| LAKER NEWS |
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Written by Robert Elkhorn
Sunday, 29 August 2010 22:38 |
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Robert Elkhorn
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Congratulations to Lakers owner Jerry Buss for his induction to the NBA Hall of Fame.
It is a well deserved honor for a man that has brought TEN World Championships to Los Angeles over the course of 30 years.
Jerry has owned the franchise since 1979 when he bought it for $67.5 million dollars in what was the largest transaction in sports history to that point. The value of the Lakers franchise today is over $600 million. Under Jerry’s guiding hand, the Lakers have only missed the playoffs twice. His commitment to winning should be a model for every professional sports team owner. He was quoted recently as saying, “This is the best team we’ve ever had” referring to the additions of Steve Blake, Matt Barnes, Theo Ratliff and the return of Derek Fisher and Shannon Brown. Buss has seen his share of great teams, so who are we to argue with his assesment?
Magic Johnson announced that he would be willing to leave the Lakers (He is a 5% owner) to run a franchise of his own. There is speculation that his home state Pistons are a possibility but so far that hasn’t happened. Should Magic leave, I wish him all the luck in the world…if he runs a franchise the way he ran an offense, it should be successful. No matter what happens, Magic will always be a Laker.
Ron Artest used Twitter to respond to Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers’ radio show claim that the Lakers have never beaten the Celtics starting five. I won’t post the text here because it’s mainly just typical rambling, non-coherent thoughts from Ron but the fact that Doc is still in denial cracks me up. It’s probably a ploy to instill confidence in his Celtics team for the upcoming season but the Lakers haven’t exactly been healthy over the course of the last few years either, which is I think Ron was trying to say. Artest also announced that he will ditch the Thriller inspired #37 jersey he wore last year in favor of #15 which he wore in college at St. Johns and his first three years in the NBA as a Chicago Bull. 15 is a fitting number for Ron-Ron in that the police code for an insane person is 5150...putting #15 (5150) smack dab in the middle of Looney land.
Shannon Brown not only re-signed with L.A. but joined the long line of Lakers players that delve into the entertainment world for love. This month he tweeted, “Monica is my woman…now mind your business” referring to the R&B singer. I guess she meant it when she sang The Boy Is Mine.
Lamar Odom is busy playing for Team USA in the FIBA World Championships. The Lakers versatile forward is starting at the center position lately due to the lack of size on the squad. So far so good, America has yet to lose. GO USA! He also has filmed some footage with wife Khloe Kardashian in what they hope will become their own reality series, Keeping Up With The Odoms. Good grief…really? Half the time I can barely stomach watching him with his half-assed efforts on the court let alone with his attention-whore wife, but that’s why God invented the channel changer right?
Matt Barnes hasn’t made the news since his infamous slapping of opposing assistant coach Rick Lewis during a San Francisco Sumer Pro Am game over two weeks ago. Hopefully, he’s in anger management class working on that temper. If not, this is California so some medical marijuana might calm him down.
…Seems to work for Lamar.
Pau Gasol didn’t suit up for his Spanish National Team for the first time in three years which is good news for the Lakers. The wear and tear of year round basketball can be brutal on even the most physically gifted athlete. Pau has been spotted out and about jogging to stay in shape with girlfriend Silvia Lopez Castro, a former cheerleader.
Yeah, I’d say she’s worth running after.
Derek Fisher has been quiet since re-upping with L.A. though he released this statement regarding his free agency: “I took time to consider all my options, many not reported in the media. I listened to every coach, every general manager, even potential teammates in order to make the right decision and I thank every one of them. At the end of the day, there’s one person I could not turn away from. Kobe Bryant asked me to stay but supported whatever decision I made. He and I have played together for 11 seasons, came into the league together as kids, and has been loyal to me when others had doubts. We have won five championships together. I have decided to continue with Kobe, continue with our teammates and the fans of Los Angeles. While this may not be the most lucrative contract I’ve been offered this off season, it is the most valuable. I am confident I will continue to lead this team on and off the court. Let the hunt for six begin…”
Lakers loyalty…Gotta love it.
Phil Jackson, after mulling retirement this off season decided he couldn’t walk away just yet and will return for one “last stand”, was spotted in Beverly Hills this weekend getting fitted for his 11th ring…
Kobe Bryant, fresh off ankle surgery, was recently named America’s favorite sports star by a Harris Poll (He tied with Tiger Woods for the top spot) is looking to expand that title into Asia, specifically, The Philippines via a hoops academy on-line. After his performance in Beijing during the 08 Olympics, the kid named after a city in Japan might just be the biggest star in the sports world period, let alone Asia and the U.S.
Steve Blake is spending the off season working on his outside shot, his ball handling skills and building his fan base here in L.A. By the time the season starts he hopes to have his own cheering section at Staples…
 
Luke Walton is still struggling with back problems. There has even been talk of him possibly retiring before the season starts, but I highly doubt that will happen. He’s on the books for another three years and $17 million…Would YOU walk away from that kind of scratch? I have a feeling Luke will be around awhile.
Andrew Bynum had arthroscopic surgery to repair a tear of his lateral meniscus in his right knee a few weeks after winning the title. It was his third such procedure in three years…the second on that knee. The team expects him to be ready for training camp but on a limited basis. Drew averaged a career high 15 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last year and played through the pain during the playoffs and Finals but will find himself in an all too familiar situation to start the season.
Sasha Vujacic was shopped around the league by general manager Mitch Kupchak this off season to try and free up funds when it looked as if Shannon Brown might walk as a free agent. Not surprisingly, there were no takers for the Slovenian gunner and his $5.4 million dollar contract though that could change as the trade deadline approaches during the season, expiring contracts are always attractive to teams looking to clear cap space. “The Machine” never lived up to that payday but he did refuse to wear green after losing to Boston in the Finals in 2008 and ended up hitting two crucial free throws late in game 7 vs. the Celtics last year to help his cause. Who knows, maybe he can rediscover the outside stoke that earned him that nickname and utilize it in game situations rather than being an all star on the practice court. If not, once his contract is up, it’s sayonara Sasha.
Both Lakers draft picks have earned a spot on the roster and have been awarded contracts keeping them in purple and gold for the 2010-2011 season. Congratulations to both #43 pick Devin Ebanks out of West Virginia and #58 pick Derrick Caracter from the University of Texas El Paso on joining the World Champions.
 
Theo Ratliff has laid low since signing with the Lakers. The veteran backup center will bring to the Lakers bench what he has done since coming into the NBA in 1995 and protect the rim like a pitbull with his established penchant for defending the rim. Current Olympic team member Rudy Gay found out last season that Theo may be creeping up on 40 years old but still comes to play. The old dog with three Defensive Player of the Year Awards still has some bite on defense.
The man Theo replaced at the end of the Lakers bench, DJ Mbenga, is still a free agent. Recent internet rumors had him re-signing with Los Angeles for the veterans minimum but so far, they are just rumors and unconfirmed. Bringing everybody’s favorite DJ back for another spin with the Lakers might not be a bad move. You can never have enough seven footers. I hope the rumors turn out to be true, DJ is a good guy and whether he returns or not will take his rightful place amongst the legends that manned the middle for the purple and gold.
…Or not.
I’m counting the days until the season kicks off…and looking forward to a new Lakergirl on Tuesday.
