HOLLYWOOD, Calif., March 31, 2007, 2 p.m. PT -- Welcome to the NBA Entertainment League Championship Game blog.

I'm here at an undisclosed location outside of Los Angeles (undisclosed so the paparazzi don't make the gym a regular spot on their rotation) blogging from a table that they put a nice blue table cloth on just for me. I feel so honored.

The E-League is in its 10th season and has had stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Don Cheadle and Dean Cain play in its games. But there's not just actors. There are musicians (Justin Timberlake, Brian McKnight), there are rappers (Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg), there are agents, and writers and producers. Oh my!

For a full look at what the E-League is all about read this.

This year’s championship has the Hawks going up against the Lakers.

This a heavyweight matchup. The Hawks were the No. 1 seed in the East and the Lakers were the No. 1 seed in the West this season. The Hawks had a league-best 13-2 regular season and the Lakers were 11-4, best in the West.

So far there are only two players in the building, Johnny “Drama” Alves, captain of the Lakers, and Laron Tate, captain of the Hawks.

There’s a scene in Cool Runnings where John Candy’s character, Irving "Irv" Blitzer, explains to Sanka what it means to be the leader of the team.

“The driver has to work harder than anyone. He's the first to show up, and the last to leave. When his buddies are all out drinking beer, he's up in his room studying pictures of turns. You see, a driver must remain focused one hundred percent at all times. Not only is he responsible for knowing every inch of every course he races, he's also responsible for the lives of the other men in the sled. Now, do you want that responsibility?”

Alves and Tate want it. The captains are proving themselves deserving.

2:06

The Lakers have two more players in the building. Entourage producer Steve Levinson is shooting threes in his authentic shorts and teammate Aaron Courseault has on the official NBAE PLAYOFFS 07 t-shirt and cargo sweat shorts – hey, in Hollywood anything goes.

Last time I was here, Levinson declined an interview but he did invite me to the Entourage set and I haven’t taken him up on it yet. I know, I got to get on that.

2:09

The Clippers dance team and the Suns Adio Sol Patrol are on hand giving the event more of a big-time feel.

Tip-off is about 45 minutes away, the same time another game of interest is going on – Georgetown vs. Ohio State in the Final Four. The more important Final Four game to this crowd is UCLA vs. Florida however. The amount of pro-Bruin propaganda I’ve heard over the last two days I’ve been in L.A. has finally made me get what it’s like inside the head of Bill Walton.

Well, at least partially. I’m still working on the whole Grateful Dead part.

2:20

Johnny Drama fact No. 1: He signs his e-mails DRAMA. I e-mailed Bill Simmons yesterday and invited him to today’s festivities and he respectfully declined due to the Final Four and “dad duties” but he signed off his e-mail with SIMMONS which is a ballsy move along the same lines as popping your collar – if you can pull it off, more power to you. If you can’t, you end up looking like a jerk.

DRAMA and SIMMONS pull it off.

2:26

DRAMA Juan Ocampo/NBAE

The Hawks are in their home yellow, the Lakers are in their road purple.

2:30

Crowd watch: Nobody famous yet.

But plenty of people good-looking enough to fill out the cast of the next Road Rules.

2:32

Get to know your E-Leaguers: The Hawks’ Trevor Pinick was in the boy band “O-Town.”

Figures with a name like “Trevor.” Just kidding, he actually has some game.

2:36

Crowd watch: Jarod Einsohn, a member of the All-Rookie Team and participant in the Three-Point Shootout later today is exchanging pleasantries in a button down shirt and jeans.

2:39

Wood and Steve Harris, brothers and Lakers players, are playing in the championship in less than 30 minutes but are just joking and having a good time as pop music blares in the background. You might know Wood from Remember the Titans and HBO's The Wire and Steve from The Practice.

2:45

How do I know that guy? Is that Nick Cannon? No, that’s not it. Ahh, It’s coming back to me. TNBC Saturday mornings … Saved By the Bell, Hang Time, Inside Stuff, California Dreams and City Guys.

No. 2 on the Hawks, Wesley Jonathan, is the dude that played Jamal in City Guys! I want to go up to him and be like “C-I-T-Y you can see why, these guys they’re …” and see if he joins in.

No, seriously, I do. I wonder if he knows what L-Train is up to these days.

I saw Ms. Noble doing Campbell Chunky Soup commercials. Good for her.

2:49

It’s not exactly Willis Reed, but Antwon Tanner is in the house and that’s a nice lift for the Hawks.

Tanner, the One Tree Hill star took time from shooting his latest project to show up.

2:53

This is going to be a major cliché, but I can’t help it:

Crowd watch: It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superman! Superman Returns’ Brandon Routh shows up wearing jeans, a gray NBAE t-shirt and white NBAE hat.

3:01

Just heard a little story.

When Wood Harris started the year off with Aaron Courseault on his squad, he got in a few spats with Courseault when he would curse after a botched play to voice his displeasure.

