Los Angeles Lakers

Celine Dion and Ron Artest go together like cereal and mayonnaise yet somehow the self proclaimed "thug", Artest, makes it work.  The guy is known for his wild antics such as going into the crowd and beating up a fan, but it seems that Artest is beginning to display a softer side.  As a Laker fan I love that we are bringing a little crazy on our team because a team can always use a little crazy, right? Although he can't carry a tune and the video is clearly irritating you get a sense that he means what he is singing which makes is somewhat enjoyable to watch.  I am going to stop talking about it and just let you watch it:

Continue reading "It's official, Lakers' Ron Artest ..."

I understand that Shaquille O'neal is a man that transcends just the NBA, but watching him attempt to play against other athletes in their own sport is extremely difficult to swallow.  Watching Shaq attempt to swing a bat was like watching a baby giraffe trying to walk.  It was hard to watch yet I could not take my eyes off of it, like a car accident.  The 7'1" O'neill attempted to out-slug Albert Pujols, out-spike beach volleyball stars Misty May and Kerri Walsh, and out-throw Ben Roethlisberger, needless to say he could not out-do anybody at anything.  The show is a half hour too long and the hosts are extremely annoying.  The most important part of the show, the actual competition, takes place in the last fifteen minutles of the show making the first 45 minutes irrelevant.  Here are some short examples of the show from Youtube:

Continue reading "What is Shaq thinking doing this ..."

As a Laker fan who is one of Trevor Ariza's biggest supporters and whose friend had him dubbed Trevor "the future" Ariza, it was sad to see him go. He was a key cog in the Lakers' championship wagon and delivered some of the most exciting and timely plays of the season. He is still young and will probably get better.

Continue reading "Overrating Trevor Ariza"