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 30 August 2010 09:08 ) |
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| Matt Barnes: GOING BACK TO CALI |
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Written by Robert Elkhorn
Sunday, 22 August 2010 12:08 |
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Robert Elkhorn
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There’s no other way to put it, the Lakers lucked out in the Matt Barnes sweepstakes of 2010.
Lost amongst of the big superstar names of the highly anticipated free agent summer of 2010 like LeBron James, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwayne Wade lied a diamond in the rough named Matt Barnes. He was originally reported to be headed to the Toronto Raptors for a $9 million dollar payday, but that deal fell through to open the door for Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak to swoop in and pull off a major steal and upgrade the Lakers bench with a valuable swingman for the bargain basement price of $3.6 million over two years. Barnes was offered better, more lucrative deals from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat but much to the delight of the purple and gold faithful, he opted to come back to his home state of California and join the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers, fulfilling a lifelong dream.
As a California kid growing up in the 80's there was no escaping the lure of the Showtime Lakers of Magic, Kareem and Big Game James and Matt was no exception. He rooted for the Los Angeles Lakers and just like every other kid raised on the west coast he fantasized about some day playing for the Lakers, but unlike most, he will actually get to live the dream.
Born in Santa Clara, CA in 1980 Matt Kelly Barnes attended Del Campo High School in Fair Oaks, CA (outside Sacramento) lettering in both basketball and football, earning All America honors in football where as a 6’-7” wide receiver he lead the nation in touchdown catches with 29 in his senior year. "Football was my first love when I was growing up and I didn't play basketball until I was in the eighth grade," Barnes said. "But in terms of longevity and wanting to be able to walk when I retire and play with my kids, I decided I wanted to play basketball" Barnes' aspirations of playing football didn't end there. After playing for four teams in four seasons as a pro, Matt pondered leaving basketball and entertained the idea of returning to football. "I had seven NFL teams willing to give me a tryout, a walk-on tryout." He likens his gridiron game to Antonio Gates "but faster". Matt's brother plays professionally in the Canadian Football League so it's not hard to imagine Matt in the NFL. But he elected to give hoops one more year and signed with the Golden State Warriors. "I was dead serious about making the jump, but I'm glad Golden State worked out" As it turns out....So are Lakers fans.
Barnes spent four seasons as a member of the UCLA Bruins where he helped the storied program to three straight Sweet Sixteen appearances. He also finished his collegiate career as the 43rd player in school history with 1,000 career points.
"California here I come, right back where I started from"
Matt took the long way home…literally.
Originally drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of 2002 NBA Draft (46th overall pick), he was quickly traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers but was waived by the team before playing a game. He then caught on with the Fayetteville Patriots of the NBDL but that was also short lived. He signed with the Seattle Supersonics in September 2003 but was waived less than a month later again failing to suit up for a game before being dismissed by the team. He finally hit the court as an official NBA player when he signed another free agent contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2004 where he played in 38 games. The following season, again as a free agent, he inked a deal with his hometown Sacramento Kings before rejection hit yet again when he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers as a throw-in as part of the Chris Webber deal but again never suited up, this time due to knee problems. 2005 saw Matt sign another free agent deal -this time with the New York Knicks- but after appearing in only 6 games, he was cut by the team. A second stint with Philly as, you guessed it, a free agent, he was picked up by the 76ers a few days after the Knicks sent him packing. A 3.0 scoring average in 50 games didn’t earn him an invite back to the City of Brotherly Love but it turned out to be just the break Barnes needed as he headed back to his home state of California for the third time…this time joining the Golden State Warriors where he flourished under Don Nelson’s free-flowing offense.
After hitting only 10 three-point shots in his entire career, the green light offense in Golden St. saw Matt upped that total to 106 in the 2006/2007 season alone and the #8 seated Warriors knocked off the #1 seated Mavericks in the playoffs. Not one to stay put for long, Matt moved south, this time to join the Suns in Phoenix as a free agent where he posted a career high in points (10.2) and minutes per game (27). Another season and another free agent contract relocated Matt to Orlando to suit up for the Eastern Conference Champion Orlando Magic where he immediately became a thorn in the side of the Lakers by playing his usual hard-nosed brand of defense against Kobe Bryant. The two exchanged several words and glares. It was the first meeting after the Lakers dispatched the Orlando Magic in the 2009 NBA Finals in five games. Barnes went at Kobe hard on both ends of the court, even going so far as to fake throwing a ball into Kobe’s face on an inbounds play which drew no reaction from Bryant.
As noted, Kobe didn’t flinch but the altercation did plant the seed in Kobe’s mind that Barnes wasn’t the type to back down...even to the best player in the game. A championship later and seeing the Miami Heat make monumental moves in the free agent market, when Kobe received a text from Matt inquiring about his feelings about the possibility of Matt coming to L.A., Kobe wasted no time in responding saying he’d love to have him as a teammate. Kobe's quote was, "Anyone crazy enough to mess with me is crazy enough to play with me" Several exchanged texts and a swipe of the pen later, all was forgiven and Matt was being introduced as the newest member of the Lakers.
A second war of words with Lamar Odom via Twitter now behind them, Matt brings his fiery brand of play to the two time defending champions in hopes of playing a signifigant role in bringing a threepeat to L.A. for the second time this decade. As Ron Artest’s backup, small forwards around the league facing the Lakers will have a knock down-drag out dogfight on their hands no matter which player is on the floor as Paul Pierce can attest.
 
Artest will also have competition as the Twitter king of L.A. with Barnes on board. Matt's fiance Gloria Govan is featured on the VH1 reality series Basketball Wives along with Shaquille O'Neal's ex-wife Shaunie. The couples became friends when Matt and Shaq played together in Phoenix. Let's just say the two didn't exactly get along once the show started and Matt used the social networking site as a means of letting Shaunie know how he felt about her and it wasn't pretty. He used a certain insulting word to describe Shaunie in defending Gloria that is more often used by Santa Claus and rappers.
Though of slight build physically, Barnes is anything but a pushover. He doesn't give an inch. He's a scrappy player who plays the game with a certain edginess. Sometimes his competetive nature gets the best of him and goes over the limit, like when he slapped the opposing teams coach in a summer league game two weeks ago.
There is no place in Lakers basketball for that sort of nonsense.
Just because he looks like a Jackass doesn't mean he should act like one.
He needs to understand that this is about winning, not going thug because someone runs his mouth. Leave that overreaction crap to the likes of LaGarrett Blount and Al Sharpton. The Lakers are all about championships. I'm certain Phil Jackson and Kobe will be having a little conversation about him keeping his emotions in check. If need be Ron Artest can recommend his therapist -seeing as though it's worked wonders for him. I love Matts intensity and lack of fear but he needs to maintain his focus and above all--keep it about ball-- Intimidation and imposing your will on one's opponent is one thing, getting suspended and costing your team wins is another. As long as he channels that aggression in the proper direction, he will be a huge boost to a Lakers bench that has lacked the fire and enthusiasm that earned them the moniker "Bench Mob" since the departure of former Laker Ronny Turiaf.
Barnes can fill that energy void with his knack for hustle plays.
So now Matt Barnes comes full circle. A California native that grew up a Lakers fan fulfills a lifelong dream and joins the defending champs. He also becomes the only player in NBA history to play for every California professional basketball team, saving the best for last as he already donned a Clippers, Warriors and Kings jersey.
But the dream is incomplete...All that remains now is to win a ring.
