Archive for January, 2011

Lakers talk freely about what went wrong in loss to Kings

Let's get this straight.

The Lakers lose to the lowly Sacramento Kings at Staples Center on Friday night and the media get blamed for the loss?

"Yeah, I'm blaming this on you guys," Lamar Odom said after the Lakers dropped a 100-95 decision to the Kings. "You guys are jumping to the Boston game."


Odom was joking.

But the media did begin asking about the Lakers playing the Boston Celtics on Sunday, many ignoring the Kings (11-33) in the process.

Still, the Lakers had put a gag order in place, saying no one was allowed to talk about the Celtics until after the Lakers finished off the Kings.

Lakers co-captain Derek Fisher was the one who said no one could talk about the Celtics.

All the good it did.

Again, Odom was asked if he really was going to lay blame for the Lakers' inexplicable loss to the Kings on the media.

"Yep," Odom said, half-smiling. "I'm blaming it on you."

The Lakers and Celtics played in the NBA Finals in June, with the Lakers defeating Boston in seven tough games.

Sunday's game already has been hyped in many circles.

After all, the Lakers and the Celtics have a long-standing history and they are the NBA's top rivals.

With that in mind, was it possible for the Lakers to have one eye on the Kings and one eye on the Celtics instead of focusing totally on Sacramento?

"No, we didn't do that," Andrew Bynum said. "We've been warned for a long time not to play a game like that.

"As far as my game individually, I disrespected [DeMarcus] Cousins in the first half. I didn't play defense and he got off to a blazing start, so that kind of put us in a hole. That just lets me know I didn't play aggressively from the start of the game."

It was a game in which the Lakers' big men were outplayed by Sacramento's big men.

Cousins, Sacramento's rookie center, had 22 of his 27 points in the first half.

Kings backup center Samuel Dalembert had 10 of his 18 in the third quarter, and reserve forward Carl Landry had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lakers' Pau Gasol had just nine points on four-for-11 shooting, Bynum had 12 points and Odom had four points, missing all seven of his field goals.

"Like I've said, teams they come in here and they are looking for a 'W'," Odom said. "You don't do the small things that you need to do defensively and take people out of the game. … They got comfortable.

"But I don't think anybody looked ahead. We got beat. We got our [butts] beat. … We got hit on the chin."

Now, at least, they can look ahead to playing the Celtics.

The Lakers know it will be a challenge.

"It's just being tough, being physical," Odom said. "They make you work."

Odom said he watched the Celtics beat the Trail Blazers in Portland on Thursday night and came away impressed with how Boston played.

"They wear you down," Odom said. "They play basketball the right way. They are a complete team."

broderick.turner@latimes.com

twitter.com/BA_Turner



Powered By WizardRSS

Comments off

January 29, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized

Kings are a royal pain for the Lakers

Bring on Boston?

The Lakers made the mistake of tuning out their tune-up game two days before the big one, falling to the lowly Sacramento Kings, 100-95, after a late rally failed to materialize Friday at Staples Center.

They were sluggish, they were sloppy, they looked nothing like a team that was ready for a regular-season rematch of the NBA Finals.


Boston didn't fare much better Friday, losing to Phoenix, 88-71, though at least the Celtics were on the road against a team with playoff aspirations.

The Kings, on the other hand, came into Friday with a 4-16 road record and 10-33 overall record.

All they did was take a 20-point lead in the third quarter on the way to pounding the Lakers in the paint, 50-36.

Rookie center DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points and backup center Samuel Dalembert had 18 points as the Kings exposed the Lakers down low.

Were the Lakers looking ahead to Boston?

"I can't explain it," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "I'm not going to try."

Other than Kobe Bryant (38 points, 13-for-27 shooting) and Shannon Brown (17 points, seven-for-11 shooting), the Lakers' individual statistics were a basketball graveyard.

Lamar Odom missed all seven of his shots and had four points. Pau Gasol had a quiet nine points on four-of-11 shooting. Ron Artest faded after a handful of solid games, scoring four points and sitting out the entire fourth quarter.

The story, though, was the Lakers' surprising lack of defense, particularly down low.

Andrew Bynum stood up and took the blame.

"We didn't even come out and defend the way we should have, myself in particular," he said. "In the first half, I kind of disrespected Cousins and he got off to a blazing start. You can't do that in the NBA. Can't take a night off defensively."

Bryant had 26 points at halftime, but Cousins had 22 as the Kings led, 59-55. Dalembert came into the night averaging five points a game but made eight of 12 shots.

"Their big guys came out and really took it [to] our guys, and carried the day for their team," Jackson said.

The Lakers appeared to have momentum after Odom spun baseline and dropped the ball off to Gasol for a dunk, bringing them within 93-89 with 3:18 to play.

But they short-circuited on their next four possessions, Gasol making one of two free-throw attempts, Gasol having the ball stripped on a shot down low, Brown missing a three-point attempt and Bryant missing one too.

The Lakers (33-14) were supposed to have solved their little problem of losing to sub.-500 teams at home (See: Milwaukee, Indiana, Memphis).

Then came Friday.

