LakerLiker.com - A Lakers blog for those fans who bleed PURPLE and GOLD.

The less Kobe scores the more the Lakers win

2012-02-14T23:22:00.000-08:00

This season the Lakers are 4-5 when Kobe puts up 20 or less points.

Dec. 31st - Kobe scores 17 points - Lakers beat Denver 92-89

Bynum - 29pts/13reb
Kobe season high (4x) 9 assists
Kobe shoots 33% (6-18 FG)

Jan. 1st - Kobe scores 16 points - Lakers lose to Denver 99-90

Bynum - 18pts/16rebs
Gasol - 20pts/11rebs
Kobe shoots 21% (6-28 FG)

Jan. 16th - Kobe scores 14 points - Lakers beat Dallas 73-70

Bynum - 17pts/15rebs
Kobe - 7 assists
Kobe shoots 32% (7-22 FG)

Feb. 3rd - Kobe scores 20 points - Lakers beat Denver 93-89

Bynum - 22pts/10rebs
Gasol - 13pts/17rebs
Kobe shoots 30% (7-23 FG)
Kobe - 9 assists

Feb. 14th - Kobe scores a season low 10 points - Lakers beat Atlanta 86-78

Bynum - 15pts/15rebs
Gasol - 20pts/13rebs
Kobe shoots 28% (5-18 FG)

Is the success in the team winning when Kobe scores in low numbers (to his standards) a result of him sharing the ball more, him shooting poorly making other teammates jump in to help or the big men getting the touches they need to catch any kind of offensive rhythm?

Either way, anytime there's ball movement that leads to an equilibrium of points distribution the chances the team will get a w are pretty good.

Sources: Yahoo! Sports

Photo credit: Getty Image

Win Two 2012-13 Lakers Season Seats!

2012-02-14T20:54:00.000-08:00

Here's a chance of a lifetime to win two 2012-13 Lakers regular season seats. You're almost obligated as a Laker fan to try your luck when an opportunity like this comes around.

I'm in! How do I enter?

Its quite simple actually. All you need is an appetite and a pen. First thing's first, find your local FREEBIRDS World Burrito eatery, then enjoy a great tasting made-to-order burrito, fill out the entry form on your receipt and drop it into their in-restaurant ballot box for your chance to enjoy every Lakers home game next season. Yes its that easy! One participant entry per day.

When does the contest start?

The SeatsHitTheFan Sweepstakes officially launches this Thursday, February 16th by none other than Metta World Peace, Commander-in-Chief of the Peace Corps. MWP will be visiting the Redondo Beach FREEBIRDS joint at around 3:00pm to meet fans, sign autographs and take photographs. Keep in mind that this sweepstakes ends 3/11/2012 so hurry!

Click here for official rules

About FREEBIRDS World Burrito

FREEBIRDS is known for its awesome burritos (plus burrito bowls, salads, nachos and more) and freedom of choice. Everything is made fresh with the guest’s choice of over forty ingredients including grass fed beef, hormone free chicken, or slow roasted pork carnitas topped with hand chopped veggies, roasted corn salsa, house made guacamole and signature sauces. Be it the backwards F logo, rockin’ interiors or made from scratch kitchen, the brand embraces its tagline, “It’s Not Normal.” FREEBIRDS operates 66 locations in Texas, California and Oklahoma.

LakerLiker has no affiliation with FREEBIRDS World Burrito. Promotional intent only.

Kobe's game winner over the Raptors

2012-02-12T17:38:00.000-08:00

Lakers almost blew an 18-point first half lead, actually they were down by four late in the game but luckily for coach Brown his late fourth quarter Kobe offense worked this time. Kobe sunk a late 3-pointer and then stole the ball from a rogue Kleiza that led to a Metta lay up - assist Kobe. Kobe wasn't done there as he silenced the Canadian crowd with his baseline jay-eh. See video clip.
(excuse the poor audio quality)

Lakers end their Grammy Awards road trip with a 3-3 record, fittingly a mediocre record that sums up their mediocre season so far.

Game Highlights and Box Score courtesy of NBA.com

The Yellow Mamba strikes in New York

2012-02-10T21:33:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Lakers look to win two in row from their grueling 6-game road trip (longest of the season) in Madison Square Garden but fail to study up on 2-year point guard Jeremy Lin who is averaging 25 points from his last three games coming into tonight's game. It's Lin-sanity for crying out loud. His name is plastered everywhere in NYC.

Everyone knows that Kobe likes to shine especially bright playing in MSG (averages 30pts) and rarely disappoints when given such a stage but tonight the Black Mamba was struck by a deadlier Yellow Mamba of the Jeremaspis Linepis serpent family.

Who is this undrafted Jeremy Lin kid? Its not expected that a basketball player from an ivy league school like Harvard prevail in the NBA right? Lin who is Chinese-American from Palo Alto, California has proven to be the next best thing since Yao Ming in just four games.

To give you some perspective of how well Lin is playing right now, in his rookie season last year he averaged just 3 points playing in only 29 games and only scoring in double digits in two of those 29 games.

Today, playing in his second season he's averaging (lets count his last four games) 28.5 points and 8 assists. Unbelievable! This goes to show that a superstar can be born when given quality minutes and trust from his coach. From being just another (very deep in rotation) scrub to now being 78% owned in Yahoo! Sports Fantasy leagues. Jeremy Lin is no fluke, he is the real deal.

Tonight Lin scores a game/career high 38 points and pretty much anatomized the Lakers like he did back in his Harvard lab days.

In an ending note - The NBA has been deemed less "amazing" this season and should be very thankful that Jeremy Lin has single-handedly reawakened not just Knicks fans but all fans, particularly of the Asian community.

Photo credits: Getty Images

Philly to welcome their 5th all-time NBA scorer

2012-02-04T19:46:00.000-08:00

On this 4th day of February 2012, Kobe Bryant needs just 50 points to pass Shaq as 5th all-time NBA scorer in regular season points.

The stage is set for Kobe to set his newest mark on treacherous territory. What a covert opportunity to make a personal statement in his native town of Philadelphia.

Kobe's Dad Joe "Jellybean" Bryant played for the Sixers back in the day and Philly expected their hometown high school superstar athlete to follow suit but evidently that wasn't the case. Many say this reason alone shouldn't have justified such hatred and that there's other reasons for their discontent.

SBNation.com talks about the other reasons here

If Kobe scores 25+ points tonight in Utah then there's a pretty good chance he'll become the 5th all-time NBA scorer on the very same stepping grounds that paved the way for all of this to happen.

Click here to see the top-30 all-time NBA scorers in total regular season points - NBA.com

Photo of Arenas when he got the call from coach Mike Brown

2012-02-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

Original Photo: AP

Kobe/Okafor or Blake/Perkins?

2012-01-30T22:26:00.000-08:00

Which dunk is better considering all factoring variables? I think they're pretty damn close in my opinion. Regardless, the Staples Center hosts the best dunks in the league!

Blake's dunk tonight over 6-10' Perkins is spectacular. I mean Blake jumps so damn high he actually throws in his dunks. Damn.

Kobe's dunk last year was on a bigger stage in the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs over another 6-10' defender, Okafor.

What do you think? Is Blake's monster dunk tonight easily the best dunk ever at Staples Center?

Rookie Goudelock continues to play well

2012-01-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

With every Lakers loss comes the careful eyes on bench production and usually all fingers point to the lack of contribution from second stringer players, specifically from the reserve point guards.

Derek Fisher, Steve Blake, Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock are all employed at the one spot. Besides Fisher's iron man status and clutchness, this selection of point guards for the Lakers isn't all that impressive. Two inexperienced rookies, a very experienced veteran whose retirement door is coming a knockin' and a player who is in fabrication mode with his newly found shooting confidence, there is justifiable concern in the back court.

In a league that was once surplussed with superstar big men, it has now emerged into an advanced generation of quick elite guards. The NBA has been accustomed to taking the old familiar scenic route to the post season all these years but now a much faster league is taking a detour route on a newly developed stretch of highway with no speed limit. Same destination but with faster results.

The Lakers are unfortunately still taking the scenic route. Beyond a defensive role, I don't quite understand why Brown is still starting his veteran when matched with speedy teams. Fisher has started all season and is averaging just over 26 minutes a game. Fisher was criticized earlier in the season for not shooting the ball much but is shooting the ball more now. Despite his increase in FGA he's shooting 37% inside the arc and 32% beyond it which puts him at the bottom compared to his fellow ball handler's percentages. I think its time to put #2 as a #2 option.

Now to the premise of this article. It's known that Steve Blake has become Brown's second option at the point but with his Costochaondral fracture Goudelock or Glock to fans has been filling in just fine. Andrew Goudelock has surprised many people coming off the wood and has gained the trust from coach. In just two games (20+ minutes) he's averaging 13.5 points, shooting 55.6% in FG (10-18) and 62.5% behind the three-point line (5-8). Some would argue that Morris is quicker but he's failed to run this team effectively. Goudelock is a much needed contributor in a team struggling to balance the offense. Andrew just needs to learn a thing or two from Nash who leads the league in assists (179). Glock needs to create good shot opportunities, distribute the rock better and not take what often looks like wild shots that actually go in.

Photo credit: AP 2012-01-29

MWP, Glock, Fish help Lakers from losing four straight

2012-01-25T23:59:00.000-08:00

Lakers even the season series (1-1) by beating the Clippers 96-91 but more importantly avoid losing four straight.

Today's match up was physical and scrappy. I don't care if it's premature for me to say this but I'm officially calling this series the new heated rivalry among the Lakers and Clippers. Both teams call Staples Center their home but only one team has the home crowd.

Tempers flew right from the get-go and they never cooled down. In fact, with six technicals and one ejection, tonight's game reminded me of an NBA finals two years ago against those pesky Celtics.

Clipper Reggie Evans is just dirty. I had forgotten about his nut hunting ways. He must've been digging deep in McRoberts shorts to piss him off into an ejection tonight.

Let's revisit Evans doing Kaman dirty and the TNT aftermath:

The Lakers shot better than the Clippers throughout the entire game which had me questioning why the heck were they losing? Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers. LAL had 16 to end the game and Kobe led the way with his game high 7. Kobe is currently 3rd in turnovers but stands tall leading the league in points with 573.

This L.A. team has been watched under very careful eyes and I believe the general consensus describing the Lakers weakness falls within the 4th guy needing to step up and peck away. Tonight, the 4th guy(s) was/were MWP, Goudelock and Fisher. Turnovers could've been yet another headliner for the Lakers 4th straight loss but MWP, Glock, and D Fish had difference making games and were the reason for tonight's victory outside the usual big 3 production (Kobe 20pts; Gasol 22pts/10reb; Bynum 19pts).

Metta World Peace may not have appeared to be impressive in the points category but made a huge impact with his hustle. Metta had 2 steals and a team high/season high 7 assists. His high energy and muscle was needed, especially in a game where Kimbo Evan's was causing a ruckus.

Andrew Goudelock was huge coming off the bench. He led the second unit with 14 points going 5-8 inside the arc and 2-3 behind it. This was by far the biggest game of his young career.

Derek Fisher waited until the 16th game of the season to score in double digits and since then he's done it in every other game. His double digit point contribution regardless if they're in the lower mark are vital to this teams winning record.

Box Score courtesy of NBA.com

Game Highlights courtesy of NBA.com

Photo credit: AP 2012-01-25

Peace Corps nowhere to be found

2012-01-20T21:01:00.000-08:00

In the off season the Lakers quietly built around their second unit, especially in the expected absence of Lamar Odom. They added a young quick guard in Darius Morris, a strong finisher in Josh McRoberts, a sharp shooting Jason Kapono and another [big man] sharp shooter in Troy Murphy. A once questioned Lakers bench now seemed to have gotten a renewed sense of hope coming into the shortened 66-game season.

All of these moves executed stealthily in the background while the organization was being scrutinized for their off season dramatics involving the highly publicized disqualification of the CP3 trade, losing LO per his request and the reawakened trade rumors for Howard. NBA predictions have Lamar ending this season with all-time career lows in Dallas.

Thanks to the high energy exhibited by L.A.'s second string players early on in the season, particularly with World Peace's hot start and McRoberts playing well as a starter/reserve, this Lakers bench became a quick fan favorite.

So what is the best part of becoming a fan favorite you ask? Becoming a fan favorite with a cool nickname. While many argued that it was too soon for the bench to be nicknamed, fans were determined to come up with a cool handle, something catchy but not cheesy. Last season it was the Killer B's fueled by the performances of Barnes, Blake, and Brown, this season it's the Peace Corps.

You can thank LakersNation.com for the adaptation. They started the process by using their Facebook page platform asking their near 300,000 fans what would be a cool nickname for the Lakers second unit. This my friends is the power of movement driven by the fans.

Having a nickname comes the responsibility of upholding it. Just as fast as Peace Corps gained it's popularity among the sports world, a new nickname was blossoming. Peace Corps quickly became Peace Corpse all thanks to the bench not producing as well as expected. Maybe those skeptics were right, apparently it was way too soon to adopt an unworthy nickname.

Many experts and analysts say the Lakers weakness lies in the teams fourth option. Meaning the team needs someone other than the Lakers big three, Kobe, Gasol and Bynum to produce. All fingers point to Derek and Barnes.

I say the fingers should point to the Peace Corpse. Lakers have lost 3 of their last 5 games. Let's break down the bench contribution from those games:

January 13th - Lakers host the Cavaliers - WIN

Lakers bench scores 4 points vs. Cleveland bench scoring 36 (advantage Cleveland)

January 14th - Lakers visit the Clippers (technically host) - LOSS

Lakers bench scores 13 vs. Clippers bench scoring 11 (advantage LAL)

January 16th - Lakers host the Mav's - WIN

Lakers bench scores 12 vs. Dallas bench scoring 32 (advantage Dallas)

January 19th - Lakers visit the Heat - LOSS

Lakers bench scores 17 vs. Miami bench scoring 24 (advantage Miami)

January 20th - Lakesr visit the Magic - LOSS

Lakers bench scores 12 vs. Orlando bench scoring 14 (advantage Orlando)

You can say that the recent Laker losses came in the hands of poor team shooting, Kobe shooting too much, and/or the void coming from the 1 and 3 spots. These all may very well be factors to the Lakers not being able to compete with the leagues elite teams but you cannot ignore the disappearing act of the Peace Corps. They need to be the teams fourth option in the pecking order. Obviously L.A. cannot rely on Barnes or Fisher to put up game changing numbers so the reserves have to perform well when Brown waves them in.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Fisher's season high 13 points needed to oust the Mavs

2012-01-16T23:33:00.000-08:00

If I told you pregame that the Lakers would score a total of 73 points against the defending champion Dallas Mavericks who average 93 points a game, would you think they'd win or lose? Be honest.

Despite the Lakers scoring a season low 73 they inch their way past the visiting Mavs in a very ugly game of season lows.

When Kobe unexpectedly scores in low numbers the entire team has to step up to help balance the offensive load and tonight Derek Fisher did just that. He scored a season high 13 points, his first 10+ point game of the season. I know 13 points doesn't seem that much of a contribution but in an ugly game like tonight's, every single point Fisher gave was desperately needed, especially his last second high arcing beauty. Splash. Click below for video.

Derek Fisher's game winner courtesy of NBA.com

Kobe scores a season low 14 but has a team high 7 assists, one being his biggest of the season in the closing seconds of the game. Critics will oversee his passes and focus on his game high 4 turnovers. Kobe may have damaged his season PPG average a bit but I don't think he cares having beaten the team who swept the Lakers last post season. Kobe does not forget and to this day he still holds a grudge with Detroit for that Finals series in '04 that we don't speak of.

Bynum came up big tonight scoring 17pts with 15rebs. Gasol on the other hand has his worst game of the season. He scores a season low 8pts with 6 boards and shoots a horrid 27% in field goals (3-11).

Tonight's win is bittersweet because deep down inside I really wanted Odom to have a great game. If you live in a cave here's what happened this past off season. Odom demanded to be traded after being thrown into a big trade that was disqualified by NBA commissioner Stern. The Lakers then traded him to Dallas just days after his request. After all the drama Odom was real close to leaving the NBA for a one year sabbatical and the ironic part to that is his drama queen wife played peacemaker and convinced him otherwise. Since then Odom has had a horrible year with the Mavs averaging in single digits, 7pts/5rebs. He's shooting 31% in FG.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Kobe Bryant Chess King Piece iPhone wallpaper

2012-01-16T22:12:00.000-08:00

Here is our Kobe Bryant Chess King Piece iPhone wallpapers. Enjoy!

5 Easy steps to setting your new iPhone wallpaper:

Click on the desired image above to enlarge then right-click and Save Image As
Email image to any iPhone email account
Open incoming email and press/hold on image to Save Image
Press on Settings, Wallpaper, Camera Roll, then choose image
Press Set then Set Lock Screen

Why Kobe's hunt for scoring title may hinder the team

2012-01-15T12:40:00.000-08:00

With Andrew Bynum (T-5) and Pau Gasol (T-2) being among the top-10 in double doubles this season the Lakers should be a more dominating team collectively.

Both Bynum and Gasol are averaging 16 points while Bynum is averaging 14 rebounds and Gasol 10. The Lakers are the only team in the league that has two top 10 players in double doubles. This luxury should be capitalized, not ignored.

Kobe Bryant scoring 40 points in four consecutive games is a fantastic individual feat but only limits his teammates production. What happens if/when Kobe's numbers start to drop? From the eyes of an outsider looking in it definitely looks like Kobe is only looking out for himself, perhaps a scoring title and from the looks of last night's lopsided performance that may be a fair statement to make. However Lakers fans know deep down (sometimes digging really deep) that Kobe is a team player and shoots an average of 30 shots a game because he simply has to. After all, he is the teams assists leader averaging 5.4 a game.

When you have two superstar big men that have the capability of putting up double-doubles game in and game out why wouldn't you want to take advantage of their talents in hopes of winning more games? Kobe shooting as many shots only limits the Lakers twin towers to the lower end of their averages. In fact Gasol is in route to averaging just 9 rebounds per game mirroring his career average. Gasol has the ability to shine much brighter.

There can be an I in WIN when Kobe scores 40+ points only when four starters score in double figures. Losses typically come pouring in when the SF doesn't contribute enough. Rest assured, L.A. can rely on their 3's to consistently carry their loads, Bryant, Gasol and Bynum but without the fourth option contributing, individual highs will only benefit fantasy basketball owners and not the team.

Point guard vacancy

I hate to to bring up the usual suspects when analyzing Laker voids but it wouldn't be fair not to. It would be nice to have a reliable point guard who can push not only the offense but more importantly the team to where they need to be. Unfortunately the truth of the matter is Derek Fisher has yet to score 10 points this season and really hasn't gotten in any kind of shooting rhythm. He's shooting 30% (FG/3PT).

Steve Blake, who has contributed the most at the 1 is out with a Constochaondral fracture (ribs). He's out for 3-4 weeks.