And that possibility is well within his reach.
Welcome back to Cali, Matt.
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 30 August 2010 23:32 ) |
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| Lakers Fans: MEET STEVE BLAKE |
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Written by Robert Elkhorn
Wednesday, 11 August 2010 00:58 |
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Robert Elkhorn
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From the beginning it seemed destiny for Steve Hanson Blake to end up with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Though not a flashy player or a headline grabbing star, he appears tailor made for this Lakers team and the triangle offense and should fit like a glove with this squad. He was born in Hollywood after all, albeit Hollywood Florida, but Hollywood just the same. He is relatively unknown to the casual basketball fan but now that he’s with the purple and gold his days of being anonymous are over. Suiting up for the Lakers is like being a rock star. Add that to the fact that they are the back-to-back defending champions and have been to three straight NBA Finals and people are sure to take notice when you’re the first free agent to join them in their quest for a three-peat.
Two months ago Steve Blake could walk down Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and no one would have looked twice. He would just seem like yet another tourist. But with a fat 4 year, $16 million dollar contract, you can be sure the store owners would know who he is now. Once the season starts and the wins start coming, more and more people will find out what us hoop heads have known for quite some time...
Steve Blake is the real deal.
He may not be the type that leads off the highlight reel on SportsCenter with a spectacular play, but he IS the guy that gets the timely steal or the perfectly placed assist that will get Kobe, Andrew Bynum or Shannon Brown the ball for the jaw dropping monster dunk.
A blue collar player from the get go, Blake has been overshadowed by more highly touted players since his high school days in Miami where he was a teammate of fellow future NBA player Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat. After winning two state championships together, Steve moved on to the University of Maryland where he started in his freshman year and became the first ACC player to post 1000 points, 800 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals. In 2002 while Shaq, Kobe and the Lakers were wrapping up their 3-peat run, Blake and the Terrapins won the NCAA championship, but the media attention was focused on teammates Juan Dixon, Lonny Baxter and Chris Wilcox, not Steve Blake. He may not have been the star of the show but the school appreciated him enough that in 2003-04 his #25 jersey became the 15th to be retired by the program.
  
Drafted 38th in the 2003 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards Steve’s road to legitimacy as a point guard at the professional level was to be earned with hard work and rejection along the way. It took short stints with Washington, Portland, Milwaukee, Denver and then back to Portland before he finally stuck and found a home in the pacific northwest as a member of the Trailblazers where he signed a three year deal in 2007. Then a funny thing happened. The Blazers felt the need to upgrade and signed free agent Andre Miller to anchor their backcourt ballhandling duties suddenly making Blake expendable. He was traded to the Clippers in exchange for Marcus Camby last year just over a year after scorching them for an NBA record tying 14 assist performance in the first quarter alone in a game in February 2009.
Suiting up for the Los Angeles Clippers in a Lakers obsessed town is like being a prisoner with a window view overlooking The Strip in Las Vegas according to former Clipper Ron Harper. All that glitter and gold just out of reach but constantly in your face can haunt you. Combine that with the perpetual losing in Clipperville, knowing that Baron Davis is scheduled to come back to get the majority of the PG minutes and the ever-present Lakers Championship banners taunting you from the Staples Center rafters and it’s not hard to see why he made the choice he did. Now his courtside fans are Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Charlize Theron and a host of other Hollywood A-listers along with the loyal faithful in the nosebleeds that will shower him with adoration. A noticeable upgrade from Clippers courtside B-list fans such as Billy Crystal, Penny Marshall and Frankie Muniz (Who may have actually been separated at birth from Steve).
 
Derek Fisher will likely remain the starter but despite Fish’s new 3 year, $10 million dollar deal, he should see his minutes decrease over the next few years to save the life in those 36 year old legs. Blake represents a quantum leap upgrade over Fish’s previous backup Jordan Farmar, who was only 23 years old and extremely athletic but rushed too many things and was eager to be free of the structure of the triangle offense. Blake may not have the hops or raw quickness of Farmar but his steady ball handling, decision making with the ball and superior shooting ability will give Phil Jackson a very capable PG tandem with plenty of veteran savvy.
Much like Fisher, Steve’s defensive prowess is built largely on his aggressiveness rather than his physical abilities, though he’s more gifted as a raw athlete than his appearance may indicate. He’s willing to go to the mat for a single possession. He’s known as a scrappy and tough minded individual that won’t overwhelm you but most certainly will step up to the challenge as an on the ball defender.
This persistence should earn him even more confidence from the man he’s spelling (Fisher) and brownie points with coach Jackson. I don’t know that it will be the same seamless transition we witnessed when the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol when he blended in like peanut butter and jelly, but all signs point to this being a positive move for both Steve Blake, the Lakers and their chances at making this championship run another three-peat or possibly more as more bloated contracts come off the books over the next few seasons.
WELCOME TO THE LAKERS FAMILY!
The Lakers preseason kicks off in London vs coach Kurt Rambis and the Minnesota Timberwolves October 4th
Until then, enjoy your summer purple and gold fans.
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 21 August 2010 22:43 ) |
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| SHAQ GOES GREEN, JOINS CELTICS |
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Written by Robert Elkhorn
Thursday, 05 August 2010 09:45 |
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Robert Elkhorn
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Re-duce, Re-use, Re-Shaqle?
The courtship of Boston looks to have worked out for well for Shaquille O’Neal. Lacking any serious interest from any NBA team -other than a brief flirtation with the Atlanta Hawks- Shaq put the feelers out to Beantown through the media expressing his desire to become The Incredible Bulk.
Superman morphs into Eddie Murphy.
Once Raw and on top of the world, now lame and reduced to a supporting role in unwatchable Disney movies. Shaq-n-Boots for the new Shrek and Donkey show. Watching the self-proclaimed Most Dominant Ever’s downward spiral over the last three years is sad. Add Ice Cube to Eddie and Shaq and you have the Three Stooges reincarnated…Wait, that title is already in Miami…
 Those clowns aside, no one has ever fallen off as far as these three sellouts. Once Amerikkka’s Most Wanted, Delirious and The Diesel, they’re now a Tyler Perry wanna-be, a yapping cartoon jackass and The Big Bandwaggoner. Much richer, but shadows of their former selves and have become the antithesis of what they once represented. There was a time I worshipped the ground Shaq walked on. Once he signed on the dotted line as a free agent to come to L.A. all those years ago, I fell in love. He was not only a force on the court, he was jovial and entertaining. Hollywood was tailor made for a personality of his magnitude. He filled not only the stat sheet but also the trophy room and lead the league in quotes per interview doing it all seemingly so effortlessly. Though his game has diminished with age, his ego remains intact. This poses a bit of a risk for Boston and their established chemistry. They have many strong, established personalities but all have whole heartedly bought into the team first mentality from the three future Hall of Famers on down. Shaq’s penchant for lackadaisical efforts on defense threatens the there’s-no-I-in-team collective mindset currently employed by the Celtics. All-you-can-eat restaurants in NBA cities across the land will shudder at the prospect of Big Baby and The Big Shamrock strolling through the doors.
 Since delivering on his promise to bring a title to Miami in 2006, O’Neal has been The Big Hype.
After forcing his way out of south beach and into the Valley of the Suns, Shaq has been more of The Big Kryptonite to his teams than his preferred Superman persona. He doesn't carry a team like he thinks he does...Matter of fact, it's safe to say it's quite the opposite over the last few seasons.