Harris was urged by NBAE Talent Coordinator Marissa Avila to keep the passion, but tone down the language so now he’s taken to what he likes to call, “positive yelling.”

Wood Harris Juan Ocampo/NBAE

3:04

Crowd watch: Donald Faison from Scrubs sitting courtside with his lady friend, Cacee Cobb.

3:07

Game pushed back to 3:30. Conspiracy? The Hawks are still waiting on their best player, Coach Carter star Nana Gbewonyo.

3:09

I keep wanting to identify famous people. I just caught myself thinking, “Hey, that looks like Biz Marky if Biz Marky lost about 30 pounds.”

Or, “What’s Doug E. Fresh doing here? Shouldn’t he be filming for I Love the ‘80s or something?”

Yeah, that’s not Biz Markey. And that’s not Doug E. Fresh.

Oh, but wait, I think we have a Bronson Pinchot sighting …

No, wait, wrong again.

3:15

“Glamourous” by Fergie is playing. Fergie’s flame, Josh Duhamel, plays for the NBAE League Knicks.

Catchy song, but what does “flossy, flossy” mean when she sings it?

When I put on a nice-fitting suit do I look “flossy”?

I think it works. I’ll let you know if any flossy famous people show up.

As far as who is here already, Faison’s girlfriend is definitely flossy.

3:21

Awards presentation time:

Brandon Routh – first-ever sportsmanship award recipient.

"I'm really honored," Routh told me. "I want to keep doing the league. I might have trouble with it next year, I'll be away filming a sequel, but I'm going to try to play half the season."

3:23

Lineups:

Hawks-

Kahlil Kain – No. 5
Jonatahn Wesley – No. 2
Jonathan Spencer – No. 27
Laron Tate - No. 8
Kevin Hart – No. 30
Roger Cross – No. 16
Antwon Tanner – No. 0
Sam Sarpong – No. 15
Trevor Pinick – No. 4
Inny Clemons – No. 21
Nana Gbewonyo – No. 36

Lakers-

JJ Jones – No.1
Wood Harris – No. 5
Steve Levinson – No. 8
Sam Paige - No. 14
Aaron Courseault – No. 27
Mike Law – No. 4
Cirroc Lofton – No. 22
Steve Harris – No. 32
Johnny Alves – No. 7

Definitley flossy.

3:27

Another award:

Nana Gbewonyo – MVP.

This was deserving. The man can really play. He is about 6-5 and can shoot the three, but can also post up and protect the paint on the other end.

3:31

Excellent national anthem. Four-part harmony from a group called Mid West City signed by Motown Records. I hope they sing some Motown Philly at halftime.

That would be flossy.

3:32

Crowd watch: The stands are completely full. Harder to pick out individuals now.

Last time I was here, Robin Givens, Mitch Richmond, Jordan Farmar and Suge Knight were in the building.

3:35

We’re underway. The NBAE plays two 20-minute running halves.

Lakers take the first lead, Cirroc Lofton layup, 2-0.

3:38

Lakers jump out to a 7-1 lead. DRAMA scores on a flossy layup off a 3-on-1 fastbreak.

3:41

The Hawks finally go inside to MVP Gbewonyo and they get a layup. Lakers 11, Hawks 5 with 13:20 remaining.

Nah Nah Juan Ocampo/NBAE

3:44

Timeout on the floor. Lakers have a 15-5 lead with 12:04 remaining in the first half.

3:45

Ball gets tipped out of bounds right into the hands of Cylk Cozart or the Nuggets who is in the house for the All-Star game. Cozart is what the league is all about. He is an original member and has been around all 10 years.

"It really is a part of my life," Cozart told me. "When you grow up playing ball and don't continue to incorporate it, then you're no longer a ball player. You're just a guy that plays ball."

3:48

The MVP, Nana Gbewonyo’s name is proncounced Nah-Nah Gunn-Bahn-Yo.

Should have told you earlier. Wasn’t very flossy of me. I apologize.

When I read the Harry Potter books, I thought that Hermione was pronounced Hurr-Mee-Ohn for years until I saw the movie, so don't feel bad if you've been reading his name as Nann-Ah Gubb-Wahn-Yo.

3:50

Some “positive yelling” by Wood Harris at the free throw line: “Let’s go hard fellas! Pick it back up!”

But this isn’t just yelling. It’s screaming like his foot just got run over by a car.

3:52

Timeout on the court: Lakers 22, Hawks 11, 5:50 remaining.

The Lakers have Mike Law, Courseault and Lofton hitting their shots and the Hawks haven’t found any rhythm yet.

3:55

The Final Four is on TV about 40 feet from me but I can’t make out the score. I need OSU to win and I’ll win … the respect of my peers.

Plus my sister went to Georgetown and rubbed it in pretty good when Syracuse got snubbed, so I've been anti-Hoya all March.

4:00

Crowd watch: “The Gray Kid” is here. He is a young singer/song writer/music man.