Rookie Darius Morris is quick and is only getting better with every passing game he gets to play in Blake's absence. He's shooting 62.5% (5-8FG) and has yet to miss a 3-pointer (2-2). One 3-pointer coming 50 feet away.

The other reason for Kobe's ball hogging ways is because of the void at the 3 spot.

Matt Barnes, in the last 5 games has gone 18-36, shooting 50%. He has been the big reason to the Lakers winning 5 of their last 6 games. In last night's loss to the Clippers though he went 1-6, hence the contribution needed at the 3.

Metta World Peace is ice cold. In the last 5 games he's shooting 30% FG, in the season he's at 35%. You don't want to know what he's shooting behind the arc, 7.7% (2-26). His minutes have decreased at just 20. He needs to do something to regain coach Brown's trust.

Devin Ebanks has played in just 8 games and Luke Walton has only played in 5. Their contribution to the team is in scrimmage ball.

Kobe Bryant is having an unbelievable season but if he doesn't get any help from the teams 4th option his individual feats will only benefit him, advantage Kobe. If losses start to take their course Kobe will have to find a way to make his team better and the only way he'll be able to achieve that is to simply trust his teammates more. He already attracts the defense, now he just needs to attract it to create shots for his teammates.

Listen, he can still continue to score in high numbers while distributing the ball. Just look at Rose and the 12-2 Chicago Bulls. Derrick Rose is averaging 21 points with 9 assists. A league best 12-2 record even with their star center Noah playing mediocre ball.

Discouraging facts about Kobe winning back-to-back scoring titles (2006-2007)

Kobe won his first scoring title in 2005-06. Lakers regular season record that season was 45-37 (.549). They were ranked 7th entering the playoffs and knocked off in the first round to the Phoenix Suns.

The following year Kobe won back-to-back scoring titles in 2006-07. Lakers regular season record was 42-40 (.512). Again, same results entering the playoffs ranked 7th only to be taken out by Phoenix yet again in the first round.

Genius Nike ad for Kobe VII System Supreme

2012-01-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

I don't care who you are this graphic is unbelievable. Kudos to Nike and the creative minds behind this beautiful design. Is it a black mamba or Kobe's latest shoes, the Nike Zoom Kobe VII System Supreme?

The snake's eyes are the Nike Swooshes and if you look even closer the snakes tongue is made up of the ends of the shoe laces and aglets. Pure genius.

You gotta love this ad. click on the link below for more information about the shoes.

Nike Zoom Kobe VII System Supreme

Kobe shoots a lot because he has to

2012-01-11T23:36:00.000-08:00

For the second time this season 4 of the 5 Laker starters score in double digits and in both occasions L.A. came out victorious. One would think that the Lakers with such a dominating first unit (Fisher, Kobe, Barnes, Pau, Andrew) would have more games with this many starters scoring in double digits but surprisingly that isn't the case. I think the team just needs more time to gel to find a more offensive balance.

Kobe will get his no matter what. He leads the league in field goal attempts with 292 (an average of 24 FGA per game). Tonight in Utah he shot 14-31 FG scoring 40. His second consecutive game scoring 40 or more points.

It's clear that coach Brown's objective is to facilitate his offense around his superstar but my only concern with this strategy is when Kobe has an off night, who will step up to help carry the team through offensively? In the front court there is no other player that can create a shot like Kobe can. Having no one to pass the ball to besides his big men is the main reason why Kobe is labeled a ball hog and often criticized for shooting way too much. It's plain and simple, he has to.

Lets look at Kobe's options:
(averages below include three-pointers (if applicable))

Derek Fisher has a beautiful jay but only averages 6 shot attempts. Derek is shooting 30% overall. Fisher has yet to score in double digits.

Matt Barnes is fast and a great slasher but just like D. Fish he also only averages 6 shot attempts and is shooting a dismal 28.6% overall.

Metta World Peace is a strong physical player who should be able to force his way in but is averaging a modest 9 shot attempts. MWP has only made 30 of 105 shots (shooting 29% overall).

Troy Murphy is a big man who has a decent jump shot, its too bad he only shoots the rock about 4 times a game. He needs to simply shoot more in the 21 minutes he's getting. His positive contribution is in the rebounds category. He's averaging more rebounds than points (4pts/6rebs).

Jason Kapono was added to the roster to help ignite the offense, specifically behind the arc, coming off the bench. His time is limited averaging just about 14 minutes so shooting the ball 5-times a game is acceptable in my mind. He's also shooting 43% overall. The only issue with Kapono is his PT.

Steve Blake has obviously grown a trigger happy jay this past off season and is shooting the ball with a new found confidence. Blake is no longer the shy insecure shooter that he once was a season ago as is consequently shooting 11-times a game (38.5% overall). Despite Blake not starting he still averages more minutes than Derek. I think the only thing to do now for coach Brown is start Blake over Fisher. Its clear that Blake is the more productive PG on the team.

Josh McRoberts has brought energy to the team and is a strong finisher. His sprained left big toe has unfortunately put a temporary stop to his season numbers. In the 6 games that he's played in he's averaging 5 shot attempts in 23 minutes and is shooting an impressive 54% overall. Josh just needs to aggressively shoot more to increase his 6ppg.

Devin Ebanks, like Fisher has yet to score in double digits. He's gone 8-22 shooting 36% overall. Despite starting in several games his minutes have been limited.

Andrew Bynum has proven to be quite the beast since his late entrance to the season. In just 8 games Andrew is averaging 17pts/14rebs. Bynum has become the second option in front of Gasol. Bynum is averaging 13 FGA having made 54 out of 105 attempts. He's shooting 52% FG.

Pau Gasol has quietly become the teams third option since Bynum's admission. Gasol is averaging 16pts/10rebs. Even though Gasol is still averaging a double-double, his numbers are slowly starting to decline. The Spaniard is averaging 13 shot attempts in 12 games as where Bynum is averaging the same amount in just 8. Gasol has gone 81-149 shooting 54% overall. Pau's character will not allow him to throw a tantrum because of his decreasing numbers, he will always contribute however which way he can.

Andrew Goudelock, Luke Walton, Darius Morris and Derrick Caracter (Darius/Derrick have yet to play) all average less than 10 minutes so I didn't add them to the list.

So Kobe's options are Bynum first, Gasol second, perhaps Blake as Kobe's third and then maybe McRoberts if you're basing your decision on the number of shot attempts and shooting percentages. MWP is just a brick station right now. He needs to improve his shooting percentages if he wants to be a viable option for Kobe.

I don't know, you tell me. Who would be the best candidate for the 3rd and 4th option job opening?

Photo credit: AP 2012-01-11

The Curious Case of Benjamin Bryant

2012-01-10T23:27:00.000-08:00

16-Year NBA career, 5-time NBA Champ, 2-time NBA Finals MVP, regular season MVP, 13-time NBA All-Star, 4-time NBA All-Star MVP, 2-time NBA scoring champ, NBA Slam Dunk champ...the list goes on and on.

When you read these amazing accolades you assume this resume holder is retired and has already been naturally inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Nah, Kobe Bryant is just getting warmed up. The older he gets the younger he plays. Tonight versus the Phoenix Suns, this old veteran scored a season high 48, the most points scored in a single game so far this season. Kobe isn't slowing down, in fact he's #8 fast again and only getting stronger as the season progresses.

The Black Mamba is defying the test of time and the strands of sand in Father Time's hourglass is moving in slo-mo Matrix style just like Kobe's defenders.

Tonight's performance keeps Kobe at the top of the points leader board. In 11-games he's scored a total of 324 points, Durant has 279 and LeBron right behind him with 267.

I know the season is young but Kobe is already averaging 29ppg. Throughout his career Kobe has always started the season hot but to do it this deep in his career and at such a high intensity level in a much younger league is truly inspiring. This is history in the making folks and if you're a fan you gotta be loving his performance yet despite a wrist injury that should be slowing him down.

Photo credit: NBA.com

BMW - Black Mamba Wheels

2012-01-07T14:29:00.001-08:00

Check out this photo taken by Lakers fan John Chadwell.

What's better than an all black 3 series BMW coupe?

An all black 3 series BMW coupe with these plates.

Thanks for sharing John.

Lakers need Howard not Bynum

2012-01-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

Bynum starts the season with 4-consecutive double-double games. Big deal. D. Howard already has a double-double in 5 out of 7 games so far.

Oh my God Bynum gets his first career 20-20 game!!! Howard already has two 20-20 games in this early season.

Lets compare career averages since season averages would be unfair due to Bynum's late entrance. Howard's career average is 18pts/13rebs. vs. Bynum at 10pts/7rebs.

Who's more reliable? Hmm, Howard has only missed 7 regular season games out of 581. Not too shabby for an 8-year vet. Bynum has missed, lets count it, 36 games in 05-06, 47 games in 07-08, 32 games in 08-09, 17 games in 09-10, 28 games in 10-11 and finally 4 games this season. This brings the grand total to 164 missed regular season games out of 499. This equals to Bynum leaving his team hanging dry for two full regular seasons. The Lakers cannot afford to have an injury prone big man, they need D. Howard who's more dependable than cable TV.

Come on! Don't let Bynum's start deceive you from the much bigger picture. Dwight needs to come to the Lakers. Bynum is not the athlete that Kobe or Pau is. Jeanie needs to have some say in the Lakers Club.

The Lakers will not be able to get #17 if they keep #17!!! Those fans who think that Bynum is great...sure, but he can't run up and down the court in a fast-paced game as evidenced in last night's game versus the fast Portland Trailblazers.

D. Howard is always welcome in LA.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Crawford alone outscores Peace Corps

2012-01-06T00:00:00.000-08:00

Oregon running back Kenjon Barner was seen texting from the sideline at tonight's game...

Incoming text message: Hey what's up Kenny? Where you at?

Outgoing text message: Just children here at the game watching them blaze up and catch on fire.

Incoming text message: Say what?! That's some crazy ass weed. Save me some.

Outgoing text message: Huh? Oh LOL. Stupid phone. I meant to say that I'm just chilling here at the game watching them Blazers catch fire.

Yes the Lakers did throw (not shoot, shooting is an attempt to make a shot) 0-11 at the three-point line in tonight's loss to the Portland Trailblazers. The Lakers haven't shot this poorly behind the arc since 2003.

This loss in Portland gives the Lakers a 4-17 record at the Rose Garden in their last 21 visits. Portland is tough to beat at home and continue to curse the visiting Lakers.

One stat that stood out the most for me is Jamal Crawford's 17 points that alone outscored the Lakers Bench by 3. Where was the Peace Corps tonight? MWP 0-5, Blake 2-9, Ebanks 1-5 in FG. Little production from the bench plus the team shooting .000 long distance will always equate to nights like these.

Fisher despite only scoring 6 points went 2-2 FG, 2-2 FT, 6 assists, and had 0 turnovers and was the only Laker who had a plus 4 in the point differential. Derek just needs to be more aggressive and shoot more. Two shot attempts isn't going to cut it as the starting PG.

Bynum gets his fourth straight double-double to start the season. Kobe scores 30 or more points in two consecutive games and Gasol continues to handle being a quiet third option quite well since Bynum's return. Lakers just need to shoot better and play better transition defense.

Photo credit: AP 2012-01-05

Game highs, season highs, career highs oh my!

2012-01-03T23:05:00.000-08:00

For the Lakers tonight's victory over the Rockets was the best win of the season as far as numbers go.

Team highs

Lakers shoot a season high .526 in field goals and crash the boards for a season high 53 rebounds.

Player highs

Kobe has a game high/season high 37 points complimented with 8 boards/6 assists.

Bynum has his first career 20-20 game scoring 21 points and bringing down a game high/season high 22 rebounds. The last game he ever got closest to reaching this feat was against the Milwaukee Bucks on 1/11/2008 where he had 25pts/17reb.

With his third consecutive double-double since his return Andrew Bynum is only getting better as the season progresses. Not to jump the gun here but with the big man playing this well, this Lakers team who isn't expected to place top 3 in the western conference this season should be given a second look.

In seven seasons Bynum has never started this hot. In just three games he's averaging 23pts/17reb. His early season performance should make fans forget about Howard and be reminded that having the always dependable Gasol and a healthy Bynum in the front court always makes this team top contenders in the league.

Photo credit: AP 2012-01-03

Top 5 Most Anticipated Lakers Games of 2012

2012-01-03T18:11:00.000-08:00

With a compressed season and redemption on their minds, the Lakers are certain to have a dynamic season ahead of them. Here are my top five most anticipated games of the season in chronological order.

1. Monday, January 16 vs. Dallas Mavericks (TNT)

The Lakers’ performance in last year’s semi-finals was simply embarrassing, especially because they were swept in the last game of the series. While winning this game may not be a harbinger for the 2012 title, revenge will certainly be sweet.

2. Thursday, January 19 vs. Miami Heat (TNT)

Last Christmas, the Heat blew away the Lakers on their home turf, followed closely by another close loss in Miami. All the comparisons between Kobe and LeBron might be toned down if the Lakers can take back the court, especially if this match-up comes back for the Finals.

3. Wednesday, January 25 vs. Los Angeles Clippers (NBA TV)

A few years ago, no one would have considered this to be a must-watch game. But with Chris Paul and other young players joining the ranks of the Clippers this season, some have speculated whether the team might be better than the Lakers. One thing for sure is that this will be a great night for Los Angeles basketball.

4. Thursday, February 9 vs. Boston Celtics (TNT)

Their infamous rivalry makes this match-up one of the most anticipated games in the NBA. Both teams feel that they have something to prove this season and have their eyes on the championship. This is bound to be an intense, non-stop game.

5. Thursday, February 23 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (TNT)

The Thunder are expected to pose the Lakers’ biggest threat in the Western Conference this season. If the Lakers want a chance at the championship, the Thunder is the team to beat, especially with so many young players who can withstand the demands of a compressed season.

This article was written by Nathan Henley. He is a sports psychologist who specializes in performance improvement and injury rehabilitation. He also owns the site Sports Psychology Degree for students interested in getting a degree in sports psychology.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Is Andrew Bynum Kobe's bad luck charm?

2012-01-01T20:59:00.000-08:00

Since Bynum's return to the starting line-up Kobe's numbers have dropped. Lately it seems like Kobe is trying to be more of the facilitator rather than the natural superstar scorer that we're all used to seeing. While Kobe's assists may have taken the wheel his points have taken the back seat. He's averaging 16.5ppg in the last two games scoring a total of 33 points. Compared to the 28 points that he was averaging per game, this is a significant drop to Kobe's usual offensive contribution.

Kobe has also become a late blooming scorer with his first points coming in the final minutes of the second quarter. In the recent Denver series Kobe's field goal percentage has taken an ugly turn. He's gone 12-46, shooting a dismal 26%.

With Bynum's hot start and Gasol's escalating numbers (team high 20pts/11reb tonight), once Kobe gets out of this funk this Lakers team should start beating teams quite convincingly, with all due respect of course to their opponents.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Andrew Bynum's season debut performance points to another title

2011-12-31T17:18:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Lakers are a complete unit now all thanks to Andrew Bynum fresh off his 4-game suspension.

In today's victory over the visiting Denver Nuggets Coach Brown did not waste any time using his big man as the first play was drawn for No. 17. Right from the tip-off Andrew's presence was felt as he scored the teams first 6 points.

It was known early that Bynum was going to leave an impression in his season debut and boy did he leave quite the impression.

Let me give you an example of how great Bynum played in his first appearance of the 2011-12 NBA season. Below are season first appearance numbers for Bynum:

November 2, 2005 -NBA debut (5 minutes)

0 PTS (0-2 FG); 2 REB; 2 BLKS

October 31, 2006 (24 minutes)

18 PTS (7-11 FG); 9 REB; 5 AST

October 30, 2007 (19 minutes)

4 PTS (2-6 FG); 4 REB; 2 AST; 1 BLK; 3 STL

October 28, 2008 (28 minutes)

8 PTS (4-10 FG); 3 REB; 1 AST; 3 BLK

October 27, 2009 (38 minutes)

26 PTS (9-15 FG); 13 REB; 2 AST; 1 BLK; 1 STL

December 14, 2010 - Late appearance due to knee injury (17 minutes)

7 PTS (1-5 FG); 4 REB; 1 AST; 2 BLK;

December 31, 2011 - Late appearance due to 4-game suspension (32 minutes)

29 PTS (13-18 FG); 13 REB; 1 AST; 2 BLK; 1 STL

Favoring facts not to ignore:

The last time Bynum played this well in his season debut was in the 2009-10 season when the Lakers took home their last Larry O'Brien.

Andrew Bynum's career high best NBA season so happen to be that year as well averaging 15 PTS/8 REB.

If we were to determine how well the Lakers would play in a season based on Bynum's season debut performance then we are in for one hell of a ride for another NBA championship title this season because today was Bynum's best season debut performance of his seven-year NBA career as evidenced above.

Photo credit: AP

The Candy Man has gone sour in Dallas

2011-12-30T09:29:00.000-08:00

Getty Images

In lieu of talking about the reigning champion Dallas Mavericks who've yet to win this season lets talk about Lamar's performance so far with the team.

In Lamar's first three games of his Dallas Mavericks inaugural season his numbers are, well lets just say not so Laker-ish. He's 4-27 in field goals, 1-11 behind the arc and consequently has only scored a total of 14 points with an average of 5PPG/4RPG. Finding his role in Dallas has proven to be more difficult than his natural transition as a Laker.

To compare oranges to apples, in Lamar's first three games of his Laker debut in the 2004-05 season he was averaging 14PPG/11RPG/2BLK/3STL/3AST. Granted Odom was given more playing time but that goes to show that Lamar's role for the Lakers was more valuable than his current role for the Mavs sitting on the bench only averaging 21 minutes.

Looking back Gasol handled the vetoed trade in a much different manner than Odom. Pau kept his composure and went back to work despite his name continuously being brought up in trade rumors. His professionalism stood out while Odom looked for the nearest exit sign. Lamar voiced his frustrations on the air waves and demanded to be traded. The Lakers then made his demands a quick reality and sent him to Dallas. In retrospect maybe Lamar should've cooled down before being so reactive, perhaps a reaction fueled by a drama queen reality TV star wife.

We wish Lamar the very best and hope that he finds his groove as a Mav soon.

Lakers and Knicks - Oh yeah it's on

2011-12-29T12:05:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles Lakers (1-2) vs. New York Knicks (1-1)
Streaks: Lakers Won 1 - Knicks Lost 1
Time: 7:30PM PST - TV: TNT

Preview

Coming into tonight's game the Los Angeles Lakers have winning momentum while the New York Knicks have their fourth quarter melt down from last night's loss to the Warriors still lingering in their taste buds.

Melo was off, I mean more off than a Vampires light switch last night against the Golden State Warriors. He shot 3-13 FG and was 0-4 3PT only scoring 13 points. The last time he shot this poorly was back on 11/9/2011 where he scored an equally 13 points.