While in Phoenix Shaq put up respectable numbers but his pound the ball into the paint game didn’t mesh well with the run-n-gun style employed by then coach Mike DiAntoni and team engine Steve Nash. The newly dubbed “Big Cactus” brought intrigue and excitement to the desert and the already loaded Western Conference but Shaq’s quest for ring #5 ended in failure despite the high hopes of a championship starved city that felt it was on the cusp of finally breaking through. But that never happened despite the Big Shaqtus blowing his own horn and letting the Phoenix faithful know exactly why he was brought there in the first place.
 Once he realized he wasn’t the missing championship link in Arizona he forced his way out of town yet again, this time to Cleveland for the specific purpose of…and these are his words, “Deliver a ring for the King”. Well, we all know how that played out. The “King” is still crownless and hightailed it down to Shaq’s old stomping grounds to run with Shaq’s old running mate D-Wade leaving Shaq in Ohio ringless, kingless and in search of a new bandwagon to jump.
 But The Big Aristotle had a plan. Since he couldn’t get Kobe to accept him back to L.A., the Three AmEGO’s to become a foursome or return to Orlando due to the trail of burned bridges left in his Shaqzilla wake, he played the last card in the deck and put the word out that he’d like to head to Boston to join yet another established contender as his career slowly grinds into late night comedian fodder. He’s become the Brett Favre of the NBA. Hype and media coverage follows him at every stop…only without the post-season success, still achieving career numbers and leadership that Brett the diva delivers.
It may not seem like it but Shaq will always hold a place in my heart. He was the centerpiece that brought the Lakers back to glory back in the early part of this decade. A 3-peat and 3 straight NBA Finals MVP’s for your favorite franchise tends to solidify his place in Lakers fanatic lore and for those memories I will always be grateful to #34 in purple and gold.
But that’s where the love ends.
On his way out of town he managed to insult the greatest owner in the history of organized sports, Lakers owner Jerry Buss, which is sac-religious here in Lakerland. He also made it a point to dedicate himself to getting in shape for his first season in Miami after dogging it in L.A.- even once putting off surgery until right before the season so he could recover on company time, not his. He never passed up an opportunity to poke at the Lakers or Kobe even going so far as mocking Bryant after losing to the Celtics in the Finals in 2008 with the infamous, “Kobe how’s my ass taste” video that went viral. Kobe, to his credit, shrugged it off at the time but let the fire burn within and found redemption the very next season by winning his first post-Shaq ring and Finals MVP award. For good measure, he won both again this year and let loose that he never forgot the affront but rather used it as motivation and effectively turned the tables without the whack rhymes.
Eat up KaSHAAM.
Karma……Ain’t it a bitch?
So here we go again, the Shaqfields and McKobe’s.
The feud that never ends has evolved to the point where it’s not only about the two NBA stars that have owned this generation to now include the two franchises that have owned the National Basketball Association. The greatest rivalry in sports now encompasses the greatest rivalry in sports.
Who could ask for anything more?
I could…
RACK EM!
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 30 August 2010 01:25 ) |
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| LAKERS LOOK TO FINALIZE 2010-2011 ROSTER |
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Written by Robert Elkhorn
Sunday, 18 July 2010 18:46 |
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Robert Elkhorn
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Now that all the biggest fish of the much anticipated 2010 NBA free agent class have been reeled in, the smaller moves of tweaking rosters with fill-in role players becomes the chess match for general managers around the league. Remaining cap space for each team becomes the determining factor in how they plug the holes in their lineup with affordable options. The two biggest moves for Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak were both point guards. He replaced unhappy backup Jordan Farmar with the steady and under-rated Steve Blake and re-signed Lakers stalwart Derek Fisher to shore up the backcourt.
 There are still several very recognizable names available as the frenzied free agent spending spree comes to a close, the biggest of which is Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq is still a serviceable big body but his penchant for leaving his prior teams on bad terms puts a damper on his possible destinations. At this point in his career he would only want to join a contender which seriously limits his choices to Miami, Boston, Orlando, Chicago, San Antonio and Los Angeles. Of those six legit championship quality squads he has baggage that hampers his return to three of them -Orlando, Miami and the Lakers. His negative history with Dwight Howard, Dwayne Wade and Kobe Bryant likely counts those cities out unless Shaq finds a way to swallow his monstrous ego and humbly apologize for his past transgressions against those organizations, the chances of a second tour of duty with any of those teams seems slim. The way he verbally slammed every team he ever played for after moving on leaves a bad taste in everyone’s mouth. Shaq may want to do some soul searching in that regard if he truly wants to add another title to his resume.
 L.A. could certainly use a back-up big man for the frail and oft-injured Andrew Bynum but with Kobe proudly proclaiming right after the game 7 Finals victory over the Celtics what this title means, he proudly stated that “It means I have one more ring than Shaq”, which shows that his memory is as long as his career accomplishment list. However, Shaq has repeatedly extended olive branches over the past few seasons in praising Kobe’s play, so you never know. Ultimately, this would be Kobe’s decision to make and knowing Kobe’s desire to win (He welcomed former nemesis Ron Artest and recently tried to get the man who tried to decapitate him with an infamous clothesline in 2006, Raja Bell, but was spurned in favor of Utah) shows that Kobe can let bygones be bygones if it translates into victories but I think the Chicago Bulls would be the best fit for Shaq at this point. They just lost backup center Brad Miller to Houston and have the largest amount of cap space remaining so it seems a logical fit for both. The Jazz would be another good option for O’Neal.
With Luke Walton having back problems most of last season, the Lakers could potentially be in the market for a swingman to backup Ron Artest. Free agent pogo stick Shannon Brown looks more and more likely to return to L.A. by the day, which would be great but they might not stop there as he‘s more of a shooting guard.
Josh Howard is a capable, All-Star calibur player but would seem to be out of L.A.’s price range.
Tracy McGrady is another big name that has been mentioned as a possible Lakers option but like Howard, would have to be willing to take a huge pay cut so that seems unlikely. Personally, I’d like to see them go after Spurs free agent Roger Mason Jr.
 He’s a 6’5” swingman who would come cheap, play tough defense and provide a dependable three point threat. Clippers free agent Rasual Butler is another option but if Orlando’s Matt Barnes could be had for the right price, that’s the move I’d really like to see. He’s a hard nosed competitor that would fortify the Lakers bench while finally getting some semblance of home after playing for 7 different teams over his 8 years in the league. He’s a California native that played his college ball at UCLA but also had a war of words via Twitter with Lamar Odom last season and has gotten into it with Kobe several times throughout the course of his career. The fact that he won’t back down to #24 is a testament to his competitive nature and he has proven that he is an asset to every team he has suited up for.
 Other big man options for L.A. would be former player Kwame “Hands of Stone” Brown, Tony Battie, Kurt Thomas and the one I like most, Suns free agent Louis Amundson, who would be a great hustle guy in the mold of former Lakers blue collar players Kurt Rambis or Ronny Turiaf…a type of guy with not all the talent in the world but who is more than willing to do the dirty work under the boards while giving it everything he has when on the floor. He would quickly become a fan favorite in L.A.