Jackson tried to sound an alarm before the game, saying the Kings "always give us a good game, usually here, and we have to struggle and fight."

He was right.

The Lakers tried to ignore their upcoming showdown with Boston, Derek Fisher even putting teammates under a gag order, telling them not to talk about the Celtics until after Friday's game.

But the Lakers' only memorable moment Friday was Bryant passing Hakeem Olajuwon for eighth on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

He had other things on his mind.

"We've still got work to do," Bryant said.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan



Powered By WizardRSS

Comments off

January 29, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized

Lakers Gameday | 1/28/11 | Kings

GAME NOTES

SEASON& SERIES NOTES; CONNECTIONS
The Lakers currently lead their season series with Sacramento 2-0, after sweeping last season's series 4-0. The two franchises have met 275 times overall and 111 times since the Kings moved to Sacramento. The Lakers lead the all-time series with the Kings 189-86 (81- 30 vs. Sacramento). In their last 10 meetings, the Lakers are 9-1 against Sacramento, including winners of their last 8 straight. The Lakers are 16-7 all-time against the Kings at STAPLES Center and have gone 8-2 in their last 10 home contests. The Lakers are 7-3 in their last 10 games at ARCO Arena including an 8-1 mark in their past nine trips to the state capitol. In their most recent meeting, 12/3/10 at STAPLES Center, the Lakers defeated the Kings by 33 points, their largest victory over the Kings since a 33-point win 12/22/95. On 11/3/10, Kobe Bryant recorded his 17th career triple-double while passing Kareem Abdul- Jabbar as the franchise leader for career minutes in a 112-100 Lakers victory at ARCO Arena. On 12/26/09, the Lakers defeated the Kings 112-103 in double-overtime at ARCO Arena, while using a Kobe Bryant three-point buzzer-beater to win their second meeting of the season 109-108 at STAPLES Center on 1/1/10. Two seasons ago, on April 6, 2008, the Lakers defeated the Kings by 22 points, their largest victory in Sacramento since a 23-point win 3/23/89. In 2006-07, the Lakers were whistled for 42 personal fouls in their 132-128 overtime victory January 4, 2007 at ARCO Arena, establishing a new Los Angeles era franchise record. The Lakers last committed 42 personal fouls back on 2/17/57 versus St. Louis when the team was still in Minneapolis. Additionally, the Lakers and Kings combined for 80 personal fouls and 102 free throws on the night, which was, at the time, the most fouls committed by two teams in more than seven years. Under head coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers are 29-13 against the Kings. In 52 career games against the Kings including 44 starts, Kobe Bryant is averaging 26.3 points. Pau Gasol has also averaged 20+ points for his career against the Kings, posting 21.3 points per game in 35 meetings (all starts). The Lakers and Kings haven't met in the postseason since the 2002 Western Conference Finals. While Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher both played in that series, no Kings remain on the current roster from that playoff series.

BRYANT 12 POINTS SHY OF HAKEEM OLAJUWON FOR 8th ON NBA'S ALL-TIME SCORING LIST
With 21 points 1/25 vs. Utah, Kobe Bryant moved to within 12 points of Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946) for 8th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Earlier this month, Bryant moved past Oscar Robertson (26,710) 1/7 vs. New Orleans and Dominique Wilkins (26,668) 1/4 vs. Detroit on the all-time list. Should he continue to score anywhere near his current pace (24.9 ppg), Bryant (26,934) would move to 6th on the all-time list by season's end. Next on the all-time list ahead of Bryant and Olajuwon are Elvin Hayes (7th/27,313) and Moses Malone (6th/27,409). Among the top nine scorers in NBA history, more than half (5) have worn the Lakers uniform (1st/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 2nd/Karl Malone, 4th/Wilt Chamberlain, 5th/Shaquille O'Neal and 9th/Bryant).

Bryant has been steadily moving up the list over the past few years. Earlier this season, with 23 points at Chicago (12/10/10), he passed John Havlicek (26,395) for 11th. Last season, he passed Alex English (25,613), Reggie Miller (25,279), Jerry West (25,192), Patrick Ewing (24,815) and Allen Iverson (24,368). In passing West with a slam dunk at the 4:14 mark of the third quarter February 1, 2010 at Memphis, finishing the game with 44 points (West's retired number), Bryant became the leading scorer in Lakers franchise history. In 2008-09, Bryant passed Gary Payton (21,813) and Hall-of-Famers Charles Barkley (23,757), Robert Parish (23,334), Adrian Dantley (23,177), Elgin Baylor (23,149), Clyde Drexler (22,195) and Larry Bird (21,791).

BRYANT APPROACHING 27,000 CAREER POINTS
With 21 points January 25th vs. Utah, Kobe Bryant moved to within 66 points of 27,000 for his career. Bryant, the youngest player in league history to score 23,000 26,000 points, will be 31 years, 158 days old on Friday, January 28 when the Lakers face Sacramento. Wilt Chamberlain, currently the youngest player to score 27,000 points in league history, reached the milestone back on March 11, 1969 when he was 32 years, 202 days of age. Michael Jordan, the only guard in NBA history to score 27,000 points, reached the milestone November 5, 1997 when he was 34 years, 261 days of age. Additionally, in reaching 27,000 points, Bryant (1,067 games played) would become just the 8th player in NBA history to do so and should he achieve the mark by the end of February, the 5th fastest to do so in terms of games. Chamberlain was the fastest to reach 27,000, doing so in 780 games, followed by Jordan (852), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (965), Karl Malone (1,035) and Shaquille O'Neal (1,083).

