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Player News Los Angeles Lakers - NBA Loud

The 2008 NBA Draft

July 1st 2008 03:49

I’d like to post about the previously finished NBA Draft. A lot of trades were completed/proposed making this years draft exciting and noteworthy. In this first post I will be going through the top five picks and thereafter with updates and all you need to know up to the minute stats and transactions.

Let’s get this post draft analysis going with the first overall pick for the Chicago Bulls DERRICK ROSE. Rose out of Memphis has a solid NBA body and can take the punishment as a player in the paint. He will mold himself into whatever type of player his team needs him to be as evident by the video below. He is one of the most ready-type players to enter the league. A truly solid addition to any team, kind of makes me think of the miss of Jay Williams. In which whom the Bulls took as the savior type PG years ago before he had his motorcycle accident stifling his promising career. With this pick Chicago puts themselves back into contention for a playoff spot in the East.

This video shows how Rose can affect the game as he will become a solid NBA-PG.

# 2

Undoubtedly the Miami Heat selected MICHAEL BEASLEY out of Kansas State. This PF needs no introduction to basketball fans as his huge wingspan makes up for any negativity about his height at the four spot. One of the perfect teams for Beasley to go to, I think his character issues would only become apparent if he were to have to battle with a solid proven veteran for his starting spot. He will be going in battling Udonis Haslem who has seen his stock drop as he needs to create more of his own offence. The heat I am sure are not finished in tweaking their team for the 08/09 season. Marion though will alleviate any concerns of the rookie being overmatched down-low as he is almost like an extra PF out there sometimes with his rebounding efforts and hustle in trying to make the right plays.

# 3

Minnesota at the third spot went with OJ MAYO, who I have seen and been hearing about for a good number of years. Mayo will be a solid two as at 6’4” 200lbs he is limited in selected positions, but this guy is just a born scorer and if he ends up in Grizz-town, look for him to team up with Rudy Gay as Mike Miller was moved with Memphis making the choice to let him go after he admittedly carried the Grizzlies last season at times. In return Minnesota looks to get #5 Kevin Love. I am in love with this deal as the T-Wolves send Antoine Walker also to MEM. Minnesota gets the scoring they desperately need and character guys, to build around. I know what fans may be thinking and no this isn’t the second coming of Wally World, Mike Miller is a gamer playing all three spots from 1-3 for the Grizz and did whatever was asked, as he became a versatile and proven scorer, unlike streaky Szczerbiak.

# 4

Russell Westbrook a surprise at number four as the top three had virtually been decided weeks beforehand. Westbrook though an unexpected pick is an explosive guard that will do well in this league especially when Seattle gets all the parts and can continuously run up and down with Durant and Green. The Sonics clearly want a guard that can break down the D and get up and down the court at breakneck speeds. They have found that guy with Westbrook. People want to compare him to NBA champion Rajon Rondo and maybe Monta Ellis, he is long and skinny and extremely athletic, time will tell if he can make the right passes for a long career with Durant by his side.

# 5

Care of NBADraft.net

Memphis picks Kevin Love at the number five spot and in turn will be sending him to Minnesota in the deal outlined in the third pick paragraph. Love is solid, not an athlete like the Grizz love at the four spot, but the T-Wolves just need ballers in which Kevin is for sure. Down-low he will be helped by Al Jefferson for sure on defense. Also he will have a great passer in Mike Miller to get the ball to him in good spots. I like Kevin Love on a solid team a rebuilding team he may flourish or sink as he’ll need to create his own offence and may struggle with the speed of the NBA at first.

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Why Kobe Bryant is the 07/08 MVP

April 30th 2008 20:24

The 2007-2008 NBA regular season has seen some of the most spectacular individual achievements that the league has seen in a long time. We've got Chris Paul, LeBron James and Dwight Howard all putting up monster statistical seasons. Let's not forget about Kevin Garnett; the man credited for the massive turnaround of what was once a dismal Celtics franchise. Garnett's spot in the MVP race is not based off of stats, but instead, his intangibles.