 Despite not having any 1st round draft picks, (a situation that they have become accustomed to due to consistently fielding winning teams through the years), the Lakers might have landed two players in the second round that just might be ready to contribute next season. With the 43rd pick, Kupchak grabbed Devin Ebanks from West Virginia who not only resembles former Laker Trevor Ariza in looks, but his game is very similar too. At 6’-8” he’s a slim 205 lbs and impressed in the summer league playing solid defense with a 15 point, 3.6 rebounds, and looks like a keeper. He also hails from the same Queensbridge NY neighborhood as Ron Artest and Lamar Odom.
With the 58th pick, Mitch scooped up hefty yet athletic 6’-9” 270lb Derrick Caracter, who scouts say could be a Glen “Big Baby” Davis type player in the NBA.
In the summer league he posted a workman like 15.4 points an 8.6 rebounds. The Lakers could save big money by using these two draftees as they would only be paid the rookie minimum of $473,000, which would be a plus for the salary cap challenged Lakers. The next few weeks will reveal exactly how Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak plan to defend their back to back NBA titles and as always, I have complete faith that they will make the right decisions that keep the Lakers on top.
The Lakergirls are also looking to fill out the rest of their roster as hundreds of hopefuls compete for the coveted 22 spots that entertain the purple and gold faithful during timeouts.
Looks like yet another bumper crop this year!
Good luck girls!
I LOVE L.A.
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 19 July 2010 08:47 ) |
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| Who will “THE OTHER” Heat players be? |
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Written by Robert Elkhorn
Monday, 12 July 2010 14:09 |
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Robert Elkhorn
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With the spectacle of the weekend now behind us, Miami Thrice is in full effect.
Though I don’t know who’s Crockett and who’s Tubbs…I do know Bosh is the pet alligator on this boat.
With the ink officially laid down to paper, the Heat now has the task of filling in a championship roster around them on a shoestring budget. The only other player currently under contract at the moment is point guard Mario Chalmers who had his uniform #6 royally jacked recently by one LeBron James. Mario is a second year player out of Kansas who played in Miami last year. Longtime Heat veteran Udonis Haslem will most likely be back but beyond that, things are up in the air.
This weekend Derek Fisher traveled from Los Angeles, 5 championship rings in tow, to meet with Heat G.M. Pat Riley’s pitch to hop the bandwagon. LeBron even took the time out of his busy schedule to wait and greet Fish at the airport on his way to Carmelo Anthony’s wedding and most likely, more recruiting between toasts and money dances since Melo is a free agent next year. Fisher said before the end of the season that he was going to explore all offers before making his decision and is following through on that promise in meeting with Heat brass. I highly doubt a character guy like Fish will fall for the hype that envelops Miami at the moment but stranger things have happened. The Lakers and Fisher are still on good terms and the Lakers are said to have improved their original one year offer to Derek of $2.5 million for one year for the 36 year old. I fully expect him to be back in purple and gold next season.
 A name that hasn’t been mentioned but could make a big splash should it happen is Allen Iverson. He has expressed that he indeed wants to play this season, the question is will his ego be able to accept taking such a small contract and also if a solitary basketball is enough for a fourth #1 option. The skills are there as is the lack of a ring for Iverson. It may be a long shot, but don’t count Riley out when it comes to what he thinks he can make work. Defending a team with that kind of firepower would be a nightmare for the rest of the league. Miami will have to weigh the risk vs reward factor here.
 Outside threat Mike Miller’s name has been floating around Miami as well. After flirting with the Lakers early on, Miller now seems set to hop aboard the Florida express to camp out behind the golden arc for the Miami McThree. It’s seems like a good fit for both parties, the question will come down to money and whether or not some other team is willing to step in and make him an offer he can’t refuse, otherwise, he'll be a member of the Heat.
 Cleveland Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas is said to be interested in following LeBron south to Miami which would make Chris Bosh happy. Bosh is a finesse player who shies away from contact and has made it clear that he doesn’t want to play the center position unless absolutely necessary. While Big Z isn’t exactly a banger, he is a legitimate seven footer that could adequately fill the lane for the Heat. His soft outside touch would come in handy during clear outs for LeBron or Wade’s forays into the paint as he would be a good option to kick out to once the double team arrives. Look for Z to head south soon.
 Another roster spot could be filled by former league scoring champion Jerry Stackhouse who played in Milwaukee last season. He was a good role player off the bench for the Dallas Mavericks for the last few years before moving to the Bucks and at 35 years old, he is still capable of quality minutes and is still in search of his first ring. Expect Pat Riley to dial Stack’s number before too long.
In 2006 Antoine Walker won a title as a member of the Miami Heat and we all know his about his well publicized financial woes…He's broke. Which means he should be willing to play for the league minimum…Probably won’t happen, but it’s not out of the question.
Other veterans likely to draw interest from Miami are Juwan Howard, Kurt Thomas, Earl Boykins, Joe Smith, Michael Finely, Larry Hughes, Theo Ratliff, Anthony Carter and Devean George. Heat players from last season Rafer Alston, Jamaal Magloire and Quentin Richardson also seem likely candidates. The possibilities are endless but until the roster is complete the question remains…Can the Heat match the hype of the off season moves off the court with the postseason play on the court? They’re dancing in the streets right now in Miami but may getting ahead of themselves.
Winning the free agent sweepstakes is one thing, winning the NBA title is another. It takes depth and key role players which the Heat just doesn't have money for at this point. Over the next season or two, the mid-level exception could change all that but handing them the ring next year seems premature to me.
During the recent grand unveiling of the ThrHeatsome that was dominating TV screens this weekend, LeBron went on record as saying they were expecting to win as many as seven championships…Which struck me as funny since they all three only signed six year contracts…Sounds like Obama math to me, but what do I know? Maybe he has a great accountant that stretches numbers. I always thought it started at one but when you’re the King, who’s going to argue with you? I’m thinking Kobe, Phil and Pau are hearing all this chatter and wondering how they have been leapfrogged so quickly. I’m also betting they might argue with the “King” on who’s crown it actually is.
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 12 July 2010 14:18 ) |
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| The Heat is on LeBron...Or is it? |
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Written by Robert Elkhorn
Friday, 09 July 2010 09:27 |
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Robert Elkhorn
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After all the drawn out drama, speculation and 24-7 media coverage of all things LeBron, he did what his body language and play in the last two games in a Cavaliers jersey exposed to anyone who was paying attention…He jumped ship and abandoned his hometown in favor of a bandwagon taking form in Miami.
First, Dwayne Wade re-signs, then Chris Bosh and now LeBron James.
And don’t be surprised if Shaq tries to finagle his way back into Wade‘s good graces. He’s been chasing that elusive fifth ring since his exit from Miami and would love to get some of the attention that will surely follow the newly formed super group in South beach. As the Boston Celtics can attest, a big three isn’t enough these days…and they have a big four….Plus a Big Baby, a little Nate and now it seems an O’Neal (Jermaine) to replace Rasheed. Longtime Heat forward Udonis Haslem is a nice hustle player and young Michael Beasley is decent…scratch that…turns out they just traded Beasley to Minnesota…but they still lack a legitimate center (save the Jamaal Magloire argument) so it’s a longshot possibility Shaq‘s burned bridge could be rebuilt to strengthen that thin bench.