Lakers need to capitalize on his shooting slump. They need to put pressure on him quickly so he can continue bricking before Melo catches an early shooting rhythm and scores 30+ like he did in their season opener.

Remember, Andrew Bynum is serving his last day of his 4-game suspension tonight. Upon his return, He will be replacing Pau at the 5 and Pau will be replacing McRoberts at the 4. McRoberts will be coming off the McBench from that point on.

I've said it before this will be the Lakers "toughest" match-up yet.

Projected line-ups:

Lakers starting five and averages:

Derek Fisher (6pts/2reb/3ast)
Kobe Bryant (28pts/7reb/6ast)
Devin Ebanks (7pts/3reb/1ast)
Josh McRoberts (5pts/6reb/2ast)
Pau Gasol (17pts/9reb/2ast)

Knicks starting five and averages:

Toney Douglas (13pts/4reb/3ast)
Landry Fields (11pts/2reb/3ast)
Carmelo Anthony (25pts/5reb/2ast)
Amare Stoudemire (19pts/8reb/1blks)
Tyson Chandler (5pts/3reb/3blks)

Notable stats

Kobe Bryant is currently ranked 3rd in points (27.7 ppg)
Even with Melo's bad performance last night he's still ranked 5th in points (25 ppg)
Tyson Chandler is currently ranked 4th in blocked shots (3 blkpg)

Mismatches to consider

Ebanks/Melo - Yikes. Coach Brown will need to keep an eye out on this one. This match-up is heavily favored for NY.

McRoberts/Stoudemire - Yikes Part II. If Stoudemire gets his way with Josh, L.A. will be in a heap of trouble.

Kobe/Landry - Okay now we're talking. The Black Mamba should have his way and make Mr. Fields here a Mrs. Fields Cookie if you know what I mean. This 2-year young buck will get schooled by the more experienced 5-time NBA champ.

Gasol/Chandler - This one is a toss up for me - I definitely see Gasol outscoring Chandler easily but on the other side of the token I see Chandler playing better defensively. If great D equals points then this match-up should be a good one.

Lakers defunk and get their first win

2011-12-28T09:54:00.000-08:00

Getty Images

Los Angeles Lakers (1-2) beat Utah Jazz (0-1)
Final Score: Lakers 96 - Jazz 71
Stats: Box Score courtesy of Yahoo! Sports
Video: Game Highlights courtesy of NBA.com

Post Game

CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES COME ON!!! Lakers looked KOOL out there AND THE weak game Utah brought last night was GANGed up by the Lakers. They finally grab their first win of the season all thanks to good old-fashioned defense.

I was getting nervous, Lakers hadn't won a game since April 28, 2011. They earned this victory convincingly over the Utah Jazz which allowed Kobe plenty of resting time in the fourth.

Lets point out why the Lakers were so successfull against the Utah Jazz.

Jazz had no starters scoring in double digits. Lakers first unit outscored Utah's starters by 39 points. (Utah 30 - L.A. 69)
Lakers honed in around the perimeter allowing Utah only 1 made three-pointer from 13 attempts.
Both Kobe and Gasol shot better - Kobe had 26 pts. (8-17 FG/3-5 3PT) & Pau had his first 20+ point game w/ 22 (6-11 FG)
Lakers were more aggressive over the much younger Utah team. (Free-throws: Lakers 30-37 - Jazz 12-17)
Defense - Lakers held the Jazz to just 71 points. Gasol had a game high 5 block shots.
Metta continues to play well coming off the bench. He had 14 points. For Metta the words "coming off the bench" are really just words because he's getting more minutes than starter Ebanks.

The icing on the cake for the Lakers is that they've completed their only triple back-to-back games of the season. Andrew Bynum also needs to serve just one more day of his 4-game suspension before he can help display the Lakers true potential as a complete team.

L.A.'s next opponent comes all the way from New York City. The Knick are strong and Melo had an unbelievable game one of the season scoring 37 points. This will be the Lakers toughest match-up so far but it will be at home so maybe the home crowd can be the difference in the game.

Lakers 0-2 to start season

2011-12-26T23:07:00.000-08:00

Getty Images

Los Angeles Lakers (0-2) @ Sacramento Kings (1-0)
Final Score: Kings 100 - Lakers 91
Stats: Box Score courtesy of Yahoo! Sports
Video: Game Highlights courtesy of NBA.com

Post Game

The Lakers first win of the season will have to wait as they fall to the Kings in Sacramento now having lost two straight to start the 2011-12 NBA season. For the Lakers the upside to all of this is that the possibility of winning 64 games is still up for grabs.

I don't get it, the Lakers were competitive against the well premised Chicago Bulls but have difficulty against the scrappy Sacramento Kings. Stu Lantz said it best, its all about basic fundamentals and its clear L.A. lacks the basics right now. Where are the pick and rolls? How about dribble penetration for the open kick out at the wing? It seems that L.A. is playing to find the slasher for the bail out two rather than using the playbook. These fourth quarter comebacks have come back to bite the Lakers in the ass as they just cannot find a groove to play effectively in the first three quarters to enter the last 12 minutes with an assured lead.

Perimeter defense will always be an issue for the purple and gold. This bad habit of leaving their man open behind the arc is going to continue to haunt the team until they learn to fix this major blooper. Sacramento shot .500 (9-18) from long distance while L.A. shot .062 (1-16).

Blake's shot looked flat, one of Luke's shots was attempted from the palm of his hand and Fisher went fishing only catching 3 fish in 10 different lakes (horrible analogy but you catch my drift).

Lakers need balance with their shot attempts. Kobe shot the rock 24 times with Metta coming in a distant second place off the bench with 14 shot attempts and Gasol, 12.

Yes Kobe Bryant is giving fantasy basketball owners enough to be happy about averaging 28.5pts entering the third game of the season but this doesn't help the team when he's only 1 of 2 starters putting up notable numbers. Kobe's 29 points tonight matched the entire total points scored by the other 4 Lakers starters. Meanwhile Sacramento had 4 starters scoring in double digits.

Lakers weakest link continues to be at the 1. Fisher/Blake had a total of 6 points (Blake 0-4) vs. the Kings PG's Tyreke Evans/(R) Jimmer Fredette at 26 points.

Spark off the bench

Metta World Peace was just 2 shy from mirroring the King's entire second unit point contribution of 21 points. He had 19 going 8-14 in FG. He played 29 minutes coming off the bench. His latest performance might make coach Brown reconsider starting Ebanks who only scored 6pts. in just 18 minutes tonight.

Lakers next game is tomorrow night back home against the Utah Jazz.

Lakers look to bounce back in Sacramento

2011-12-26T15:18:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles Lakers (0-1) @ Sacramento Kings (0-0)
Time: 7PM PST - TV: KCAL, CSCA, NBATV

Preview

Game two of the Lakers back-to-back-to-back grueling season opening schedule begins tonight. Someone told me that the season started for the Lakers yesterday, that's funny I don't remember watching the Lakers lose to the favored Bulls in the closing seconds where Kobe turned the ball over when he should've just kept the ball for the intentional foul only to give it up to the leagues reigning MVP and yes Rose made the Lakers pay by making his high arching teardrop over Gasol then Kobe attempted to shoot over three horned defenders to redeem himself only to be blocked while Derek Fisher stands alone wide open at the corner...yeah...no I don't remember watching that game.

It's okay, today is a new day. A day that has the Lakers favored for the W over the (almost Anaheim) Sacramento Kings. Sacramento is one of the youngest teams in the league only having four players over 25. Tonight's game will showcase the old and the wise vs. the young and the quick. Bynum is now serving his 2 of 4 game suspension. The Lakers played fittingly without him so far. Will the Lakers match-up well with the Kings? Lets see the projected starting lineups shall we?

Lakers starting 5 and last nights numbers:

Derek Fisher (2pts/3reb/3ast)
Kobe Bryant (28pts/7reb/6ast)
Devin Ebanks (8pts/1reb/2ast)
Josh McRoberts (6pts/8reb/2ast)
Pau Gasol (14pts/8reb/3ast)

The young and banged up Kings starting 5:

Tyreke Evans (sore left shoulder)
Marcus Thornton
John Salmons (thigh contusion)
Chuck Hayes (heart abnormality - 2nd physical proved he's capable of playing now)
DeMarcus Cousins (recovering from ankle injury)

Kings to look out for:

Tyreke Evans averaged 18pts/5reb/6ast. last season and look for him to come out strong, especially with the Lakers highly publicized PG situation. We all know Evans is trigger happy so defending him well and forcing him to shoot low percentage shots is key.

NBA Sophomore DeMarcus Cousins had a great rookie season last year averaging 14pts/9reb. He is the better scorer compared to Hayes. He's tough and does not back down. Gasol will have to put a body on him at all times.

Marcus Thornton came out of nowhere last season having been traded to Sacramento mid season from New Orleans. He averaged 8 points with the Hornets (46 games) and then ended the season averaging 21 points for the Kings (27 games). He sparked the Kings late in the season and look for him to keep the fuse going in their season opener tonight.

The unfortunate reality for Sacramento is that Kobe's pissed at himself for yesterday's collapse and he's looking for redemption.

Sources: Yahoo! Sports, The Sacramento Bee.

Lakers win but then lose in the closing seconds of their opener

2011-12-25T19:48:00.000-08:00

Original Photo: AP

2011-12 NBA Season Opener
Los Angeles Lakers (0-1) vs Chicago Bulls (1-0)
Final Score: Bulls 88 - Lakers 87

Video: Game Highlights courtesy of NBA.com
Stats: Box Score courtesy of Yahoo! Sports

Post Game

For my hearts sake, why couldn't the Lakers just convincingly lose by 20? Why get an 11-point lead with 3:45 to play and/or a 6-point lead with under a minute to play only to lose it all in the final seconds by a Rose teardrop that was answered, leaving the home crowd absolutely stunned to what had transpired just seconds prior. Lakers were outscored 17-5 in thefinal 3:36. Kobe's turnovers and McRoberts McMissing consecutive free-throws late in the fourth quarter certainly didn't help.

I'm not one to throw the refs under the bus BUT Luol Deng DID travel in that last Bulls possession but oh well. It is what it is. Lakers can't leave the game at the mercy of the refs in the closing seconds.

Kobe should've settled for a better looking shot rather than attempt the impossible over three Bulls defenders with four hands in his face.

On the brighter side of things, Lakers played a hell of a lot better than expected. Their season opener by cruel joke was against presumably the best team in the league who are anticipating nothing less than a Larry O'Brien this season.

One of Mike Brown's coaching strengths is in his defensive approach and it showed today, especially in the third quarter where the Lakers outscored their opponents by 8 but unfortunately Rose and Deng found a way to squeeze through the cracks to pull the victory out of their asses.

Kobe Bryant did his usual thing by scoring a lot of points. Lets ignore his 8 turnovers. He had a game high 28 points, pulled down 7 rebounds and dished the ball for 6 assists. Pau Gasol helped by adding 14 points and 8 rebounds with 3 blocked shots but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. Josh McRoberts crashed the boards for 8 total rebounds, 3 offensive.

Contribution off the bench

Steve Blake played well scoring 12 points off the bench and hitting two big three-pointers when it really counted. Troy Murphy pulled down 8 rebounds, 5 offensive. Andrew Goudelock in just 12 minutes went 2-3 behind the arc.

Lakers have nothing to be ashamed about. They had the W in the palm of their hands but failed to keep it. Today's loss may be heartbreaking but it should serve as a huge sign of promise for a bright future. I was among those who had forgotten about Bynum not playing because the game was so exciting.

Lakers are strong and once Bynum is off his 4-game suspension the Lakers will be even stronger. Lets not hold our heads down Laker fans, lets stand tall united as a nation because today's loss reminded the league not to take the Lakers lightly. WE ARE THE LAKERS!

Lakers have to leave this game behind quickly because game two of the season is tomorrow night.

Lakers vs Bulls - Christmas Day Preview

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

2011-12 NBA Season Opener
Los Angeles Lakers vs Chicago Bulls
Time: 2PM PST - TV: ABC

This time around last season the Lakers were 21-8 at the top of their division heading into their Christmas Day spectacular against the Miami Heat - fast forward to today's realities of a lengthy NBA lockout dispute and its residual schedule - the 2011-12 NBA season will now tip-off at the traditional 30-game mark of the season this Christmas Day.

Teams only have 66-games to figure things out, get warmed up, fix all system bugs and find the right rotation. It's sink or swim time gentlemen.

As for the Lakers, they'll be hosting the Bulls for their season opener as the underdog. Yes you heard me right, they're considered the out-of-towners at home. Hold your dark horses, could this be right?

Lamar Odom being traded to Dallas, Andrew Bynum serving his 1 of 4 day suspension, Kobe's healing wrist and a new coaching system might be contributing factors to this foolish prediction but everyone know's you should never count the Lakers out, especially when you have No. 24 fancying his new System Supreme's.

Here's a look at the Lakers starting 5 and last season averages:

Derek Fisher (7pts/2reb/3ast)
Kobe Bryant (25pts/5reb/5ast)
Devin Ebanks (3pts/1reb)
Josh McRoberts (7pts/5reb/2ast)
Pau Gasol (19pts/10reb/3ast)

Here's a look at the Bulls starting 5 and last season averages:

Derrick Rose (25pts/4reb/8ast)
Richard Hamilton (14pts/2reb/3ast)
Luol Deng (17pts/6reb/3ast)
Carlos Boozer (18pts/10reb/3ast)
Joakim Noah (12pts/10reb/2ast)

Okay on paper it certainly looks like Chicago is the better team but you should never judge a team by its stat sheet. In order for the Lakers to come out victorious the usual suspects in Kobe and Gasol will have to carry the team offensively in hopes that their teammates won't slow them down.

One thing's for sure, the better team will win on Christmas Day.

Nike Zoom Kobe VII System Supreme

2011-12-24T12:59:00.000-08:00

Here's a look at Kobe's latest signature shoes, the Nike Zoom Kobe VII System Supreme's which were released earlier this week on December 22, 2011.

What really makes the new Nike Zoom Kobe VII shoes different from previous designs is the System Supreme concept. The complete system includes the Attack Fast and Attack Strong interchangeable soles. The video above shows Kobe Bryant and Nike Creative Director Eric Avar discuss in greater detail what the System Supreme entails.

Kobe approached his newest design with the intent to truly enhance the wearers game. Thanks to Kobe's vision and Nike's creative team, his new shoe is a work of ingenuity.

The new Nike Zoom Kobe VII System Supreme shoes come with the following add-ins:

Play Fast soles

The Play Fast or Attack Fast add-in is a detachable sole that has two zoom bags, one in the heel and one in the forefoot, which gives the wearer low profile and very responsive cushioning.

Play Strong soles

The Play Strong or Attack Strong add-in is a detachable cushlon midsole and sensory cuff made out of lunar foam which provides a little more cushion and optimal comfort and protection from the explosive movements.

Entire System Supreme

To recap, the entire System Supreme includes the Nike Zoom Kobe VII shoes and interchangeable Play Fast and Play Strong detachable soles.

Cost breakdown:

Nike Kobe VII System Supreme: $180

Attack Fast and Attack Strong version.

Nike Zoom Kobe VII System: $140

The Attack Fast version only.

Click here to get your pair.

Photos courtesy of KicksOnFire.com.

FS WEST - Lakers Preseason Special

2011-12-24T08:30:00.000-08:00

<a href='http://www.foxsportswest.com/pages/video?videoid=cc08c353-5a3b-4b24-9384-fc8fef61cc58&src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='Lakers Preseason Special: Part 1'>Video: Lakers Preseason Special: Part 1</a>

Part 1: 2-Time Laker Champion Norm Nixon and Patrick O'Neal speak on the following topics:

Inception of the 2011-12 shortened season
David Stern veto
Derek Fisher talks about what the team expects in the upcoming season
Pau Gasol
Andrew Bynum
Kobe Bryant

<a href='http://www.foxsportswest.com/pages/video?videoid=9bb0a36f-3ed0-4d23-8cf3-1e47618cd659&src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='Lakers Preseason Special: Part 2'>Video: Lakers Preseason Special: Part 2</a>

Part 2: 2-Time Laker Champion Norm Nixon and Patrick O'Neal speak on the following topics:

Key games in January
Metta World Peace
Matt Barnes
Josh McRoberts
Outside shooting needing improvement - Troy Murphy/Jason Kapono/Steve Blake
Derek Fisher
Coach Mike Brown's new system

<a href='http://www.foxsportswest.com/pages/video?videoid=006c74e7-cc4b-47f0-a728-af9a99bd20ca&src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='Lakers Preseason Special: Part 3'>Video: Lakers Preseason Special: Part 3</a>

Part 3: 2-Time Laker Champion Norm Nixon and Patrick O'Neal speak on the following topics:

Key games in February and March
Sit down interview with coach Mike Brown

<a href='http://www.foxsportswest.com/pages/video?videoid=e32c715d-a610-4e57-b6cf-4b74bf3b4f14&src=v5:embed::' target='_new' title='Lakers Preseason Special: Part 4'>Video: Lakers Preseason Special: Part 4</a>

Part 4: 2-Time Laker Champion Norm Nixon and Patrick O'Neal speak on the following topics:

Key games in April
Key additions to the Western Conference
Sit down interview w/ Kobe Bryant
Keys for the Lakers this season
Who's stepping up for Lamar Odom's absence
Lakers bench

Lakers preseason sweep looks promising

2011-12-22T19:14:00.000-08:00

2011-12 NBA Preseason - Lakers vs. Clippers
12/19/2011 - Clippers (a) win 114-95 - Yahoo! Sports Box Score
12/21/2011 - Clippers (h) win 108-103 - Yahoo! Sports Box Score

Yes those pesky neighboring Clippers swept the Lakers in both preseason games by a total margin of 24 points but do realize Clipper Nation, 'tis the [pre]season so don't start your yapping quite yet.

Here's a friendly reminder for those over zealous Clipper fans, these were two exhibition games that do not hold any competitive value and are nothing more than a set up to the highly anticipated 66-game 2011-12 NBA season.

I'm not going to highlight notable stats (just click on the box score links above for that), I will however talk about how these two losses give Laker fans light at the end of the tunnel and something to smile about.

We've all heard it, the weakest link for the Lakers is at the 1 and 5. Lakers need a point guard who can quickly push the ball forward while having the capability of scoring to assist Kobe and a big man who isn't afraid to pound it inside. Thanks to these last two preseason games, the Lakers are not in as tight of a pinch as we'd thought.

POINT GUARD WORRIES NO MORE

Rookie Darius Morris made the most of his (just under) 24 minutes in the 1st preseason game by going 5-9, adding 11 points off the bench. He was electrifying and became a quick fan favorite by making several long distance buzzer beaters in the 1st half. He is a spark off the bench and shoots the ball with veteran-like confidence but also reminds fans of his rookie-like shot selection. Roll the clip.

