Sasha Vujacic Talks

Laker Sasha Vuajacic was let go from the Slovian National Team just ahead of September’s EuroBasket and released an official statement about what happened, hinting at the “politics and hidden agenda” of his country’s national program, on Friday (August 28). Apparently the issue stems from Vujacic’s left knee injury, which he incurred on the second day of practice, and the quality of treatement he received from the Slovian National Team’s coaching and training staff subsequently. Sasha was likely concerned about risking his health for his overall career and the upcoming Lakers season.

Lakersblog.com revealed an excerpt from Vujacic’s statement: “…Coach Zdovc was asking me on a daily basis how I felt and I told him that I was feeling better and better! We came back to Slovenia and I went to Maribor (my hometown) to spend the two days before the next team meeting. I trained on my days off! I was feeling strong and ready to shine in my home town…”

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 31, 2009 - Post a comment

Does Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Want Phil Jackson’s Job?

According to ESPN’s TrueHoop and Examiner.com, Los Angeles Lakers Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is tweeting about filling in for Lakers’ Head Coach Phil Jackson. In response to J.A. Adande’s article about who should succeed Jackson, Kareem wrote the following on his Twitter account:

“I just read the ESPN story on who will replace Phil and I c that alot of u think I would be a good choice. I would have to agree with my fans.”

“My experience in coaching has not allowed me 2 be a front runner but if someone would have the faith in me I am sure I could deliver.”

“I have not been given an opportunity as a head coach so maybe a groundswell of support from my fans could open a door for me!”

“I think my fans know that I am usually quiet unless I have something to say so I’m saying it.”

“I would do a good job as a head coach if given the chance. I’m absolutely sure of that.”

“If people want to find out what I am sitting on in terms of basketball knowledge maybe I’ll get a shot at a head coaching position.”

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 28, 2009 - Post a comment

Kobe Bryant’s Former Maid’s Lawsuit Continues

Maria Jimenez, Kobe and Vanessa Bryant’s former maid, sued the Lakers star and his wife in March, claiming wrongful termination and alleging that during the seven months in which she worked for the couple in their Newport Coast home, Vanessa Bryant “badgered, harassed and humiliated her.” According to Myfoxla.com, attorneys for Bryant and his wife argued in newly filed legal papers that Jimenez’s lawsuit should be dismissed on grounds of failing several standards of law. Bryant has denied that Jimenez quit when Vanessa demanded that she pick out a receipt for a blouse out of a bag of dog feces, although the legal papers filed Thursday content that even if the claims made by Maria were true they would still not be legal.

Jimenez also claims invasion of privacy, due to the extensive video surveillance that Bryant’s Newport Coast home is outfitted with; on one occasion the couple caught her stealing a blouse on video while she claims she brought it from home. Attorneys for the Bryants cite case law to dismiss all claims and argue that Jimenez’s attorney William Vogeler is trying the “kitchen sink” approach, as the lawsuit also claims intentional infliction of emotional distress and a new allegation of stalking (included by Jimenez’s lawyers in a subsequent motion). Read the full article at Myfox.la.com.

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 27, 2009 - Post a comment

Why Ron Artest Is Angry With the Houston Rockets

According to Hoopsvibe.com, brand-new Laker Ron Artest recently took to his Twitter account to make the following statement: “Houston did me dirty. I can’t wait til next year when we go to Houston. I’m not shooting. All defense. Somebody getting locked da fu** up. I still feel blessed but they messed up my bird rights. So it’s on as long as I’m in the league.” Ron Artest likely felt like he deserved more consideration from Houston during free agency; he did help the Rockets advance to the second round of the NBA Finals and push the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers to seven games, after all.

Houston’s General Manager Daryl Morey didn’t fight to sign Artest, and while the lockdown defender did behave for Rick Adelman everything changed when Yao Ming got injured. The career-threatening injury meant that Houston had to re-evaluate their circumstances with no superstar on their roster, and decided not to give Artest a multi-year contract. Says Hoopsvibe.com, “Whatever the reason, the lockdown defender felt slighted by the lack of love from Houston. To be fair, Artest was the featured player on an undermanned, blue-collar squad that beat Portland and nearly upset Los Angels this past playoff. Now after signing with the Lakers, he has jiffy marked on the calendar games versus the Rockets.”

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 26, 2009 - Post a comment

Will the Lakers Win Another Championship?

Continuing yesterday’s blog post, Bleacherrerport.com took a (slightly pessimistic) look at next season, speculating on what could possibly go wrong for the Lakers. While Ron Artest can be seen as a positive addition to the Lakers’ roster, Bleacherreport.com took the opposite stance to critically evaluate his impact on the team. While Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest’s defensive battles made for some entertaining moments last season, now that Artest is a Laker he will have to behave, and it is up to Bryant and Lakers’ coach Phil Jackson to tell him to do so. Says Bleacherreport.com, “Don’t forget, this is Hollywood, not Houston (no disrespect to Houston). There are beigger edos that Artest.” If Artest keeps his ego in check, however, he may be a huge asset to the Lakers.

Even if they don’t want to, Lakers’ fans have to face the possibility of the team not winning another championship. While the Lakers have a really good chance of securing another championship title (what will Phil Jackson do with another ring?), there is also the slight possibility that they won’t have a good season.