Earlier this season, with his 17th point November 11th at Denver, Bryant reached 26,000 for his career. In doing so, he became the youngest to do so in NBA history (32 years, 80 days), surpassing Wilt Chamberlain (32 years, 114 days) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33 years, 331 days). Additionally, Bryant became the 12th player in NBA history to score 26,000 points and the 8th fastest to do so (1,030) in terms of games, behind Shaquille O'Neal (1,022). Wilt Chamberlain was the fastest to reach 26,000, doing so in 734 games. Among the remaining top five scorers in NBA history (Chamberlain and O'Neal already mentioned), Michael Jordan reached 26,000 points in 815 games, Abdul-Jabbar in 925 games and Karl Malone in 997 games.

The youngest player in league history to accumulate 17,000 20,000 and 23,000 26,000 points, Bryant was the 20th fastest to 17,000, 16th fastest to 18,000, 15th fastest to 19,000, 15th fastest to 20,000, 12th fastest to 21,000, 12th fastest to 22,000, 11th fastest to 23,000, 9th fastest to 24,000, 9th fastest to 25,000 and 8th fastest to 26,000 points in terms of games.

DEREK FISHER AMONG PLAYERS ELIGIBLE FOR FAN VOTE IN 2011 TACO BELL SKILLS CHALLENGE
On January 27th, the NBA announced that for the first time, the league and Taco Bell are giving fans the opportunity to determine participants in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge as part of the "Choose Your Squad" program. In addition to adding a fan vote, the 2011 Taco Bell Skills Challenge will feature an expanded field from four to five participants. Beginning today and running through 11:59 p.m. ET on Feb. 14, fans can log on to NBA.com/chooseyoursquad to choose from among eight players to determine four of the five participants in the 2011 event in Los Angeles. The players taking part in the vote include: Stephen Curry, Baron Davis, Tyreke Evans, Derek Fisher, Tony Parker, Derrick Rose, John Wall and Russell Westbrook. The four finalists will compete against "Choose Your Squad" spokesman Chris Paul.

The event includes a new charitable twist from NBA Cares & Taco Bell Foundation for Teens' "Graduate to Go" program, a national initiative helping teens graduate from high school through real-world experiences. Each of the five participants will be matched with a teen member of a local Boys & Girls Club. The teen paired with the event winner will receive a 4-year college scholarship. The other scholarship winners each receive an educational scholarship courtesy of the Taco Bell Foundation for Teens.

Introduced at NBA All-Star 2003 in Atlanta the Taco Bell Skills Challenge will feature five players competing in a two-round timed "obstacle course" consisting of dribbling, passing, and shooting stations. All players must observe basic NBA ball-handling rules while completing the course. The two players with the fastest times from the first round advance to the finals with the order of competition determined by inverse order of the first-round times. The Taco Bell Skills Challenge will be televised live nationally as part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm, which will also feature the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest, Haier Shooting Stars, and Sprite Slam Dunk. TNT and ESPN Radio's national coverage will begin at 8 p.m. EST from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles.

30 WINS AT THE MID-POINT
With a 100-88 victory over the New Jersey Nets on January 14th, the Lakers improved to 30-11 on the season, marking the third consecutive year that they have reached the mid-point of their season with 30 or more wins. Last season, the Lakers held a 32-9 record at the halfway point after starting the 2008-09 season with a 33-8 mark. Over the past 10 seasons, the Sacramento Kings from 2001-04 are the only other NBA team to hit the mid-point with at least 30 wins in three consecutive seasons. Since the NBA went to an 82-game schedule prior to the 1967-68 season, the Lakers have now posted at least 30 wins by the mid-point 14 times, having also put together one additional three season streak from 1985-88.*

GASOL REACHES UNIQUE WELL-ROUNDED MILESTONE
With a four foot hook shot at the 1:00 mark of the second quarter 1/19 at Dallas, Pau Gasol scored his 13,000th career point in his 693rd career regular season game. Among players who debuted since 1973-74 (first season of blocked shots), Gasol, became the 6th fastest player in terms of games to record 13,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocks. Only Chris Webber (587), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (605), Tim Duncan (640), Kevin Garnett (657) and David Robinson (672) reached those totals faster than Gasol.

GASOL NAMED 2010 EUROPEAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR
In January, La Gazzetta dello Sport, one of the premier sports journals in the world, named Pau Gasol European Player of the Year for the THIRD consecutive year. The prestigious award was decided on by a panel of judges comprised of players, coaches and basketball journalists. Gasol beat out Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki (2nd), who had won the award five consecutive years from 2002-06, and the Spanish League's Juan Carlos Navarro (3rd) of FC Barcelona. The first Spanish player to win the award, Gasol joins Nowitzki as the only other player to win the award three-straight years. Other notable past winners include Arvydas Sabonis (6-time winner), Toni Kukoc (5-time winner), Drazen Petrovic (4-time winner) and Tony Parker.

