ORLANDO, Florida (AFP) - The Los Angeles Lakers 15th NBA title not only rid them of the bitter after taste of last year's loss to Boston but allowed Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant to escape from under some colossal shadows.

Bryant was the catalyst with 30 points, five assists and four blocked shots as the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 99-86 Sunday to capture their first NBA championship in seven years.

"He knew he had to give to get back in return," said Jackson of Bryant. "He's become a giver rather than a demanding leader."

Bryant was named MVP of the finals and captured his fourth championship ring and first without Shaquille O'Neal, who was named finals MVP all three times he and Bryant won the title as Laker teammates.

Jackson collected his 10th championship ring to surpass legendary Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach for the most titles by an NBA head coach.

This is Jackson's fourth title with the Lakers, after leading the Michael Jordan Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles in the 1990s.

He has 12 overall, including two as a player with the New York Knicks and has 209 career playoff coaching wins, the most in NBA history.

"Some of the stuff is almost incomprehensible," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said of Jackson. "The guy has won 51 playoff series. Check your record book and see how many coaches have ever won 50 playoff games. His record is undeniable."

This one wouldn?t have been possible without Kobe Bryant who got tired of hearing that he couldn't win without O'Neal. Bryant said after the clinching game that it had become a constant annoyance throughout the post season, like he tick, tick, tick of having drops of water fall on your head.

"It was like Chinese water torture," Bryant said. "Just keep dropping a drop of water on your temple. I don't have to hear that idiotic criticism anymore. I proved people wrong."

Bryant had the killer instinct throughout the playoffs but he really stepped it up in the finals, averaging 32.4 points, 7.4 assists and 5.6 rebounds. He had a game high 40 points in game one and scored at least 30 points in four of the five games against Orlando.

Los Angeles ended the series the same way they started it -- with a dominating victory. They won game two and four in overtime, holding the Magic to just 75 points in game one and 29.9 percent shooting from the field.

"I can't believe this moment is here," Bryant said. "I was just completely locked in. It is a matter of understanding the moment. Understanding your team and the lead they have to follow. I was grumpy for awhile and now I am ecstatic. Like a kid in a candy store."

In game five the Magic jumped out to a nine-point lead in the first quarter then allowed the Lakers to get back into it with a 16-0 run in the second.

The loss will haunt the Magic but make them hungrier to get back and finish the job next year.

"It hurts. It hurts a lot," said Orlando's rising star Dwight Howard. "But you can learn a lot from losing. Sometimes you've got to lose to win."

One of the hardest things Howard had to endure was watching the Lakers celebrate on the Amway Arena court. The normally happy-go-lucky Howard tried to turn that into a positive.

"I told Jameer (Nelson) 'look at it, just see how they are celebrating'. It should motivate us to want to get into the gym and get better. We were right there at our goal and it was in reach.

"We were three games away from having an NBA title. Next year we are going to be more hungrier to be champions."

All the 30-year-old Bryant is thinking about now is going to Disneyland, or Disney World, with his young daughters and relaxing on the beach in Mexico.

"A vacation ... Cabo," Bryant said. "Stuff like that.

"Now when I go to Disney World and Disneyland I can enjoy the moment. I don't have to answer questions about the hell happened to you guys?"