Chicago seemed the better choice to me. Derrick Rose is legit. They signed Carlos Boozer, have young center talent in Joakim Noah, a good backup big man in Brad Miller and Taj Gibson and could have gotten another missing piece in trade for Luol Deng or move LeBron to shooting guard and keep Deng. But the allure of the Florida beach turned out to be too much despite the oil balls washing up on shore. Speaking of oil balls, credit Pat Riley for bringing some of that Lakers magic with him to Miami. Turns out Mitch Kupchak isn’t the only general manager to get some of that Jerry West mojo. Riles pulled off the Shaq coup and parlayed that into a title in 2006 and now looks poised to field a contender for years to come. And much like Boston in 2008, (Sam Cassell & PJ Brown) aging veterans around the league will take lesser salaries in hopes of getting a ring riding the coattails of the latest three headed monster in the NBA.
Good day for Heat fans…Cavs fans, not so much.
The mistake by the lake continues. Clevepit’s biggest star is now a cartoon character spinoff from Family Guy. Professional sports wise, Cleveland may be the most cursed city in history. Images of LeBron’s #23 jersey being lit on fire in Cleveland aired within minutes of his announcement. Personally, I can think of better ways to defile those throwbacks…
You’d think with the Indians feeding Major League Baseball teams an endless stream of talent over the years, these people would be accustomed to abandonment by their sports stars…But this was supposed to be different. LeBron was a homegrown kid. He supposedly loved Ohio and as recently as a week ago said they held they advantage in signing him…and if you believed that, I have a bridge for sale. Actions speak louder than words and his actions in game 5 vs. Boston hit ten on the decibel level when he tanked and laid down on the job with a lackluster effort. Thanks for the memories BronBron.
Being the #1 option just wasn’t your bag.
No worries, you now have the second best closer in the NBA as your side kick…Or are you HIS sidekick? You joined his team, not the other way around. I would say that makes him the king and you the prince…too bad Bosh cut his hair or we could put bells on the ends of his braids and he could be the court jester in this roundball circus. Instant gratification was the easy way out but it may not be the cakewalk it seems. Orlando is still strong, Boston is proven and the Bulls have added 20 points and 10 rebounds to a playoff team with cap room to spare…Atlanta…Well, Atlanta just threw 120 million at a good, but not great player (Joe Johnson) to remain the average, underachieving team they’ve been since the days of Dominique.
Rare is the driven superstar that toughs it out with his original team. Kevin Garnett lasted 12 years in the cold of Minnesota before finally giving up and doing what you’re doing now. That seemed to work out pretty good for him. Luckily for you, Americans have short memories and won’t hold you accountable for your failure to bring a title to Cleveland…Except the fans of Cleveland…you know, YOUR PEOPLE. The people who loved you because you were one of them? A native Ohioan. They worshipped you and you left them like you were Brad Pitt with a new costar. They anointed you King even though you never actually won a crown.
 They said you were better than Kobe even though you never proved it in the post season. Now you will be hard pressed to ever shake the weight of a city that pinned it’s hopes on you. LeBroni Won Kenobi, you were their only hope…but you turned to the dark side Young Skywalker. I’m not surprised. For all you’ve brought to the game with your amazing talent, originality and substance has never been your strong suit. You jacked the chalk throwing gig from KG and claimed it as your own. You jacked the alter-ego thing from Larry Johnson’s Grandmama character with your “The LeBron’s” series of commercials. You jacked Penny Hardaway’s “Lil Penny” puppet thing co-starring with Kobe-puppet. And worst of all, you jacked the uniform number of His Airness.
Makes me wonder if you’ll rock #45 in Miami just to cement your status as a biter.
You proved you didn’t have what it takes to lead but also proved that winning was more important than money by taking less for the opportunity to win.
I suppose I can commend you on that.
Anything short of a title now is utter failure...but the pressure isn’t only on your shoulders anymore Bronny.
Good thing for you, the real go-to guy is already there and he has proven he can deliver in the postseason.
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 09 July 2010 09:36 ) |
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| LAKERS WIN WILD GAME 7 FOR 16th TITLE |
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Written by Robert Elkhorn
Friday, 18 June 2010 08:30 |
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Robert Elkhorn
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Whew!
First off I’d like to tip my hat to the resilient Boston Celtics team for a memorable, competitive Finals series and I’d like to thank their fans for providing the ongoing animosity and online back and fourth that makes blogging so fun. I’ve enjoyed exchanging insults and barbs for the last three years. I hope it never ends.
MAN, that was like watching Royce Gracie grind out one of his patented elongated death match victories in those first MMA fighting championships. Slow, even painful at times to the point that I had to get up and walk around, taking quick peeks back at the screen for fear another brick might be thrown up by a player in a gold uniform. After enduring that gut wrenching game 7 between what was the two best teams that the NBA had to offer, I now know exactly how a small animal that escapes the jaws of a boa constrictor feels…Exhausted, relieved and elated all at once.
THE GAME started with the Little Rock from Little Rock, Derek Fisher, dropping a three pointer but it was anything but a sign of things to come. Throughout the series, the winner of the first quarter went on to win the game. The Celtics would end the quarter with a 23-14 lead but despite losing the quarter, the Lakers controlled the all important battle of the boards from the outset which has also been an indicator of who would come out on top as the team that won the rebounding stat sheet won every contest thus far.
Battling back to even up the score at 23 on the strength of Ron Artest’s play, the crowd sensed a momentum shift that wasn’t there as Kevin Garnett flew into the stands after a loose ball barely missing Jack Nicholson who didn’t flinch choosing instead to be content to watch KG wander into the hostile Lakers fans in th second row. Meantime, the errant outside shot barrage by L.A. continued unfettered until punk Paula Pierce started in with the dirty play by fouling Artest across the arms, making sure to get tangled up by twisting his arm into Ron’s but hiding it from the officials, which Ron took exception to, and they ended up nose to nose ready to square off resulting in a double technical on both on top of a personal on Paula….Typical Pierce at his dramatic best, give the girl an Oscar.
 Rasheed Wallace, inspired by PP’s poo-poo, got into the act a few plays later with a hard foul on Artest under the basket reacted like a child who just had his toy taken away even though replays showed an obvious slap on the arm.
The half would come with the Lakers shooting a paltry 26% and trailing 40-34 with Ron Artest carrying the scoring load with 11. The Lakers continued to trail throughout the 3rd quarter due to horrible shot selection and failure to hit free throws with any consistency. They were nervous to the point of seeming scared and it showed. Kobe in particular was wound up yet tried to shoot his way out of his funk to no avail and the Celtics built a double digit lead with the Lakers insisting on launching deep ball after deep ball. At one point Paul Pierce grabbed his shoulder while wincing in pain waved to the bench to signal them to dial 911 and fire up his trusty ride as the C’s rolled up a 13 point deficit.
 Rajon Rondo, sensing his drama queen teammate might not be able to go on was suddenly everywhere, rebounding like Dennis Rodman, poking balls loose and generally being a complete pest in the minds of Lakers fans and a hero to Celtics fans. Gasol’s left handed hook over KG closes the gap to 8 but KG strikes right back with a baseline layup to push it back to 10. Lamar Odom’s putback of a Ron Artest blown lay-up cuts it to 51-45 and L.A.’s offensive rebound onslaught totals 18, keeping them in the game. A Kobe turnover followed by an emphatic tantrum directed at L.O. for not catching Kobe’s lousy pass causes Odom to not give Bryant the ball at the top of the key a couple plays later, opting instead to take it to the rack himself for a nice drive resulting in two points. A good non-call on a KG flop on a Kobe foray into the paint leads to Kobe scoring an easy bucket and Pau’s redemption block after getting abused twice by Garnett on the very same play creeps the Lakers ever closer 56-49. Fisher tweaked his knee and was ushered back to the locker room when his shoe slipped causing a near splits situation caused some nervousness for the home crowd but he would later return to contribute in the fourth quarter rally by drilling a rainbow three pointer that swished through the net to tie it up at 64 apiece with 5:56 to play.