Then we have Kobe Bryant, who has been the lone superstar in Los Angeles for the past few seasons. Kobe assisted in the growth of a young Laker squad and put them atop the West early on in the season. While it may not have been his best season statistically, the 2007-2008 campaign was definitely Kobe's most impressive season as a leader and teammate. As a result, the Lakers finished first in the very tough Western Conference.

Bryant is the NBA MVP for a number of reasons. First of all, he was his team's most valuable player. Some of you may laugh at this, but it's easily the first step. Can we all say with absolute certainty that KG is the most valuable player on the Celtics? Didn't think so. KG and Pierce were almost even with regards to stats and I give Garnett the edge in defense. But KG only played 71 games during the regular season while Pierce played in 80. Is an MVP allowed to miss 11 games in a season? That's 13% of the games... which brings me to my next point.

Bryant played in all 82 games this season. A good portion of these games were played while Kobe was injured. If you watched him play, you wouldn't guess that he has to have surgery on his hand/finger at the end of the season, but he does. The guy did not take a break; he gave you an MVP-type performance almost every night. And he's still going strong into the playoffs as the Lakers just swept the 8th seeded Nuggets.

The Lakers finished first in the West. It doesn't make Kobe the MVP, but it sure adds to his case. He's the best player on the best team in the West (which also happens to be the best conference). Doesn't that sound good? The Lakers weren't even expected to win the division, much less the entire conference.

And to top it all off, Kobe had a monster season. He was second in the league in scoring and had another top-notch defensive season. He brought out that killer instinct when the time was right (see Dallas game). He dropped dimes as if he was a PG, and had some great all-around performances (see Denver playoff game). He's been doing this for the past few seasons and has evolved and learned even more ways to beat his opponents. He is the most effective game-changer in the league today, the most talented player in the league today, and above all else, he makes his team better. This is why Kobe Bryant will be your 2007/2008 NBA MVP.

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Posted By: Travis - Category: Player News, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant

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LeBron James Has a Need...a Need for Speed!

January 15th 2008 10:05

No, LeBron James wasn’t driving a bus loaded with a bomb. He was just ‘cruising’ in his Mercedes. Well, if you consider driving 101mph (163 km) a leisurely Sunday drive.

The cherry on top for King James, personalised plates “King of AK”, by the way, was that he

LeBron James does some legal driving. (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

was busted on his 23rd birthday. Ohio state police stopped Bron-Bron at 2.43 am, with the officer who pulled James over saying that he was polite and courteous.

James’ lawyer filed a not guilty plea in the municipal court with a scheduled hearing on February 11. If found to have broken the law, LeBron will face a $US150 fine. Ouch. That has got to hurt a guy who signed a $US100 million contract with a ubiquitous shoe company as an 18 year old.

To put LeBron’s actions in perspective 300, 000 people were busted for speeding last year in Ohio, with just 1400 going over 160 mph. Even more sobering was that former Cavs player Bobby Phillis was killed whilst travelling 160km per hour in his Porsche in 2000. So, he shouldn’t believe that he is bullet proof. Kings have been killed in the past.

In other NBA news, Andrew Bynum, the burgeoning Los Angeles Laker star is out of action for two months with a knee injury after landing on teammate, Lamar Odom’s foot, going for a rebound over the weekend.

Bynum’s injury is a huge blow for the Lake Show because his stellar play has helped the team become a Western Conference powerhouse.

The injury suffered by Bynum comes at a time when the Lakers are heading into a very tough schedule, facing some stiff competition.

Although, the injury looked serious initially, it could have been much worse. After MRI tests and an examination, Bynum had temporarily dislocated his knee cap. L.A. will be without Andrew for approximately two months, recovering in time for the Lakers playoff run.

With Bynum missing, Kobe Bryant will take a much larger role. Expect more highlights from the star Laker. For anyone who may have forgotten how talented Kobe is. Check out his top 10 highlights from 2007.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Player News, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James

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Andrew Bynum is a Burgeoning Superstar.