Steve Blake played exceptionally well in the 2nd preseason game. He went 6-9 in FG's and 5-7 behind the arc, scoring a total of 20pts. coming off the bench. This is a very good sign for Laker fans. If Blake can continue to shoot this well, not picking up CP3 this past off season will be nothing more than an afterthought. There's even talks about Blake starting over Fisher.

WE HAVE OUR BIG MEN, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Andrew Bynum had a double-double in both preseason matches, scoring a total of 37 points and bringing down 23 rebounds. The bigger highlight for me personally was the fact the he played over 30 minutes in both games and showed no visible signs of any aching knees. In fact, outside his big offensive numbers, defensively he was a presence too by blocking a total of 4 shots. His preseason performance should shine light for a promising regular season.

Pau Gasol was among the top 3 Lakers scorers for both exhibition matches. He scored 16 then 13 the following game. His numbers could be a little better but Pau's hesitance to shoot the ball has clearly gone away. He went 10-17FG and 1-2 long distance. Ha ha, only in the preseason would Gasol attempt a 3-pointers in consecutive games.

Both preseason games were hosted by two L.A. based teams that call the Staples Center their home. One big difference though, both home games seated predominantly Laker fans. The first game obviously did since this was a home game for the Lakers. I was at the second game and I saw what looked like more Lakers jerseys than Clippers. I didn't have a tally for every single fans that attended but I felt my observation skills were accurate based on the "Let's Go Lakers" chants vs. no "Lets Go Clippers" chants. The atmosphere was as electrifying as a playoff game. You would think it was game 7 of the NBA Finals.

During timeouts when the jumbo screen showed a Clippers fan the boo birds would come out and when the jumbo screen showed a Laker fan, well, you would hear cheers. Clipper fan-boos; Laker fan-cheers; all of this at a Clippers home game. With the CP3 add-on and all of the talk about the Clippers now being the dominating team in L.A. I was expecting to see Red and Blue everywhere but I was amazed to see and hear how many Laker fans were in attendance. The changing of the guard in Los Angeles won't be that easy. It's clear, by preseason standards, that the Staples Center is still the home of the Los Angeles Lakers in spite of the Chris Paul trade.

Outside was just as crazy. I arrived a little early for the photo ops. One in particular was the Jerry West statue that was unveiled this past February. I'm the late bloomer who just now had the opportunity to see it. The statue of West stands on this massive marble base with inscriptions paying tribute to his Laker career. You can't miss it, it's huge, just as the legacy West left behind.

L.A. Live looked amazing. Excuse the camera quality as I had forgotten my camera at home. Photos taken from my iPhone. The Nokia Plaza had a massive Christmas tree of lights and an ice skating rink for those who fancied the ice that night. The span of just one block from the Staple Center to L.A. Live and all of its festivities is L.A.'s version of the Vegas Strip at night. If you haven't gone, go. It's amazazing!

I'm not going to talk about Kobe's wrist injury because its simply just his way of saying, "I need a break" from all the drama surrounding his personal life and that's okay. Him missing a preseason game is fine by me. Lakers cannot afford to see him land on his behind like he did twice in the first preseason game. He'll be ready for the season opener.

The only concern I have for the Lakers is at the SF starting spot. I feel that Barnes would not be the best candidate for the starting role and I feel the same for World Peace. I've said it before, Matt's temper will hurt the team and Ron's shot is as predictable as Cali's next big earthquake. Ebanks looks good. He only missed 2 of his 9 FG attempts in the preseason. Coach just needs to give him more minutes. Maybe he can be the teams starting SF. You can call me crazy. I just think Artest needs to be less "stiff" and Barnes less "reactive". Again, I know it was just the preseason but Ebanks looked cool and collective on the court with his limited playing time.

On a personal note - I want to thank my good friend Norman for inviting me. I had a blast!

Happy Holidays from the Los Angeles Lakers

2011-12-22T15:37:00.000-08:00

Here are some video clips of the Lakers Team talking about their holiday remembrances courtesy of Lakers.com.

Just click on the graphic to the left or the link just above to see. Flash is required to play.

The only Christmas afterthought I want to have is the Lakers going 3-0, beating the Bulls, Kings and Jazz without Bynum and possibly even now Kobe.

Merry Christmas everybody and Happy New Year!

Lakers acquire sleeper Troy Murphy

2011-12-18T12:37:00.000-08:00

Lakers sign free agent forward/center Troy Murphy to a one year contract at the veterans minimum salary of $1-million. This might be the best off season sleeper move thus far.

Upside for getting Troy
(besides hosting epic parties where Greeks roll up in massive Trojan horses)

Lakers add a player who brings 10-years of NBA experience and a career average of 12PTS/8REBS to the depth of their frontcourt. Troy averaged a double-double in 5 of his 10 NBA seasons. In those 5 season he averaged 30-35 minutes.

A year to forget for Troy (besides 1900 BC where a bunch of Trojan cities were destroyed)

Troy didn't have a great season last year only playing in 35 games while bouncing from New Jersey to Boston with an average of 6PTS/6REBS for both teams total. He also couldn't throw a rock in the ocean, only making 42 of his 114 shot attempts last year (36.8% FG).

Troy will need to get out of his shooting funk from last season, especially with the second string minutes he'll be getting. Who knows, if Bynum's knees fail yet again (knock on wood), Troy will most likely get the starting PF spot and Gasol will move up to the 5. Given Troy's capabilities, this is good cushion to have for the Lakers.

Source: Lakers.com

Barnes to start over World Peace

2011-12-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

Getty Images

Coach Brown has decided to start Matt Barnes over Metta World Peace (still chuckling when I read his name) for the start of the season. This is not to be misconstrued as a demotion for Metta but more of an opportunity for his leadership to serve a vital role in the second unit.

Since Lamar is in Dallas now, filling in the void left behind by the reigning 6th Man of the Year will have to be tried by the better candidate for the job, Metta. With that in mind this makes sense however coming of the bench will give Metta less playing time.

This concerns me. Metta is a monster defensively and knows how to control his temper better than the loose canon Barnes (go figure). Matt has serious issues controlling his temper. If the opposing team is smart all they have to do is match Barnes up with a player that would test him in hopes he gets a technical or two.

Last summer Barnes slapped an assistant coach during a summer league game and punched an opposing player this past summer in a San Francisco Pro-Am game.

Matt was also suspended for one game in March when he came to the defense of Steve Blake after Blake was pushed to the floor by Dallas Maverick Jason Terry. That was actually the moment I became a Barnes Liker. Matt was the first one to rush in and return the favor but also shoved assistant coach Terry Stotts in the process. Even though it appeared that Barnes lost it yet again, him pushing Terry is the kind of team chemistry the Lakers will especially need this upcoming season. Here's the video...

If Barnes can remain healthy (53 games last season), this is the opportunity he's been waiting for as a Laker but the very second he loses his cool and forgets what coach Brown sees in him, his starting role should be given back to Metta.

Last season averages to consider:

Matt Barnes - 7PPG, 4REBS, 47% FG and 78% FT.
Metta World Peace - 8PPG, 3REBS, 2STL, 40% FG and 68% FT.

Matt is the better shooter but Metta is the better defensive player. Which player would you start at the 3 if you were coach Mike Brown?

Say it ain't so Kobe

2011-12-16T20:21:00.000-08:00

The Lakers organization is saved by the bell, the Orange County Superior Court's front desk bell that is. Whatever pressure Kupchak had to make his big off season move has now been overshadowed by Vanessa Bryant's big off season move. Kobe Bryant's wife filed for divorce today citing irreconcilable differences.

Click here to see the filed documents posted by TMZ.com.

Kobe is in deep (bad pun), I mean REAL DEEP. No prenup and having been married for over 10 years? With no prenuptial agreement, Vanessa will be entitled to half of Kobe's total earnings during their 10-year marriage (estimated to be more than $100-million) and on top of that since their marriage lasted more than 10 years in this great state of California Kobe will have to pay Vanessa alimony for the rest of her life, unless of course she remarries. Chances are she won't remarry.

I'm not one to throw out over-said cliche's but this opportunity is begging to be called. These apply to both Kobe and Vanessa:

Kobe - "Once a dog always a dog"
Vanessa - "Past is Prologue"

Clever, clever girl. While Kobe sadly earns his, Vanessa is strategically awarded hers. Kobe's unfaithful past has become Vanessa's quite profitable prologue. I'm not going to be empathetic to Mrs. Bryant as she certainly planned this, patiently waiting for the right time to divorce her cheating husband. It's no coincidence that she filed for divorce just months after the 10-year mark of tying the knot. She's rushing in to cash in her earnings and call it a loss. Unfortunately the loss comes at the expense of their two beautiful girls, 8-year-old Natalia and 5-year-old Gianna who will have to see Mom and Dad separately now.

Kobe should've done what Tom Cruise did. No not jump the couch but file for divorce before the 10-year mark to avoid having to pay a lifetime of alimony. If Kobe was still fooling around like Vanessa is claiming he was, he should've at least manned up by ending the marriage in a smart way rather than being sucker punched days before the season starts. Talk about a distraction.

What woman would be worth this much trouble? Let me rephrase, what women would be worth this much trouble? Let's backup here and revisit Kobe's bad boy behavior that caused his new-found bachelorhood.

Kobe is arguably the best player on the court but unfortunately for his wife Vanessa, he holds this title off the court as well. His highly publicized adulterous D'oh! moment that officially labeled Kobe Bryant as just another unfaithful NBA player came in the summer of 2003, just two years into his young marriage (Kobe 22/Vanessa 18) when he was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting the woman he fooled around with at an Eagle, Colorado hotel. His mug shot hit newsstands the following month courtesy of Sports Illustrated. The case was later dropped but the accuser's civil suit was settled outside of court.

Kobe was quick to get his wife an 8-carat purple diamond ring worth about $4-million and Vanessa was just as quick to accept it. Apparently one with money can buy a second chance. Hmm, man cheats on wife, man apologizes with very expensive gift, wife accepts very expensive gift and forgets all.

So you ask, "What's better than a $4-million 8-carat I'm sorry diamond ring? How about a tattoo that will always remind your apologetic husband how important you are in his life.

Kobe had his upper right arm inked to show his wife he will never be unfaithful ever again. The tattoo shows the name Vanessa under a crown to represent the importance of his wife, two angel wings and the inscription Psalm XVII to express his faith.

That's another thing, why do people suddenly declare their faith in troubled times? Stop playing the God card, He's not your convenient scapegoat. Tiger did it, Kobe did it, OJ Simpson did it, every celebrity does it. If your new-found faith is truly genuine and your new way of life, you wouldn't be doing the same stupid shit that got you in trouble in the first place now would you?

Nobody's perfect I know but when failure is upon you, you tend to learn from it. Kobe displays this on the court, he seeks perfection and when he fails, he works harder to be that much better. He leads by example and is always the first one to hit the hardwood pregame. This is why he's so successful in the NBA.

It's too bad he couldn't reciprocate his basketball ethic towards his marriage.

This off season has been an eventful one for the Lakers to say the least. Don't you dare blink because I have a feeling there's more to come.

Sources: TMZ.com, npr.com.

Would you bet on the Lakers beating the Bulls on Christmas Day?

2011-12-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Getty Images

If you had to make the decision today, would you bet on the Lakers winning their season opener against the Chicago Bulls?

The Bulls look pretty damn strong, especially with the recent pickup of Richard Hamilton who will serve as Rose’s perfect wingman. Adding “Rip” Hamilton only makes Chicago that much stronger.

Let me remind you of their starting five that flashes four team captains? Chicago’s backcourt will be led by their superstar reigning and youngest regular season MVP ever Derrick Rose at the 1 who averages 25ppg. At the 2 a recently acquired Richard Hamilton who will quietly average in double-digits behind Rose. In the frontcourt the Bulls have the always reliable Luol Deng at the 3 spot who averages 17pts/6rebs per game, 9-year veteran Carlos Boozer who averages 18pts/10rebs per game at the 4, and a stronger by the minute big man at the 5 Joakim Noah who had a great season last year averaging a career high 12ppg w/ 10rebs (48 games).

Chicago made it to the Eastern Conference Finals last year and they have no intention to stop there this season. The only goal Chicago has is to win it all, especially with the opportunity of a 66-game season.

As for the Lakers, they’ve gotten weaker. Their depth is as deep as a kiddie pool having lost Shannon Brown and Lamar Odom this off season. Their absence will really hurt this franchise.

Now before you quickly drive out to Vegas or place your online bet with a point spread of 50, be cautious because our brilliant GM still has his big off season move to unveil. So take your time, in fact read up on some online casino reviews and don’t be so eager to lose your money. Lakers will come out with a move that will blow everyone’s minds.

If the season started today, the Lakers starting five would look like this:

Derek Fisher (PG), Kobe Bryant (SG), Metta World Peace (SF), Pau Gasol (PF) and Andrew Bynum (C).

Last season averages:

Derek - 7pts/3 assists; Kobe - 25pts/5assists/5rebs; Metta - 9pts/3rebs; Pau – 19pts/10rebs; Andrew – 11ptys/9rebs (54 games).

The season opener is on Christmas day, December 25th in Los Angeles.
Start time: 2PM PST on ABC.

New Los Angeles Clipper - Chris Paul

2011-12-14T19:32:00.000-08:00

Where to begin? As I stare at my computer screen struggling to filter my intro, I can't stop but think about what's transpired over in Clipper land. I am in complete disbelief that the other team sharing our arena robbed us from Chris Paul. Clips more deserving? Perhaps, but there's still a crime scene to investigate here. Charges have to be made right?

Before I rant, the Clippers and its fan base have been patiently waiting for this day to happen for a long time now and for that I congratulate them. Sports analysts have rightfully labeled the Clippers as a viable playoff team for years to come now that they've acquired a 26-year-old superstar PG in Chris Paul. Also, claiming Billups from the league's amnesty waiver where he can't be traded this season really helps too.

Where is Dan Gilbert now Stern? Check your junk email folder because emails are often sent there accidentally. Anyhow, how can a different team that shares the same arena as the "large market" Lakers get away with a similar trade?

Clippers CP3 Trade
New Orleans Hornets got:

Clipper - Eric Gordan
Clipper - Al-Farouq Aminu
Clipper - Chris Kaman
First-round draft pick

Clippers along with Paul get two future second-round draft picks

Lakers CP3 Trade
New Orleans Hornets would've gotten:

Laker - Larmar Odom
Rocket - Luis Scola
Rocket - Kevin Martin
Rocket - Goran Dragic
First-round draft pick.

Pau Gasol would've gone to Houston.

This is where my frustrations start. Regardless of how I personally felt about the Odom/Gasol trade initially, Chris Paul going to the Clippers (who are essentially in the same demographic market as the Lakers) veto-free is outrageous and unfair.

As a Laker fan you have to ask yourself, "Where is the justice in all of this?" I know the Lakers would've lost Odom/Gasol regardless if there wasn't a trade disqualification but losing Odom to Dallas (Kupchak not informing Odom of the trade to begin with didn't help either) for an 8-mill trade exception and no Chris Paul is a massive blunder to this Laker dynasty.

Today, the Orlando Magic pulled Dwight Howard off the trade market. They said that the Nets and Lakers offers "were not worth executing."

Add this to your pile of bad news this offseason.

There's speculation however that the Orlando Magic made the announcement in hopes that the Lakers would counter with a more appealing offer.

In Kupchak's recent interview with the media yesterday, he did say that he intends to keep his three "primo" players, Kobe, Pau and Andrew. So what fire power do the Lakers have if they are still in pursuit of Howard?

I can't wait to see what big move the Lakers have in store. I hope the move will remind fans of how awesome their Lakers GM is in his abilities to always find a way to move the Lakers forward.

Sources: BleacherReport.com, DailyBreeze.com, LakerNation.com, ESPN.com.

Is it time for the Lakers to trade Kobe Bryant and start over?

2011-12-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

Now that the Los Angeles Clippers have snagged top point guard Chris Paul, they appear to have a better, younger squad than the Los Angeles Lakers. In fact I think the Clips will make the playoffs and end up with a better record than the Lakers. Do you know why? Because the window has closed on the Lake Show.

Think about it. Phil Jackson is gone. Lamar Odom is gone. And if Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has his way, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol could be next. But trading two bigs for one big, in Orlando's Dwight Howard, makes no sense.

Face it Laker fans, it is time to do the unthinkable. It is time to trade perennial All-Star Guard Kobe Bryant. The Lakers can easily get a big haul in return - and there are quite a few teams looking for a good shooter like Kobe.

We need to keep Gasol and Bynum and build around them. Trade Bryant and you can fill the hole at point guard and probably land a decent small forward and another guard as well as a draft pick.

Don't you think the Chicago Bulls would be interested? Imagine what the Black Mamba could do in the back court with terrific point guard Derrick Rose!

I don't know if Bryant has a no-trade clause but surely he might be willing to waive it if the Lakers can send him to a team that can win now. How about the New Jersey Nets? They would be a different team with Deron Williams, Kobe and Brooks Lopez as their top trio. And they could send a bunch of spare parts to L.A. in return - or maybe help the Lakers in a three-way with Orlando, where the Lakers would end up with Howard and Bynum would end up either in Orlando or in New Jersey.

How about the Philadelphia Sixers? They might be willing to bring Kobe home to where he played high school ball, and they have a ton of young players and picks that they could send to L.A. Perhaps they might even throw in Andre Iguodala?

If Kupchak puts Kobe on the market, the offers will come and the Lakers will be able to start the rebuilding process, perhaps sooner than we all thought it would come. But it does appear to be time to blow up the roster, as Magic Johnson himself recommended after the Dallas Mavericks beat L.A. last year.

Kupchak addresses the media

2011-12-12T18:43:00.000-08:00

Today Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak addressed questions about the recent dramas involving the team to the media. Thanks to the Mason & Ireland show on 710 ESPN we have the audio clip.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

Interview begins at the 18 minute mark.

Topics discussed:

- Expectations to keep "primo" players (Kobe, Pau, Andrew)
- League disqualification of CP3 trade
- Losing Lamar Odom
- Pursuing of big deals

This begs the obvious question, how in the heck are the Lakers going to catch Superman if the organization intends to keep their "primo" players?

New Dallas Maverick - Lamar Odom

2011-12-11T17:29:00.001-08:00

Photo credit: AP

ESPN.com reports that Lamar Odom WANTED to leave L.A. I mean do you blame the guy? Why would he want to stay with a team that didn't give the courtesy of a phone call to let him know, "Hey we might be trading you".

Before the veto, the trade would have sent Odom and Gasol to New Orleans for CP3. Gasol would have then been sent to the Rockets for Scola, Martin, Dragic and a 2012 first-round pick.

The damage was done despite the trade being blocked by the commissioner. Lamar Odom didn't deserve this and he showed his disgust by not attending the first day of training camp. He did however make a quick stop to Kupchak's office to let him know, "Hey you can trade me now".

