The NBA Finals tip off today and next to watching the games themselves one of the most interesting things would be having the ability to read the minds of Kobe Bryant and Lakers owner Jerry Buss.

Penny for their thoughts? More like a million.

For how often, you wonder, will they flash back to that fateful trade of Shaquille O'Neal a little more than two years ago? How much seller's remorse might there be that it became a heated he-goes-or-I-go showdown that packed O'Neal off to Miami?

They are issues that Bryant and Buss have had ample time to ponder what with the Lakers getting knocked out early this year and not even making the playoffs the year before.

While the Lakers haven't even been the best team in La La-land since O'Neal's departure in July of 2004 for who was it — Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and Caron Butler? — the Heat went to the Eastern Conference finals last year and have an opportunity to be the best in the world now, if they can get past Dallas.

While the Lakers have labored under an unforgiving salary cap and Bryant lacking for someone to help pick up some slack, O'Neal has had Dwayne Wade and a capable supporting cast.

That, in and of itself, has to put a one of those see-I-told-you smiles on the face and a spring in the step of O'Neal, who was the one deemed to be too old and too fat to keep. You know there are some faces he wants to slam that one back in.

All he has done of late is lift the Heat on his aging, aching frame and help take them to a place the Lakers used to regularly inhabit. A roost the Lakers might well be ruling right now had the owner been able to broker a cessation of hostilities between his two disconnected superstars. Or had the two feuding parties found a mature middle ground.

Instead, the last bit of history the Lakers made was a 121-90 loss to Phoenix a month ago that marked the worst game seven slap-down in franchise history. One that was administered while Bryant all but disappeared, taking just three shots in the second half.

As TNT commentator Charles Barkley put it at the time: "I think he was being very selfish. He stopped shooting so he could say, 'those guys didn't help me.' "

Hardly the result that was expected when the Lakers moved out O'Neal to make this completely and officially Bryant's team. Never has Showtime seemed so distant a memory.

Meanwhile in Miami, as the Heat's ascent to the Finals suggests, O'Neal seems to be playing well with others and getting along quite nicely.

Laker fans can only watch the Finals and wonder about what might have been. Perhaps even Bryant and Buss, too

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.