A FOURTH QUARTER FIRST
Trailing by six entering the fourth quarter of their January 12th contest with Golden State, the Lakers outscored the Warriors 46-35 en route to a 115-110 victory at ORACLE Arena. The 46-point total marked the first time in franchise history (shot clock era) that the Lakers have scored 46 or more points in the fourth quarter of a road game. The last time the Lakers scored 46 or more points in any quarter on the road was on November 26, 1966 at St. Louis (48 points, first quarter). Overall, it was the Lakers highest scoring quarter since posting 46 points in the fourth quarter of a 127-99 victory 11/29/07 vs. Denver.

KOBE BRYANT LEADS ALL PLAYERS AFTER 4th ROUND OF ALL-STAR BALLOTING
On January 13th, the NBA announced its FOURTH and final returns update of 2011 NBA All-Star balloting before the official starting lineup announcement January 27th live at 7:00 pm EST on TNT. Kobe Bryant (1,757,216) continues to LEAD all players in All-Star voting, ahead of Dwight Howard (1,537,619) and LeBron James (1,518,807). Pau Gasol (851,456), who made his third All-Star team last season as a reserve, ranks 3rd among forwards in the West behind Kevin Durant (1,270,729) and Carmelo Anthony (945,720). Andrew Bynum (660,576) ranks 2nd among West centers behind Yao Ming (928,928), while Chris Paul (949,049) ranks 2nd among West guards behind Bryant. In the East, James and Amar'e Stoudemire (1,143,391) lead the forward voting, Dwyane Wade (1,499,768) and Derrick Rose (1,225,575) are the top two vote-getters at guard and Howard leads all East centers in balloting.
In each of the last three seasons, Bryant has led the Western Conference in all-star balloting. Last season, Bryant received 2,456,224 votes, finishing second overall to Cleveland's LeBron James (2,549,693). In 2008-09, he accumulated 2,805,397 votes, finishing third in overall balloting behind Dwight Howard (3,150,181) and James (2,940,823). In 2007-08, Bryant garnered 2,004,940 votes to finish fourth in overall voting behind Kevin Garnett (2,399,148), James (2,108,831) and Howard (2,066,991). In 2006-07, when he earned his second All-Star MVP, Bryant finished third overall in balloting behind James and Yao Ming. A three-time All-Star MVP (2002 Philadelphia, 2007 Las Vegas, 2009 Phoenix), Bryant is a 12-time All-Star and had started 11 consecutive All-Star games before missing last year's contest due to a sprained left ankle. Bryant, who was the youngest All-Star in NBA history in 1998, led all players in NBA All-Star balloting in 2003. Gasol has made three All-Star appearances (2006, 2009, 2010) and in 2009, became the 27th Laker in franchise history to be named to an All-Star team.

IRON MAN
Entering the Lakers game vs. Sacramento, Derek Fisher has played in 459 consecutive regular season games dating back to April 15, 2005, the longest consecutive games streak among all active NBA players. Fisher moved into the top position after Portland's Andre Miller (632) missed the Blazers game against Phoenix (12/7/10) due to NBA suspension. Additionally, Fisher has started 337 consecutive regular season games dating back to January 15, 2007, tops among all active players by more than a season's worth of games (2nd Luis Scola). Former Laker A.C. Green holds the NBA record for most consecutive games played with 1,192 dating from 11/19/86 4/18/01 while a member of the Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat.

WIRE-TO-WIRE
With their record setting 121-90 victory vs. Utah on January 25th, the Lakers recorded their league-leading EIGHTH wire-to-wire win of the season. Getting to seven wire- to-wire victories in just 39 games matched the Lakers regular season total from all of last season, while their eighth in 46 games surpassed that total. This season, the Lakers (8) lead the NBA in wire-to-wire victories, followed by the Celtics (7), Spurs (5) and Bucks (5) through games played 1/26/11. The Lakers other wire-to-wire victories this season came against the Warriors (10/31 vs. GS, 11/21 vs. GS), Grizzlies (11/2 vs. MEM), Wizards (12/7 vs. WAS), Pacers (12/15 @ IND), 76ers (12/31 vs. PHI) and Cavaliers (1/11 vs. CLE). Last year, the Lakers claimed NINE wire-to-wire victories (games in which they never trailed); seven during the regular season and two during the 2010 Playoffs (4/18 & 4/27 vs. Oklahoma City). During their previous championship run in 2008-09, the Lakers claimed 11 wire-to-wire victories; nine during the regular season and two during the 2009 Playoffs (4/29 vs. Utah & 5/17 vs. Houston). Last season, the Lakers also lost twice in wire-to-wire fashion (98-107 1/8/10 @ POR and 75-91 3/26/10 @ OKC).