Two days later, Odom is now a Dallas Maverick. The Candy Man w/ a 2012 second-round draft pick and some throw in's for the 2013 draft, was sent to Dallas for an $8.9 million trade exception and a protected first-round pick.

What do the Lakers gain from trading Odom? More fire power for Howard I guess but that's it. First off, the Lakers lose the reigning 6th Man of the Year, a 14pt, 9reb contribution coming off the bench and a big chunk of the working element to this team's chemistry. This is definitely a sad day for Laker fans as they just lost their #1 reserve. If the Lakers don't at least land Howard because of this trade, losing Odom for practically nothing will be the most epic fail in franchise history.

To think Odom's last game as a Laker was against the Mavs. In fact he was ejected from that game just as he's being ejected from the team today. Cue video...

Lamar you have a strong following and no matter where you suit up, you will always be a Laker. You will be missed and thank you for everything.

Revisiting Fishers performance in Game 3 of 2010 NBA Finals

2011-12-10T13:52:00.001-08:00

Lets revisit, in my opinion Derek Fisher's best Laker performance, Game 3 of the 2010 NBA Finals. With all of this talk about the Lakers weakest link being at the 1 and the possibility of grabbing CP3, I wanted to remind Laker fans that Derek may be aging and he may be described as the anchor slowing this team down but he played a very important role in helping us get our last championship banner.

Remember when Pierce taunted fans by saying Boston wasn't coming back to L.A. in the closing seconds of game 2?

Remember how angry his words made Laker fans?

The following day at practice, when asked about Pierce's comments, Derek answered with a blank stare and absolutely no words. We knew at that exact moment that Derek was going to mean serious business two nights later...and he did. In game 3, Fisher was clutch, scoring 11 of his 16 points in the 4th quarter, securing a Game 3 victory. Lakers of course went on to beat Boston in seven games to bring home back-to-back Larry O'Briens.

Fisher is as clutch as they come. He deserves more respect than what he's getting right now. If and when he chooses to retire, his heart and work ethic won't allow him to retire on a sour note. He will leave as a Laker when he feels is right. We need him more than fans think. His leadership and basketball IQ is vital for the younger players. His work ethic alone should serve as example. When was the last time Fisher missed a game? He has played in all 82 games in the last 6 seasons. This equals to 492 regular season games without calling in sick. I haven't even mentioned postseason games. In a league where players don't suit up because of a hangnail, this speaks volumes.

Magic did say to blow up the team

2011-12-09T16:49:00.001-08:00

Remember back to the Dallas/Lakers Western Conference Semifinals this past postseason, specifically on May 7th when L.A. Times.com posted an article about Magic fuming to Buss that the team needs to blow up and make drastic roster changes after going 0-3 in the series?

Magic said, "Dr. Buss has a lot of work to do, he's probably going to have to blow this team up after the season if the Lakers lose this series because you have to come back with some fresh faces. You have to pick between the two big men with which one you keep and then you trade the other one."

He continued to say, "The Lakers have two problems, they're too slow and they have no athletes. This is an athletic league now. When you think about all the teams that are in the playoffs right now, they all can run fast and jump high."

"Sometimes you can be together too long...this group has been probably together too long."

Click here to read the full article

Magic's words are coming to fruition. The team has been exposed and the burning fuse will reach the bomb that will inevitably blow this team apart.

Shannon Brown is leaving for the Suns. That makes the Lakers bench more depleted. Is Luke Walton going to stay for the money? He needs to retire. The Lakers' greatest weakness is their bench. The Heat, Thunder, Bulls, and others do not have that problem.

The Lakers need to pick up CP3 and start looking for other star players. The organization is re-building the team. The Heat is stacked now; they just picked up Battier.

Remember, Lamar is 32 years old. CP3 is 26. Pau is soft and Lamar wants to make a movie - according to a Steven A. Smith interview;

"It would be a good movie... gonna get that script ready." - Lamar Odom.

We need to get back to business. Pau and Odom are going to leave regardless per Jim Buss. I would rather trade Bynum.

Lamar thanks fans for the support

2011-12-08T21:01:00.001-08:00

This from Lamar Odom's Twitter account:

Stop the Presses! Gasol & Odom are still Lakers

2011-12-08T18:48:00.001-08:00

Getty Images

Hold up! Wait a minute! Let me put some veto in it! As quickly as Odom's tears were drying up, NBA team owners ran to Commish David Stern screaming VETO! VETO!

SI.com just posted this on their site:

"League sources have told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that several owners have contacted NBA Commissioner David Stern in an attempt to convince him to veto a three team deal that would send Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers. Paul’s current team, the New Orleans Hornets, is owned by the NBA, which has upset many owners, Wojnarowski has reported."

The execution of the veto was confirmed by both ESPN and Yahoo! Sports.

This is great news in my personal opinion. The thought of losing both Odom and Gasol in one trade for CP3 and perhaps Okafor made me sick to my stomach, literally. I'm eating soup right now.

As of tonight, December 8, 2011, one day before the NBA Free Frenzy Agency officially starts, Gasol and Odom are still Lakers and are not going anywhere. Who really knows what to expect the next several weeks though.

What does this roller coaster mean to Odom and Gasol who clearly are on the chopping block? How do we expect them to feel knowing now that the only reason they weren't forced to call their real estate agent was because of several team owners rushing to Stern to veto the trade?

I know we need a PG but losing both Odom and Gasol in the process is nightmare-ish. This kind of stuff is how horror movies start.

Dr. Buss hospitalized

2011-12-07T17:22:00.001-08:00

Photo credit: L.A. Times

According to TMZ.com Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss has been hospitalized due to blood clots in his legs.

A team rep told TMZ:

We're told doctors believe the 77-year-old's condition was caused by "excessive travel."

"He's progressing well and expects to be released in the next day or two."

I say considering the bad news, Buss being released in the next several days is great news.

We wish Dr. Buss a speedy recovery.

Kapono oh no

2011-12-06T20:35:00.001-08:00

Getty Images

According to Gil Alcaraz IV from Yahoo! Sports Lakers invited free agent forward Jason Kapono for a workout this past Monday. What I'm about to say is by all means no disrespect to one of the greatest shooters in UCLA history but Kapono really hasn't done much in the NBA but hold several NBA 3-Point Shootout trophies and a straddling NBA title w/ the Heat when Shaq and Wade went crazy in '06. To Kapono's credit he did have back-to-back seasons where he led in 3pt pct shooting 51.4 percent for Miami in that '06-'07 championship banner season and then 48.3 percent for Toronto in '07-'08.

Kapono has played for five teams, suiting up for Cleveland, Charlotte, Miami, Toronto, and finally Philadelphia. If the Lakers are looking for consistency behind the arc why look at someone who played in just 24 games last season (minutes total to 3 NBA games in their entirety). Kapono showed the most consistency while playing for the Toronto Raptors in back-to-back seasons of his 5th and 6th year being in the league. Clearly Canadian drugs were the right remedy for his success.

I would understand the interest if this was 3 off-seasons ago where Kapono would be coming off appealing high shooting averages but nowadays he's as rusty as they come. Kapono will have great difficulty putting up consistent numbers right away, especially with the added pressure of playing near his hometown Alma Mater for the first time in his NBA career.

If Buss wants to dish out 1-mill for a player that averaged 1 point (.7 to be exact) last season, why not invest that mill in free agent Mike Bibby who shot a career high 44 percent from long distance and averaged 8 more points than Kapono? I'm sorry to say but a belief that Kapono has a contributing season on the ready set to help an organization that needs chipping in even from the towel boy next season is just foolish. His downward stats will prove to you otherwise. Lakers shouldn't invest in Kapono's stepping stone rebuilding years.

Lakers do not need another forward, they need a point guard that can reintroduce the fast break and Bibby would be the perfect fit.

Nepotism may be a factor in the recent workout invite. Mr. Alcaraz IV also stated that Kapono may have a slight edge over other prospects because of his relationship with Quin Snyder who was hired to the Lakers' coaching staff this summer as an assistant. Their history could be the difference when the Lakers decide who they're going to sign in the next couple of weeks.

2011-12 Lakers Regular Season Schedule

2011-12-06T18:58:00.001-08:00

Today is a great day for NBA fans. Just weeks ago fans were left with an NBA season that had an outlook as dismal as a dead man walking on a green mile. Yes, fans have been pardoned with a 66-game regular season schedule and today showed evidence of it.

For the Lakers, opening the season with a 3-0 record won't come easy. They start their 2011-12 regular season with the only back-back-back of their [a little more than] 4-month schedule.

December 25-27 will consist of the Bulls (h), Kings (a) and Jazz (h).

Thanks to Lakers.com, we already have the schedule dissected and it doesn't look good. Yikes! 18 Back-to-back games?

Day-By-Day Games

Sunday - 14 (10h/4a)

Monday - 5 (2h/3a)

Tuesday - 11 (7h/4a)

Wednesday - 10 (2h/8a)

Thursday - 7 (2h/5a)

Friday - 13 (8h/5a)

Saturday - 6 (2h/4a)

Month-To-Month Games

December - 5 (4h/1a)

January - 17 (9h/8a)

February - 13 (4h/9a)

March - 17 (9h/8a)

April - 14 (7h/7a)

Five Feature Games

Jan.16th vs. Dallas

Jan. 19th @ Miami

Feb. 23rd @ OKC

Mar. 11th vs. Boston

April 20th @ San Antonio

Click here to view for the entire Lakers 2011-12 regular season schedule

Click here to download the official 2011-12 Lakers Regular Season Schedule Wallpaper courtesy of Lakers.com

Do we really want to lose Gasol, Bynum for Howard?

2011-12-03T08:10:00.001-08:00

Credit: Source24Designs

The latest big trade rumors circle around Orlando Magic's 3-time reigning Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard. Howard aka Superman will be a free agent next summer and everyone expects the Magic organization to make a move before keeping him for another season and gamble losing him for nearly nothing in the 2012 off season.

Every sports radio station is buzzing around this hot topic. Dwight is no stranger to rumors of coming to L.A., before the NBA lockout was even looming, articles were being written headlining the subject. So, could the Lakers actually land such a superstar big man?

First of all, only if Dwight Howard wants to come to L.A. Lets make it clear that the Magic organization will not willingly let their star center leave unless he wants to. Trust me when I say this, they intend to exhaust every last second of his ending contract.

Dwight Howard might consider the success L.A. received when they stole Shaq from Orlando. Three championship seasons in a row would be enough to say see ya! The Lakers did also pick up coach Phil Jackson when Shaq came on board. No more Phil might also come into play but then again L.A. has a lot of planking opportunities.

In a recent phone interview Ken Berger of CBSSports.com said that the Lakers will have to lose Gasol and Bynum for Dwight and a throw in consolation prize of Turkoglu. I say that is way too much to lose, especially when Laker fans should anticipate a shortened season to benefit an injury prone Andrew Bynum. Rest assured, the kid is healthy and he will have his best season yet. We can't afford to replace our twin towers for just one.

In fact, L.A. is okay in the big man category having Gasol, Bynum and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Odom at the 4 spot. Why are we so quick to make roster changes when we already have the artillery in the back court? Don't let the Dallas sweep convince you otherwise. We are okay.

If there ever was a spot on the roster to consider trading for, it's at the #1. J.J. Barea, Aaron Brooks, Rodney Stuckey, Mario Chalmers, Mike Bibby, T.J. Ford, Patrick Mills, Carlos Arroyo, Earl Watson, Sebastian Telfair are all legit free agents this season.

Let's not forgot the entertaining possibility of trading for CP3 and D. Williams too.

Dodger fans believe in Magic

2011-12-02T19:21:00.001-08:00

When you read about HOF Magic Johnson and the L.A. Dodgers all on one sentence, it's typically about, well, what the heck is it typically about? In this case its all about the possibility of Magic being part owner of the once eminent Los Angeles Dodgers organization.

Today he made the big announcement via (like most celebrities do nowadays) Twitter. He tweeted:

Yes it's true, Bill Plaschke from LA Times.com wrote an article covering the story and his intro reads:

Magic Johnson, the Lakers legend-turned-businessman, has lined up the Guggenheim financial services firm and respected baseball executive Stan Kasten in hopes of buying the Dodgers.

The great city of angels desperately needs this lift, this spark that will revive the spirit of all Dodger fans who've given up on their boys in blue. They've had a tough year to say the least, a year that began with a nasty and very publicized divorce of (ex)team owner Frank McCourt that ultimately led to a filed bankruptcy of the organization and two Dodger fans who carelessly with no concern for human life brutally assaulted a Giants fan on opening day.

Magic said this in a phone interview today:

"I am so hyped, I'm ready to start right now. The Dodgers have been so important to this community for so many years, for so many reasons. I've lived through it all like everyone else and I want to make them great again."

Magic is a leading staple in the L.A. communities and his foundation, The Magic Johnson Foundation is fueled by their motto, "We are the communities we serve". MJF partners with key corporate companies in efforts to help the communities eliminate negative cultural barriers; advance economic and social equality by engaging minorities in every aspect of their communities; increase academic and innovative achievement; and raise HIV/AIDS awareness, treatment and prevention.

This year Magic is celebrating two milestones. He is celebrating 20 years of beating HIV and 20 years since the inception of his foundation. Its been an especially great year for Magic. To think it might be capped off with him owning a piece of an L.A. legacy that is awaiting rebuilding.

Source: LATimes.com

2011-12 NBA Schedule Breakdown

2011-11-29T17:14:00.001-08:00

Credit: Tmartwork.com

Here is the structure for how the 2011-12 NBA season will be scheduled assuming the new CBA is signed soon:

Regular Season Start Date: December 25, 2011
Regular Season End Date: April 26, 2012
Playoffs Start Date: April 28, 2012
Last Possible Finals Date: June 26, 2012

66-Game Regular Season Breakdown

Individual Team Schedule BreakdownConference Games: 48
• Play 6 teams 4 times (2 home, 2 away)
• Play 4 teams 3 times (2 home, 1 away)
• Play 4 teams 3 times (1 home, 2 away)

Non-Conference Games: 18
• Play 3 teams 2 times (1 home, 1 away)
• Play 6 teams 1 time at home
• Play 6 teams 1 time away

Back to Back to Backs: All teams with at least 1; no more than 3
Playoff Back to Backs: Possible in second round

Source: Lakers.com

Get your fantasy basketball draft sheet here

2011-11-27T13:47:00.001-08:00

Now that the NBA season is set to begin, fantasy basketball commissioners have been busy emailing league invites.

It's time to look at the pre-draft player rankings and fine tune your drafting skills by partaking in a mock draft or two.

We've created an easy to follow fantasy basketball draft sheet for your mock drafts and live draft experiences. As you know, keeping your picks in order and staying organized is key to a successful draft.

Click on the image or HERE to download the draft sheet.

Good luck to all fantasy basketball players! It should be interesting with the upcoming shortened season.

Let the games [tentatively] begin

2011-11-26T19:37:00.001-08:00

Somebody please pinch me. Is the 2011-12 NBA season actually going to happen? Yes but with slight hesitance. I disfavor the word "tentative" when used in big announcements because it sneaks in the certainty of being uncertain. Debbie Downer party of 1? Yes I'm right here.

NBA Commissioner David Stern did use the word tentative in his statement today saying this:

"We expect our labor relations committee to endorse this deal, this tentative agreement, and we expect our Board of Governors, at a meeting we will call after that, to endorse the deal.”

Again, words like "expect" and "tentative" do not lead to a definite conclusion. This is why I'm reserving my jumping the couch moment. Quite frankly, all fans should be reluctant to dust off their jerseys. Lets not be quick to forget the run-around we all got. Yes, no, maybe. I mean come on, anything that looked like forward progress only manifested into backward movement. Today's announcement is definitely the biggest positive yet but lets be reminded that it can easily lead to another familiar diversion.

I'm just saying, while many fans are jumping up and down like they just won a car on Oprah, I remain cautiously smiling. Here's another reason for my back being against the wall at tonight's dance.

NBPA President Derek Fisher said this [unenthusiastically]:

“For myself, it’s great to be a part of this particular moment, in terms of giving our fans what it is that they so badly wanted and want to see”

There's really not much to dissect in his words and body language. He said it perfectly and with no expression, "...giving our fans what it is they so badly wanted...", insinuating that the players huddled around and agreed to just disagree for the fans. Whether this reflects on their individual performances, time will tell. I really hope the players know in their hearts that this is truly the right thing to do, not just for the fans but more importantly for the game. Pioneers have paved the way for today's generation of athletes and the unbelievable talent they bring to the court. Lets not put a blockade.

I will never question Fisher's heart or work ethic, I'm just a little concerned that some players might have felt forced in accepting unwavering terms and conditions in efforts to save the season. This may produce a shortened mediocre NBA season where amazing might not happen.

The loss of 16 regular-season games and the preseason cost the owners and players an estimated $400 million each. If there wasn't a bigger reason to endorse the new CBA quickly to make things less tentative I don't know what is.

If/when the season officially starts we can expect training camp to start December 9th. followed with a free agency that will make Black Friday look like a peaceful walk in the park. The season is scheduled to begin on Christmas day.

NBA Lockout Chronology

July 1, 2011: The lockout begins.
September 23, 2011: The NBA canceled training camp, which was to begin.
October 3, and the first week of preseason games, which were to run October 9 through 15.
October 4, 2011: The NBA canceled the remainder of the preseason.
October 10, 2011: The first two weeks of the regular season canceled.
October 28, 2011: All games through November 30 canceled.
November 14, 2011: The NBPA dissolves labor union into a trade association.
November 15, 2011: The NBA canceled all games through.
December 15. Players filed antitrust lawsuits against the NBA in California and Minnesota federal courts.
November 26, 2011: The NBA owners and players reached a tentative agreement to end the lock

Sources: New York Times, Wikipedia

Happy Thanksgiving and giving thanks to Jim Quinn

2011-11-23T18:30:00.001-08:00

With the dust settling from the recent tug of war battle that ended with the rope ripping and leaving no winners, a new player comes into the picture just like a Michael Bay production where the main character slowly walks out of a dramatic fiery explosion. With every forward step comes a more focused view of the incoming silhouette.

Who is this person that has respectively earned such an entrance to these late negotiations? Could this man be the leading force to saving the NBA season when others have tried time and again only to be defeated time and again? The man with the answer and a cape goes by the name of Jim Quinn.

Jim was recently hired on to help serve a neutral role in the NBA war between the owners and the players.

Howard Beck from NewYorkTimes.com writes this about Quinn:

He played a similar role in the 1998-99 lockout, entering the negotiations at a late stage and helping push through a deal that saved a 50-game season. He is known as a reasonable voice who commands the respect of key figures on both sides.

We all give a BIG thanks to Jim Quinn if he comes out of this weeks negotiations circling his index finger in the air letting the fans know that the players can circle the bases.