December 27th 2007 09:58

No matter where you are in the world right now, please do NBALOUD this favour. Set your ears towards the direction of Los Angeles. More specifically, listen out for any noise coming from Kobe Bryant’s locker. What do you hear? Silence. Well, not white noise per se, but no trade demands or negativity. Want to know the reason why? Andrew

Andrew Bynum is on the rise. Just ask Kenyon Martin who has a front row seat. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

Bynum.

The Lakers are playing better team basketball as a whole, and yes, we here at NBALOUD would like to retract our pre-season statement of saying Los Angeles sucked. They have been one of the big surprise packets for the season, and are balling at a very high level. Everyone has improved as a whole, but it is Bynum that is the most eye opening revelation.

Cast back your memories towards the pre-season and the release of an infamous tape that had Kobe cussing out Andrew and basically saying he was a worthless basketball player. Let’s just say that the Bean is singing a different tune now. All credit to Bynum as well, who shrugged it off and got down to business.

Anyone who watched the Christmas Day game between the L.A. Lakers and Phoenix Suns would have seen Bynum dominate Amare Stoudemire. Remember that Stoudemire was a First Team All-NBA choice too last season. Before the season, any comparisons between the two would have been crazy. Now, most experts agree that there is no way you would even want to swap Bynum for Stoudemire.

What Bynum brings to the table is a full smorgasbord of skills that are valuable to all teams wanting a complete big man – scoring, rebounding, and defence. He has soft hands and can catch anything within range. Better yet, Bynum is working with the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on a regular basis and is learning how to play the centre position effectively. Furthermore, Bynum is the second person to get to practice and the second last to leave. Who’s on first? Kobe Bryant.

The young fella is perhaps not as dominant as he should be just yet, but there are no weaknesses in his game, and his skill set will surely improve with time.

Right now he is perhaps only behind Dwight Howard and Yao Ming in terms of talent for a centre. He really is that good.

Oh, one more thing: He only turned 20 last October. Ah, to be young and talented.

Today’s video is of Andrew Bynum working his magic.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Player News, Los Angeles Lakers

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Simply the Best.

August 27th 2007 12:44

Shout it out loud: “The champ is here!” Because, today we’re profiling

Kareem's sky-hook is perhaps the most unstoppable move in the history of basketball. (Image from espn.com)

none other than, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar!

When, Kareem, finally retired from the game of basketball in 1989 at the age of 42, no other baller that had ever played the game before accumulated so many records – points, blocked shots, MVP awards, All-Star games and seasons. Jabbar climbed the mountain and reached the peak that eluded every other basketball player to ever step on court. Quite simply speaking, he was the man.

Before we move onto the nitty gritty details about Kareem, how about we get the fundamental information over and done with?

Date of Birth: 16th April, 1947.
Height: 7’2”
College: UCLA
Draft: 1969, Milwaukee Bucks (1st overall)
Average Points per Game: 24.6
Average Rebounds per Game: 11.2
Average Assists per Game: 3.6
Average Blocks per Game: 2.57
Honours: Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (1995); NBA champion (1971, '80, '82, '85, '87, '88); NBA MVP (1971, '72, '74, '76, '77, '80); 10-time All-NBA First Team; Five-time All-NBA Second Team; Five-time All-Defensive First Team; Six-time
All-Defensive Second Team; 19-time All-Star; One
of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).

Kareem’s individual and team records stand as a testament to the greatness of the man, and how much he kicked ass on the basketball court. No, other baller had accomplished as much and it is very likely that no player ever will. Abdul-Jabbar is an untouchable in every sense of the word.

The signature move of Kareem was the ‘sky-hook’ and although he labelled it as ‘unsexy’ himself, the shot was so effective, and devastating that there was no defence available to stop him from scoring. Once the hook was set, the defender was dead.

During his final decade in the NBA, Pat Riley, who was his last coach summed it all up in a Sports Illustrated piece that was as succinct and as accurate as you could get when talking about Kareem: “Why judge anymore? When a man has broken records, won championships, endured tremendous criticism and responsibility, why judge? Let's toast him as the greatest player ever.” (NBA.com)

Why indeed.