FISHER NAMED 2010 "SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR" BY LOS ANGELES SPORTS COUNCIL
On January 6th, the Los Angeles Sports Council announced that Lakers guard Derek Fisher will receive the prestigious 2010 Sportsman of the Year award at the 6th annual LA Sports Awards to be held Thursday, February 24th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The LA Sports Awards are presented annually by the Los Angeles Sports Council to celebrate the greatest moments of the year in local sports. The Sportsman award is given to the local male athlete whose performance and character best exemplified the ideals of sportsmanship during the calendar year. Past Sportsman of the Year honorees include Matt Leinart (2005), Elton Brand (2006), David Beckam (2007), Kobe Bryant (2008) and Pau Gasol (2009). The awards show will be televised on Fox Sports West (initial airing will be March 4th).

FAN VOTING BEGINS FOR LA SPORTS AWARDS
Southern California sports fans can cast their ballot for the 2010 LA Sports Awards, the annual televised awards show celebrating the greatest sports moments of the year in the Los Angeles/Orange County area. Through balloting at www.lasports.org, fans can vote on 14 different award categories. Voting takes place through January 31; winners will be revealed during the sixth annual LA Sports Awards on Thursday, February 24 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. For voting purposes, each of the area's professional sports teams, major universities and associations has nominated its top moments from 2010 for fans to vote on. The top Lakers moments nominated include: Kobe Bryant becoming the Lakers franchise scoring leader, Phil Jackson becoming the Lakers all-time winningest coach, Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss being elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Lakers winning their 16th NBA Championship with a thrilling 83-79 win over the Boston Celtics in game 7 of the NBA Finals at STAPLES Center. To vote, go to www.lasports.org and click on the Greatest Moments icon at the top of the home page. The awards gala will be televised on Prime Ticket, with the initial airing on February 25, and will include special appearances by many of the athletes and coaches whose achievements helped make 2010 such a memorable year in sports. The awards ceremony will also feature a countdown of the year's Top 10 moments in ranked order as selected by a blue-ribbon media panel. Additionally, Derek Fisher will be receiving the prestigious 2010 Sportsman of the Year award, given yearly to the local male athlete whose performance and character best exemplified the ideals of sportsmanship during the calendar year, while the naming of Sportswoman, Coach and Sports Executive of the Year will also take place.



Powered By WizardRSS

Comments off

January 29, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized

Lakers not thinking about home-court advantage, yet

The top of the Western Conference standings never seems to change this season, the San Antonio Spurs gaining control of first place Nov. 14 and refusing to give it back to anybody.

The Lakers, though, don't seem too concerned.

They sit 6 1/2 games behind the Spurs (39-7) and haven't given much thought to home-court advantage in the playoffs . . . yet.


"All of that kind of plays out after the All-Star break," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said Friday. "Sometime in March you start seeing that you're six weeks, a month away from the end and those 12, 14 games are going to make a big difference."

The Spurs have played three fewer road games than the Lakers, though they begin a nine-game trip Tuesday. They play the Lakers on Thursday at Staples Center.

"San Antonio's a team that we know, we play well against and we understand," Jackson said Wednesday night at a Lakers dinner event.

Jackson also briefly touched on the battle in the East.

"Boston's the best team right now," he said, mentioning the Celtics' veteran experience and deep roster. "Miami has the best individuals."

Reserve status

The All-Star reserves will be announced Thursday, and Jackson didn't hesitate when asked his thoughts on the Lakers' possibilities. Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol have a chance to play in the Feb. 20 game at Staples Center.

"Lamar, I'd like to see go," Jackson said. "Pau's going to go. He has that game that everybody respects and identifies with. We want to see 'Drew have that opportunity. I don't know if 'Drew's played enough games to qualify, to make a statement."

Jackson has been getting plenty of props from other teams pushing their players for All-Star candidacy. Memphis mailed posters to promote forwards Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay, while Minnesota sent out cologne to garner support for forward Kevin Love.

"I'm getting so many things from those players' teams," Jackson said. "They're sending wine, trips to Cabo after the season's over. Actually, I'm waiting for a boat."

What about the cologne for Love?

"I haven't explored that one yet," Jackson said.

The West reserves will be determined by the 15 conference coaches, who can't vote for their own players.

The Dream?

Kobe Bryant passed Hakeem Olajuwon for eighth on the NBA's all-time scoring list Friday, but Jackson didn't think the former Houston center immensely helped Bryant when they worked together during the off-season a few years ago.

"Hakeem had this move that bordered on a walk or travel," Jackson said. "You guys always laugh at that stuff, but [Kevin] McHale had one too. It was kind of a shoulder shrug, shake-and-bake thing that he had and he'd come back the opposite direction, but he was so quick at it.

"Kobe has good post-up moves. I'm sure he learned some things about posting up, but he couldn't ape Olajuwon's move in the post."

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

twitter.com/Mike_Bresnahan



Powered By WizardRSS

Comments off

January 29, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized

Lakers vs. Kings: Kobe Bryant on verge of another milestone

6a00d8341c506253ef0147e06012dc970b-320wi

--The Times' Mike Bresnahan focuses on Phil Jackson's insistence that this is his last season.