We would all be thankful for a 66-game season that will be scheduled to begin on Christmas day.

The league needs at least four weeks to prepare for opening day on December 25th and the shortened season would end late April with the NBA finals pushed back by a week.

Regardless, we will certainly see the conclusion to this saga soon, NBA season or not.

Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone and we hope you are able to spend it with your loved ones.

Lakers season cloudy with a chance of D-Fenders reign

2011-11-19T08:53:00.001-08:00

For fans, the closest thing to catching a Lakers game this season is catching an L.A. D-Fenders D-League game. The Lakers founded and purchased their NBA Development League team in 2006 making them the first NBA franchise to ever own a D-League team.

The NBA lockout will not hinder the NBA D-League. In fact, the 50-game regular season tips-off this Friday, November 25th. The D-Fenders team is coached by Eric Musselman, former NBA coach of the Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors.

The team roster will predominantly showcase an array of young players who look to impress NBA scouts while reserving one spot for a seasoned veteran whose already earned his NBA stripes.

With the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA Development League Draft, the D-Fenders selected eight-year NBA veteran Jamaal Tinsley. Tinsley had his best NBA season in 2004 (40 games) where he averaged 15.4ppg. With the new addition of Jamaal coach Musselman is very optimistic of winning their first D-League Championship.

The closest the team has gotten to winning it all was in the 2007-08 season where they lost in the semifinals to the Idaho Stampede, 97-90

All D-Fender home games are scheduled to be held at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo.

Click here to view the entire D-Fenders regular season and purchase tickets.

You may also contact Nima Behboodi at nbehboodi@d-fenders.com for tickets.

LakerLiker has no affiliation with the Los Angeles D-Fenders. For promo use only.

2011-12 NBA season on the brink

2011-11-13T09:41:00.001-08:00

The NBA Player’s Association needs to take the 50/50 offer and start anticipating the next round of negotiating - in 5-10 years. The NBPA should heed one of Sun Tzu’s tenets; “The general who wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses makes but few calculations beforehand.” The NBPA needs to have better planning for the next offer.

A lost season for the NBA owners/players will not devastate them. A lost season for arena workers, local restaurants and fans will be hurtful to say the least. If this season is lost, the NBA should look forward to lower revenues and dissipating fan loyalty.

The NBPA has learned a painful lesson. Unfortunately, the employer will always win; the worker will need to accept the terms or quit. There are many talented college athletes that can replace some of the over-paid NBA players.

You know that things are getting heated when “National Basketball Players Association lead negotiator Jeffrey Kessler offered an apology on Wednesday for the inflammatory comments he made in the Washington Post, in which he said NBA owners were treating players like “plantation workers.” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wizards-insider/post/nbpa-attorney-apologizes-for-plantation-workers-comment/2011/11/09/gIQAOU7f5M_blog.html)

USS Carl Vinson - Carrier Classic

2011-11-12T07:43:00.001-08:00

Photo credit: SI.com

What do you get when you cross an aircraft carrier and a hardwood basketball court? You get the 2011 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic of course. What better way to pay tribute and say thank you to all service men and women who've fought or are still fighting to preserve our country's freedom, especially on a unique Veterans Day of six consecutive 1's.

If you missed it, the scene was awe-inspiring. How in the world was a hardwood basketball court put on a flight deck of an aircraft carrier? Check out this edited time lapse video of the construction process.

Fighter jet replacements and NCAA preseason openers, No. 1-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels and Big Ten Michigan State Spartans took center deck in the inaugural Carrier Classic aboard the USS Carl Vinson, U.S. Naval Air Station in Coronado, California. The USS Carl Vinson was the last place Osama Bin Laden's body was before he was buried at sea.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle were the VIP guests for this commemorative event. They touched ground via Air Force One in hopes to only see One Forced Error (get it?). That would not be. The game was sloppy and the floor was slippery but the view was simply amazing. Even the players looked the part, sporting really cool military digital camo uniforms w/ matching shoes. Nice!
Condensation from the spectating sea and hovering grey clouds caused for sweat (or wet in this case) moppers to work in high gear. The floor decals were to blame by the commentators. You have to hold Mother Nature accountable for some of the slipperiness, especially when playing on a naval ship whose road is the North Pacific. Maybe the second annual Carrier Classic will be held alongside the Hawaiian shorelines where the only wet hazard is a spilled Mai Tai.

Photo credit: SI.com

Laker legends Magic and Worthy served as honorary captains representing their respective Alma maters. Magic recently donated $1-million to the MSU East Lansing athletic department and The James Worthy Foundation is active in providing support to veterans and their families who have made so many sacrifices for us.

So which team took the inaugural Carrier Classic trophy? UNC topped MSU, 67-55.

More on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier.
Photos of the Carrier Classic
The Magic Johnson Foundation
Sources: Bleacher Report.com and SI.com

10 Reasons for an NBA season

2011-11-11T07:42:00.001-08:00

With a revised proposal of a 72-game NBA season tentatively starting 12/15/2011, the media and fans have been given yet another deadline to anticipate not being met. The defeated look on Sterns face from a recent interview says it all.

The main consensus in the Tweeting world is that all renewed hope the fans had for a forged CBA this week is sadly exhausted. With every passing day of no "Amazing" NBA action, a new fan falls like an autumn leaf. Soon enough the tree of hope will look as bare and frail as these negotiations.

The fans are left with nothing but spoken word from both parties. All of this chatter could produce another Egyptian pyramid. It's time to walk the walk. If there ever was a reason to get something drawn out, I'm giving you 10.

I came across an intriguing article from ZenCollegeLife.com. They write about the 9 businesses that were most impacted by the NBA lockout. Click on the link just above for the full article.

Television
Advertisers
Shoe Companies
Apparel Companies
Video Game Makers
Fantasy Basketball Sites
Local Pubs and Restaurants
Vendors/Concessionaires
Ticket Brokers

I'm adding No. 10 to this list - The NBA basketball fan.

The above-mentioned businesses are fueled by the fans. The fans have been hit the hardest. They are the NBA's #1 client. Basketball enthusiasts are always finding ways to represent their favorite team.

Fans are eager to boast how well their team is playing whether through a cool looking NBA authentic jersey w/ matching cap, a fresh new pair of Nike Zoom Kobe 7 shoes, maybe even by playing an NBA 2K12 video game to fantasize they are their favorite NBA player by the push of a button, or perhaps even by staying up late at night rearranging their fantasy basketball team line-up, or by visiting a local bar to catch a game with friends, but most importantly for the league, by purchasing tickets to a game for a very entertaining night.

The owners, players and union need to be sensitive to the foreseeable consequence of these dead-end meetings. The longer this episode takes, the less interested the fans become.

NBA Lockout Pictographic

2011-11-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge

Here's a cool pictographic courtesy of USDIRECT.com that sums up the inception of the current NBA lockout from June 21, 2005 through October 28, 2011. A time span of 6 years.

This makes you wonder why the heck it's taking the league and the players so long to get a new CBA signed? They've had all this time to work something out and still the season's first two months were pulled out.

We're already in the second week of this cancelled November month, and still the media and fans are in limbo waiting for a definitive yay or nay on the life of the 2011-12 NBA season.

Both parties are going back and forth, throwing verbal daggers at one another but with no resolve. Who do we point the finger to for all of this mess?

We needed the high profile NBA stars to show up in the preliminary stages of these negotiations. This was a critical missing piece right from the get-go. The [mis]representation of the NBA players early on allowed for the owners to feel less compelled to push and more at ease to leave negotiations on the table for yet another day, week, month, perhaps even a year.

To date, we've seen nothing but full ego's with empty results. One key point in a successful negotiation is to see the other party from their point of view. I feel this is a big part of why we don't have a new CBA today. I feel that if both parties truly took the effort to better understand each others POV, the realization and clear vision to get an executed contract would've taken place. Maybe a recognition triggered by the sympathy and appreciation for the fans.

NBPA source - possible new CBA tomorrow

2011-11-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

According to a recent tweet from Alex Kennedy from hoopsworld.com, an NBPA source is predicting a new CBA to be drawn out tomorrow after what seems to be a productive meeting between the players and the owners.

All we know so far is that dinner was ordered and delivered. This tells us that first, they're hungry, and secondly, this may be another lengthy meeting until the wee hours of the morning. Hopefully this time there will be a resolution.

50/50 BRI Split or Union Decertification

2011-11-09T10:45:00.000-08:00

Today is a BIG day for the NBA and its fans. The players association has been given until 5PM EST to agree on the 50/50 BRI split w/ a luxury tax system or a lesser offer will be considered. Experts fear that if the offer is not accepted, the decertification of the union will be the next step and will inevitably murder the 2011-12 NBA season.

What are luxury taxes in relation to the NBA? Wikipedia: A luxury tax payment is required of teams whose payroll exceeds a certain "tax level," determined by a complicated formula, and teams exceeding it are punished by being forced to pay one dollar to the League for each dollar by which their payroll exceeds the tax level.

The actual amount of the salary cap varies on a year-to-year basis, and is calculated as a percentage of the league's revenue from the previous season. The salary cap for last season (2010–2011) was $58.044 million for each team. Lakers total 2011 roster payroll was $86,665,297. Without question larger markets have a stronger pull. For that reason, a potential hard cap has been thrown in these ongoing negotiations.

NBA soft cap - Allows teams to exceed the salary cap to sign players. This is done to allow teams to keep their own players, which, in theory, fosters fan support in each individual city.

If players choose to turn the other cheek today Stern intends to go back on an earlier proposal offering of 53-47 in favor of league owners. Many players do not mind splitting the BRI right down the middle, such as Lakers captain Kobe Bryant and co-captain Derek Fisher.

Since we know where the NBPA president stands with all of this, why can't we handle things like they did back in the day where kings, in this case lets say NBA commissioner Stern and NBPA president Fisher, had the power to overrule and conquer without a majority vote system. Ongoing, exhausting negotiations that jeopardize a sports season should have an exception rule to collective decisions (politics) that can't be made. Obviously mediating didn't work.

All parties will meet this afternoon at 1PM EST. Most likely the players will stick to their guns and move forward (funny, move forward) to the next series of re-negotiations.

NBPA president Derek Fisher said this, “Our orders are clear, right now, the current offer that is on the table from the NBA is not one that we can accept."

Will the NBA save its slogan by having a shortened season for the fans or will the new slogan read, "Where a Maze of Negotiations Happens"?

New NBA Logo

2011-11-06T10:21:00.000-08:00

Set aside your ego's and speak with some perspective in mind. A 49%-51% BRI cut sounds great! Just accept the deal already and stop hurting the fans. This is getting old real fast. We've already lost the month of November.

Union decertification will diminish hopes of an NBA season

2011-11-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

Photo Source: Getty Images

The players need to take the 50/50 deal and get back to work. The meeting on November 5th seems to be make-or-break. The players should have been working on a deal more than a year before the end of the 2011 NBA season. It is too late for the players; they need to learn from their mistakes. One needs to assume that in 10 years, this saga will replay itself. The owners will want more, then offer the players 43% of BRI. A minimum BRI needs to be established to curtail future disputes.

Union decertification? Too late. Decertification will certainly cancel the 2011-12 season.

David Stern does not have his house in order. Mr. Stern needs to be fired. Any Corporate CEO/CFO would have been run out of town if they used the same business strategies as Mr. Stern. After having the most successful NBA season in history; we now have no NBA games.

According to the New York Times (11-4-11), Michael Jordan - owner of the Bobcats - is playing hard ball and is requesting additional cost cutting. While he was the highest paid NBA player in history, Jordan stated “If you can’t make a profit, you should sell your team.” Time to stand by your words Mr. Jordan.

NY Times source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/05/sports/basketball/hard-line-factions-threaten-latest-nba-negotiations.html

Largest Lakers collection in the world

2011-10-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

Source: Lakers.com

Are you the biggest Lakers fan out there? Before you quickly answer yes, take a look at this video recently posted by Lakers reporter Mike Trudell on Lakers.com.

Many Lakers fans in their own right claim to have the coolest Lakers collection out there but all pale in comparison to this truly breathtaking mini Lakers HOF museum. I hate to disappoint the average fan whose modest collection starts with Carl's Jr. Lakers bobble heads but when you have Wilt Chamberlain's passport casually thrown into your collection like Mr. Kohler has then you officially own all bragging rights. Dave's collection is documented as the world's largest Lakers collection. His S. Orange County home could be a National Historic Landmark.

Dave Kohler is a very successful sports collections dealer and the president of SCP Auctions. SCP Auctions has handled the sales of many of the most high profile athlete estate collections ever brought to the marketplace including collections from the estates of Honus Wagner, Lefty Grove, Arthur Ashe, Pee Wee Reese, Wilt Chamberlain, Casey Stengel and Bob Cousy to name a few.

Dave has appeared on and/or contributed expertise to hundreds of news outlets including USA Today, CNN Headline News, ESPN News, ESPN's Cold Pizza, Sports Illustrated, Robb Report, ESPN Radio, The New York Times and many others.

I've read articles, seen photos and videos of Dave's home before and my jaw still drops to the floor every time I'm reminded of his remarkable collection. If Jack Nicholson ever had to defend his title as the Lakers biggest fan, Dave Kohler would be the opponent.

Click here to see video of Dave's "Lakers Shrine"
Click here to see photos of Dave's collection courtesy of ESPN

Stephen A. Smith: "Lakers Locked" Edition

2011-10-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

If you missed yesterday's Stephen A. Smith ESPN LA 710 show, he went off about the NBA lockout and killed it. He spoke the absolute truth and did not hold back.

He talked about how Amare Stoudemire and other NBA stars want to start their own league because of the lockout. Stephen (rhetorically) asks Amare, "Where were you all these months after the season ended when you could've been sitting across from the owners and negotiating a collective bargaining agreement? We saw Amare launch his new clothing line. Where were y'all?"

Stephen A. Smith's continued to rave...

"When Isiah Thomas was president of the NBPA, Jordan, Magic, Bird, Ewing, and in the early 90's, Mutombo, Mourning were all involved in the contractual negotiations between the league and the owners. They didn't leave it to a journey man like Theo Ratliff, Maurice Evans, Keyon Dooling and Matt Bonner. They didn't leave it to guys like that, they were involved."

Great point. Kobe, Lebron, Melo, Wade and all the other high profile NBA stars should've been right by Fisher's side from the get-go. Now the players are starting to come to the media to express their opinions about the lockout. It's too late, the damage is done.

Smith also interviewed Shannon Brown and asked hard ball questions about the lockout.

Click on the play button below to listen to the show. It's a definite must hear Laker fans. Stephen A. Smith rants, justifiably so and makes complete sense.

Arbitration needed for NBA lockout

2011-10-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

Some thoughts about the lockout...

Owning an NBA team is a privilege and a franchise. If you own a Subwayrestaurant or McDonalds, the corporation (NBA) may demand more money if thecompany wants to sell its wares using the NBA logo or any logo. Wealthy teamsshould kick in more money to support the franchise. If they don’t, they shouldget fined.

If an NBA franchise does not meet business goals (22 out of 30 teams), theyshould be forced to sell their team to another city that can meet businessgoals. The players are a product just like a sandwich or cheeseburger. It is upto the owners to make their franchise successful. A failing franchise shouldnot be bailed out by the players if prudent business decisions are notfollowed.

If an NBA team is not making money, it should be sold off. Subsidies can onlygo so far.

According to Wikipedia: “According to the NBA, 15 of the 29 teams posted lossesthat season (1998).” Teams that are performing poorly are blaming the playersfor their failures. This is bad business.

The new CBA needs to include an arbitration agreement where a retired judge ora mediator would sort out any future disputes. There is too much to lose forthe fans, employees, advertisers, etc to NOT HAVE an NBA season. Can we move ateam to Seattle or Las Vegas?

Metta hasn't sunk in until now

2011-10-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Last month Ron Artest as we all know legally changed his name to Metta World Peace. Due to an unpaid parking ticket though his first name change attempt was temporarily halted which benefited Artest when the social media got word of this. Any news to help publicize Artest's latest experiment is great news.

Even his Dancing with the Stars appearance helped matters. Their marketing efforts were aimed at introducing "Ron Artest" among the dancing cast but after Artest paid his parking ticket and the court made things official, the show made the acknowledgement and introduced "Metta World Peace" to millions of people on their third episode. Unaware, the show helped market Metta's new identity but only for one night as he was voted off after only his first week. Apparently the world doesn't want World Peace after all, at least not on the dance floor.

Yet after being consumed by the media, both socially and televised, his name hadn't sunk in for me. I guess I still wasn't convinced this was real. I kept thinking maybe this was a hoax gone way too far and that Ashton Kutcher would tell the world that we all got punked on one of his Two and a Half Men episodes.

Well, everything became official for me today when I saw ESPN and Yahoo! Sports show a Metta World Peace rather than a Ron Artest. I am no longer in denial. I feel free now and somewhat in a state of Metta. Go figure.

Kobe Bryant is Italy bound

2011-09-30T17:30:00.000-07:00

Well it's official. According to an interview with a Roman radio station yesterday, Virtus Bologna team president Claudio Sabatini said, “There’s still some things to arrange but at this point I’m very optimistic. I would say it’s 95 percent done.”

Kobe will get paid 3-million to play 10 games over a 40 day span. This equates to $300,000.00 per game. Congrats to Kobe for making this lockout profitable for him and his fam.

Do you blame him? Why not take advantage of the opportunity to make some dough on his stepping grounds while these dead-end negotiations take place?

Critics will jab at Kobe for taking the offer to play overseas but fans know this is a real good thing. When the lockout ends and the season begins, Kobe will be in tip-top shape to play.

Yes there is the possibility of Kobe getting hurt but the injury Gods can strike at any time regardless. Just the other day I tripped over a crack on the sidewalk and ate it, and that was from merely walking. The Black Mamba or El Black Mamba will be fine.

Click on the link below to read more about Virtus Bologna:

More about Virtus Bologna courtesy of LakersNation.com

Kobe negotiates with the Italians

2011-09-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

According to BolognaBasket.it Kobe rejected Virtus Bologna's $6.7-million dollar offer with a BAM $15 MILLION DOLLAR BACK IN YOUR FACE! counteroffer. Thanks to Mark Medina over at LA Times Lakers Blog doing the math for us already, Kobe's $15 million dollar offer actually comes out to be a $7.5 million dollars after taxes.

Kobe needs to be extra careful when parleying with the Italians. Hasn't he seen The Godfather?

This counteroffer is a big indicator that Kobe is serious about playing for the Italian A League Virtus Bologna basketball team or he may just be entertaining his inner mobster. Who really knows when it comes to Kobe.

In case you were wondering, the Italian A League or Lega Basket Serie A season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and the finals series is best-of-seven.