Born in Harlem as Lew Alcindor, and as an only child, Lew would dominate the New York high school basketball scene, whilst laying the foundations for a legendary basketball career.

Moving onto college, Alcindor would continue his formidable form at the next level, netting every available award that could be given.

Kareem and Bruce in Game of Death. (Image from wikipedia)

Next it was the NBA.

Milwaukee selected Lew as the first overall pick, and it proved to be a no-brainer with the rookie coming second in scoring and third in rebounding on his way to easily winning the Rookie of the Year honours.

It was his second year when Alcindor really flourished, with the drafting of Oscar Robertson, Milwaukee, ended up recording the best record in the league, including a stretch where the team was unbeaten for 20 straight games. Lew ended up winning the MVP award, scoring title and most importantly gained an NBA championship.

Before the 1971-72 season Alcindor converted to Islam where he changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which means “noble, powerful servant”. A truer label could not be more befitting to such a great basketball player.

Abdul-Jabbar would continue to steamroll the NBA winning scoring titles and MVP awards at will. In fact his early years were so impressive that Kareem won three MVP awards in his first five years.

Despite all of the success Kareem had in Milwaukee, he was unhappy that people didn’t share his religious and cultural beliefs, thus, he requested a trade to either New York or Los Angeles, and to the Bucks franchise credit, they complied, trading an all-time great to the Lakers.

Success would continue on with his time at the Lakers, winning more scoring titles and MVP awards, but the holy grail of an NBA title eluded Kareem despite many impressive seasons. It wasn’t until a certain player by the name of Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson came onto the scene that Kareem would taste NBA championship glory once again.

The Lakers were so dominant in the 80s with their ‘Showtime’ brand of basketball that Abdul-Jabbar would win a further five more titles before he called it a day.

Perhaps we should leave the final word to Magic Johnson who described Kareem as follows: “He's the most beautiful athlete in sports.” (NBA.com) Word!

Enjoy today’s video that displays the true mastery of Kareem to full effect.

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Jerry West: The Symbol of the NBA.

August 21st 2007 06:14

Jerry West is the literal symbol of the NBA. So, what exactly did the

Mr. Clutch is the logo. (Image from wikipedia)

aforementioned cryptic sentence mean? Because West hasn’t played NBA basketball for around 30 years so he can’t possibly be symbolic of the league.

Maybe, we’re being cryptic, or metaphoric? Um, not quite.

Okay, let’s put everyone out of their misery. When NBALOUD says that ‘Jerry West is the literal symbol of the NBA’ it is in reference to the fact that West’s silhouette adorns the NBA logo for he is the inspiration for that ghostly white baller.

Although, the place of West in the canon of NBA greatness is secure, for he is more than just a ghostly silhouette – he is an all-time great.

Date of Birth: 28th May, 1938.
College: West Virginia
Draft: Minneapolis Lakers, 1960 (2nd overall).
Height: 6’2”
Average Points per Game: 27
Average Assists per Game: 6.7
Average Rebounds per Game: 5.8
Awards: Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame (1980); NBA Finals MVP (1969); NBA Champion (1972); All-NBA First Team (1962-'67, '70-'73); All-NBA Second Team (1968, '69); NBA All-Defensive Team (1970-73); NBA Champion (1972); 14-time NBA All-Star (1961-'74); NBA All-Star MVP (1972); Olympic gold medallist (1960); NBA 35th Anniversary Team (1980); One of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History (1996).

Nicknamed ‘Mr. Clutch’, West, was an obsessive perfectionist that dominated the guard position during his career making an All-Star game appearance every single season he played, whilst leading his Lakers to nine Finals appearances.

By the time West retired he held records for the highest playoff scoring average in a series and the career leader in postseason scoring.

When the game was on the line, the Lakers looked to West to bail them out and he was responsible for one of the most famous clutch baskets in NBA history hitting a 60 foot swish to tie Game 3 against the Knicks in 1970 as the buzzer sounded. Clutch indeed.

