June 2009 Archives

In this case, the Lakers DON'T want the phone to ring. Well, not exactly the phone. But the buzzer outside their offices in El Segundo where a courier would've delivered the certified mail indicating Kobe Bryant had decided to terminate his contract.

Indications are that Bryant is not terminating his contract and will play for $23 million next season, as scheduled.

With some player option contract situations, the player has to exercise his option on the contract. Basically an ``opt-in.'' In this case, it would be an opt-out. Which means no news is good news for the Lakers.

Here's where it gets kind of funny. There was a bit of confusion about the deadline for such action to take place. It's normally 5 p.m. ET but in Bryant's case, according to a Lakers spokesperson, the phrasing is simply, ``by the end of the day.'' The spokesperson said that the Lakers are interpreting that to mean midnight.

I had originally expected Bryant to opt-out and negotiate a new 5-year contract because it makes the most financial sense, with the least risk. But after making some calls around the league, I realize exactly what this is about: Leverage.

Why opt-out now when there is no leverage to be gained? The Lakers would of course give him the max extension without many questions asked. And all indications are that the team is willing to pay to keep free agents Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown.

But next summer -- which had been known as the summer of LeBron (and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, etc) -- there is plenty of leverage to be gained by opting out. Bryant would likely want some say in who the Lakers next coach will be (if Phil Jackson retires), some say in which free agents the team targets the following summer, and... would like to see how the NBA landscape shifts after LeBron & Co. make up their minds. If, for example, LeBron and Bosh head to the Knicks to create a monster team in New York, would Bryant want to stand pat in LA?

By staying with the Lakers another year, Bryant assumes the normal risk of injury, but he gains a ton more leverage for his next contract.

Nothing official from the Lakers as yet, but ESPN.com has just posted a story that says Kobe Bryant will not terminate the final two years of his contract and become a free agent. He had until 9 p.m. tonight to let the Lakers know he would opt out of his deal. ESPN.com quoted unnamed sources. The story also indicated, "The Lakers will work with Bryant over the summer and fall to hammer out a new, long-term extension, according to the source."

UPDATED: Just spoke with Lakers spokesman John Black, who said the team has not heard anything from Bryant so far today. Best best is that the deadline with come and go tonight at 9, and Bryant will still be with the team.

Phil Jackson has yet to formally announce his plans for next season, but one of the potential candidates to replace him --if or when he ever does retire -- seemed to preemtively pull himself out of the running Tuesday afternoon.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters at his annual summer meeting with the local press in Durham, North Carolina that, ``"I'm not going to the Lakers. They have one of the great coaches in the game. I don't know where that rumor started, but there has been nothing done like that, and I'm not leaving Duke. Whatever you hear about anything like that, I will never leave Duke until I leave coaching.''

I know exactly where the rumor has come from. The last time Jackson left the Lakers in 2004, Coach K was Kobe Bryant's first choice as a successor. If Jackson leaves again, you'd better believe No. 24 will have a say in who the Lakers next coach is.

For now though, Coach K sounds like he likes it in Durham just fine.

"Since the Laker thing (in 2004), to hear another rumor like that, not that it's so bad, but I'd rather not go there at all,'' Krzyzewski said. "I don't want my Duke team - not necessarily my basketball team, but my Duke team, the community - to feel like you're looking at other things. I'm getting ready to start my 30th year at Duke, and I don't see the finish line yet. I know the finish line will be there sometime, but it's not in my vision right now.''

Still a couple of hours before free agency begins at 9 tonight. So far, there's nothing to indicate how things might go with any of the Lakers' three free agents. Spoke to Trevor Ariza's agent, David Lee, a little while ago and he's unsure what offers might be made when the negotiating period begins. He expects a call ASAP from GM Mitch Kupchak. Ariza, Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown are unrestricted free agents, free to sign with any team including the Lakers. They say they want to return; the Lakers say they want them back.

Meanwhile, there's no news on the Kobe Bryant front. Bryant can terminate his contract at 9 tonight, becoming an unrestricted free agent. The conventional wisdom is that Bryant won't opt out of of the final two seasosn of his current deal, which pays him roughly $23 million for next season and about $25 for 2010-11. He said several times earlier this month that he intends to remain with the Lakers and has no plans to play elsewhere.

Stay tuned.