Dave Dameshek, an ESPN.com podcaster gave kudos to Andre Agassi today ( http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/player?context=podcast&id=4352192) on his podcast for his infamous mantra “ Image is everything” which Agassi stated in a Canon commercial over fifteen- years ago.   Still, Dameshek argued, Agassi’s words seem fitting today as some top athletes currently find them-selves in a position of trying to restore their image due to off-field episodes that seemingly rattled their once squeaky clean perception.   On Tuesday, TMZ released the feared truth; Lebron James was in fact dunked on by a Syracuse Guard named Jordan Crawford several weeks ago at the Lebron James Camp in Ohio. James reportedly may have confiscated the tapes, with the help of some Nike representatives until TMZ finally got a hold of them, somehow.   In a book entitled The Beckham Experiment, author Grant Wahl explained, with the help of Los Angeles Galaxy star Landon Donovan, that it was indeed Beckham’s unwillingness to embrace the savior of American soccer that disallowed the sport from gaining any ground in becoming a main stream sport in America.        Ben Roethlisberger will not only be fighting off defensive lineman next year but also some woman in a civil law suit who is accusing him of rape.   Michael Vick wants to find a team to play for and be forgiven for killing dogs ( or having them killed) while Manny Ramirez is trying to battle back from a 50-game suspension for doing drugs.   Because of their unfortunate off the field episodes, all of these for-mentioned athletes have one thing in common; they all have an image to be restored. However, the only way for these athletes to ever be perceived by the fans and the media as the cream of the crop again is to do what Adrian said Rocky should do; win.   After being accused of rape in 2003, Kobe Bryant lost endorsement deals, respect from some of the fans and the media, and most of all his integrity. A few years later Bryant ranted on sports talk radio shows complaining that he needed better teammates that could help him win. The next season, Bryant was booed by his home fans at his first home game and ridiculed by opposing fans on nearly every road trip.     But slowly but surely Bryant worked himself back into public approval. In 2008 he was the NBA’s MVP, in the 2009 Olympics he helped lead team USA back to the gold,  and in the same year his Lakers were the world champions. While there are still people who dislike Bryant, let’s concur, most fans and journalists today associate Bryant with words like champion, winner and phenomenal athlete, as opposed to all the other negative things that use to pop into their minds.   Less than a year after Ray Lewis was acquitted of murder chargers due to a plea bargain he chose, he returned to the NFL, and led his team to the Super Bowl while garnering MVP honors. Although Lewis was not chosen after the Super Bowl to repeat those infamous words “ I am going to Disneyland” by Disney World, Lewis has steadily inched his way back into public acceptance. Since the 2001 Super Bowl Lewis has been featured in commercials, done numerous television spots, put on the cover of Madden 2005, been involved in community services, and been selected to numerous pro bowls and is still highly regarded as one of the best linebackers in the league. While we can’t solely attribute Lewis’ resignation to his 2001 Super Bowl MVP, we can certainly conclude it was the match that ignited the fire.   While Muhammad Ali was supported by many fans for deciding not to enter an unpopular war, some of the media was not as approving . After three years of not being allowed to fight, Ali returned to the ring to defeat nearly every foe in his way and eventually regained the title by defeating George Foreman. Today, almost nobody calls Ali unpatriotic or points to his unwillingness to go to Vietnam. I think it is safe to say that Ali’s success after being allowed to fight again left no room for ridicule; His success simply overshadowed his questionable decisions.   Beckham, Vick, James and Big Ben all should try to take similar routes to take back up to the top. Sure, giving charity is nice, having your family by your side is touching, and appearing in commercials is a good gesture, but nothing says more than winning. Just look at Alex Rodriguez whose image is shakier than a Los Angeles earthquake. No matter how may MVP’s he wins, Yankee fans will only forgive A-Rod if he helps them win a ring.   If Beckham wants to quite the Los Angeles Riot Squad at games, he must lead the Galaxy to a winning season, embrace the LA scene, pay for his team’s dinner, and perhaps even win a championship. If not, than enjoy your flight back to London and thanks for nothing.   Vick cannot just come back and play-football, he has to enable fans to fall in love with his joy stick speed again. Maybe even take his team to the playoffs all while being a good teammate.   Ironically, James decided not to shake hands with the Orlando Magic after losing in the Eastern Conference finals. James confiscation of the tapes at his camp shows the same characteristic; poor sportsmanship. No matter what happens, if James continues to fail, media and fans will helplessly point to the two incidents as an indication of James’ failures. Mantras such as “ James cannot win because he does not know how to lose like a man” will certainly be uttered by some.   Roethlisberger is sord of an enigma because he has already won two Super Bowls. If he gets out of the mess he is currently in does he have to come back and win another Super Bowl to re-envent his image? Not necessarily, since he is already a proven winnner, but I guranatee that if he does come back and continue to be succesful that the incident in Lake Tahoe will be all the more easy to be forgotten, guilty or not guilty. If he returns and never wins again, than talk of “ Ben only won the big one because he was in a proven sysytem” will be all the eaiser to say.    If we dare, let us take a tip from Manny Ramirez. After coming back from suspension Ramirez has batted 347, with four home runs and 17 runs batted in. While the rest of the world may have issue, Ramirez is adored in Dodger land, ala take a look at Wednesday night’s grand slam. A lot of that has to do with the fact that the Dodgers are in first but put it this way, if Manny was batting 215, with one home run and three RBI’s since his return, and the Dodgers were in last place, would he still obtain standing ovations?   I understand that winning does not cure all. A murderer is not fully forgiven if he lifts up the championship trophy, nor should he be. My gist, however, is that above all winning can replenish an image more than Gatorade can quench your thirst.   Don’t agree? Then why aren’t guys like Mike Tyson and Allen Iverson note-ably thought of for their outstanding talents first and foremost? Because their off- the field and even on -the-field misshapes have never been followed up with great success.   This argument as a whole might also seem simplistic. It is human nature that when somebody does something bad, you tend to forgive them after a while, especially if they do a good dead. But some things cannot go over-looked. Can a wife ever forgive her husband for cheating, no matter how many good deeds he does? But that is the beauty of sports. In almost all cases, winning can make fans and media forgive. Doing steroids is bad until you hit a grand slam in the World Series, right?   Charles Barkley once suggested and was even ridiculed for stating that athletes should not be looked at as role models. “A million guys can dunk a basketball in jail; should they be role models?" Barkley argued. While Barkley was urging fans to simply evaluate a player based on his on the field performance we as fans can never make that leap. Image, like Agassi said, is everything and the only way to ever restore a damaged one is to come back on the field and win.  

