OK....I have had enough of the "Is Kobe the best Laker of all time" debate that has been raging all over talk radio since he passed the Logo in scoring a couple of nights ago.
First of all, Jerry West played in an era when there was no three point shot. Secondly, he played in a lot less career games than Kobe has. But enough about #44...
The real point of my frustration is that there are credentialed professionals out there who actually believe that Kobe is the greatest Laker ever. You could make a compelling argument that he would not even make the starting five of the all-time Laker team.
IMHO, Magic Johnson is far and away the greatest Laker ever. I was in awe of that guy, and for a lifelong Suns fan/Laker hater, that's saying a lot. Magic changed the culture of the game. Until he and Bird came along, the NBA finals were on tape-delay at midnight. The guy could play any position on the court and very well. He was probably the best point guard ever and he was six foot freaking nine!
Sorry, just needed to vent, and this seemed like a good spot to do it...
IMHO, Magic Johnson is far and away the greatest Laker ever.
I agree.
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"It's like a truck driver, whose livelihood depends on his vehicle, being asked to choose between a truck he's driven for four years and one he's only test driven a few times over the last five months, with his decision affecting the next year of his career. If he doesn't even hint towards the truck he's familiar with, one would have to assume something is wrong with it." - Espo RISE UP DARK SIDE
Not only do I think Magic was the best Laker of all time, I rate Magic the second best player of all time.. Behind Michael Jordan of course..
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Holy **** My coach got us in full pads! This is like X-mas in august whoop whoop I'm bout to go slap joey porter and get him pissed off 2day - Darnell Dockett
Lakers 99, Trail Blazers 82 February 6th, 2010
KEVIN DING, OCREGISTER.COM
PORTLAND, Ore. — It was an unlikely locale but a timely moment for Lakers other than Kobe Bryant to show their worth.
Bryant missed his first game in more than three years because of injury, suiting up initially but determining 45 minutes before game time Saturday night he wouldn’t play because of a sprained left ankle. Without him, the Lakers won, 99-82, and broke their nine-game losing streak in Portland, where they came in with just two victories in their past 17 tries.
It was Derek Fisher’s leadership, Lamar Odom’s rebounding and Shannon Brown’s and Ron Artest’s scoring that made up for Bryant. The Lakers also played most of the game without Andrew Bynum, who bruised his right hip and made one unsuccessful attempt at fighting through the injury before retiring for the night.
With so many Lakers increasing their energy after the disappointing home loss to Denver the night before, the game wasn’t even close after the Lakers held a six-point halftime lead.
Jackson chose to start Odom in Bryant’s place, because Odom usually plays guard in the triangle offense anyway. The big lineup of Odom in the game at the same time as Bynum and Pau Gasol hasn’t worked during experimental stretches this season — and it hardly registered on the scale this time.
Bynum was playing with a sore left knee suffered Wednesday night against Charlotte in a collision with Stephen Jackson. Bynum had a large pad slotted inside the sleeve he was wearing over the knee and acknowledged some swelling that he hoped would disappear over the All-Star break. Then Bynum’s night ended after just 10 minutes (three points, one rebound) because of a bruised right hip suffered in an early fall.
Without Bynum and with backup Josh Powell hugely unproductive, Odom stepped up his activity. He brought the ball up court — saving Fisher’s energy much of the game — and brought the activity that Jackson said was missing against Denver and a big reason the Lakers lost that game.
Against a Portland backcourt missing All-Star Brandon Roy (hamstring), the Lakers were consistent in running their offense without Bryant. Artest caught fire with three first-half 3-pointers, including a 30-foot buzzer-beater before halftime. He finished with 21 points, one short of his season high.
Brown had 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting, giving the sort of production usually expected from Gasol or Bynum. Odom’s 22 rebounds tied his career high.
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"It's like a truck driver, whose livelihood depends on his vehicle, being asked to choose between a truck he's driven for four years and one he's only test driven a few times over the last five months, with his decision affecting the next year of his career. If he doesn't even hint towards the truck he's familiar with, one would have to assume something is wrong with it." - Espo RISE UP DARK SIDE
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"It's like a truck driver, whose livelihood depends on his vehicle, being asked to choose between a truck he's driven for four years and one he's only test driven a few times over the last five months, with his decision affecting the next year of his career. If he doesn't even hint towards the truck he's familiar with, one would have to assume something is wrong with it." - Espo RISE UP DARK SIDE
Fred Schaus, a former Los Angeles Lakers coach and general manager who mentored Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley at West Virginia, has died. He was 84.
The former West Virginia coach and athletic director died Wednesday night in Morgantown, W.Va., said Dan Hastings, a funeral director at Hastings Funeral Home. Schaus had been living in a nursing home.
``Fred's passing brings finality to a relationship that began in 1955, when he first came to our house to introduce himself as the coach of West Virginia University,'' West said in a statement released by the school.
A Cabin Creek native, West recalled Schaus telling him WVU would be the place for him to attend school and have an opportunity to play basketball.
``At that point in my life, he was the first coach to show interest in me,'' said West. ``I was thrilled beyond words, and to this day I remember much about our meeting. Little did I know what a long-lasting relationship we would have.''
Born in Newark, Ohio, Schaus became the first Mountaineers player to score 1,000 career points. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft and played five seasons with the Fort Wayne Pistons and New York Knicks.
He compiled a 127-26 record as head coach at West Virginia from 1954 to 1960, including six straight NCAA tournament berths. The Mountaineers, led by West, advanced to the NCAA championship game in 1959, losing to California 71-70.