The one name has worked for Prince, Madonna and Fergie. Not a bad plan to break onto the scene.

Now all he need to do is start signing his e-mails GRAY KID.

4:03

Courseault makes a clutch-cargo three to boost the Lakers’ lead to 13, but Pinick answers right back with a three of his own and it’s Lakers 36, Hawks 26 at the half.

I need to check on the Final Four game. Be right back.

4:05

OSU 27, G’Town 23.

Wow. More points scored in our game.

Not that I’m complaining about the score or anything. As I said, OSU wins and I win … the respect of my peers.

4:14

Nice performance by the Adio Sol Patrol gives us some halftime entertainment until NBAE League Commissioner Shane Duffy presents Veronica Mars’ Percy Daggs III with the Rookie of the Year award.

Snoop Dogg won the award in the first year of its existence last season.

Fo shizzle.

"The coolest thing about winning Rookie of the Year was what Shane said about me before he handed me the trophy, that my character represented what this league was about and I handle myself well as a young man in L.A.," Daggs told me.

4:17

“Walk it Out” is playing over the P.A.

I like this song. When I’m in my car and it comes on Hot 97 in New York, I turn up the volume and drive it out.

But I can’t do it in front of this many people. It is impossible for me not to come off looking painfully white moving to that song.

4:20

Second half starts with a turnover by the Lakers on a Steve Harris travel. Let’s see if the Hawks can get something going.

4:22

Wood Harris: “POSITIVE YELLING!”

4:23

Nah Nah three-point play followed by a block and scramble for the loose ball on the other end. MVP's play both ends of the floor.

Yes, that was a subtle dig at Steve Nash.

Yes, Kobe should have won.

No, I’m not just going to “let it go.”

4:26

Antwon Tanner takes it coast-to-coast for the layup. Lakers 38, Hawks 32 with 14 minutes to go.

4:28

Aaron Courseault bangs a three to squelch the Hawks’ momentum. Bill Raferty would aptly call that a “dagger.”

4:32

The Knick's James Lesure (Las Vegas) is here in a bucket hat. Another move that’s hard to pull off unless you got the star quality.

He signs his emails LESURE. Definitely.

4:36

Lofton gets an offensive rebound and putback to boost the Lakers’ lead to 12, 51-39 with 6:45 to play.

4:38

Timeout. Lakers 51, Hawks 41, 5:58 remaining.

Whenever the Hawks seem to be starting something, the Lakers are matching the intensity.

Final Four check …

4:40

OSU 50, G’Town 44 with 7:20 to go.

Damn, their score caught ours.

4:41

Random Johnny Drama fact No. 2: Drama came up to me before the game to tell me that he really wants to win this because he lost in the championship game last year to Jamie Foxx’s team.

4:42

Can't get enough?

Random Johnny Drama fact No. 3: Drama was an extra in Invincible that his boy Mark Wahlberg starred in.

4:44

Michael Westphal of the Nets is rocking the Adam Morrison look with the shaggy hair and scraggly moustache, but he’s doing it for a paycheck.

Westphal, son of former NBA coach Paul Westphal, is filming Semi-Pro with Will Ferrell.

4:48

Inny Clemons of the Hawks hits a 3-pointer to cut the Lakers lead to 58-49 with 2:41 remaining but the Lakers seem to still be in control.

4:53

Maybe I spoke too soon. A moving screen followed by a Nah Nah three, followed by a steal, followed by a Tanner layup and it’s a three-point game.

4:54

Courseault goes in for a layup instead of milking the clock and misses, the Hawks come down with the board and Nah Nah gets two good looks from three at the other end, but can't convert. Pinick keeps the ball alive for the Hawks, but misses a chippy. The Hawks keep grabbing the o-boards though. There must be about five of them this possession alone.

The Hawks' Sam Sarpong finally gets one putback attempt to go and is fouled. One point game, chance to tie. The gym is loud. The players are on their feet on the sidelines. This was just a 10-point game! Where did I see this before?

Sarpong misses the free throw.

4:56

Courseault nails two free throws. Daggers. Lakers 63, Hawks 60. Less than a minute to go.

Aaron Courseault Juan Ocampo/NBAE

4:57

Tanner drives baseline and tries to pass to Pinick in the corner but Courseault picks it off and is quickly fouled.

4:58

Courseault two more free-throws. Clutch, cool, collected.

4:59

Pinick makes a three at the buzzer, but the final damage is done.

Lakers 65, Hawks 63.

The Lakers are your 2007 NBAE League Champions.

Courseault wins my MFP award (Most Flossy Player).

5:06

The Ted Demme Memorial Championship Trophy has been awarded, Aaron Courseault is named the MVP to go along with his MFP and I just found out the Buckeyes beat the Hoyas.

All-in-all a great day.

Take a look at the final numbers:

Nana: 26 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists
Aaron: 27points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists

That’s it from the blog. Check back on the NBAE website for a recap of the 3-point shootout and All-Star game this week.

-MCMENAMIN