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 25, 2009 - Post a comment

What Could Go Wrong with the Lakers Next Season

The 2009-10 Lakers season is approaching, which means everyone is wondering if the Lakers will be able to secure another NBA championship win, and speculating on what could go wrong to hinder the team’s chances. One possible pitfall, according to Bleacherreport.com, is if Kobe Bryant were to get injured for an extended period of time. Last season the Lakers endured the injuries of Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar (and Pau Gasol is currently out for a few weeks due to a minor finger injury), but the Lakers may only be able to come in second, third, or even fourth in the Western Conference without Kobe.

So what if the worst does happen and Kobe Bryant is out? Who would be able to fill his shoes? Bleacherreport.com suggests the newly acquired Laker Ron Artest but says, “his crazy-eyed antics and leadership on and off the court is beyond questionable.” Gasol comes up next, as the “nearest thing to a superstar player in the Lakers team” but is dismissed as well, because he “hasn’t shouldered the burden that Kobe has in making the whole franchise of one of the most successful teams in sport history.” While Shannon Brown is the second-best shooting guard on the Lakers’ roster, he simply isn’t Kobe. So here’s to hoping Bryant doesn’t sustain an injury this season!

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 24, 2009 - Post a comment

How Injuries and Age Will Affect the Lakers This Season

In offering predicitons for the upcoming Lakers’ season, bleachreport.com served up a list of different factors that will affect the Lakers’ performance, with injuries and age among them. During the 2008-09 season, Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar and Sun Yue were among the injured Lakers’ players. It wasn’t the first time Bynum has suffered from an injury, as he has never been able to play a full eighty-two game season due to injuries. During the offseason, Pau Gasol is suffering from a minor finger injury that is expected to be healed in three weeks.

Another variable is age, as the Lakers are inevitably getting older. Kobe Bryant is 30, soon to be 31, while Lamar Odom, Ron Artest and Pau Gasol are all 29 and Derek Fisher just turned 35. The Lakers are undoubtedly hungry for another championship win after last season but we will all have to wait until October 27 to let the action begin.

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 21, 2009 - Post a comment

More Variables for the Upcoming Season

Yesterday’s post offered variables that will affect the upcoming 2009-10 NBA season, as reported by bleachreport.com, and here are a few more. According to bleachreport.com, the on-court chemistry between Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol is unparalleled in the league, making Bryant and Gasol one of the “all-time great duos of the NBA.” Since the two players have teamed up, they haven’t lost a Western Conference title and have won an NBA championship in only two seasons together (while another great NBA duo, John Stockton and Karl Malone, remained ringless). The pair averaged 45.7 points,14.7 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game during the last season.

According to bleachreport.com, Sasha Vujacic has “simply lost his shooting touch.” Last season Vujacic averaged 5.8 points per game shooting 38.7 percent from the field (below average). Bleachreport.com has harsh words for Vujacic saying, “He might turn it around this season, but for now he is a “machine” with low batteries. He needs to find his touch once again and finally start living up to his self-proclaimed name of the ‘Machine.’” More on the Lakers’ upcoming season tomorrow.

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 20, 2009 - Post a comment

The Lakers Going Into the 2009-10 Season

After taking home the Larry O’Brien trophy last NBA season, the Lakers are again championship contenders this year, and bleachreport.com is offering predictions about the upcoming season. One variable is the acquisition of Ron Artest from the Houston Rockets, for a five-year deal worth about $33 million. Artest won the Lone Defensive Player of the Year award in 2004, which means that Kobe Bryant won’t have to put as much energy into guarding opponents’ best shooting guard or small forward and can instead lead the Lakers’ offense, thus reserving his energy for the all-important fourth quarter. The downside of the addition of Artest, however, is that the Lakers had to say goodbye to Trevor Ariza.

Phil Jackson’s supposed successor, Kurt Rambis, gave up his position to become head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. While Rambis was an important part of the Lakers’ championship team, the team still has Phil. With a total of ten championship wins under his belt, Jackson has coached both Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant and is the master of the effective, if complictaed, triangle offense. To be continued in tomorrow’s post.

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 19, 2009 - Post a comment

Q&A with Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol has been in the news lately due to a minor finger injury, but the Lakers.com Basketball Blog uncovered an archived interview with the Lakers All-Star forward in early February in which he talked about cereal, his favorite actress and other non-basketball related topics. So what is Gasol’s favorite cereal? “Frosted Flakes. That’s easy. Also, Corn Flakes … with sugar. I guess that’s basically Frosted Flakes, but I started eating them when I was very young in Spain,” answered Gasol. As for his favorite meal, Gasol was quick to say, “Sushi. I love toro, I love sea urchin, I love salmon … All kinds really. Seafood is a big part of Mediterranean culture, and I grew up eating it in Barcelona.”

Gasol’s parents are both in the medical field, his mother is a physician and his father is a hosiptal administrator, and the Lakers’ forward said they always emphasized education before sports saying, “Yes, it was always ‘Do your work before you play.’ They wanted me to keep my options open, to make sure studying was a big priority over basketball because you’re not sure that sports will work out. So I stayed in school as long as I could and should have even though it was hard my first and last years in college to do both medical school and professional basketball.”

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Permalink - Posted in General on August 18, 2009 - Post a comment


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