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Kobe Bryant, left, and LeBron James may very well meet in the NBA Finals this season, and home-court advantage could play a big factor in who's team wins the title.

“The inexperienced teams know they need that advantage,” he said. “Veteran teams are not afraid to go into hostile territory.

“The seasoned veterans on the Boston Celtics are saying, ‘Let’s win as many as we can,’ they’re not looking at it as, ‘If we don’t have home-court advantage, we can’t win.’ I don’t think the Lakers are looking at it that way, either.

“Orlando? ‘We need home-court advantage.’ Cleveland? This team’s on its second run (the Cavs made the Finals in 2007, losing to San Antonio). But with a different cast? They need home-court advantage. It will make a difference on those teams.”

Hedo Turkoglu is a key member of the Magic. But in 2002 he played for the Sacramento Kings, who battled the Lakers in one of the most hotly contested Western Conference finals in history. The Kings had the home-court advantage and were poised to go up 3-1 in the series. But instead, Robert Horry hit a miracle 3-pointer to win Game 4 for the Lakers at Staples Center, and Los Angeles went on to win a Game 7 at Sacramento and advance to the NBA Finals, where they won their third straight title.

“It’s a funny thing, that we couldn’t take advantage of it and we lost,” Turkoglu said recently, “but still, it was to the wire and we could have won that. It’s always in your favor when you have that game in front of your fans and that confidence. Hopefully we’ll have that in our favor this year (in Orlando).”

This year, there are many elements in the championship scenario. Are the Celtics stronger with newly acquired Stephon Marbury and Mikki Moore in uniform? Will Andrew Bynum return healthy to help the Lakers down the stretch and into the postseason? With Ben Wallace out with a broken leg, will Joe Smith be able to provide frontcourt depth for the Cavaliers? Even though the Spurs (40-19 entering March 4) are not really in the mix for the best record, will the addition of Drew Gooden return them to championship form?

While all that is being considered, there is the little matter of playing games and trying to win as many as possible — with home-court advantage in the crosshairs.

Perhaps two former teammates, Nowitzki and Phoenix’s Steve Nash, who have served together in taut postseason contests and have also faced off against each other, are the perfect candidates for a point-counterpoint on the topic.

Said Nowitzki: “If you look at history, the team with the home court prevails. But anything is possible in this league and in sports.”

Said Nash: “I think our team is more than capable of winning on the road and losing at home, so I don’t put much into it personally.”

Well, that settles it.

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