Not only was West talented, but he was tough as nuts and rarely has anyone personified grit and determination more than Jerry. Breaking his nose on at least nine occasions he would play on even if he was on his death bed.

Los Angeles was so good during West’s tenure, but they were continually thwarted from winning an NBA title from the legendary Celtics teams that featured Bill Russell. The frustration felt by West was palpable because his competitiveness is on par with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant’s will to win.

Legendary Laker broadcaster Chick Hearn remarked that when West lost games he didn’t

Jerry West is pretty fly for a White guy. (Wen Roberts/NBA Photos)

exactly take it too well: “"He would sit by himself and stare into space. A loss just ripped his guts out." It's no wonder. West held himself to seemingly impossible standards. "I'm surprised when the ball doesn't go into the hoop," West said toward the end of his career. "I think I should make every shot." (NBA.com)

Reggie Miller, whose postseason exploits pale in comparison to West’s playoff performances, becoming in 1969 the only player ever to win the Finals MVP award in a losing squad.

In the ’71-’72 season Mr. Clutch contemplated retirement before the season began, frustrated with the lack of championship success, but he would return for another run at the title and this time he had Wilt Chamberlain on board. The Lakers that year went on a league wide rampage winning a record 33 games in a row, on the way to winning 69 games for the season.

Oh, they also captured that long awaited title as well.

Mr. Clutch, we salute you!

Today’s video is of the Logo himself.

(Post source: NBA.com)

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Player News, Los Angeles Lakers

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Kobe Bryant Involved in a Controversial 'Amateur' Video.

June 21st 2007 10:54

Before we move on with today’s posting we should make an unabashed apology: sorry, because this is another post with Kobe Bryant as the focus. NBALOUD recognises that many readers may be suffering from Kobe-fatigue syndrome and this will not help with your prognosis. Now, onto more Jellybean goodness…

Oops, he did it again. Bryant and his schizophrenic behaviour has resurfaced with an amateur tape allegedly of Kobe mouthing off at Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and ripping young centre Andrew Bynum.

Perhaps the most bizarre aspect of this video is that Kobe is venting his frustrations to two unknown members of the public in a car park! The Bean is slowly eroding any goodwill he had so painstakingly developed since the incident in Colorado years ago and the true nature of the man is surfacing yet again.

Yes, the Lakers front office is inept as Mr. Bean as Bryant rages in the amateur film. Kobe is correct in questioning the wasted lottery choice of Andrew Bynum during the 2005 draft, allegedly saying “Are you kidding me?” before going on an expletive filled denouncement of Bynum. We don’t doubt your arguments whatsoever Kobe, but the way you’re going about it is all wrong.

Kobe is frustrated because these are the prime playing years and he understands this. He is desperate to win and there is no one in the NBA more competitive than Bryant – this competition isn’t even close because you’d imagine Kobe going on a mass killing spree of puppies if it meant an NBA title at the end of the slaughter. The way he is making his feelings known isn’t going to win friends and influence people though.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss bet the franchise on Kobe, letting Shaq walk a few seasons ago

Kobe Bryant is the master of disaster. (Image from nba.com)

for nothing in order to appease Bryant. Now, the Bean is biting the hand that has fed him. Kobe is the only player in the league with a no-trade clause in his contract meaning he has a say where his destination lies so he does have some influence, but it is being wasted.

The problem for Kobe and the Lakers lies in the fact that all the bargaining chips that they have are quickly diminishing, because the other teams in the NBA know Bryant is unhappy and could short change the Lakers. Furthermore, Jerry Buss recognises that Kobe is the brightest star in Tinseltown and fans of the Lake Show want ‘showtime’, even if it means not winning championships. There is virtually no one in the league that is as talented as Bryant, and Buss isn’t going to go down as the guy who let both Shaq and Kobe go.

But, Bryant is making life miserable for the Lakers right now.

We can only wait and wonder what is going to transpire but this offseason is guaranteed to be infinitely more entertaining than the dour Finals that just passed by, especially when Kevin Garnett is seriously on the trading block as well.