Continue reading "James, Vick, Manny, Beckham and Big ..."

Dave Dameshek, an ESPN.com podcaster gave kudos to Andre Agassi today, ( http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/player?context=podcast&id=4352192) on his podcast for his infamous mantra “ Image

Continue reading "James, Vick, Manny, and Beckham take ..."

Dave Dameshek, an ESPN.com podcaster gave kudos to Andre Agassi today, ( http://sports.espn.go.com/stations/player?context=podcast&id=4352192) on his podcast for his infamous mantra “ Image

Continue reading "James, Beckham, Vick and Manny take ..."

10) They were spotted in Kobe's escalade at an 'N and Out drive-through. And yes, they both got "animal style."

9) When on road trips in Denver, Kobe's got Artest covered for booty calls.

Continue reading "Top 10 Reasons Kobe and Artest will work out"

As we Laker fans begin to ponder Los Angeles' acquisition of Ron Artest at the expense of Trevor Ariza, a sense of dread came over me.

Not that the roster shakeup is necessary a bad one, but that now I'm a full-fledged fan of the NBA Villain.

Continue reading "In Taking an A for an A, Lakers Become ..."

When Shaquille O’Neal received his first and only Most Valuable Player Award in the 2000 NBA season, he quoted the great Aristotle; “Greatness is not a singular act but a habit, you are what you repeatedly do,” O’Neal had quoted.

Continue reading "Shaq's legacy will be decided by ..."

Shaq can't even proclaim himself "The Big Trade."

The defending Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic trumped Los Angeles Laker ex Shaquille O'Neal's move from the Phoenix Suns to the Cleveland Cavaliers when they acquired Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets.

Continue reading "Trading the Lakers' Enemies? I Don't Think So"

Even in victory, Kobe Bryant can't win.

In the days immediately following the Los Angeles Lakers' clinching of the 2008-09 NBA championship, two columnists were all to eager to try to undermine their accomplishments.

Continue reading "Forget Jordan; Let's Compare Kobe to Jesus"

Trying to separate the five best Los Angeles Laker championship teams (sorry, Minneapolis, I'm putting your rings aside because I have no concept of the NBA in its infancy) is kind of like the Octomom trying to pick her five favorite among her 14 children.

Continue reading "Ranking the Top 5 Los Angeles Laker ..."

If the Los Angeles Lakers need someone who can take a sunrise, sprinkle it with dew, cover it with chocolate and a miracle or two, then Lamar Odom's their man.

Otherwise, opt for Trevor Ariza.

Continue reading "Ariza or A Candy Man? Trevor's Looking ..."

ould have questioned your play in these playoffs.

After Thursday night's heroics that lifted your Los Angeles Lakers to the 99-91 overtime victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of the NBA Finals and gave your team a seemingly insurrmountable 3-1 series lead, you have earned a Laker Benefit of the Doubt card. For life.

Continue reading "The Fisher King"

Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic (Lakers lead the series 2-1)

NBA Finals, Game 4 - June 11, 2009

Amway Arena - Orlando, Florida

Game 4 preview and in-game recap

By Brad VanFossan

Continue reading "Derek Fisher the new Robert Horry? ..."

not the best closer in the league.

Not right now, anyway.

For the second consecutive game, the Los Angeles Lakers put the ball in Bryant's hands with a chance to beat the Orlando Magic and he failed to deliver.

Continue reading "Two Strikes and Kobe's Out as the Closer"

Lamar Odom's offense in the fourth quarter was a huge reason the Los Angeles Lakers escaped in overtime of the NBA Finals' Game 2.

Odom also was the reason they didn't put the game away a lot sooner.

Continue reading "Lovin' Lamar Odom ... NOT"

Earlier in the NBA playoffs, a 25-point Los Angeles Lakers victory would have been a source of concern heading into the ensuing game.

