Lakers ESPN’s Favorite to Win It All

The Lakers recently secured 19 of 53 votes in an ESPN.com expert’s poll asking who would win the NBA title in 2009-10, edging out the Cleveland Cavaliers for the highest total by a single vote.  Only three other teams received votes in the poll, the San Antonio Spurs (eight votes), the Boston Celtics (five votes) and the Orlando Magic (three).  “The Lakers won’t win the title if they play as they did last season, because the bar has been raised in the East,” the article says.  ”But the Lakers are more than capable of lifting it themselves, as they hardly got anything from Andrew Bynum or Jordan Farmar while winning the title and beefed up their defense against big wings with the pickup of Ron Artest.”

I think it’s pretty obvious that with “big wings” they’re referring to Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James, whose Cleveland Cavaliers are the Lakers’ most likely Finals foe.  Artest’s presence should certainly help if the Lakers were to matchup with LeBron and Co. in the Finals, though it may be more of the old Jordan adage of, “you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.”  It’s a bit surprising that the Lakers aren’t more of a favorite to repeat, but each of the other four teams to receive votes did improve markedly this offseason.

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Permalink - Posted in General on September 10, 2009 - Post a comment

Kobe Bryant Among Most Influential in Basketball … Duh!

Hoopsworld.com recently released its top 55 most influential players in basketball list, with Los Angeles Lakers’ star Kobe Bryant not surprisingly making the list. In addition to looking at the star power and cash involved in being among the top tier of the sport, the list also looked at which players shape the game and have influenced other players as well.

Here’s what Hoopsworld.com had to say about Bryant: “Armed with four championship rings and a fiercely loyal and faithful fan base, Bryant is without question among the top names in the NBA. Bryant has a tremendous among of influence on the NBA and its marketing partners while also have a lucrative shoe deal with Nike. Bryant literally can write his own check, and at 31 he has several years of supremacy remaining. The Lakers will likely extend his contract this summer, the only contract with a specific no-trade clause, insuring he remains with the Lakers as long as he wants to be there.” We all now know about Bryant’s contract and everyone is looking forward to another stellar season from Kobe.

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Permalink - Posted in General on September 9, 2009 - Post a comment

What the Lakers Face in the East

Oddsmakers have (not surprisingly) picked the Los Angeles Lakers as favorites to win an NBA Championship next June, repeating their performances earlier this year, and the Los Angeles Times offered predictions about what the team will face in the East. Last month, the Orlando Sentinel polled 11 NBA experts and the Cleveland Cavaliers (who traded Shaquille O’Neal and subsequently aided LeBron James in garnering his first championship win) emerged as a favorite, although only by a small margin. The Boston Celtics (who signed free agent forward Rasheed Wallace) came in second.

NBA.com writer John Schuhmann picked the Cavaliers as the best team in the East in the Sentinel poll saying, “They added Shaquille O’Neal and Anthony Parker, both of whom should help them match up better with Boston and Orlando, and they still have the best player in the world.” Bill Walton, on the other hand, is betting on Boston saying, “The three legitimate contenders in the East all got significantly better, but Boston easily improved the most. The title will come down to who controls the paint. The Celtics-with superior talent, depth and versatility up front-have positioned themselves perfectly for a run at No. 18.” The Lakers would undoubtedly love another chance with beat the Celtics in the playoffs, but June is still a long way off.

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Permalink - Posted in General on September 8, 2009 - Post a comment

Kobe and Shaq Celebrate Christmas Together … Again

For the fourth time in the five years since their partnership ended, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal will meet on Christmas Day. The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and Bryant will host the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 25. O’Neal traded to Cleveland in June and will return to L.A. this year with LeBron James, who succeeded Bryant as MVP last season. Hosting the Boston Celtics on October 27, O’Neal and James will play their first game together. That night the four-game slate will be capped off with the Lakers’ opening their title defense against No.1 draft pick Blake Griffin and the Clippers.

Defending Eastern Conference champion the Orlando Magic opens against Philadelphia on October 28 before hitting the road to play New Jersey two nights later. Orlando will have an NBA Finals rematch against the Lakers January 18 as part of the schedule on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and on March 7 the Lakers will play at Orlando for the first time since winning the NBA title in June. Also on Christmas Day, Orlando hosts Boston in a matchup of the last two Eastern champions while the remainder of the day is made up of Miami at New York, the Clippers at Phoenix and Denver at Portland.

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Permalink - Posted in General on September 4, 2009 - Post a comment

Stan Van Gundy Says Lakers-Cavaliers Game Getting All the Attention

Orlando Coach Stan Van Gundy doesn’t think the Orlando Magic is getting the respect due to an NBA finalist, pointing out that the highly-anticipated Christmas Day game isn’t Lakers-Magic but rather Lakers-Cavaliers. Said Van Gundy, “For a team that went to the Finals, we really haven’t gotten the respect teams normally do. Based upon what we did last year I think our players do feel a little underappreciated and under-respected.” Van Gundy went on the discuss a slight by ABC, as the network usually fills the prime 2p.m. spot Christmas Day with the two NBA Finals teams from the season before. This year the Orlando Magic play the Boston Celtics in an earlier game on December 25 while the Lakers and the Cavailers nabbed the coveted time slot.

Van Gundy continued to say, “It’s a lot of little things, and in the long run they’re not very important, but you feel it. Like the television schedule. Normally on Christmas Day, you get a rematch of the teams that played in the Finals. But instead, we get a Christmas Day matchup of the teams that they [ABC] wanted to see in the finals.

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Permalink - Posted in General on September 3, 2009 - Post a comment

What Does Kobe Think of His Digital Doppelganger?

Yesterday we discussed the new-and-improved digital version of Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant which will appear on NBA 2K10 (set to arrive October 6); here is what the Lakers star told the L.A. Times about the game. When asked if he plays video games now, Bryant answered, “During the season, [Lakers guard] Jordan Farmar brings the Xbox [260] along. The guys hook it up to the TV, and we compete. I have a lot of responsibilities making sure the team functions, so most of my time is spent doing my homework. But every once in a while I get to play.”

When asked what he thinks of his NBA 2K10 character, Bryant said, “The same way I think of all the other characters. I think the detail in them is just fascinating. You can look at the characters and tell who’s who just by their body movements, their facial expressions, their profiles, before you even look at their numbers. It’s remarkable the attention to detail. You see the ball go through the net, and you see how the net reacts to it. Just little things like that. I pay attention to those things because I love the game so much. The ball goes through and swooshes the net. I love that.”

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Permalink - Posted in General on September 2, 2009 - Post a comment

Kobe Bryant Goes Digital

According to the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant’s digital version om NBA 2K10 isn’t that different from the real Lakers star. The real Kobe Bryant played Double Dribble, a 1980s video game, while visiting his grandmother’s house growing up, while the digital doppelganger was created a decade ago bu a video game developer, Visual Concepts, in Novato, California. The digital version of the 6-foot-6 Lakers guard adapts as the real Kobe does, down to the length of his hair and ability on the court.

When NBA 2K10 arrives on October 6, it will feature another trait of Bryant: Kobe’s tendency to jut out his chin during an intense on-court moment. The game is now owned by Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the bestselling basketball simulation video game, which has added facial annimations to its franchise. One of the main reasons for the success of Take-Two Interactive Software Inc. is what the L.A. Times calls the “studio’s near-fanatical devotion to replicating the details of the actual sport in the video games.” Stay tuned for Kobe’s reaction to his digital doppelganger tomorrow.

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Permalink - Posted in General on September 1, 2009 - Post a comment

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


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