OVERVIEW: Backup forward Adam Morrison joined the Lakers in the deal that sent Vladimir Radmanovic to the Charlotte Bobcats on Feb. 7. Morrison only played in eight games with the Lakers, averaging 1.3 points. He didn't play at all during the playoffs and he remains something of a mystery. After sitting out all of 2007-08 because of a knee injury, he quickly became expendable in Charlotte. He hardly played a minute after he was traded to the Lakers and it's unclear what his role might be next season.

STRENGTH: Has the potential to be a fine perimeter shooter.

WEAKNESS: Hasn't accomplished much of anything in three NBA seasons.

GRADE: Incomplete.

CONTRACT STATUS: Signed through 2009-10.

Next: Lamar Odom.

From a story on Reuters: Pau Gasol and Ricky Rubio were included in the Spain squad today for the 2009 European Championship (Eurobasket) in Poland. Gasol has just helped the Lakers win the NBA championship, while 18-year-old Rubio hopes to join him in the United States next season if he can negotiate a release from his contract with his Spanish club team. Rubio was selected fifth in the draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves last week. Spain coach Sergio Scariolo brought in Carlos Cabezas for injured Toronto Raptors guard Jose Manuel Calderon, and Victor Claver for retired captain Carlos Jimenez. World champion Spain was the runner-up to Russia in the last Eurobasket final in Madrid two years ago. This year's tournament is in Poland from Sept. 7-20.

OVERVIEW: Backup center DJ Mbenga played only 23 games during the regular season and seven in the playoffs. He averaged 2.7 points and 1.3 rebounds during the regular season and 0.3 points and 0.4 rebounds in the playoffs. He was invaluable as a practice player, however, sharpening the skills of the Lakers' big men. He battled with Andrew Bynum, Chris Mihm (before he was traded Feb. 18 to Memphis) and Pau Gasol in the paint all season during practices. They all were better for the competition.

QUOTEWORTHY: "They (the Lakers) are really happy the way I progressed. They believe and hope if I keep working, I can make more happen."

STRENGTH: Size and strength are formidable weapons.

WEAKNESS: Still lacks polish at both ends of the floor.

GRADE: A.

CONTRACT STATUS: Signed through 2009-10 (team option).

Next: Adam Morrison.

OVERVIEW: Center/power forward Pau Gasol credited a new and improved weightlifting program with making him stronger this season. He was able to battle bigger, stronger opponents in the paint with more success, mixing a little more brawn to go with the brains. He averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 81 regular-season games, including 32 games at center while Andrew Bynum recovered from a torn knee ligament. Gasol then averaged 18.3 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists during the playoffs, when he helped the Lakers to the title by jousting successfully with Orlando's Dwight Howard. Gasol joined an impressive list of Lakers centers to win NBA championships: Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal.

QUOTEWORTHY: "I think this year I was able to get myself ready mentally and physically. And I was able to deliver very well throughout the playoffs and help my team conquer the championship. So, it's been a beautiful, amazing year and I'll never forget it."

STRENGTH: Passing ability ranks with the best big men in recent history.

WEAKNESS: He still must get stronger around the basket.

GRADE: A.

CONTRACT STATUS: Signed through 2010-11.

Next: DJ Mbenga.

OVERVIEW: Point guard Derek Fisher delivered when it mattered most, when the Lakers needed a big basket or two against the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. He tied the score with only seconds to play and then gave the team the lead for good in overtime with a pair of 3-pointers that will go down in Lakers lore. Things went according to plan, with Fisher playing a key role when it was needed in the playoffs. He averaged only 9.9 points in 29.8 minutes during 82 regular-season games, but increased his averages to 11 points in 36 minutes during the Finals. The game plan probably will be the same next season, with Fisher playing limited minutes during the regular season and then boosting his playing time during the playoffs. It was a winning formula in 2008-09.

QUOTEWORTHY: "I know there were times people would question whether we were taking it serious enough, and if we had what it took to get this done, but we really did have a lot of fun working together."

STRENGTH: Remarkable ability to hit big shots in the clutch.

WEAKNESS: Turns 35 in August.

GRADE: B.

CONTRACT STATUS: Signed through 2009-10.

Next: Pau Gasol.

OVERVIEW: Reserve guard Jordan Farmar didn't produce as he did in 2007-08, which led to a cut in minutes, which led to a further drop in scoring. At one point, Farmar hardly played at all as Shannon Brown took his minutes. Late in the season, Farmar went to the coaches and apologized for letting his frustration get the better of him. The coaches were said to be impressed, taking it as a sign of maturity. Farmar ended the regular season averaging 6.4 points (down from 9.1 last season) in 65 games (down from 82). He sat out 17 games after undergoing left knee surgery Dec. 24 and never regained a consistent rhythm. He averaged 4.7 points in 20 playoff games, including one start while Derek Fisher was suspended for one game in the second-round series against Houston.