 D-Fish is now 5-0 in game 7’s in his career, a testament to his clutchness.
Kobe would shoot an abysmal 6-24 from the field but one of his 11 free throws put the Lakers ahead for good at 65-64. But it wasn’t a cake walk from that point. The Celtics made big play after big play including a couple of three pointers at the end of the game by Rondo and Ray Allen that had my finger nails seconds from dripping blood and contemplating the existence of leprachauns in Los Angeles but the Lakers would manage to fight off not only the Celtics, but the history and stigma that is so intertwined in this classic rivalry. The leprechauns would also prove to be real but they didn’t appear as I had always imagined them. They were wearing purple and gold and running amok on the surrounding streets of Staples Center in bands of 50 or so, lighting fires, causing chaos and acting like Raiders fans with nothing better to do in the offseason than pull off their silver and black gear, replace it with a Lakers jersey and use the victory as an excuse to act a fool and tarnish a great franchise like the Lakers with their troll like behavior. Well into the night the clowns carried on with their idiocy making me wish the cops would start cracking skulls to put an end to it but thanks to ambulance chasing lawyers and retarded judges they can‘t so these knuckleheads roam around like wild hoards of animals.
 Hopefully this will be remembered as a glorious moment where the Lakers grittily dug their way out of a 13 point hole against their most historically dominant nemesis despite an off game by their heart and soul Kobe Bryant and became a team rather than just Kobe and the seven dwarves. Ron Artest rose to the occasion big time when the Lakers needed him most by keeping them in the game almost single-handedly in the first half to deliver on his promise of coming to L.A. to win his first ring in his troubled career. He also provided one of the funniest post game quotes I’ve ever heard when rather than giving the obligatory “I’m going to Disneyland” schpiel, he thanked his psychiatrist…LMAO!….Classic wing nut RonRon…But give the man credit, he came through in the biggest game of the year when no other Lakers stepped-up and now joins his Lakers teammates in the jewelry department.
 Sasha Vujacic, who vowed to never wear green again after the 2008 loss to the Celtics contributed two clutch free throws to ice the game in what may have been his most glorious moment as a Laker…Well, other than landing Maria Sharapova as a girlfriend.
The Black Mamba mentioned how this was the sweetest one of his Finals victories because it was so hard fought to get. It meant that much more that it came against the hated Celtics, the same team that crushed them just two short years ago. The same team that had a 9-2 head to head record vs. the Lakers all time in the Finals…Make that 9-3...It puts him in the rarified air of 5 championships to equal the greatest Lakers player of all time, Magic Johnson. It inches him that much closer to Michael Jordan’s six, though Michael never tanked in a big game like this. He won the MVP award for the series but Ron Artest was the MVP of this game 7. Kobe has a long way to go to catch Jordan but with the talent around him, it could potentially happen -but- seeing as though MJ would have won 8 rings had he not delved into the world of baseball for two years of his prime, Kobe needs at least three more in my opinion. Though he repeatedly denied how these types of things motivated him throughout the playoffs and Finals, he finally opened up with some honesty now that the run is complete and when directly asked what this particular title meant to him, he replied, “It means I have one more than Shaq”
He went on to say he never forgets. Shaq’s infamous ego war with Kobe, his smack talking through the press, his now infamous taunting rap video asking “Kobe, tell me how my ass taste?“ resonated and motivated Bryant as we all knew even though he remained mum through it all. He got a new big man and now has gone back to back with a real shot at another three-peat…potentially more.
Which leaves me with only one question…
Shaq, tell me, how that ass taste?
This one’s for the rest of you…
PURPLE REIGN
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| Last Updated ( Friday, 18 June 2010 08:43 ) |
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| LAKERS ROUT CELTICS TO FORCE GAME 7 |
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Written by Robert Elkhorn
Wednesday, 16 June 2010 08:39 |
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Robert Elkhorn
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They say a cornered animal is the most dangerous and while the Lakers aren’t exactly out of the corner just yet, they are definitely dangerous. They waited all of one quarter to put game 6 in the refrigerator as they jumped out to a quick 10 point lead and never looked back finishing the first up 28-18. The lights were out. The eggs were cooling before halftime. The butter got hard in the third and by the fourth quarter, the Jello was not only jiggling, it registered on the Richter Scale.
 Unlike the previous two games in Boston, the Lakers played with the kind of intensity worthy of the enormous paychecks they cash and with the monster effort came the results needed to turn the momentum that they lacked in the last two games back in their favor. They challenged shots, they competed on every play and they won the all important battle of the boards which has determined the winner of each game in this series 52-39. The defensive effort was key with the Lakers clamping down on gang green and not giving up more than 20 points in any of the four quarters. The Celtics scored only 13 points in the second quarter and went into the half trailing 51-31. After only six minutes on the court, Celtics center Kendrick Perkins went down with an injury to his right knee after landing awkwardly on a rebound attempt in the first half and is questionable for game 7. Perk may not be much of a force on the offensive end but his presence on defense is a huge aspect of what the Celtics are all about. Injuries are an unfortunate part of sports and let’s all hope Kendrick is able to suit up on Thursday night. Pau Gasol took full advantage of the hole in the middle nearly posting a triple double with 17 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists.
 Gimpy legged Lakers center Andrew Bynum can relate all too well with Kendrick's situation as he missed the 2008 Finals vs. the Celtics and most of game 5 this year but sucked it up tonight to contribute 15 minutes scoring only 2 points and 4 rebounds but also provided interior presence and inspiration for the home team by merely taking the floor. The energy wasn’t limited to just the starters, the Lakers bench sparked the home crowd with some memorable plays. Jordan Farmar who was out-hustled by Boston’s Nate Robinson in a game breaking play where Nate dove to the floor while Jordan merely watched, earned a few make-up points by hitting the deck twice in diving for the ball in this game and put his stamp on the game with a breakaway dunk with a fast closing Kevin Garnett trailing a step behind that brought the Staples Center crowd off their seats. His backcourt bench mate Shannon Brown showed off his springs in the third quarter with a one handed dunk where his shoulders looked even with the rim, followed closely with another high fly act alley oop dunk that brought back purple and gold memories of Michael Cooper’s famous Coop-a-loop dunks during the Showtime Laker days of the 1980’s.
 Several flops were ignored by the officials (as they should be) but that didn’t stop the players from doing their best fish-out-of-water impersonations with Garnett, Pau Gasol, Tony Allen and Paul Pierce each taking a stab at it. Vlade Divac would have been proud but I preferred the non-calls. The Queensbridge connection of Lamar Odom and Ron Artest made up for their queen-like play in Boston with strong showings in Los Angeles. Artest, undeterred by his bricklaying in the series so far hit 3 three pointers, scored 15 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and hit Rajon Rondo with an inadvertent elbow to the jaw in making his physical presence felt. Odom suffered from flu symptoms the last two days threw up 8 points and nabbed 10 boards which weren't much different from his numbers in game 5 but the contrast was that he was engaged and involved emotionally rather than just going through the motions. With L.O., that means everything. Sasha Vujacic had his best game to date logging 9 points including hitting two triples and helped the resurgent Lakers bench become relevant again culminating in an 89-67 beatdown by the Lakers.