Fortunately, the Lakers now have two things going for them following their 100-75 blowout of the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

Continue reading "How Will Lakers Handle Prosperity? ..."

When will we learn?

Many cocky Laker fans welcome the news of point guard Jameer Nelson's possible return to the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals that begin Thursday at Staples Center.

"His timing will be off. He'll only disrupt the playoff rotation the Magic have already established. He'll do more harm than good in the Orlando lineup," these Laker fans foolishly prattle.

Continue reading "Lakers Beware The Willis Reed Curse ..."

Has anyone notices the last two to three years that staples center had probaly the darkest lighting in the nba. They call it stadium lighting to make "when your there" look like your watchin

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So the lakers have just made it to the finals, not to the surprise of any laker fans as we have all assumed this since the loss last year the the celtics blah. Now that the lakers are going to be faci

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Shaq or Kobe? The debate’s not dead just yet.

Really? It’s not? You’re saying to yourself, this guy is a complete and utter moron, how can he be asking this still now? I was so tired of hearing about this five years ago, and you’re asking this now?

Continue reading "Shaq vs. Kobe - You thought the debate ..."

Yes, yes, Andrew Bynum's defense in these NBA playoffs has been lethargic at best. But will no one else stand in defense of Andrew Bynum?

From the moment the NBA playoffs started, everyone has put the young Laker center under the microscope and proclaimed him mentally and physically unprepared.

Continue reading "Bynum Is NOT The Problem"

Or is it dilemmi? Either way.

As the entire NBA world eagerly awaits the potential match-up of Kobe and LeBron in this year's finals, they also can't help observe it's getting increasingly difficult for them to get there. The Magic and Nuggets are hitting their strides at the right time, with bench players stepping up at crucial moments, Van Panic and Karl making good coaching moves, and both team's point guards acting as the leaders they can be. Even if the current and future MJ's of our time average 50 a game for the rest of the playoffs, it won't matter. That's not how you reach the Golden Summit (Yes, I just used "Golden Summit" as an analogy for the Finals. Deal with it. I like it.).

Continue reading "Kobe and LeBron facing similar dilemmas"

The pressure on Kobe Bryant now is being exerted in two cities: Denver and Cleveland.

LeBron James added to the enormous weight already on the sturdy shoulders of the Black Mamba on Friday night with his oh-no-he-didn't 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat the Orlando Magic 96-95 to even their Eastern Conference Finals series at one game apiece.

Continue reading "Kobe or LeBron: Was Jerry West right?"

When Mark Cuban told Lydia Moore that her son, the Nuggets' Kenyon Martin, was a "thug" after Game 3 of the Nuggets-Mavs series, he crossed a line. I thought I'd point out the Top 10 Things he MEANT TO SAY to Ms. Moore:

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Take for example the Los Angeles Lakers, picked by many as the perennial favorite to win the west and the NBA Championship. The Lakers seem to have no sense of urgency and sometimes play in a l

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Steroids has officially gone postal.

The list of all-star players who have been revealed to be using steroids: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Alex Rodriguez, now.......MANNY RAMIREZ.

Continue reading "Manny being Manny: The Latest twist ..."

If Kobe Bryant expects to win a championship this June, he needs to trust his teammates more. If he doesn't, the Lakers will not only struggle to win the Finals, they may have trouble even getting there. Last night's loss to the Houston Rockets, putting them down 1-0 in the series, is to me, enough cause for concern. Phil Jackson needs to sit down Kobe and tell him the same thing he told Jordan: trust your teammates more.

Continue reading "Memo to Kobe: Be like Mike"

Say Swine Flu keeps spreading. Say it gets worse, like "Outbreak" worse, and the majority of people in the US get it, including LeBron James. I still don't think I could beat him one-on-one. Even if it was first to score. Or if we played "PIG." Remember when Jordan had the flu in the '88 playoffs, and he dropped 47 against the Knicks, AT the Garden??? We spectators/bloggers/sports fans seriously over-estimate the flu. If LeBron had swine flu, not only would he stuff me like a Quizno's Torpedo, he would still be able to beat the following athletes/teams:

Continue reading "LeBron could beat me with Swine Flu"

I'm a Kobe fan. Huge Kobe fan. He's practically my generation's MJ. Nothing against MJ, I just never saw him play much. I went to the United Center once, when I was seven, and all I remember is Scottie Pippen's crew-cut and cotton candy. Also, I'm from D.C., so the fact that MJ ruined the entire development and chemistry of an up-and-coming Washington Wizards team, just so he could milk a little more limelight, doesn't really sit well.