QUOTEWORTHY: "I want to win a championship and if that means I play five minutes or twenty minutes, I'll do it."

STRENGTH: Brash and confident.

WEAKNESS: Sometimes too brash and too confident for his own good.

GRADE: C.

CONTRACT STATUS: Signed through 2009-10.

Next: Derek Fisher.

OK, this is what happens when a team really doesn't want to add players or salary to its roster for next season. The Lakers made the first two of their three picks tonight and traded both, avoiding the possibility that guards Toney Douglas of Florida State (No. 29) or Patrick Beverley of the University of Arkansas (No. 42) would come to training camp next fall and earn a roster spot. The Lakers traded Douglas to the New York Knicks for $3 million and a second-round pick in 2011. They traded Beverley to the Miami Heat for $1.5 million and another second-round pick in 2011. They kept their third pick (No. 59 overall), who was Chinemelu Elonu, a forward/center.

I realize it made for a disappointing night, but I hope everyone realizes what happened will aid the Lakers as they try to re-sign free agents Trevor Ariza, Shannon Brown and Lamar Odom starting next Tuesday night at 9 p.m. By trading their draft picks and not adding salary, there is now more to spend on their three free agents. Plus, they picked up an additional $4.5 million, which isn't chump change. The Lakers want their title team back intact for next season, and they took steps tonight to accomplish that.

... The Lakers selected Chinemelu Elonu, a forward/center from Texas A&M.

The Lakers picked guard Patrick Beverley of the University of Arkansas with the first of their two second-round selections. Beverley played last season in the Ukraine, and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchack indicated he might play overseas again next season. Still one more pick to go for the Lakers, at No. 59.

UPDATE: The Lakers traded Beverley to the Miami Heat for $1.5 million and a second-round pick in 2011.

The worst-kept secret in the draft became official just now with the Lakers and Knicks completing their swap. The Lakers sent their first-round selection, Florida State guard Toney Douglas, to the Knicks for $3 million and a second-round pick in 2011. Douglas was the 29th overall selection, but the Lakers did not wish to add another guaranteed contract to their 2009-10 roster. They still have second-round picks at Nos. 42 and 59.

The Lakers picked guard Toney Douglas from Florida State with the 29th pick, the one they're set to ship to the New York Knicks for $3 million. Douglas, listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, averaged 21.5 points and was named a third team All-American as a senior last season.

Trevor Ariza is one of 25 young NBA players selected to participate in the U.S. National team's mini-camp July 22-25 in Las Vegas. Ariza will join other rising standouts such as Ronnie Brewer of the Utah Jazz and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Andrew Bynum earlier declined an invitation to participate in order to rest his right knee. Bynum sat out 32 regular-season games after tearing his MCL in a Jan. 31 game at Memphis.

The Lakers reportedly have sold their first-round pick, No. 29 overall, to the New York Knicks for $3 million. There's been no official word from either team yet, but ESPN.com has reported the deal based on multiple sources. It makes sense for the Lakers in that they plan to bring back their championship team intact for next season. It saves them the trouble of drafting a player now that won't be a part of next season's team. It also gives them a little extra cash to aid re-signing free agents Trevor Ariza, Shannon Brown and Lamar Odom.

OVERVIEW: Center Andrew Bynum seemed to be on the verge on a breakthrough season (again) when he suffered a midseason knee injury (again) during a game against the Memphis Grizzlies (again). Bynum sat out 32 games after tearing the medial collateral ligament in his right knee one season after injuring his left kneecap. He averaged 14.3 points and eight rebounds in 50 games, but struggled in the playoffs after his return from his injury. He averaged only 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in the postseason, getting into frequent foul trouble and looking a step slow in the first three rounds. He then gave the Lakers an inside presence in their Finals victory over the Orlando Magic that they lacked while losing without him in 2008 against the Boston Celtics.

QUOTEWORTHY: "(Coach Phil Jackson and GM Mitch Kupchak) basically told me they want me to do the same things I did last year (in the offseason). They play more games, find some runs, maybe at UCLA (this summer)."

STRENGTH: When he's healthy, his development is in the right direction.

