Steve Nash has one good eye left. His right eye, blackened and bluish, looks grotesque. Kobe Bryant has about 9 good fingers left. The remaining problematic right index finger, the one on his shooting hand, is disfigured. Yet it is in their imperfection that perfection is so closely realized. Reminds us of Beethoven, doesn’t it. Beethoven was deaf yet he created magic with notes. Nash loses peripheral vision, or at least we think he did, yet he flips assist after assist and even scores a running floater to sink the Spurs. Bryant, whose main weapon is one of the most fundamentally-sound jump-shots in NBA history, shoots, follows through and wins games at the final buzzer with four out of 5 good fingers. As the stern, wicked Ozunu states in Ninja Assassin, “You must see with more than your eyes." Nash accomplished more with one good eye than most players can with 20/20 vision. Ozunu also said, “Weakness compels strength." Bryant’s crooked finger points towards one thing – a competitor.
The last time we saw the Phoenix Suns in the 2010 NBA Playoffs, they swept the San Antonio Spurs, 4-0, in a Black Eyed Peas-type of rhythm. Remember the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals? It was the attack of the eye-eyed bandit. Boom boom pow. Nash to Amar’e. Swish. Nash to Amar’e. Jumper two points. Nash to Dudley. 3-point play. Nash to Amar’e. Perfect alley-oop. Boom boom pow. And Nash break-danced to the beat, secured his first-ever playoff series win over the Spurs after 6 attempts, and propelled the dark-horse Suns to the Western Conference Finals on just one good eye (the other eye was shut by a wayward elbow from Tin Duncan). If the Suns won with hip-hop, the Los Angeles Lakers, on the other hand, swept the Utah Jazz, 4-0, with the smoothness of a crooner. The Jazz threw everything they had at the defending champions, but the Lakers were too poised and confident. Kobe Bryant, in particular, played like he was whistling “What a Wonderful World" through anxious moments in Game 4 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Like Sinatra or Bublé, Bryant didn’t need to improvise to mesmerize. He simply hit the notes he has hit a million times. A crucial three-pointer here. A critical turn-around jumper there. Kobe making free throws. In true Kobe-fashion, always smooth and steady, much like a Tony Bennett tune. If the Orlando Magic-Boston Celtics series in the East is a slug-fest packed with electric guitars and power drum beats, the Lakers-Suns series in the West will sound like the collaboration between Will-i-am and Harry Connick, Jr. Picture the yin-and-yang between the Suns’ run-and-gun-kick-out assault and the Lakers’ ubiquitous triangle offense. Nash, who becomes the sentimental favorite, now more than ever, plays with championship-size hunger. Bryant plays with championship-caliber composure. No screaming. No “birit". I expect two musical styles blending into one hip concert. It’ll be a feast for the ears. It should be a feast for all senses.
Mico Halili, GMANews.TV 
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