Kobe Bryant Studies Film

Where will you find Kobe Bryant before a game? Watching videos, as the MVP is glued to his portable DVD player prior to tipoff. In his 13th season, the Lakers’ 10th-time All-Star is obsessed with watching basketball clips of the player he’ll be guarding before each game. Over the last few decades the Lakers have has their share of stars, from Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Jerry West and Shaquille O’Neal, but Bryant has studied more game video than anyone.

Lakers’ director of video services Chris Bodaken told the L.A. Times, “Hands down, he’s the biggest video fiend we’ve ever had. I didn’t know if it was possible to be more competitive than Magic was, but I think he might be. It carries over into his preparation, and this is part of that.” Bodaken began working in the Lakers’ editing room as an intern in 1989 and is currently one of two full-time Lakers’ staffers dedicated to providing footage for Lakers coaches and players–especially Bryant, who had plenty of requests after winning his first NBA most-valuable-player title.

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Permalink - Posted in General on December 31, 2008 - Post a comment

No Hard Feelings for Don Nelson

Warriors coach Don Nelson praised Kobe Bryant after the Lakers’ 130-113 victory over Golden State Sunday night. Nelson  was impressed with Bryant and told the L.A. Times, “He allows these guys to do their their thing and be successful and encourages them. He makes them even better than they are by playing alongside of him. He truly makes everybody better when he’s on the floor with them.” Nelson continued on with his praise, saying, “When coaches look at players, we look at them a little bit differently. Do they make their surrounding teammates better? The answer with him is yes, yes, yes.”

Bryant told the Times he was flattered by Nelson’s comments: “That means a lot, because that’s always been a big knock toward my game. To hear that coming from him, it means a lot. It means I’m doing the right thing.” Bryant leads the Lakers in assists with 4.2 per game and had four assists in the Lakers win over the Warriors. “I think my role changed so people looked for me to do that. When Shaq was here, people think that he got a lot of easy baskets because he was Shaq. I was feeding all of those. It’s not something that’s new to me,” Bryant explained. “I think just the perception of me having a different role has brought to the forefront what I’m doing for everybody else. It’s tough to say you made Shaq better. I just think on this team it gets a little more enhanced.”

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Permalink - Posted in General on December 30, 2008 - Post a comment

Christmas Sprit Continued Past the Holiday for the Lakers

After triumphing over the Boston Celtics in an exciting game Christmas day, the Lakers kept the Christmas spirit alive by beating the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. After Thursday’s big-time win over the NBA champion Celtics, the Lakers built on their momentum and beat the Warriors 130-113 at Staples Center last night. The Lakers obviously took notice when Golden State upset Boston Friday night in Oakland and vowed not to let the same thing happen to them. Sunday night’s game was season-high in points for the Lakers, with Kobe Bryant scoring 31 points on nine-for-15 shooting in only 31 minutes and six players scoring in the double digits.

Derek Fisher (19 points, 9-for-12 shooting) told the L.A. Times, “This was an important game for us to really continue to show some presence and dominance on our home court. We play this team again in 10 days or so [in Oakland], so I wanted to try and set the tone on how we played tonight.” Golden State entered the game second in the NBA in scoring, averaging 104.6 points per game. The Lakers don’t play again until Friday, when they host the Utah Jazz. What will Kobe Bryant be doing with his time off? The reigning MVP joked, “I’m going skiing. What are they going to do, fire me? I’m going to get my Vladimir Radmanovic on. (Referring to when Radmanovic sat out 24 games after separating his right shoulder while snowboarding.) I’m joking. I’m going to enjoy the next couple of days, though, just kick back.”