Schaus followed West to the Lakers, going 315-245 in seven seasons as head coach and guiding the team to four NBA finals before becoming general manager in 1967. The 1971-72 Lakers, behind West and Wilt Chamberlain, won a then-record 69 games in the regular season and beat the Knicks for the NBA title.
``We shared many incredible experiences, both joyous and painful, during our years together at WVU and then as my coach with the Los Angeles Lakers,'' West said. ``As a young man with little experience with the outside world, he became my mentor and sounding board as I progressed as an athlete and as a person.''
Schaus returned to the college ranks in 1972, going 105-59 in six seasons as head coach at Purdue. He also served as athletic director at West Virginia from 1981-89 before he retired. Schaus was inducted into his alma mater's athletics hall of fame in 1992.
Current athletic director Ed Pastilong succeeded Schaus.
``We lost one of our finest student-athletes, coaches and administrators in Fred,'' Pastilong said. ``We are deeply indebted to his allegiance and service to WVU and our athletic department.''
West Virginia annually honors the most outstanding captains of its varsity teams with the Fred Schaus Awards.
Hundley grew up in Charleston and remembers listening to WVU basketball games on the radio when Schaus was a player. Hundley, who earned his nickname for his on-court antics such as behind-the-back and no-look passes, also played for Schaus with the Lakers.
``He was a no-nonsense coach, but I learned years later that he secretly enjoyed all the things I did as a player at WVU,'' Hundley said in a statement. ``He always told me, 'I (don't) care if you drop kick the ball out of the building, but we better be up by 20 when you do.'
``Fred taught me that the game was the most important thing. He never did anything to jeopardize the game.''
Schaus is survived by his wife, Barbara, two sons, John and Jim, a sister, Mary Brown, and six grandchildren. Jim Schaus is the athletic director at Ohio University.
Services are scheduled for Sunday at Suncrest United Methodist Church in Morgantown with burial on Monday at Fairmount Cemetery in Jacksontown, Ohio.
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"It's like a truck driver, whose livelihood depends on his vehicle, being asked to choose between a truck he's driven for four years and one he's only test driven a few times over the last five months, with his decision affecting the next year of his career. If he doesn't even hint towards the truck he's familiar with, one would have to assume something is wrong with it." - Espo RISE UP DARK SIDE
If we do come back and beat the Celts at home: 5-0 without Kobe.
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"It's like a truck driver, whose livelihood depends on his vehicle, being asked to choose between a truck he's driven for four years and one he's only test driven a few times over the last five months, with his decision affecting the next year of his career. If he doesn't even hint towards the truck he's familiar with, one would have to assume something is wrong with it." - Espo RISE UP DARK SIDE
Ron Artest is finishing the regular season as just another California blond.
The Lakers’ attention-seeking forward and reserve center DJ Mbenga dyed their hair dark yellow for Los Angeles’ home finale against the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.
Artest is no stranger to hairy schemes. Last month, he dyed his hair blond with the word for “defense” in Hebrew, Hindi and Japanese carved into the back.
Mbenga appeared to have a star shaved into the back of his head.
Coach Phil Jackson said Artest and Mbenga were getting plenty of grief from their teammates for their dye jobs.
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"It's like a truck driver, whose livelihood depends on his vehicle, being asked to choose between a truck he's driven for four years and one he's only test driven a few times over the last five months, with his decision affecting the next year of his career. If he doesn't even hint towards the truck he's familiar with, one would have to assume something is wrong with it." - Espo RISE UP DARK SIDE
Andrew Bynum says he’s on track to return to the Los Angeles Lakers in time for their first playoff game this weekend.
Bynum missed his 12th straight game Tuesday with a strained left Achilles’ tendon, but the 7-foot center says his rehabilitation is progressing well. After running on an anti-gravity treadmill Monday, he was scheduled to run on a regular treadmill Tuesday night.
Coach Phil Jackson thinks Bynum will be able to practice with the top-seeded Lakers on Friday and Saturday before they open the playoffs Sunday against eighth-seeded Oklahoma City.
Bynum is averaging 15 points and 8.3 rebounds this season while making 57 percent of his shots and blocking 94 shots. Lamar Odom has replaced him in the Lakers’ starting lineup.
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"It's like a truck driver, whose livelihood depends on his vehicle, being asked to choose between a truck he's driven for four years and one he's only test driven a few times over the last five months, with his decision affecting the next year of his career. If he doesn't even hint towards the truck he's familiar with, one would have to assume something is wrong with it." - Espo RISE UP DARK SIDE
Great to see Bynum back and playing well. Game One is in the books. Bring on Game Two. Go Lakers !!!
__________________
"It's like a truck driver, whose livelihood depends on his vehicle, being asked to choose between a truck he's driven for four years and one he's only test driven a few times over the last five months, with his decision affecting the next year of his career. If he doesn't even hint towards the truck he's familiar with, one would have to assume something is wrong with it." - Espo RISE UP DARK SIDE
I hope we show up when the series moves back to Staples. What an ugly game tonight.
__________________
"It's like a truck driver, whose livelihood depends on his vehicle, being asked to choose between a truck he's driven for four years and one he's only test driven a few times over the last five months, with his decision affecting the next year of his career. If he doesn't even hint towards the truck he's familiar with, one would have to assume something is wrong with it." - Espo RISE UP DARK SIDE
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