WEAKNESS: Development has been slowed by injuries.

GRADE: Incomplete because of his latest injury.

CONTRACT STATUS: Signed through 2011-12 with a team option on 2012-13.

Next: Jordan Farmar.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak revealed this afternoon that he spoke with Coach Phil Jackson earlier today and they agreed that there was no way Jackson could coach mostly home games next season. Jackson had floated the idea during a radio interview Tuesday of coaching only selected road games with assistant Kurt Rambis handling most of the travel in 2009-10. Kupchak and Jackson agreed today that such a scenario would not work in theory or practice. Jackson is awaiting the results of a series of medical before deciding whether to coach next season, the final year on his contract. So far, there have been no red flags in the testing, Kupchak said. He also said he and Jackson have met in the team's offices almost every day since the Lakers won the NBA title June 14. If Jackson returns next season, it would be only as a full-time coach.

Phil Jackson admitted it might not be the best way to coach the defending NBA champions next season, but he suggested during a radio interview Tuesday that he and the Lakers have discussed having him travel to fewer road games next season. Jackson has not decided whether to return for the final season of his contract, preferring to wait until he gets the results of some medical tests. He missed a regular-season game and an exhibition game last season because of soreness and swelling in his legs. Kurt Rambis filled in for him, and would do so again if Jackson decides to cut back his travel.

"Yeah, we've toyed around with that idea actually," Jackson told John Ireland and Mychal Thompson of KSPN 710. "I guess it's not that revolutionary. We talked a little bit about it, and you know I was actually kind of given the green light to actually try this out and when the time came. I think the idea has some merit to it. [But] I don't want to lose control of the team. And I think that's the one thing that you find out your team needs. I don't mean control, like control, but like being in the trenches with them, i.e., when things get tough or something happens, you're there with them. This isn't the first time I've heard this idea and it's certainly not going to be the last. And I'm going to discuss it a little with [Lakers general manager] Mitch [Kupchak], that same idea."

OVERVIEW: Shooting guard Kobe Bryant had another superb individual season, but it was his continued maturity as a team leader that stood out above his scoring average in 2008-09. Bryant led the Lakers to the NBA championship, pushing and prodding his teammates rather than waging war against them. He averaged 26.8 points in 82 games, his lowest since he averaged 24 points in 2003-04. He then averaged 30.2 points in the playoffs, guiding the Lakers past the Orlando Magic in five games. Bryant has an early termination clause in his contract, which means he could be a free agent at the end of the month. He said he's not going anywhere, deflecting repeated questioning about his future with the Lakers. He said it wasn't worth his time to discuss it.

QUOTEWORTHY: "Having gone through what we went through last year and having the goal in mind of trying to get back to this point, and to have the attitude of (trying) to become a better defensive team, a better rebounding team, and then to actually do it and to see it all happen, it feels like I'm dreaming right now."

STRENGTH: Leading his team with deeds and words.

WEAKNESS: Still can do more to ignore calls and non-calls of referees.

GRADE: A.

CONTRACT STATUS: Signed through 2010-11, but can terminate his deal June 30.

Next: Andrew Bynum.

OVERVIEW: Reserve guard Shannon Brown joined the Lakers after a Feb. 7 trade from the Charlotte Bobcats. He made an immediate impression with his athleticism and his leaping ability, in particular. He isn't necessarily a point guard or a shooting guard, but a combo guard. That's OK in the triangle offense because any perimeter player can set things in motion with one pass. Brown picked up the triangle quickly, averaging 3.2 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 18 games after the trade. He also averaged 4.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 21 playoff games. He showed a knack for getting open on the perimeter and making jump shots. He also displayed an ability to defy the rules of gravity while dunking and blocking shots, becoming a fan favorite.

QUOTEWORTHY: "I think they're very interested in having me back. I want to be back."

STRENGTH: Overall athleticism.

WEAKNESS: Still a bit of a raw talent.

GRADE: Incomplete because he wasn't with the team for a full season.

CONTRACT STATUS: Unrestricted free agent July 1.

Next: Kobe Bryant.

OVERVIEW: Small forward Trevor Ariza became a starter in March, after it became clear that he was better suited to the role than Luke Walton. Ariza told Lakers coach Phil Jackson he wasn't comfortable as a starter, but all that changed in mid-March. Ariza averaged 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 82 games during the regular season, including 20 starts. He then averaged 11.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists during the playoffs, making him an attractive free agent. The Lakers hope to bring him back next season, believing his best years are still to come. It won't be easy to re-sign him, however. His improvement, particularly in his perimeter game, was eye-catching. Expect plenty of other teams to go after Ariza when free agency begins next month. Former Westchester High and UCLA standout wants to stay in Los Angeles, however.