Today’s video is of the next Chinese sensation Yi Jianlin doing his thing. For the curious basketball fan out there that hasn’t seen the new Yao ball before, basically everyone, check this clip out.

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Player News, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant

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Kobe Bryant Demands to be Traded.

June 18th 2007 10:23

Just when everyone thought it was safe to dip their foot back into the NBA after the Finals and not catch a bite, Kobe Bryant comes along making this a very interesting offseason.

For anyone that has followed the Association lately would be familiar with the fact that Bryant, the hyper-competitive athlete that he is was frustrated with the direction the Lakers were going and demanded to be traded. When the press and public got wind of his demands and kicked up, er, a faeces storm he retracted his statements but the trade demands are apparently back on the agenda.

The Bean is currently on holidays in Spain and met up with Lakers owner Jerry Buss in what apparently was an ‘emotional’ meeting where Bryant reiterated his desire to be shipped off from the Lake Show. The trigger for all this angst was when Kobe first suggested to the world that he would desire a trade because he felt that the Lakers weren’t serious about contending for a title and that he wanted to move on.

Upon hearing these shenanigans, Jerry Buss, tried to reassure his fair-weather superstar that he was doing all he could to make Los Angeles a contender for a title. Bryant appeared to backtrack from his demands after the public reassurances from Buss and a meeting with coach Phil Jackson, but he has apparently changed his mind once again and wants to leave the sunny shores of Los Angeles.

What has prompted this fervent speculation that Bryant is unhappy was the most recent

Is Kobe going or staying? (Image from nba.com)

posting on his website where he stated: “Man, today is one of those surreal days for me and my family," Bryant wrote on KB24.com. "When you love something as much as I love the Lakers it’s hard to even imagine thinking about being elsewhere…But, the one thing will never sacrifice when it comes to basketball is winning. That is plain and simply what it's all about. It's in my DNA. It's what pushes me to work as hard as I do. It's my daily passion and pursuit.” (KB24.com, Bryant)

The saddest part in this drama is that Kobe has bought all of this upon himself. No, it is a tad bit unfair to blame him solely for the disbandment of the Laker dynasty with Shaquille O’Neal originally, because the Diesel had a big part to play in the breakdown. Strictly speaking, Kobe could have taken a pay cut to build a winning franchise, or he could have simply engaged Lamar Odom more during game time. The possibilities are endless.

In further musings from the world according to Kobe, he attempts to justify his reasoning for the latest drama by saying: “When you love something as much as I love the Lakers its hard to even imagine thinking about being elsewhere. But, the ONE THING I will never sacrifice when it comes to basketball is WINNING…The more I thought about the future, the more I became convinced that the Lakers and me just have two different visions for the future.” (KB24.com, Bryant)

Needless to say Kobe thrives on all this drama and we can only sit and stare at the car crash that is the Lakers unfolding before us.

Today’s video is once again of David Blaine talking gibberish in regards to Yao Ming. Er, enjoy?

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Player News, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant

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Kobe Bryant Saga Continues

June 1st 2007 03:19

Kobe Bryant demands a trade, Kobe says he doesn't want to be traded, Shaq says Kobe had nothing to do with him being traded. Lies, insiders, bad vibes and a DUI. The Lakers are in some serious trouble and might just lose the best player on their team, in the NBA and quite possibly ever.

How retarded would have to be to let two of the greatest players of all time get traded from your team? Well just ask Jerry 'Boozing" Buss, the owner and dismantler of the Los Angeles Lakers. This guy is can only be defined in one word, MORON! He obvious doesn't care too much about his franchise or what direction it is going in, telling Kobe one thing when he resigned with the Lakers and telling Phil Jackson something completely different. Shady and cold hearted! How could you tell your star player that you are going to surround him with talent, become a contender asap and tell your hall of fame coach that you are on a five year rebuilding plan? That's just wrong, at first I thought Kobe was just complaining because he wasn't getting his way, but there is way more to this story than Kobe not being happy and I feel for Kobe, he is crappy situation.