...Then there was the Mamba.
Kobe Bryant, fresh off his 38 point lone-gunman role the previous game provided the backbone and leadership for the purple and gold as usual. He scored 26 points and had 11 big rebounds but more importantly he put the clamps on the Celtics motor by locking down point guard Rondo with tenacious defense. He gave him room outside of fifteen feet, daring him to shoot and kept his feet moving to keep the speedy guard out of the paint. Rondo may be blossoming in to an elite NBA player before our eyes but Kobe isn’t ready to let go of his mantle as the best player alive just yet.
 For the fifth time in NBA Finals history, the Celtics and Lakers will clash in a game seven. For all the championship experience Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher have (a combined 28 appearances), none of them have been involved in a game 7 in the Finals. The Celtics have never lost a game 7 in the Finals. With one more win the Lakers can knock the 900 pound green gorilla off their shoulders and score not only another ring but some revenge for the 2008 Finals loss to Boston. Revenge for Lakers failures past (namely way back in the 60's). Revenge for Jerry West. Revenge for Elgin Baylor. Revenge for the 10-2 all time Finals record vs. the Celtics. James Brown’s soul classic is in the air…The Big Payback….Revenge!
So here we go, only one way to settle it…On the court by means of what should be an epic game 7 scheduled for Thursday night in Los Angeles.
Should be hot.
Might even be a
You know Jack will be there.
Will you?
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 16 June 2010 10:37 ) |
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| Celtics One Win Away From Title, Onus Now On Lakers To Win Out At Home |
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Written by Robert Elkhorn
Monday, 14 June 2010 09:37 |
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Robert Elkhorn
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The Big Four finally put it all together in the same game with all of them scoring in double figures and now they are one win away from their second NBA title in three years. The only thing standing in their way is the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers who now get to find out if that home court advantage is all it’s cracked up to be. The Finals, unlike the earlier rounds of the playoffs is a 2-3-2 format. Both teams have proven they can win on one another’s floor, now the Lakers have to prove they can defend their title in the friendly confines of Staples Center…But they can’t rely on that alone, this Celtics squad smells blood and will be looking to continue intimidating the Lakers with tough, physical play so the Lakers better man-up and be ready to strap on the boots and go to war if they hope to go back to back.
 Hanging in the balance is their self respect. They have been thoroughly outplayed in the last two games with only Kobe Bryant playing with any passion. Paul Pierce stepped up in his last game in Boston this season with 27 points continually making Ron Artest look a step slow while draining jumpers with regularity….Simply put, P-Double was:
 Kevin Garnett had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5 blocked shots but more importantly, he kept Pau Gasol in check with solid defense. Ray Allen only had 12 points but it was his best showing since his three point explosion in game two. Rajon Rondo’s performance in these playoffs has been nothing short of star making as his breakout performance continued with 18 points and 8 assists while leading his team in winning every quarter except the fourth. The Celtics won the all important hustle category, especially down the stretch when it mattered most. All night they were a step ahead of L.A., getting to every loose ball and generally out-working the Lakers and simply wanting it more. As for the Lakers, it was the Kobe show and little else…#24 had it going early and often hitting an array of difficult shots but couldn’t do it by himself finishing with 38 points in 43 minutes. Andrew Bynum had fluid drained from his shaky right knee on Friday but it didn't help much as he was a non-factor in this one. Pau Gasol was largely ineffective and seemed to revert back to the Pau we saw vs. the 2008 Celtics which is to say he was bothered to the point of appearing intimidated by the Celtics front line of KG, Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace. No other Lakers player broke double figures and the Lakers played from behind all night shooting 39% from the field compared to the C‘s 56%. Surprisingly, the Lakers actually had a shot late in the fourth when they closed the gap to 5 when Kobe hit three free throws after being fouled by Ray Allen with 1:30 to play but would get no closer much to the delight of the raucous Boston crowd that rained down that all too familiar chant.
 The series now shifts back to L.A. starting Tuesday night with the Lakers facing a do-or-die situation against their greatest historical foe. Jerry West knew this feeling all too well. He lost to the Celtics his entire career. Year in and year out, Jerry would dazzle fans and opponents even winning Finals MVP in a losing effort to, you guessed it, the Boston Celtics in 1969. So far Kobe is following in the footsteps of the man who brought him to L.A. back in 1996 with one Finals loss under his belt to Boston in 2008 and another looming like a big, green acid rain cloud over his head.
 To exercise the demons that now haunt both of them Kobe needs to summon some of that mojo that has defined his season this year. Those six last second game winning shots are all for naught if the Lakers fall victim to the nemesis Celtics in the Finals yet again. Right now, he’s considered the best player in the game but should the Lakers fail, those wounds that have seemingly healed with last seasons ring would instantly re-open and fester. Shaq might ask him how his ass tastes again. His chase of Jordan would be effectively over. His Finals loss total would be one short of his Finals victory total. Michael never lost in the Finals. Without two wins in L.A. I dare to say he would remain behind Magic Johnson as the greatest Lakers player ever because he would still trail Johnson in titles won and the sticky little fact that Magic actually beat Boston. A loss in either game 6 or 7 would also leave Ron Artest with egg on his face. He stated early in the season that if the Lakers don't win a championship it could be blamed on him since they won it last year with the player he replaced on the roster, Trevor Ariza...Who incidently provided multiple key three pointers during the Lakers 2009 championship run but Ron can't seem to throw a pea in the ocean and is losing his grip on containing Paul Pierce. These next two games can rectify all that but the purple and gold better man-up soon or the devestation that was 2008 will be deja vu all over again. This friendly reminder of how that feels should help....
 Hopefully that image and memory will burn in the Lakers stomach like a habanero pepper and get them fired up enough to bring the pain to the Celtics in game 6...Game 7 can’t even enter the fray at this point. The focus has to be on the next game and the next game only. One possession at a time. They need to dig deep into the depths of their souls and leave everything on the court Tuesday night. Forget the courtside celebrities. Forget Jack, Denzel and Dustin Hoffman. Forget the hordes of hotties that fill the lower bowl of Staples halfway through the first quarter. Forget the two straight losses in Boston. Forget everything and trust in the skills and system that got them to this point. Trust the triangle. Trust your instincts. It’s time to put up or shut up.
Time to go to work.
Open up a can.
Play like you mean it, because Boston will be and if you don't. you'll be sent on vacation before you want to be and Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith will be on TV with thier fishing gear on mocking you like it was 2008 all over again and you don't want any of that nonsense do you?.
-Phil Jackson is 47-0 when winning game 1 of a playoff series, which the Lakers did.
-The Boston Celtics are undefeated in NBA Finals history when going up 3-2, which they just did.
History will be made one way or another.
Now is the moment of truth....Gut check times two games...Make or break time...Rise to the occasion.
THIS is what legends are made of.
Win or go home.
…Better yet,
Go home and WIN.
THEN you can take a vacation and enjoy the spoils of your labors.
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 14 June 2010 10:09 ) |
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Los Angeles native, Lakers loyalist. It's been rumored that Robert bleeds purple and gold though never confirmed.