At the rate this lockout is going, the NBA season might be just as long as the Italian basketball league. Heck, Kobe can even pull a Deion Sanders - not the current DIRECTV Sanders with wings and glitter - but the old Deion in his glory days as an Atlanta Falcon and Brave.

NBA lockout poisons the preseason

2011-09-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Save your preseason ticket money folks, the exhibition games, or at least the first two weeks of them are scheduled to be postponed.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski from Yahoo! Sports, NBA Commish David Stern (stern is an understatement) will formerly cancel the first two weeks of training camp and preseason games tomorrow.

The collective bargaining agreement expired on July 1, 2011 resulting in this [stupid] lockout. Since then no accord has been met between Stern, the owners and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

Bob Cousy (83), the original founder/president of the NBPA has just about had enough of these shenanigans. I heard he was on his way to Manhattan to show these youngin's some well needed perspective. To think, in 1954, the NBA had no health benefits, no pension plan, no minimum salary, and the average players salary was $8,000 a season.

Get over yourselves people and rock-scissor-paper this shit already! You owe it to the fans whose money helped provide a big chunk of that change you're all salivating for.

Jerry West's book - WEST BY WEST

2011-09-16T18:27:00.000-07:00

On book shelves 10/19/11

Jerry West's memoir, "WEST BY WEST" is a definite must have for your Fall book collection. I have a hunch that "Mr. Clutch" won't hold back and will tell his story with the striking intimacy and candor that we'd all expect.

No holds barred. Prepare yourself because for the first time the NBA logo himself tells his story from his tough childhood in West Virginia, to his unbelievablecollege success at West Virginia University, his 40-year career with the LosAngeles Lakers, and his relationships with NBA legends like Bill Russell, WiltChamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal, and KobeBryant.

WEST BY WEST is far morethan a sports memoir: it is a profound confession and a magnificentinspiration.

The book was co-written with Jonathan Coleman who isthe bestselling author of Exit the Rainmaker, At Mother's Request,and Long Way to Go. He is a former producer and correspondent with CBSNews.

For more information click here to visit their FB page. You can also follow West's co-author on Twitter, @JonaColes.

WEST BY WEST is scheduled to be released on October 19th.

Click here to read an excerpt from the book.

Lakers vs Hard Rock Cafe

2011-09-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Is it me or does the Hard Rock Cafe logo look like the Lakers logo?

Just the other day my eyes were drawn to a fashioned Hard Rock Cafe shirt. I felt so robbed and violated. How dare someone wear such a deceiving piece of fabric and feel no consequence.

I wonder if the same happens for the Hard Rock Cafe lovers. Are they too fooled? Do they see a fellow Hard Rock Cafe rocker only to be suckered in by an oncoming Hard Rock Lakers fan?

My point is this Mr./Ms. so called Hard Rock Cafe fan, If you decide to wear your Hard Rock Cafe shirt tomorrow, take note that my eyes may be looking at your chest but my heart will always be with the greatest team in the NBA.

This post is in result to the NBA lockout.

Dancing with the Stars meet Metta

2011-09-09T18:37:00.000-07:00

By now all Laker fans should know that Ron Artest or Metta World Peace (depending on time frame) is among the stars in the highly anticipated upcoming season of Dancing with the Stars. Ron Artest has made many headlines throughout his prolific NBA career but not quite like this.

Artest may be known to Swing a lot as one of the leagues toughest players but will he know how to do it as a dancer?
He may also know his fair share of Latin lap dances but does he know how to do the Latin dance?
Don't forget the Cha-cha-cha ching that Ron has in the bank but can America bank on his Cha-cha-cha?
We also know that Ron trots with many foxy women but can he Foxtrot with just one?

Will team captain Black Mamba show him some early Mambo moves or will Ron's Quickstep be in the way?

These are all questions America will have answers to as they see Mr. World Peace show the world his dancing feet!

Don't forget to tune in for the season premier on Monday, September 17th 8/7c on ABC.

Click here for more information and full cast of ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

Kobe drew the perfect ending at the Drew

2011-08-19T17:14:00.000-07:00

Kobe made an appearance at the Drew League located in South Central L.A. this past Tuesday. He not only dropped 45 but he also did what he does best, he made the game winner while fans chanted his name in the closing seconds. It was true destiny for that moment to happen.

Moments like these are why I am a Kobe Bryant fan. He always makes time for the fans.

Here is an excerpt from The Drew League website about their history:

Alvin Willis established the Drew League in 1973 with 6 teams. Willis believed this league could be a place for young men and women of South Central Los Angeles to learn life lessons through basketball.

The Drew League's goal was to help young people form meaningful relationships on the court that would spill over into the neighborhood, as well as build an institution that would bring top local high school, college, and pro players back to the community.

As a long time friend and mentor to Dino Smiley, in 1985 Willis decided it was time to let Smiley have a shot at directing the league. By 1985 the league had grown from the original 6 teams to 10 teams. Today the league matches up 20 "invitation-only" teams to battle it out on the hardwood.

Almost forty years ago, no one would have predicted that the gym at Charles Drew Junior High School on the corner of Compton and Firestone would play host to Southern California's toughest competition, attracting street-ball legends, collegiate athletes, and several NBA star.

The Drew has been a Mecca for west coast pro-am basketball for nearly 40 years, and it is only getting stronger!

Jesus denied by Kobe

2011-08-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of Fox5SanDiego.com

SAN DIEGO -- San Diego police are investigating allegations that L.A. Lakers star Kobe Bryant injured a man during an altercation at church in Carmel Valley over the weekend.

According to a complaint filed with the San Diego Police Department, Bryant and his wife Vanessa were attending a church service Sunday at St. Therese of Carmel on the 4300 block of Del Mar Trails Road. Bryant allegedly grabbed a cell phone from another man who he believed was taking photographs of him and his wife. The man told police that Bryant hurt his wrist in the incident.

Bryant allegedly scrolled through the photos on the phone and didn't find any pictures of himself or his wife. The NBA star and his wife then left the church, according to the complaint.

Police said the man who owned the phone went to a hospital to have his wrist treated.

Dude, cry me a frickin' river. A wrist injury? Seriously? The church is not the place to play Mr. Paparazzi. Only THE man himself is allowed to snap photos of his VIP guests.

NBA 2K12 - Magic makes cover

2011-08-10T19:03:00.000-07:00

Jordan makes his second appearance on the NBA 2K franchise video game cover but this time around he has old friends tagging along. Magic and Bird help bring out a beautifully illustrated message to those loyal gamers worldwide...Get ready because you're about to relive our most memorable games with the touch of a button. Callus thumbs here we come!

Here is the game overview by 2KSports.com:

With over 5 million copies sold worldwide and over 20 Sports Game of Year awards, last year NBA 2K11 allowed you to BECOME THE GREATEST with MJ & the Jordan Challenge mode. This year the NBA 2K franchise is back and bigger than ever, providing fans with the opportunity they’ve always dreamed of – to finally END THE DEBATE as to who are the best teams and players of all time. Featuring such NBA legends as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird as well as all of your favorite NBA players of today, NBA 2K12 will be packed with new and exciting features that will be revealed in the weeks and months ahead that, come October 4th, will put fans center court of an unprecedented basketball experience.

Here are the other two covers you'll see on store racks come this October 4th.

Here is the official NBA 2K12 trailer:

To think you'll be able to relive the # 1 most memorable game-winner in Lakers history by navigating your pretty little nerd fingers to the X button on your XBOX controller.

To see what the top 5 most memorable game-winners in Lakers history are visit the PurpleandGoldBlog.com. They have the plays listed and provided video clips for your reminiscing pleasures. Where were you when these plays happened? I know where I was...hidden behind the sofa sneaking in a peek.

Matt Barnes loves his Summer punch and socks

2011-08-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

Matt Barnes yet again finds himself making headlines in the off-season. This time his uncontrollable angry side punches (or socks if you will) an opposing playing in a San Francisco Pro-Am game last night. Anger Management sessions anyone?

Chris Shellcroft from LakeShowLife.com said this:

As you’ll recall, last summer Barnes made his first headlines as a Laker by slapping an assistant coach during a summer league contest. Not one to rest on his laurels, Barnes upped the ante by reportedly punching an opposing player this time around...

...For those keeping score at home this is about the fourth incident Barnes has been involved in during his first 365 days as a Laker. First there was the summer league slap. Next came the domestic dispute in NorCal. During the regular season Barnes was suspend for game after mixing it up with the Mavs. And just to bookend his first year in Los Angeles Barnes comes full circle with another summer league altercation.

Pretty gnarly stuff. After how the team exited in the post-season, this recent episode won't reflect well with the organization.

First came the NBA lockout and now possibly a Matt Barnes lockup. Good times.

The shot that changed everything

2011-07-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

This shot will haunt me forever. The hypothetical replays in my head more than Friends reruns on TBS. It's this echoing voice that screams to be acknowledged and heard.

"What if Kobe had made that back rim hitting 3-pointer to take game 1 of the WCF against the now champion Dallas Mavericks?"

I mean Kobe did hit 7 game winning shots in the 2009-10 regular season, why not just this one? Is this too much to ask for? Was his miss kismet?

Maybe momentum would've pushed the Lakers so far ahead that they would only have Miami in full view and Dallas already an after thought.

Perhaps Kobe's game 1 winner would have rocketed his shooting confidence so high that his series FG percentage average of 45.5 would've been his series PPG average.

Possibly his last second clutchness would have carried his team to the highest level rather than the memorable lowest in the closing seconds of a game 4 sweep.

Perchance the Spaniard would have been reminded and inspired by Kobe's last second buzzer beater that he would have performed to his true potential.

Imaginably the series would have gone the opposite way and Lebron and Kobe would have yet again consumed the media's attention for the greatest NBA finals ever.

Conceivably Kobe's game 1 winner would have given Phil Jackson his exiting 11th ring leaving him riding off in the sunset with a legacy that was justified and not questioned.

Kobe's 3-point fade away could have led to another parade on Figueroa, another 3-peat for the Lakers organization, a 6th ring for his personal collection, a 17th championship season only to be tied with Boston, possibly a well deserved high-note ending retirement for Fisher, a more permanent stay for Lamar Odom, a more permanent name for Ron Artest for that matter...I mean the list goes on.

One shot can change everything and it certainly did.

Kobe schools Bow Wow and gives bet winnings to staff members

2011-07-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from LakerNation.com who were there to witness the whole thing develop. This video shows you a small side of how real Kobe is. Apparently Bow Wow just has money to burn.

As I was watching the video I kept thinking there's no Kobe is taking the money right? Then Kobe did what Kobe does. He generously gave his $1,000 dollar winnings to his Basketball Academy staff members. Now that was pretty cool.

Kam Pashai said this about his post...

In likely the most bizarre post we’ve had on this site in maybe 4 years, Kobe Bryant put a beating on rapper/actor Bow Wow. After a bet that was placed during Shannon Brown’s wedding, Kobe took on friend of producer/rapper Jermaine Dupri with rights to Dupri’s latest single on the line against a pair of Lakers season tickets. Bow Wow decided to throw himself into the fire… probably not a wise decision. Bow Wow bet rights to his next single, needless to say he didn’t score a bucket. Bow Wow then requested a re-match with a thousand dollars on the line, jump shots only — same outcome. Kobe then distributed his winnings to his Kobe Basketball Academy staff members.

By the way, Kobe spotted his opponent 10 points in every game. First to 11 wins.

2011-12 Laker Girls auditions on July 16th

2011-07-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

Ladies show your stuff and be the next Laker Girl! Auditions are open to the public on July 16th at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo at 9AM sharp! If I was female I would totally show my hip-hop skills.

Here are the perks to becoming the next Laker Girl

1. You will have THE best seats to every Lakers home game.
2. You will make many special appearances
3. You will be featured on the annual Laker Girls calendar that started publication just two years ago
4. You will get hit on by many courtside Hollywood celebrities
5. This will be great exposure for you that may lead to bigger and better opportunities

...and countless more.

Lakers reporter Mike Trudell had a recent Q & A with Laker Girls director Lisa Estrada about the upcoming auditions and Lisa said this about what dancing prospects should focus on and prepared for before entering the Toyota Sports Center on July 16th:

Q: On what aspiring Laker Girls should focus on in advance of auditions on July 16:
Estrada: First of all, the 405 is going to be closed from the 10 to the 101. We put it on the website, and that’s something I hope all the prospects can figure out, because tryouts start at 9 a.m. sharp. The other thing would be that I hope they’re in dance class right now, I hope they’re training for not just the Laker Girls but to be a performer, a dancer. Not just for this one audition, so hopefully they’re in technical, jazz and hip hop training too. If you’re not in dancing shape, you’re going to be thrown material to learn quickly and it’s going to show.

Click here for more information about the July 16th 2011-12 Laker Girls auditions.

Good luck to all the dancers who make the auditions.

Top photo credit: Getty Images

Let the lockout games begin

2011-06-30T18:18:00.000-07:00

Talks about a looming NBA lockout has finally shown its ugly face. The NBA lockout will officially start at 9:01PM PST tonight. What an unfortunate thing to happen to fans who look forward to the off season free-agencies, summer leagues and pre-season schedules.

The meat of this lockout is between the players and owners. The players don't want to give up a big chunk of their salaries to help save those owners who were more concerned about enhancing revenue sharing than managing team finances. Yes we've all heard it, even I've said it, NBA players make a lot of money, in some cases way too much but if you were among those athletes who worked their way to the top from the NBA's D-League to make a 6-7 figure salary for their family, wouldn't you want to fight to save as much of that hard earned money?

The only victims to this ridiculous lockout are the fans. In an economy like today's where you have millions of hard working people desperately seeking employment, an NBA lockout over how to properly split a vulturous revenue that the fans helped provide to begin with is something very petty in comparison. Money is the root of all evil folks. This is indeed a very disappointing day for the fans.

Brian Kamenetzky from ESPN's Land O' Lakers wrote this interesting fact about player salaries today...

Lop 25 percent off the salary of the league's lowest paid guys, and in a country with a median salary around 50K, they still make about seven times the money of the people watching them play. Compared to a guy like Shannon Brown, who earned a modest-by-NBA-standards $2.15 million this season, it's over 40 times.

Click here for his entire article about the NBA lockout.

Lakers (Mike Brown) hire John Kuester as assistant coach

2011-06-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

This afternoon the Lakers hired John Kuester as the assistant coach to Mike Brown. This was expected as Brown is most likely going to bring in familiar faces to help smooth his transition into an organization whose players (I'm sure) are reluctant to bring out their welcome mats. Kuester served as Mike's assistant coach back in 2007.

Elliott Teaford at insidesocal.com/lakers said this about John Kuester...

Kuester coached the Detroit Pistons for the last two seasons before being fired. He barely survived a players' mutiny at midseason. He was 57-107 in two seasons, with the Pistons missing the playoffs twice. The low point of the 2010-11 season came on Feb. 25, when seven players missed all or part of the team's shootaround and Kuester played only the six who made it on time during a lopsided loss that night to the 76ers.

Kuester benched veteran Richard Hamilton for the better part of seven weeks and also did not play point guard Rodney Stuckey at the start and the end of the season. Kuester was fired earlier this month, after the Pistons ownership changed hands to an investment group headed by California businessman Tom Gores.

Here's a quote from Kuester about joining Brown's staff: "I'm extremely excited to be working with Mike Brown, as well as to have the opportunity to work with the Lakers, one of the premier organizations in the NBA."

Original photo source: www.nba.com/cavaliers

The Candy Man [still] can!

2011-06-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

What's this crazy talk about the Lakers organization trying to get rid of Lamar Odom? I can't believe what my eyes are reading! It's nauseating. Thank God for Pepto.

If Buss/Kupchak are allowed one bonehead move in the off season, then they just used their "Get out of Jail Free" card. THANKFULLY the Timberwolves turned down the Odom trade offer for their No. 2 NBA draft pick. How can this thought even be fathomed? We're talking about Lamar Odom here!

It saddens me that I have to justify Odom's stay by going over numbers that all fans already know. Here are very favoring numbers from this past season:

LO averaged 14ppg, with 9rebs. He shot a career high 38% behind the arc. He shot a career high 53% in FG's. He played in ALL 82 games. He scored a total of 1,180 points, a personal best since his 2005-06 season. 68 Three pointers made, again, a personal best since his 2005-06 season. He made 473 FG attempts, only his 2000-01 season shows more.

As a starter LO averaged a double-double, 16ppg and 10rebs. I'm by far no expert NBA analyst but it appears to me that this is a very simple formula. Just give Odom minutes and he'll give you a hefty contribution game in and game out.

For being in the league 12 years, it's evident that Lamar is only getting better with every passing season. We need him as much as we need Kobe and Gasol.

If this is a matter of dumping Odom's $8 million dollar salary, there's another player on the roster with just as big of a salary that is also cross-hairs worthy. How about Loooooooot Walton. He's making (not earning) just over $5 million to play a 54 game season while averaging 2ppg.

To top all of this off, Buss and Kupchak are currently in trade talks with the 76ers to possibly trade Odom for Andre Iguodala.

Introducing Metta World Peace

2011-06-23T18:42:00.000-07:00

According to TMZ.com , Ron Artest is changing his name to Metta World Peace. Ron Ron filed a petition in L.A. County Superior Court to change his name to -- World Peace.

TMZ further stated that these name changes are typically granted by a judge unless it would result in confusion or fraud.

Apparently Ron's first choice, Big Headed Astronaut was already taken by Kanye West.

Photo credit: TMZ

Click here for full story

Is Dragic the next Yugo Laker?

2011-05-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

Remember how feisty Goran Dragic and Sasha were seasons ago? This Yugoslavian is one tough dude. Dragic is another strong candidate for this off season free agency assuming Houston wants to let him go. Dragic is a 3rd year guard with youth and stamina behind him.

Favoring numbers as a starter from this past season (5 games): 13.4 PPG, 7.8 REBS, and 7.8 assists.

Last 5 games: 11 PPG, 6 REBS, and 6 assists.

Here's what past Yugoslavian Lakers had to say about the idea of Goran Dragic possibly being the next Yugo Laker...

There you have it folks, Dragic has the Yugoslavian vote (with exception to his fellow Yugo nemesis) 2-1. If Houston waives his 2011-12 eligibility as a Rocket, Lakers should nibble at this Goran-tuan opportunity.

Top photo credit: Getty Images

2011 Red Bull Soapbox Winner - Lakers Fanwagon

2011-05-22T12:32:00.000-07:00

Photo credit: ManFromNor

Who says L.A. can't host another Lakers championship parade this year? If you made it to the 2011 Red Bull Soapbox Race yesterday held in downtown Los Angeles you would have seen Kobe, Gasol and the rest of their cut out friends steer down to victory lane.

Kudos to the Lakers Fanwagon team who brought home the title. Only fitting since the locals who reside just blocks away couldn't.

The Lakers Fanwagon was driven by Christopher Moreno and constructed by mechanics Hector Catalan, Vienna To, and Jose Moreno. Their nifty Lakers championship parade themed Red Bull soapbox not only looked the best but maneuvered the fastest. Go figure.

