Two sports that at one point were as dominant, if not more, than the NFL have fallen off the map in recent years.

But the NBA and NHL could have a new spark of life thanks to a great postseason that features some of the world’s best athletes on the most popular teams.

The NBA lost a great deal of luster following the departure of the game’s biggest star, Michael Jordan. The league has since been searching for that next big player to put them back near the top.

Well, it seems that what the NBA was looking for was not the return of a great player, but a great franchise. The highly anticipated match-up between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics could very well be the golden ticket the league has been searching for.

Both teams are alive and in control of their own destiny right now. The Lakers own a 3-2 series lead over the Utah Jazz and Boston owns a 3-2 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But unlike the recent San Antonio Spurs dynasty that has ruled the NBA for recent years, the Lakers and Celtics have star power.

Los Angeles is led by the NBA’s Most Valuable Player Kobe Bryant, and he is at the top of his game. For years Bryant has been covered by a dark cloud that includes Shaquille O’Neal and Jordan comparisons, as well as rape charges in 2004.

But now, No. 24 has come into his own as a team leader and superstar on both sides of the ball.

For Boston, their hero has come in the form of a three-headed monster that includes Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. The trio has dominated headlines and stat sheets ever since becoming partners last summer.

Garnett has been in the NBA for quite some time, but he has had to suffer through years of playing for a sub-par franchise in the Minnesota Timberwolves.

But in the summer of 2007 he teamed up with Allen, who was also brought in by trade, and Pierce. Since then the team has managed to have the league’s best regular season record and revive a franchise yearning for another championship.

In the NHL, four of the most popular teams in the United States remain vying for the Stanley Cup.

On one side the historic Detroit Red Wings are facing off with the Dallas Stars and on the other side the Pittsburgh Penguins are battling the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Stars, formerly the Minnesota North Stars, have had a long rivalry with the Red Wings. The two teams have a great tradition and are located in big-time sports cities.

The Penguins versus Flyers argument could stop just after mentioning who’s playing.