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Permalink - Posted in General on December 29, 2008 - Post a comment

Lakers Guard Jordan Farmar To Undergo Surgery

Both the Lakers team doctor and a knee specialist say that surgery is necessary to repair Lakers guard Jordan Farmar’s torn meniscus in his left knee. Team doctor Steve Lombardo and L.A.-area knee specialist Byron Patterson each said Farmar needs surgery but he may decide to wait to see whether the injury felt better on its own, as the procedure could sideline him up to eight weeks. Lakers coach Phil Jackson commented on Farmar’s dilemma to the L.A. Times: “We’re not happy about it, obviously, but this is what we go through in an NBA season. These timetables can be four to six [weeks], six to eight [weeks]. We’re looking at a time period that’s significant.”

Farmar was injured after stealing the ball and going for a layup Friday at Miami and averages 7.9 points and 2.4 assists in 19.6 minutes. Derek Fisher is currently taking on the extra minutes but the Lakers have the option of adding a 15th player to their foster (most likely a veteran guard) to help him out. “We’re really looking at someone that can help Fish manage his time. The number of quick, small guards in the league right now has increased significantly, so we’ll probably look at someone’s quickness and speed, not size,” said Jackson. Possibilities include Tyronne Lue and Jannero Pargo.

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Permalink - Posted in General on December 23, 2008 - Post a comment

Two Away Losses for the Lakers

The Lakers lost 89-87 to Miami heat in an unexpected turn of events which saw L.A. committing 21 turnovers, missing nine of 19 free throws and Kobe Bryant missing a shot at the buzzer. The loss was unexpected Friday at American Airlines Arena and adds one more away loss to the team’s stats; the Lakers (21-5) have lost four of their last five road games. The fourth loss happened at Amway Arena Saturday when they lost 106-103 to Orlando Magic.

The Lakers have a pair of away games up next, which has fans worried. They play in Memphis tonight and in New Orleans Tuesday before returning home to L.A. to play the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day. Tonight the Lakers’ Pau Gasol will return to Memphis for the first time since L.A. obtained Gasol from the Grizzlies almost 11 months ago.

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Permalink - Posted in General on December 22, 2008 - Post a comment

Lakers Kobe Bryant and Heat’s Dwyane Wade

Lakers favorite Kobe Bryant and Heat’s star player Dwyane Wade both get a lot of points, and attention, but don’t start comparing them yet. The Lakers play the Heat in Miami tonight and that should cool down comparisons, at least if Wade, who told the L.A. Times, “No. Not even close. Not now,” can help it. A lot has changed for both players since their Shaquille O’Neal years, which is shown by examining their respective team’s rosters and the NBA standings. Wade and O’Neal teamed up for a championship in 2006 after the Lakers sent O’Neal to the Heat in 2004. O’Neal is now with the Suns, while Wade is playing for a Heat team that is .500 and Bryant’s Lakers are 21-3 after losing the championship to the Celtics last spring. Reigning MVP Bryant has just four 30-point-plus games this season and the Lakers continue to win, while the Heat is 6-3 when Wade scored at least 30-points and 6-9 when he doesn’t.

Bryant also shed light on their differences to the Times Thursday night: “D. Wade is different than I am, a different personality. I am more a pure scorer, so my way to help the team was to score the ball. I had to score [35] points a game just to beat below -.500 teams. I think D. Wade is struggling with [rebuilding] because he wants to pass the ball, set up his teammates. He’s used to being on teams where he can do that.” For his part, Wade admitted that it’s “tough” this season, but said, “I would rather have a rebuilding year now when I am 26, than have a rebuilding year when I am 30-something, I can tell you that.” For the full article go to the Los Angeles Times website.

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Permalink - Posted in General on December 19, 2008 - Post a comment

Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol Ailing

Two of the Lakers are struggling to overcome illnesses: Lamar Odom has been at practice, albeit with an upper respiratory infection, and Pau Gasol has been skipping practice due to a case of strep throat and may not be able to play in Friday’s game against Miami. Odom briefly left Tuesday’s game against the Knicks during the second quarter but was still at practice the next day, although he was coughing while being interviewed by reporters afterward. Odom told the L.A. Times, “I’ve got to be ready to play long minutes because [Gasol] will probably be fatigued. Plus, we’ve got a six-hour flight [east]. That sure doesn’t help.”

