Houston’s NBA odds aren’t any better after their Game 2 loss to the Lakers on Wednesday night, but the best part of it all wasn’t even the confrontation between Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant, or even the tangle between Derek Fisher and Luis Scola, but it was Artest’s post-game interview.

Oh man, so classic. Dude’s talkin’ about people gettin’ stabbed in the chest with table legs. We (old-school sportsbook players) all know the NBA isn’t the game we grew up watching, the one with the “Bad Boys” and the heated Bulls-Knicks/Bulls-Pistons rivalries, but apparently they weren’t nothing compared to what Artest saw in Queensbridge, New York.

I was thinking that there should be some sort of NBA odds on how many, or how long, it would take for Bryant and Artest to get into it. Both are hard-nosed competitors, and Bryant DID elbow Artest in the throat. He shouldn’t have been ejected from the game, even Bryant said so himself, because I think Kobe likes the challenge as proven by his 40-point explosion. They didn’t even make it out of Los Angeles. The NBA odds for another Bryant/Artest square-off? EXCELLENT.

Many young players coming out of college (or high school) have been saddled with the tag, “The Next Jordan”, which is more than enough pressure, no matter how decorated they are. Here is a look at the top 5 players, and how they’ve managed. NBA betting should include an annual prop asking who will be this year’s “next Jordan”.

Kobe Bryant came out of high school, and showed quickly that he had all the tools to be “the next Jordan”. “Black Mamba” is easily the closest thing we have to Jordan right now, even down to Bryant copying the fadeaway jumper Jordan used late in his career. And with his intensity, if Bryant was in this weekend’s MMA event, UFC 95 odds were give him a fighting chance.

High flyer? Check. North Carolina Tar Heel? Check. Dominating dunk-contest performance? Check. Vince’s show in 2000 had the NBA on their feet, and while he still has big nights, Carter’s not as daring as he used to be, and he NEVER had the heart of Jordan.

Grant Hill never had the same type of game Jordan had, and he went to UNC rival Duke, but people still had the highest of hopes for the versatile forward. Injuries have hurt Hill’s career, but he’s still one of the most respected players in the league.

Jerry Stackhouse had the same burden as Carter, with his UNC bloodlines and leaping ability. He even got the chance to play with Jordan when he came back with Washington. However, Stackhouse was never a big factor in the playoffs. Still, he was probably the first to carry “the next Jordan” tag.

Harold Miner was called “Baby Jordan”, but it was obviously for his dunking ability, and not his all-around game, as he averaged only nine points a game in a short four-year career. However, he won a pair of dunk contest, and his above performance in 1995 was borderline classic.

Monday night, the NBA and online betting communities should be up in arms as Cleveland heads to Los Angeles for a meeting with the Lakers, but let’s be real: there are 24 players on both teams, yet there are only two to worry about. Reigning MVP Kobe Bryant tries to lift his team out of a two-game losing skid against the man most are picking to succeed Bryant, LeBron James. This is the first time these two megastars have been on the same court since leading the USA to a gold medal in Beijing last summer.

These two stars went head-to-head twice last year, with Cleveland winning both games to extend its streak to five victories in a row over the Lakers. Bryant had 27.0 points, 8.5 boards and 5.5 assists, while James was a beast, putting up 37.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in this all-world showdown.

With both of these teams favored by sportsbook odds to reach the NBA Finals, this monster matchup gets even bigger each time Bryant and James lead their teams into battle. NBA lines have the Lakers as 5-point favorites at home tonight.

PICK: Bean to end the Cavs’ strange and recent domination of the Lakers.