Continue reading "Why Lakers fans should worry about ..."

Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have beaten the Boston Celtics it is clear that the Lakers have a legitimate shot at beating the champs if they meet in the finals this year.

Boston, who has lost two games since their defeat to the the Lakers on Christmas day, have seemed to have a longer hang over than even they could have expected.

Continue reading "The Biggest obstacle of All"

With the MLB playoffs set to begin, there is a subtle difference in the air compared to start of any other postseason. In the NHL, fans can potentially look forward to a great Canadians/Bruins series that is not only exciting, but has a historical kick to it. Likewise basketball fans always have the chance to see if the Suns can finally get past the Spurs and football fans love seeing the rivalry of the Eagles Vs the City of Philadelphia when the Eagles so much as get tackled for a loss.

Continue reading "The Ups and Downs of the MLB Playoffs"

A Day At The Laker Girl TryoutsOne Intrepid Writer Learns What Being A Laker Girl MeansLOS ANGELES (CBS) ― We all know what the best part of being at a Laker game is, right?  No, no, it is not watching Kobe Bryant.  No, it is not trying to pick out all the celebrities in the crowd.  No, it is not the "Kiss Me Cam."  

Continue reading "Laker girls"

nia' Comes To TinseltownOh Manny! What A TradeLOS ANGELES (CBS) ― Who would have thought that the Los Angeles Lakers' trade for Pau Gasol would not even be the biggest trade for a Los Angeles professional sports team this year?

Continue reading "Manny Mania"

On the heels of the poor Clippers being spurned by Elton Brand (more on that in the coming days) in hilarious fashing, the Lakers seem to have been hit just as hard. Word on the proverbial street (or more likely, on the off ramp of the information super highway) is that Ronny Turiaf has agreed, tentatively to play for the Golden State Warriors for $17 million over 4 years ( http://www.pe.com/sports/basketball/breakout/stories/PE_Sports_Local_S_turiaf_09.47b3657.html). What do I think about this, you ask? Good question, you. I get the same feeling that I got when Golden State signed Derek Fisher for $37 million over 6 years, and that is that Golden State has NO idea how to properly run a team. I loved Ronny on the Lakers. I loved making jokes with my friend about Phil Jackson yelling at Ronny at practice claiming that he “has no heart”, along with 4 billion other heart related comments (for those of you who don’t know, Ronny was diagnosed with an enlarged aortic root and required open heart surgery at the beginning of the 2005 NBA season). It does bother me slightly, that the Lakers had a chance to dump Ronny over this heart condition but chose to stick with it, pay his salary AND cover the expenses for his surgery, and he goes his own way once he is a restricted free agent. I know he must look out for himself, but it always bothers me with loyalty is thrown by the wayside.

Continue reading "IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY 07.09.08: ..."

After watching the Lakers get ransacked, raped, humiliated and emabarassed in the NBA Finals, Los Angeles Laker fans were left to ponder one thing this offseason....

 Whats next?

 The Lakers have been flirting with the idea of trading for Ron Artest for the past few weeks and the name I hear thrown around a lot is Lamar. After Lamar refused to show up in the NBA Finals Laker fans were simply fustarted with Lamar, including myself. Lamar has always been hammered for his inconsistency, but this year was by far his best all around year. Lamar had his best numbers as a Laker this year and it seemed as if he got better once Pau arrived. Before the Finals started I thought Lamar would be the Lakers key factor but it turned out he laid an egg and left Kobe and Pau out to dry. So the questions remians. Do you leave Lamar out to dry becase of one poor series or is thier another move to be made?