--True Hoop's Henry Abbott goes into detail on his view that Kobe Bryant isn't the king of clutch.

--The Orange County Register's Janis Carr provides a few tidbits from the Lakers' "All-Access Inside the Lines" dinner Thursday.

--ESPN.com's J.A. Adande shares some observations from "Lakers All-Access."

--Ball Don't Lie's Kelly Dwyer highlights Kevin Garnett's plan to sport the Celtics' all-time record against the Lakers on his shoe when the two teams square up Sunday.

--Use this handy map to spot where celebrities sit courtside at Lakers games.

--The Sacramento Bee's Jason Jones details Carl Landry's apology to his Kings teammates and coaching staff.

--ESPN Los Angeles' Brian Kamenetzky sizes up the chances that Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom make the NBA All-Star team.

--The Riverside Preess-Enterprise's David Lassen looks at Gasol's belief that he could be picked to replace the injured Yao Ming at center for the All-Star game.

--Hoops Hype's Roland Lazenby wonders which NBA teams would contract.

--ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin highlights Jackson's comments about retirement.

--ESPN.com's Bill Simmons credits Bryant, Ray Allen, Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki for their longevity.

--NBA.com's Sekou Smith expresses some love for Bryant.

--The Daily News' Elliott Teaford documents Bryant's scoring trek, noting that he's 12 points away from surpassing Hakeem Olajuwon on the NBA list of all-time leading scorers.

--Lakers.com's Mike Trudell breaks down some numbers that highlight Bryant's improved efficiency.

--Silver Screen and Roll's Dexter Fishmore talks about the greatest Lakers of all time, from jersey numbers 30 to 39.

--Forum Blue and Gold's Darius Soriano argues that  Ron Artest has found his groove.

--Lakers Nation's Fern Rea looks at the best "tough it out moments" in team history.

Tweet of the Day: "PS: Thx to NBA.com for giving me 2 yrs of its upcoming package of yearly Kobe highlight reels (including his epic 2005 dunk over Howard)." -- sportsguy33 (ESPN.com's Bill Simmons)

Reader Comment of the Day: Weighing in on the issues of the day: 1) PJ is one of the handful of greatest coaches ever in the NBA. As a Laker fan, I feel immensely fortunate that he came here and brought us 7 Finals trips and 5 titles ... so far. The fact his owner, GM and players all want him to come back shows that the old dude is still getting it done. But for him I think this is the end of the road. SO SEND HIM OFF WITH ANOTHER TITLE. Phil not only gets the game, he gets the rhythms of an 82 game season and how to deal with players. He was brilliant with Shaq and Kobe for 3 years, letting them blow off steam during the season, but geeting them on the same page when the playoffs came around.

2) LakerTom, I love what you do here and your passion for Drew. That said, I agree with Drew that he has not been an All-Star yet, playing regularly and consistently at that level. On the other hand, with Yao and Oden out, the West is a bit thin on real centers. Al Jefferson is deserving. Tyson Chandler has made a difference in Dallas. Pau played a lot of center. But if you wanted to pick a true big man to battle Dwight Howard, Drew is the only one standing, and he is playing well. It's borderline.

3) Both Phil and Jerry have been talking about the Celtics recently, and I agree with them. Miami is good but Boston is the team I would pick coming out of the East. They are so big and deep inside with Perkins, Garnett, Shaq, Davis, O'Neill. Pierce and Allen are getting older, but they are still Pierce and Allen. And Rondo is a quick, quality PG. They defend well, they efficient on offense and they are tough and smart and battle-tested. Another Boston-LA series would be another great series. Who would win? Toss a coin, just like last year." -- Tom Daniels

-- Mark Medina
Twitter.com/latmedina

E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com

Photo: Kobe Bryant and the Lakers host the Sacramento Kings Friday at Staples Center before their anticipated rematch Sunday with their NBA Finals opponent, the Boston Celtics. Credit: Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times



Powered By WizardRSS

Comments off

January 29, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized

Kobe Bryant wants to give Phil Jackson one more title as parting gift

Month by month, Phil Jackson's departure from the Lakers draws closer and closer. One particular player is finding a way to turn it into a positive.

Kobe Bryant doesn't need any added motivation, but he acknowledges the importance of winning one more championship under Jackson.

"Yeah, for me especially because we've been together for so long," Bryant said. "I'm going to make sure I do everything in my power to send him off in the right way."


Jackson, 65, reiterated Thursday that he would be done coaching after this season. He said that last season was a "maybe" as far as retirement, but "this year, there's no 'maybe.' "

He then joked he would find a way to stay in the spotlight: "I'm actually going to have a press conference once every two months just to kind of feel right. Maybe like Jerry [West], just getting it out."

West recently made headlines by saying at an Orange County auto show that the Lakers' defense looked slow and old.

Bryant didn't want to peer too far into Jackson's departure after 11 seasons with the Lakers, five of which have ended in championships.

"It'll be a sad day, but I'm sure I'll get together with him and go fly-fishing at some point," Bryant said.

Later Thursday, at a dinner event sponsored by the L.A. Sports and Entertainment Commission, Jackson talked about losing touch with younger players.