Click here for more information about the Lakers Fanwagon team

Soapbox specs: Human powered; Less than 6-feet wide and 7-feet tall; Less than 20-feet in length; Not more than 7 inches off the ground; Cannot weight more than 176 lbs (excluding driver); and drivers must be at least 18 years of age.

Racers steered their homemade design on wheels along a hay bale-lined route down Grand Avenue, then turned left on 5th Street and down to the finish line near Pershing Square.

Many racers (37 to be exact) took the downward slope with grace, many failed, but only one team was destined to take the [Larry O'Brien] trophy.

Congrats to the Lakers Fanwagon team for once again making the Purple and Gold the best in Los Angeles.

For more photos by photographer Norman Tañada click below:

2011 Red Bull Soapbox Races photos by ManFromNor

Why not get stuck on Stuckey?

2011-05-18T18:36:00.000-07:00

It's clear the Lakers have many PG options in the coming months, why not look over in Detroit for Rodney Stuckey as one? We all know he's not afraid to shoot the ball as he averaged 12 FG attempts last season (70 games). Even though his stats rollercoastered, Stuckey ended the season with promising numbers scoring over 20 points in the last five games.

Like Aaron Brooks, Stuckey is a 4 year guard who has plenty in the tank. He can easily have 15 point nights using his left hand. Last season he averaged 16pts at the starting position (54 games as a starter). L.A. gravely (no exaggeration) needs a player like Stuckey who is not afraid to put up 10+ shot attempts a night. With a new coach coming on board, the offense is going to consequently change which will allow for new players to step up.

We can give Stuckey a tempting offer now that Trey, Joe and Theo are off the roster. Their salaries alone free up roughly $3 million. Stuckey made just less than that last season in Detroit. I'm sure Buss can reach deeper into the organization's pockets to lock in a player with the caliber like Stuckey's.

Plus, just imagine the popularity L.A. will gain from a 50 cent look-a-like. Yo, it's time to pop some bottles of bub! Yo, word to ya mutha! Yo, word in bond? Yo, it's your birfday. All of this yo yo talk is making me feel like one. My head hurts.

Top photo credit: Getty Images
50 cent look-a-like photo credit: 50 cent

Why not Aaron Brooks?

2011-05-16T19:10:00.000-07:00

Aaron Brooks will be available this off season as a restricted free agent. He would fit perfectly with the Lakers organization as they try to fill the voids left behind from a disappointing season. I may be the only Laker fan who considers making the semifinals not as disappointing.

Aaron is a 4th year point guard who plays with no fear. His speed and offense is critically needed for this aging dynasty. L.A. needs a PG who can score and slash for the quick two or open pass. Who better to do this than the NBA's 2009-10 most improved player who averaged 20pts that season.

We all know Aaron Brooks because he plays his best ball against the Lakers. He opened up this season reminding Laker fans of this by scoring 24pts w/ 9 assists. Midway through he was traded to Phoenix where his minutes varied. Granted Nash took most of them but Aaron still scored an average 13pts (55 game season) when he had 20+ minute nights (34 games). This stat alone almost doubles Derek Fisher's entire regular season average (6.8pts) where he had just 3 games with less than 20 minutes.

This is not to compare Derek to Aaron as Fisher has already proven his HOF status but if this franchise wants to compete next season they need to improve at the 1 position. Exclude the love we all have for the Finisher, Derek just needs to accept the second unit role like LO so graciously has. Having a quick offensive contributor that has the capability of averaging 10-15pts a game is what will put the champs at the top again.

Need I remind you what Aaron Brooks did to the Lakers in Game 4 of the NBA 2009-10 semifinals? Take a second look. He could be doing this type of damage as a Laker next season! Just imagine that.

Photo credit: Getty Images

Changing of the 1 guard

2011-05-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

Lets face it in order for the Lakers to be #1 they'll need to improve at the #1. The most common weakness for L.A. is at the PG position. Having the admission to keep D. Fish at the starting position because of his veteran ship and because it's the right thing to do will plague this organization. Kobe and Gasol desperately need help offensively and Derek and Steve are not helping. Discard all other theories, this is the reality of L.A.'s blemish.

I just don't get it, Fisher is one of the best shooters in the league. He just needs to shoot more rather that orchestrate the triangle. He only averaged 6 shot attempts in the regular season. I don't care if you have Bird's range, Allen's form, and Miller's stroke, 6 shot attempts is not enough to get you in any kind of rhythm. I understand there's a pecking order but there's plenty to peck at in 48 minutes.

Derek's back up wasn't any better either. Brian Kamenetzky from the Land O' Lakers recently wrote a great article about Steve Blake's disappointing season. Click here to read the article.

So this dawns the question, who would be a great pickup this off season? I don't know about you but I'm liking Stuckey.
Click below to find who is available in this upcoming off season free agency market:
ESPN.com: 2011 and 2012 Free Agents

Phil Jackson's Exit Interview

2011-05-11T17:52:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of L.A. Times-Lakers Blog

Phil answers an array of media questions in his 2010-11 exit interview. The media directed their focus to his coaching career as Phil's "unofficial" retirement is silently known. One thing is for certain, Phil is not looking back.

One media reporter asked Phil if he was going to formerly resign. Phil responded, "I don't know if I have to write a letter". Classic Phil Jackson.

He also stated when asked again about his retiring, "I am happy with the job I've done".

He hasn't said in exact words that he is leaving but he doesn't have to. We all know this is his final good bye.

Thanks for everything Phil.

Bynum opens up with an apology in his exit interview

2011-05-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of NBA.com

After today's practice, Andrew Bynum opened his 2010-11 exit interview with an apology about his actions in game 4. Time will definitely tell if the Dallas Mavericks organization and more importantly JJ Barea accepts his apology if they do respond. Right now they're just busy.

There is one Dallas Maverick who has voiced his opinion on the matter however...

Dallas guard and former 6th man of the year The Jet Jason Terry was on the Dan Patrick Show Monday morning and expressed his feelings about Andrew Bynum's "dirty, dirty" play.

On how he would've reacted if Andrew Bynum had done to him what he did to J.J. Barea:

“I can’t tell you. I cannot tell you what I would’ve done, but I know it would’ve been hard for me to control my reaction, being the player that I am and the emotion that I play with. It was just a dirty, dirty play.”

On how difficult it was to not react to Bynum's flagrant foul:

“It was tough for me. I was toeing the line. I think we might even have to review the tape, but I made sure I stayed back. You know what happens if you cross that line and you’re not in the game, you won’t be playing in the next one.”

Listen I know this has become overplayed and I know the media has gone crazy over this subject but Bynum needs to realize what he did was absolutely wrong. Our responsibility as fans is to expose the bad as much as we flaunt the good. We can't cover our eyes and say it never happened. It will go away eventually but not now. It's still leaves a bitter aftertaste in my mouth.

Laker Legends react to Bynum's classless act

2011-05-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

As Laker fans reflect on better days, Laker legends reflect on Andrew Bynum's episode yesterday.

Three ejections in just 2 games. First it was Ron Artest in the closing seconds of game 2 clothes-lining JJ Barea and yesterday in game 4, Lamar shoving Dirk and Andrew Bynum with absolutely no regard for human life forearming a midair JJ Barea as he went up for a layup. Barea lands awkwardly but thankfully is okay.

Bynum not only planted a defenseless Barea to the floor but also had no problem taking off his jersey before leaving the arena. To me this was metaphorically an act of defiance like wrestlers do when ripping their shirts off. This was a huge sign of disrespect to the Lakers organization and what they stand for.

A locker room reporter asked Bynum about the incident (pretty much giving him the opportunity to apologize) and Bynum simply replied showing no remorse...

“They were breaking us down," "So I just fouled somebody. I was just kind of salty about being embarrassed. It was embarrassing to have the smallest guy on the court keep running down the lane and making shots.”

Laker legends Magic, James and Kareem expressed their discomfort.

Magic Johnson during the ESPN post game show called Bynum's and Odom's actions "Classless" and "Embarrassing". He also apologized to the Dallas fans, Dallas team and owner Mark Cuban.

James Worthy on 710 ESPN this morning said he was disgusted by Andrew Bynum's flagrant foul on J.J. Barea and unapologetic post game interview. He also continued to say that for the first time he felt ashamed to be a Laker to watch how that game unfolded...disgraceful.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar tweeted, "Bynum's flagrant foul on Barea was a prime example of the frustration that the whole Laker team experienced. There is no joy in Laker land".

Take a second look. The main consensus around the nation is that Bynum will be fined a massive amount and suspended for the first 5 games of the 2011-12 season. What do you think should be the punishment?

Congrats to the Dallas Mavericks

2011-05-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

Photo source: Getty Images

2011 NBA Playoffs - Semifinals Game 4
Los Angeles Lakers (2) vs Dallas Mavericks (3)
Final Score @ Halftime: Mavericks 63, Lakers 39
Series: Mavs win 4-0

Halftime Post Game

The champs are down by 24pts at halftime so I'm posting my post game article now. Who am I kidding this game is over. Congratulations goes to the Dallas Mavericks for advancing to the Western Conference Championship.

Discouraging halftime statistics

Behind the arc stats. Dallas shot .733% behind the arc making 11 of their 15 shot attempts. Lakers shot .125% making 1 of their 8 attempts.

Bench stats. Dallas has scored 40pts vs L.A.'s 7. The Dallas bench has outscored the entire Lakers team (39pts).

Assists. Dallas 20, Lakers 5.

This is embarrassing. Magic said during the halftime show, "This is the worst the Lakers have ever played when they needed to win".

It's time for the champs to move out of the limelight and pass the torch that they've carried for so long now.

Thanks Lakers for everything. We are the luckiest fans.

Do you believe in miracles?

2011-05-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

Photo: AP

2011 NBA Playoffs - Semifinals Game 3
Los Angeles Lakers (2) vs Dallas Mavericks (3)
Final Score: Mavericks 98, Lakers 92
Series: Mavs lead 3-0

Post game

The fire Laker fans have been waiting all season long for PJ to exude finally happens...but in May. Why did it take coach until being down 2-0 in the NBA semifinals to finally show his not so Zen counterpart? I liked the energy Phil displayed out there tonight. It was refreshing to see him do something besides whistle from the seated position. Okay, that's enough Phil Jackson bashing for me as he's already validated his HOF career many times. He doesn't deserve to have the finger pointed to his direction. It's time to execute and not fault. Screw that! It's all Gasol's fault! J/K.

As we've all heard, no NBA team has ever come back from being down 0-3. Do you believe in miracles? It's going to take 1 to win 4 straight. I'm Mr. Brightside here and I've found several reasons why not to frown Laker fans.

If a baby can fall 6 stories and survive, then we can surely survive from falling a mere 3 games back. If a dog can be thrown off a 6 story building and survive, being thrown into an opportunity to be the 1st NBA team to ever come back from an 0-3 deficit should be welcomed with open arms. If a pilot can land a plane with both engines out on the Hudson River, then beating Dallas should be a walk in Central Park. If 33 miners can be rescued after being trapped for 69 days, then we can certainly be rescued from the best player in NBA in the next 4 games.

I mean these stories of great survival should at least give Laker fans some kind of hope. Don't walk with your head down fans, we've had a great run. A fantastic run! We have 16 titles! Look at me trying to convince myself it could be better when it isn't. Ha!

Yes it sucks and it sucks even more knowing we won't 3-peat for Phil's last hurrah. The part that will sting the most is not winning our 17th to tie Boston's collection. To think Celtic fans will always have that over us is almost nauseating.

I'm not going to analyze the box score because we all know who didn't show up tonight. Let's just pull together and pull out all of our good luck charms and rub the hell out of them for Sunday's win or go home game.

Mav's 2, Lakers 0

2011-05-04T23:50:00.000-07:00

Need we say more?

2011 NBA Playoffs - Semifinals Game 2
Los Angeles Lakers (2) vs Dallas Mavericks (3)
Final Score: Mavericks 93, Lakers 81
Series: Mavs lead 2-0

Post game

First of all I want to vent out my frustrations not about what I saw tonight but more about what I heard. What the hell is wrong with these spoiled fans who can't accept anything less than perfect? To watch L.A. lose at home for the second time in a row is agonizing but to have to hear the boo birds in our own arena is just disrespectful. Please excuse the following raging rhetorical's.

What more do fans want from the reigning back-to-back champs? Do they expect the path to another L.A. 3-peat to come easy? Do they think the team will execute every play and make every shot? Have they not realized that there is no such thing as a "switch"? It's the NBA where fans hope their team plays like they appear on paper. Anything can happen.

It just so happen that the Lakers lost in consecutive order in the second round of the playoffs. Bad timing? Yes, but how many times has L.A. bounced back? You so-called fans who were there tonight because Daddy got you tickets need to just zip it. Don't boo the home team in their own arena. It's how the home crowd reacts when their team is struggling that is so important. Take a look at every other Arena's home crowd. Observe and take notes on how to properly cheer your team on. Man I wish I was there. My voice would be as noticeable as a camera flash midway Tiger's tee off swing.

I digress. [Deep breath]

I guess I got my wish when I said I'd rather see the Lakers lose convincingly than having to see a Kobe buzzer beating miss. Lakers are indeed in an uncomfortable spot. It's time to seriously regroup and dissect what is hurting the team. I can tell you what hurt the Lakers tonight. 2-20 behind the arc, 11-20 at the charity stripe, and the Lakers second unit contributing a whopping 12pts are all losing factors. Mav's bench scored a combined 30pts.

Tonight's bonehead play of the game was when Artest hit Barea in the face in the closing seconds. This cost him a (not so) early exit to the showers. Now there are talks about him possibly being suspended for game 3. D'oh!

To those true Laker fans who purchase nose-bleed tickets whose chants cannot be heard and to those brave Laker fans in Dallas who will be in attendance in Games 3 and 4, show your colors and cheer the Lakers on as if it were their last game, really.

Here are tonight's post game numbers courtesy of Yahoo Sports!

Source: NBA.com

7-Foot German Conquers Game 1

2011-05-02T23:41:00.000-07:00

Getty Images

2011 NBA Playoffs - Semifinals Game 1
Los Angeles Lakers (2) vs Dallas Mavericks (3)
Final Score: Lakers 94, Mavericks 96
Series: Mavs lead 1-0

Post game

Not since the 80's have the Lakers faced the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA playoffs. Maybe L.A. thought Dallas still had Sam Perkins and Mark Aguirre playing rather than the 4th quarter giants Dirk and J. Terry because this silly loss left fans in shock. Lakers had the W in the palm of their hands but just fell apart late in the 4th. Honestly I'd rather see L.A. lose convincingly than to see a stumbling Kobe in the closing seconds and consequently see Gasol turnover the ball to gift wrap the victory for Dallas. We couldn't stop the 7-foot German from scoring at will.

BTW how many times do the cameras need to point to that annoying owner of theirs? His face got more camera time than Kobe and Kobe was playing. Mark needs to smoke a Cuban in the owners box. We don't need him to hackle. Dude let your coach Jim Carrey do his job.

Again I'm left bitter after a game 1 loss so I'm desperately looking for anything to make me feel better and thank you Chicago for being my savior. The Bulls lose at home tonight against the 5th ranked Atlanta Hawks. Okay now I feel much better.

Let this be a lesson learned for the champs. Never have your big men defend the inbound pass late in games.

Click below for tonight's post game numbers. You decipher the digits and pin-point where we went wrong. I'm tired and my nails are gnawed down to the bone.

Click here for tonight's box score Courtesy of Yahoo Sports!

Courtesy of NBA.com

Lakers Tier Up While Hornets Tear Up

2011-04-28T21:39:00.000-07:00

2011 NBA Playoffs - Round 1 Game 6
Los Angeles (2) vs New Orleans Hornets (7)
Final Score: Lakers 98, Hornets 80
Series: Lakers win 4-2

Post game

The reigning back-to-back champs level up and await the Dallas/Blazers series results. What a postseason for veteran Jason Kidd. After seeing the San Antonio game last night and seeing how many top teams are struggling (including us) there really is parity in the NBA now. You can start to see the changing of the guard. The unexpected aren't playing as expected.

Orlando is out of the picture losing to the bad boys in A-Town, and San Antonio is playing their age to the younger Grizzlies. Yes they won yesterday but barely, I mean barely won. The Grizzlies had the win in their hands but choked allowing Neal to make that 3 to force the game in OT. Why didn't Memphis foul Neal? Make him shoot 2 free-throws. Why is that so hard to understand? Yikes.

Tonight Andrew Bynum decided to have his best turn out of the series by scoring 18 and pulling down 12rebs (8orebs) from his comfort zone, the paint. By none By num (kudos to me for that play on) was the difference in tonight's win. Kobe matches his jersey # in points, Gasol mirrors Tuesdays numbers w/ 16pts and 8rebs, and LO adds 14pts and brings down 8 rebounds as the bench starter. We all know (thanks to Khloe and Lamar) when Lamar does well, his moocher friends do well.

Lakers as a team look great going into the second round but Kobe as a player looks even greater. He is in his zone and fans can't wait to see what he pulls out of his arsenal next.

This is random but did you know that the black mamba is the fastest snake in the world? Heck I didn't. All this time I thought Kobe's self given nickname was based from how venomous and long they both are but now with this newly found fact I'm liking the quick and venomous approach.

Venomous and...long? Really Eric? Wow...and yes I did just speak in first person.

Courtesy of NBA.com

There's no I in Team in Game 5

2011-04-26T23:28:00.000-07:00

Getty Images

2011 NBA Playoffs - Round 1 Game 5
Los Angeles (2) vs New Orleans Hornets (7)
Final Score: Lakers 106, Hornets 90
Series: Lakers lead 3-2

Post game

The champs take care of business at home as predicted. Tonight was the best postseason team win yet. All five starters and 6th man score in double digits. Fisher 13pts, Kobe 19pts, Andrew 18pts, Pau 16pts, Ron 11pts and Lamar 13pts. This is what you call distributing the points.

As for New Orleans, they were 3 top heavy. Chris scored 20, Belinelli come out of the wood works and had a surprising 21pts, and Ariza for the second time this series clocks out with 22pts. Landry picked a bad time to have his worse game of the series. The Hornets could have used his average 17pts tonight.

Someone told me that Kobe had a strained left ankle? I couldn't see it and Kobe didn't either. I can't remember the last time I saw Kobe dunk like he did tonight. For those critics who continue to jab at Kobe's aging knees, look at tonight's highlights below and come up with a new hate plan.

Okafor and Landry need to come up BIG on Thursday if the Hornets plan to return to the Staples Center.

Courtesy of NBA.com

What did you jumpfor Okafor?

2011-04-26T21:18:00.000-07:00

Getty Images

Here's a replay of tonight's Emeka Okafor facial. What sprained ankle?

Video provided by NBA.com