Franklin/AP

With all this happening, all eyes on the Lakers' franchise, dumbass Jerry Buss goes out, gets drunk with a 23 year old girl and gets a DUI. It kind of sums up exactly what it is going on in LA right now.74 year old Buss(with a 23 year old? That's just sick), dying to stay forever young(just like with the Lakers, anyone comes close to 30 gets traded, like Shaq and probably Kobe), living life on the edge(letting the best player in the NBA walk out the door) and BAMM! DUI(the whole world finding out your a scumbag)!

The Lakers are going to have the toughest off season they have ever experienced and it will probably not end in a good way for anyone involved. Jerry West would be a smart man not getting in this drama scene. What will happen? Who knows, but I know one thing is for sure, the Los Angeles Lakers will never be the same if they let Kobe Bryant walk and if he does get traded, I feel sorry for the Lakers every time he comes to town, he just might go for Wilt's record again!

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Posted By: Ryan Ward - Category: Team News, Player News, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant

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Kobe Bryant Scores 50 - Again.

April 16th 2007 13:55

Scoring 50 points has been so commonplace for Kobe Bryant now

Kobe Bryant loves the number 50. (AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)

that he should have changed his number to 50 rather than 24. Bryant should call himself 50 Dollars as well and lay a beat down on 50 Cent. Any of his future progeny should be called ‘Fifty’ in tribute to George Costanza who wanted to call his child ‘Seven’. Fifty, fifty, fifty!

The rest of this post should just have the number 50 in it – but it won’t.

For any reader out there who hasn’t realised, Bryant scored 50 points again in a game and along the way helped his Lakers solidify their playoff place. Better yet coach of the Lake Show Phil Jackson has never missed postseason action since he became an NBA head coach and his record remains intact.

NBALOUD should pay fleeting attention to the opposition Sonics who were beat by the Lakers, 109-98.

Fifty!

Speaking of clinching playoff spots the Orlando Magic nabbed the eighth and final postseason seeding out East with a desperate win over the Boston Celtics, 88-86.

This was a far from convincing win from the Magic who were leading 85-68 with almost seven minutes left in the contest. Orlando suddenly went cold not hitting a single shot for the rest of the game with their only points coming from Grant Hill and Dwight Howard free throws.

It wouldn’t be appropriate to say that the Magic choked because they won, but this can be noway construed as a confidence boosting performance heading into the playoffs.

But they’re there and that is the important thing.

Toronto is another team that hasn’t seen playoff action in awhile, but unlike Orlando they achieved their postseason spot in style – top of the Atlantic Division and earning home court advantage in the first round with a win today over the New York Knicks, 107-105.

Chris Bosh as usual led the way for Toronto with 23 points but the team is just stoked to match their franchise record in wins and seeing their first postseason action in five years. Go team!

So far NBALOUD has covered teams that have clinched playoff spots. Let’s get sadistic and

Ron Artest gets some hang time. (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)

focus on teams that have lost their season, or are on the verge of falling off the postseason cliff.

The Indiana Pacers are one such team that lost their playoff marbles today when they went down to the New Jersey Nets, 111-107.

When the Pacers decided to lose and the Magic gained a shaky victory, the team from the Hoosier State kissed their playoff hopes goodbye.

Vince Carter also didn’t help the Pacer cause when he went Vinsanity scoring 35 points.

Los Angeles’ other team, the Clippers also saw their playoff chances take a hit when they got beat the moribund Sacramento Kings (sorry, Deorre), 105-100.

Ron Artest thought he was Jason Kidd for the game by dishing out a career high 10 assists and scoring 15 points to carve up the Clips. Is this a new Ron-Ron we’re seeing?

Finally, with the Clippers losing, they dropped out of the final playoff spot in the West and the Golden State Warriors moved in with victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, 121-108.

Jason Richardson for the Warriors was the man with the plan, for the team by the Bay, scoring 32 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.

This win was emphatic and it was even sweeter when the Clippers gifted the Warriors the eighth seeding.

Today’s video is one where we get into the mind of Ron Artest and hear what motivates him. Could be a scary ride!

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Posted By: Stanley - Category: Player News, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant

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