 Finals, the Celtics had the advantage of 17 titles to the Lakers’ 15 titles. However, Boston also had the advantage of beating the Lakers in 9 of the 11 Finals matchups between the two teams. In terms of the series rivalry, Boston had owned the matchup and had also taken down L.A. in 2008 to keep it going. But in 2010, the Lakers turned the score. Los Angeles took home its 16th championship this season, just one short of the Celtics’ mark, and improved its mark to 3-9 against the C’s in the finals. The Lakers have actually won 3 of the last 5 NBA Finals matchups between the teams.

It’s really impossible to determine the greater historical NBA team. The Celtics won a ridiculous 11 titles in a 13-year span in the 50’s and 60’s, led by Bill Russell and Bob Cousy. But the “Showtime Lakers” of the 80’s might be the greatest team dynasty ever, led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. In the last decade, the Lakers have also dominated by winning 5 titles (if you include 1999). Boston got a huge Finals win in 2008, but the Lakers have won the last two. Any way you break it down, the Lakers and the Celtics are equally dominant franchises in NBA history. It’s great that the rivalry between the teams continues now with recent matchups in the finals. The Lakers’ ability to take the 2010 championship helps even this rivalry and puts a 16th banner up to nearly equal the Celtics’ 17.

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So there you have the historical significance about the 2010 NBA Finals. It’s amazing to think that if just a couple more Paul Pierce jumpers fall in the 4th quarter of Game 7, or Kobe Bryant misses a couple more free throws in the final 5 minutes, that this entire article changes, and the course of NBA history would change as well. With a better final quarter, The Celtics could have claimed ownership of the Lakers in championship series’, and Kobe Bryant would have a major blemish on his legacy. Phil Jackson’s 48-0 record in playoff series’ after winning Game 1 would look far less pretty, at 47-1.

But, the last 5 minutes went the opposite way. The Lakers pulled through on their home court. That’s why you want to win as many games as possible in the regular season, so you get that home court for a Game 7. The Lakers held serve and Kobe Bryant willed his team to the title. Now, the Lakers, and especially their superstars, get to see their names in a very special place in NBA history.

We’ll see if Phil Jackson returns next season to team up with Kobe Bryant in pursuit of a 3-peat to add another notch on their belts as winners and legends.