Gasol skipped Tuesday’s game against New York because Lakers Coach Phil Jackson didn’t know if he’s be available for the beginning of the team’s important four-game trip. Josh Powell filled in for Gasol, logging 16 minutes against the Knicks and ending up with five points, four rebounds and two assists. Jackson said, “He’s an aggressive offensive rebounder and does a really good job defensively on screen and rolls.”

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Permalink - Posted in General on December 18, 2008 - Post a comment

Lakers Come Back to Beat Knicks

The Lakers rallied after allowing an astounding 65 points to the Knicks in the first half to beat New York, 116-114, at Staples Center last night. Pau Gasol was out with strep on Tuesday, but the game was really no different than when the Lakers lost on the road to Indiana and Sacramento and scraped by to beat Minnesota, Sacramento and Phoenix at home. Gasol, who was sent home 90 minutes before tipoff, will most likely not be ready for Friday’s game at Miami. Gasol will likely be replaced by Lamar Odom, who started for the first time this season and finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds. Odom isn’t in perfect health either, as he left the game at one point when he wasn’t feeling well due to an upper respiratory infection, telling the Los Angeles Times, “I just ran back out there and tried to do my job. They play such an up-tempo style of basketball, they don’t really take time off the clock. So being down 15, you can work yourself back into the game.”

Andrew Bynum, who had 13 points and 11 rebounds, told the Times, “Good win for us. We showed the ability to pick up the intensity and play better defense.” Up next for the Lakers, they will begin a four-game trip with stops in Orlando (19-6) and New Orleans (14-7). “It’s four games in five nights. We’re going to be pressed a little bit, physically. It’s going to be good for us. We’re looking forward to the trip … I think the challenge is important,” said Lakers Coach Phil Jackson.
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Permalink - Posted in General on December 17, 2008 - Post a comment

Lakers Vs. Knicks Preview

Tonight the Los Angeles Lakers, 20-3, and the New York Knicks, 11-13, will face off at Staples Center. The Lakers are currently leading the NBA with an average of 108 points per game, while the Knicks are currently third in the NBA, scoring 105 points per game under new coach Mike D’Antoni. The former Phoenix Suns coach is bringing his quick-shooting system to New York and predictions are that tonight’s game will be a high-scoring one.

There is currently some controversy surrounding the Knicks, as guard Stephon Marbury has been exiled while the team decides whether to trade him or buy out the remainder of his $20.8-million contract.  Lakers coach Phil Jackson recently noted that his team can play any type of basketball, likely meaning that he thinks they will able to withstand the Knicks. The 2007-08 recored vs. Kicks is 2-0.

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Permalink - Posted in General on December 16, 2008 - Post a comment

Another Slim Victory for the Lakers

The Lakers beat the 4-19 Timberwolves with a 98-86 subpar victory that makes their record 20-3. The Lakers’ offense was off again during Sunday’s game at Staples Center against Minnesota, and they only pushed the Timberwolves away during the last quarter. The Lakers did improve 20-3, Lakers coach Phil Jackson’s best three-loss record with the Lakers, but it wasn’t the big win that everyone hoped for. Minnesota came in with a 4-18 record, an eight-game losing streak and an 0-3 record since Kevin McHale took up coaching the team when Randy Wittman was first last week.

Jackson described the game as “loggy” while Kobe Bryant told the L.A. Times he “didn’t see anything wrong” with Sunday night’s victory. Lamar Odom had the most to say: “We have to execute the half-court offense. Game’s not going to be always up and down. This is the time that Pau and Kobe should be putting their ice on [their knees]. We can’t hold a lead. These guys have to come back in the game and can’t get a rest. That’s awful.”

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Permalink - Posted in General on December 15, 2008 - Post a comment


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