"That hasn't quite happened, but my hip-hop isn't quite happening," he said in front of about 600 people.

During an interview at the event with FSN West's Bill Macdonald, Jackson said he felt the need to finally disengage from an NBA schedule.

"I've had my life organized [annually] for 265, 270 days," he said. "Sometimes it gets a little bit weary."

Would assistant coach Brian Shaw be a good choice as a successor?

"I don't want to put pressure on Brian or Dr. [Jerry] Buss, but I will say this, people around the league respect Brian and he's going to get a job somewhere if he doesn't with the Lakers," Jackson said. "Brian's a really good communicator and I think his basketball knowledge is impeccable."

Labor strife?

Even if Jackson's not coaching next season, he's hopeful that NBA team owners and players will reach agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The current agreement expires June 30, and there have been ominous tones about a delayed start to the season or, worst-case scenario, no season at all.

Jackson, however, sounded optimistic about the bigger picture despite mentioning that numerous teams had been projected to lose money.

"I think there's going to be a season," he said. "I'm hopeful … by October."



Powered By WizardRSS

Comments off

January 28, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized

Top vote-getter Kobe Bryant is an All-Star for the 13th time

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant topped the overall fan voting and will start for the Western Conference in the NBA All-Star game, while Orlando center Dwight Howard led the voting for the Eastern Conference team, according to final results released Thursday.

Bryant, a 13-time All-Star, received about 2.4 million votes, compared to 2.1 million for Howard. The All-Star game is to be played at Staples Center on Feb. 20.

Other starters voted to the West squad are: New Orleans guard Chris Paul, and forwards Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City) and Carmelo Anthony (Denver). Houston's Yao Ming (Houston) led the voting at center, but he is sidelined for the rest of the season because of an ankle injury; his replacement will be picked by Commissioner David Stern.


The other starters on the East team are: forwards LeBron James (Miami) and Amare Stoudemire (New York), and guards Derrick Rose (Chicago) and Dwyane Wade (Miami). Miami teammates James and Wade each made the All-Star team for the seventh time.

Starters for the All-Star game were selected by fan vote. Coaches in each conference will pick the reserves. The reserve players will be announced Thursday.

barry.stavro@latimes.com



Powered By WizardRSS

Comments off

January 28, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized

Lakers’ Kobe Bryant says he’ll do ‘everything’ to send Phil Jackson off with one more title

Kobe_450 Month by month, Coach Phil Jackson's departure from the Lakers draws closer and closer.

One particular player is finding a way to turn it into a positive.

Kobe Bryant doesn't need any added motivation, but he acknowledges the importance of winning one more championship under Jackson.

"Yeah, for me especially because we’ve been together for so long," Bryant said. "I’m going to make sure I do everything in my power to send him off in the right way."

Jackson, 65, reiterated Thursday that he would be done after this season.

Jackson said last season was a "maybe" as far as retirement, but added that "this year, there's no 'maybe.'" 

He then joked that he would find a way to stay in the spotlight.

"I'm actually going to have a press conference once every two months just to kind of feel right," he said. "Maybe like Jerry [West], just getting it out."

West recently made headlines by saying at an Orange County auto dealers confab that the Lakers' defense looked slow and old.

Bryant didn't want to look too far into Jackson's departure after 11 seasons with the Lakers, five of which have ended in championships.

"It’ll be a sad day but I’m sure I’ll get together with him and go fly-fishing at some point," Bryant said.

-- Mike Bresnahan

Photo: Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times



Powered By WizardRSS

Comments off

January 27, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized

Lakers may respond more to Boston than Jerry West

Perhaps an impending Sunday date with the Boston Celtics had more to do with the Lakers' tightening the screws than a few biting words from Jerry West.…

West picks the Celtics to dethrone the Lakers in June.…

West, who implied that the Lakers struggled defensively because they were "getting long in the tooth," was nearly 35 when he made the NBA All-Defensive team in the spring of 1973.…


The Lakers and their nearly 37-year-old center, Wilt Chamberlain, lost to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.…

Jay Cutler, a much-sacked Type 1 diabetic, deserves better than to have his toughness questioned.…

He might, however, want to reconsider his body language.…

Few quarterbacks better combine arm strength, athleticism, mobility and playmaking ability than Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers, but they combined for zero touchdown passes and four interceptions in the conference championship games. …

Fox's Howie Long, after Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji told Long that he sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber that simulates a 13,000-foot altitude: "So, you're a 320-pound Sherpa." …

Neither the New York Jets nor the Kansas City Chiefs, upset Super Bowl winners before the NFL-AFL merger in 1970, have made it back to the championship game since.…

Sorry to see you go, Chad Ochocinco.…

Chad Johnson is so 2008.…

Punter Shane Lechler of the Oakland Raiders is a six-time first-team All-Pro, which puts him three up on Ray Guy.…

Blake Griffin's spectacular play does not disguise the fact that the Clippers, with or without Eric Gordon, aren't good enough outside Staples Center to make a serious playoff push.…

