Lakers Counting Lucky Stars they have Kobe not Shaq?

Although the Lakers are not in perfect shape - Kobe with a head injury, Andrew Bynum with a shot knee and Lamar Odom monitoring a heart issue - the team is certainly not in serious peril.

As one sports critic pointed out, the LA Lakers could be in worse trouble if owner Jerry Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak hadn’t decided back in 2004 to trade Shaquille O’Neal for Odom and several other key players and keep Kobe Bryant, according to an article published jan. 26 by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. O’Neal, who currently has $60 million and two years left on his contract with the Miami Heat, is injured again and his numbers are down this season, the Daily Bulletin reported. Not to mention that his divorce, which has been blown up by the media, has started revealing details of his private life to anyone who will listen. That includes a reported $26,500 spent on babysitting and $24,300 on gasoline per month - yes, per month.

Although O’Neal was a key player in leading the Heat to an NBA Championship for 2006, it is clear that his reputation of “getting the job done” is not following him into this season. Take one look at the stats and fans can see that the Lakers were smart to trade. Compared with Lakers Andrew Bynum, who has had 18 double-doubles in 35 games this seaosn, O’Neal has only come up with seven in 32 games. On top of that, the star is only averaging 28 minutes play time per game, with 14.2 points and 7.8 rebounds.

Doesn’t seem like Shaq’s expenditures are adding up to a big benefit for the heat. Guess that’s one trade the Lakers can look back on with out a troubled mind. Ease your troubled mind and be sure to get your Lakers tickets in advance so you don’t miss the next game. Visit Stubhub.com right now and get a pair today!

Posted in General on January 28, 2008

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