Continue reading "When the Goin gets tough you...."

I don’t know where to start. If I were being professional, I would say congrats to the Celtics and be done, but I am not that mature. The Lakers played like the L.A. Sparks without the famed fundamentals. The Lakers played like the Dodgers, if the Dodgers were forced at gunpoint to play shuffleboard (where Jeff Kent would be the MVP). Considering that Matt Kemp was a star basketball player in high school, is it honestly too late to draft the guy? Because seriously, he would probably play better perimeter defense than ANY of the Lakers, who honestly call this their profession. I mean they get paid to play like this. PAID. MILLIONS. TO PLAY LIKE THIS.  

Continue reading "IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY 06.18.08: ..."

In news obscured by the thrilling conclusion to the U.S. Open and sandwiched between the hype that is the NBA Finals, Bill Bavasi got fired for his failure to produce winners as the general manager of the Seattle Mariners. Bavasi assembled a Mariners team that is falling well short of expectations, as many picked Seattle to win the AL West, and is underperforming in many facets of the game. This shouldn’t really come as a surprise; since becoming GM in 2004, Bavasi has produced one team over .500, last year’s 88-74, and no playoff berths.

Continue reading "Jobless in Seattle: Bavasi Gets the Ax"

Reminiscent of the games past, the Lakers stormed out to an early lead (this time 19 points) only to watch it evaporate, like so much water on a hot sidewalk. They then stormed back out to a 14 point lead. Comfortable, right? Yes. If you’re the Celtics. Boston immediately responded by taking a two point lead midway into the fourth quarter. Luckily the Lakers were able to rebound (the ball and game respectively) and finish the Celtics off in game 5, content enough that they didn’t celebrate on the Staples Center Floor. When that is the highlight of a playoff series, you are in some serious trouble. The Lakers, are in serious trouble. This isn’t to say that they couldn’t pull off the greatest come back in basketball history, BUT when your starting center is a 6’5, 150lbs rail, you tend to lose confidence with your inside game…what? You’re telling me Pau is actually 260lbs? And 7’0? And SPAINISH????? Ok, whose fooling who now? So Pau only plays like he’s a junior in middle school when facing KG. This isn’t to say Pau is playing terrible, but it simply isn’t sufficient enough for the NBA finals. Pau’s inability to play inside is the greatest flaw of this Laker team, and that is the lack of an actual center.

Continue reading "IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY 06.16.08 ..."

GAME TWO

My Finals prediction before the series was the Los Angeles Lakers in five or six games and although this series is by no means over, it looks like the Boston Celtics will win this series in six games or possibly even in five.

Continue reading "Thoughts on First Three Games of ..."

Los Angeles Dodgers Season Tickets

2. An NFL franchise in Los Angeles

3. The Los Angeles Lakers to get it together and bring home another title

4. An all-expense paid trip to Canton, Ohio and Cooperstown, NY

Continue reading "5 Things I Want for Valentine’s Day"

I remember when Shaq came on the scene as the big guy on the Orlando Magic. He had the silly rap and the even sillier movies but was quite an admirable player. When he came to Los Angeles to play for my hometown Lakers – I was so pumped! The Big Aristotle was awesome to watch and added to the mystique and legend of the team.

Continue reading "Shed a Tear for Shaq"

wing up in Los Angeles, the only team that anyone ever talked about when it came to the NBA was the Los Angeles Lakers. I remember the whole city being completely obsessed when it came to Lakers basketball. Billboards, commercials, and fast-food promotions further shoved the team into the forefront of everyone’s mind. Popular bands wrote songs about them and select celebrities lined the courtside seats.

Continue reading "Lakers? Clippers?"

atched him in college and admired his performance then and even sat the next row over from him at a Los Angeles Lakers game once.) I mean seriously, David Garrard is a class act so how can you not root for him!?

Continue reading "Bandwagon Season!"

p>What has happened to the NBA that I grew up with? I must admit, I have paid less attention to my Los Angeles Lakers and the NBA in general in the last season or two. Even so, I really feel like there is something missing.

Continue reading "Hope for the NBA?"