Category — Lakers

It’s only August and plenty of folks are all giddy about the upcoming NBA season, including Jerry Buss. Pardon him if he’s still a little high off his Hall of Fame induction and still basking in the Lakers beating the Celtics. But best Laker team under his ownership? No sir. The Showtime Lakers would have run these guys into the floor boards.
Still, the 77-year-old Buss was in high spirits, delivering rounds on several topics, as he entertained the writers at an L.A.-area casino.
L.A. Times

While he took a backseat today to the Hall of Fame induction of the 1992 Dream Team, Scottie Pippen and Karl Malone, no one deserves honor more than Laker owner Jerry Buss. He came from humble beginnings in Wyoming, but hit the high life when he purchased the Lakers in 1979 for $16 million. Since then, he’s been the best owner in sports.
Steve Springer, an author and a former L.A. Times writer who has written extensively on the Lakers, pens an excellent piece on the man Laker fans affectionately call Dr. Buss.
NBA.com

The high-flying Shannon Brown and the Lakers agreed on a 2-year deal today. Brown got a slight bump in pay, but says he turned down more more to return to L.A. and pursue a 3rd straight NBA title. Brown also is expected to be the final piece of the Lakers roster heading into training camp.
ESPN LA

As expected, the NBA season will open with a bang.
The Heat will clash with the Celtics in the opener on Oct. 26 in Boston. The Lakers host the Rockets in the second game of the doubleheader. Both games will be broadcast on TNT.
As expected, the Christmas Day extravaganza, which will feature 5 games, concludes with an anticipated meeting of the Heat and the Lakers in L.A.
NBA.com

Great piece in the Aug. 9 issue of ESPN The Magazine. Ron Artest, who has become the favorite flavor of many because of his brutal honesty, particularly after the NBA Finals, unleashes more.
ESPN The Magazine

I know a ton of Laker fans who would help him pack.
If Kurt Rambis signs off on this, he deserves David Kahn. Not like I’d be totally surprised no matter how ludicrous (Luda!) this sounds.
I once had conversation with Rambis after his forgettable stint as Laker head coach and asked him what Phil Jackson did different from him. “Nothing,” Rambis said.
Oh.
Anyway, the Lakers are apparently trying to dump 1-year wonder Sasha Vujacic, who Chris Paul famously called a “bitch” (and Sasha earning a ‘T’ for crying about it) during a Laker-Hornets game 2 seasons ago, for Delonte West (now wouldn’t that add a little flavor to the Lakers-Heat rivalry?). It also would free up some money for the Lakers to re-sign Shannon Brown or maybe Tracy McGrady, who they seriously should consider.
Bleacher Report

What would you expect him to say?
It’s only July, but by the time the NBA season rolls around in October, LeBron James and his new teammates in Miami will have plenty of bulletin board material. Fans, writers, broadcasters and others have piled on with criticism of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for banding together in Miami.
Magic Johnson, who owns a small stake in the Lakers and offered some candid remarks recently about James bolting to the Heat, says Miami won’t win the NBA title next summer. That probably isn’t news to the Heat.
Johnson said the Lakers will win their 3rd straight championship because “The Lakers still have the most talent. They’re the best team in the NBA.”
L.A. Times

Though he has taken a beating in the media and got run out of his position as athletic director at USC, Mike Garrett still has fans in high places. From the popular letters section of the L.A. Times today:
“There doesn’t seem to be much love shown for Mike Garrett and I would like to correct this if I may. I think in the future, the last 17 years will be known as 1 of the Golden Ages of USC sports. It is doubtful to me if we will ever win as many NCAA championships in such a short period of time as we have done under Mike. The football was fun; the basketball was fun; the track & field a glimmering of its past glory under impossible circumstances (the limitation of scholarships imposed on USC).
I would also like to point out that for 50 years as a loyal Trojan, I prayed for someone with the ability, foresight and courage to attempt to build our own sports arena. This was accomplished by Mike Garrett even though there were numerous predecessors who attempted unsuccessfully to do the same thing.
Let’s not kid ourselves — things were wonderful under Mike and although I hope things will be even better under Pat Haden, I think we owe Mr. Garrett a very deep debt of gratitude.”

Jerry H. Buss
El Segundo

The Lakers added another rough-and-tumble defender to their roster. Matt Barnes, who’s had a few run-ins with Kobe, will now go to battle with him and the Lakers as the club signed him to a 2-year deal worth $3.6 million. They also inked Theo Ratliff. The two additions means high-flying Shannon Brown probably won’t return. Too bad.
ESPN LA

By the way, what is Memphis’ cut for the Lakers winning back-to-back championships?
So if you’re Dell Demps, the new Hornets’ GM, what do you do? You know Chris Paul isn’t returning when he becomes a free agent after the 2010-11 season, so do you deal him now and get some valuable pieces for a rebuilding project? Or does your ego get in the way and convince you that you can convince the NBA’s best point guard to stay? And why would he since you won’t be a contender anytime soon?
With what the Heat did, I’m sure the Lakers are drooling at the possibilities of Paul in Purple and Gold. Couldn’t you just hear the howls around the NBA if the Lakers pulled that off? Just the thought gets Gregg Popovich all riled up.
I’m sure Mitch Kupchak has already made the call. Is Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum, Steve Blake or Derek Fisher or whoever else you want enough? How can we help you?
Unless New Orleans pulls a Memphis and just hands Paul to the Lakers, it seems doubtful. But no one imagined the Grizzlies giving the Lakers Pau Gasol.
CBS Sports.com