According to odds posted at BetUS.com, Griffin is a 1-2 pick to win an MVP award during his Clippers tenure but a 30-1 longshot to bring Donald Sterling an NBA championship.…

The Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, annually among the top teams in the West, haven't met in the playoffs since 1988.…

Doc Rivers, explaining why Shaquille O'Neal is always day to day: "Because he's old as hell." …

GQ's list of the 25 coolest athletes of all time includes five each from the NFL (Jim Brown, Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, Bo Jackson and Tom Brady) and the NBA (Pete Maravich, Walt Frazier, Julius Erving, Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson).…

Not counting Jackson, it includes the same number of baseball players (Bob Gibson and Tim Lincecum) as it does tennis players (Arthur Ashe and Bjorn Borg), golfers (Arnold Palmer and Gary Player) and soccer players (Pele and George Best). …

You won't find Magic Johnson or Sandy Koufax on the list, but Muhammad Ali, Mario Andretti, Jean-Claude Killy, Evel Knievel, Derek Sanderson, Kelly Slater and Ted Turner made it.…

Who would make a similar Southland-only list? …

If Ohio State can field title-contending teams in football and basketball, why can't USC and UCLA? …

Tiger Woods, No. 3 in the world as he opens his season this week at Torrey Pines, has not been ranked lower since 1997….

"Even at 50 years old," reader Molly Freedman of El Segundo e-mails to suggest, marking the Great One's birthday, "Wayne Gretzky would be one of the Kings' better players." …

Rafael Nadal's stumble at the Australian Open only underscores the greatness of Rod Laver, the only man in nearly 75 years to hold all four Grand Slam singles titles concurrently.…

And Laver did it twice. …

Baseball America, in ranking the Kansas City Royals' farm system as baseball's best, singled out "three stud hitters," including former Chatsworth High third baseman Mike Moustakas, and "four quality lefties," including John Lamb from Laguna Hills High, Mike Montgomery from Newhall Hart High and Danny Duffy from Lompoc Cabrillo High.…

Baseball's No. 1 individual prospect, according to mlb.com, is Angels center fielder Mike Trout.…

Noting that 500 truckloads of dirt were spread over Dodger Stadium for a supercross race and a monster-truck show, reader Doug Thomson of West Los Angeles e-mails to ask, "Did all that dirt come from the McCourt divorce trial?"

jerome.crowe@latimes.com



Powered By WizardRSS

Comments off

January 27, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized

Lakers’ Andrew Bynum is not worried about scoring

Andrew Bynum had more rebounds than shot attempts against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday and had more blocked shots than personal fouls.

That was a sign of how far the Lakers' center has come since being inserted into the starting lineup.

His focus, however, is not on offense, but on defense, rebounding and being a deterrent.


"We have a lot of scorers on this team, so offensively, if you get a play run for you, you better be successful with it because we've got a lot of guys who are able to score," Bynum said after the 29-point win over the Jazz. "But defensively, I think I can be active and challenge a lot of shots, change a lot of shots."

And that's what he did against the Jazz, blocking three shots, altering several others, while picking up just two fouls.

He was six of nine from the field, seven of eight from the free-throw line, scored 19 points and collected 11 rebounds.

"I still don't have all my explosiveness," Bynum said. "I'm not able to go dunk balls like I used to. That's the only concern I really have. It's really just getting that back, that quick-jumping ability back."

And how long will that take?

"I hope it happens soon," Bynum said.

Since he returned to the starting lineup 15 games ago, the Lakers have been a different team, with a 12-3 record. Bynum has averaged 13.3 points on 59.3% shooting, 8.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots in 27.2 minutes during that span.

"I think I said last week I thought he was 90% of where he wants to be," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "I think his conditioning is pretty good now. It's just the little pop that he has on his legs to get up and get a rebound and then return with a rebound and get back up through a crowd or through traffic."

Bryant by the numbers

Lately, Kobe Bryant has looked spry, as if his knees aren't an issue for the 32-year-old guard, and has been more efficient on offense.

Bryant sat at his locker after the Jazz game wearing a black robe, and a smile on his face when asked about his recent play.

He looked at both knees, first bouncing the right one he had off-season surgery on and then the left

"They are just good," Bryant said about his knees. "Naw, I'm just ratcheting it up. As the season goes on, I always try to get better. I just always try to improve."

In his last eight games, he has made 55.3% of his shots, and has averaged 23.4 points, 6.4 assists and five rebounds.

And since Bynum has returned to the starting lineup, Bryant is facilitating more of the offense.

"I work on my game all the time," Bryant said. "Just because it's my 15th season, it doesn't mean I can't get better."

Etc.

Forbes posted its annual valuations of NBA franchises and said the Lakers are worth $643 million, second behind only the New York Knicks at $655 million. The financial publication said the Lakers had operating income of $33.4 million in the past year on revenue of $214 million. … The Lakers took Wednesday off, but will be back at practice Thursday.

broderick.turner@latimes.com

twitter.com/BA_Turner



Powered By WizardRSS

Comments off

January 27, 2011 · Filed under Uncategorized

« Older Posts
Newer Posts »
Get Adobe Flash playerPlugin by wpburn.com wordpress themes