QUOTEWORTHY: "I'd love to (re-sign). I'd hope so. I feel like I'm at home here, because I am at home. So I'd definitely love to come back."

STRENGTH: Worked hard to improve his 3-point range,making it a weapon.

WEAKNESS: Must avoid temptation to go for steals at every chance.

GRADE: A.

CONTRACT STATUS: Unrestricted free agent July 1.

Next: Shannon Brown.

The NBA's unofficial salary-cap guru Larry Coon penned a great primer on the issues surrounding Kobe Bryant's contract situation.

In a nutshell, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference financially if Bryant opts out and re-signs this summer or next. He'll still be able to make about $135 million over the next five years.

But if he were to wait until the contract runs out in two years (and not opt out either summer), he'd be risking the NBA's collective bargaining agreement changing pretty dramatically. Or, if he were to sign an extension for three years, past the final two seasons remaining on his contract (instead of opting out), Coon calculates that Bryant would lose around $7 million in contract value over the next five seasons.

Watch the whole video if you can, where Phil welcome's Conan to LA and actually gives a timeframe on when he will make a decision about next season..

Phil Jackson plans to decide whether to coach again next season with the Lakers after undergoing some medical tests in the next week or so. Here's more from Jackson, who met with reporters this afternoon: "There are a couple of appointments I have that have to be made and fulfilled before I can make that decision. I'm feeling good, got a couple of good nights sleep, so that's been great. I haven't gone to any parties, so that helps.I had some issues this year that showed up, particularly on road trips, post-flight, post-activity, that were issues that concerned me a little bit, that concerned our health staff," he said. "So, we'll talk about that and get them checked out."

Well, that's not entirely true. Kobe Bryant did engage in a little reflection during his time with the media on Friday, producing such insights as:

``I'll take a couple months off. These couple months I'm going to enjoy. It's going to be very relaxin.

``No evil flashbacks. Everything is going to be very positive.''

And, insight on his sleeping schedule over the summer:

``I'm doing OK. I don't sleep much anyway, so I'm just looking for different things to do at 6 in the morning. I'm not sure, maybe scuba diving.''

Basically, after several rather contentious exit interviews in the last few years, KB was pretty upbeat. And why not? The Lakers just won the title, celebrated with a parade, an afternoon at Disneyland and a rocking party at LA Live with a performance by Kanye West.

``It's a good memory. It all ends pretty abruptly,'' Bryant said of the last couple days. ``You kind of go through that phase where you wake up in the morning and it feels like you're supposed to be doing something. Feels like you're late for something. But that's the game goes. You're going and going and going full throttle and then all of a sudden, boom it's over. ''

In between vacation planning, sleep and late-night TV appearances, the focus shifts toward the offseason, namely whether Bryant will opt out, whether Phil Jackson will retire and whether the Lakers can keep their three free agents: Lamar Odom, Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown.

While Bryant said signing Odom, Ariza and Brown was `` of the utmost importance'' he wasn't all that chatty about his own contract situation.

`` I've been deflecting that all year, I ain't going to stop now,'' he joked.

Our own Elliott Teaford followed up with, ``Why though?'' and Bryant said, ``Because y'all are going to make it a big ass story... I'm not going anywhere, I ain't going nowhere, we'd just waste our breath just talking about it. Let's talk about Trevor and Lamar, and the importance of bringing them back.''

On that subject, Bryant was pretty unequivocal:

``I think we've got a hell of a team. It took years and years of frustation to get to this point and having this group. Now we got the group, so now it's just about keeping this group together so we can keep on running this thing.''

OK, here's the plan for next week: I'm compiling quotes and notes on each player and will start posting Season Reviews on each one starting Monday. I'll put one up each day until we get through with the roster, then we'll move to Coach Phil Jackson and GM Mitch Kupchak. Also, next week, I'll have some draft preview stuff. The Lakers have three picks,including the 29th overall selection. (That's at the end of the first round).

The confetti swirled around the court as the Lakers left the Coliseum. Paper-thin squares of purple, gold and white, fluttering in the early afternoon breeze.

Within minutes the Lakers were gone, packed back into air-conditioned charter buses and on their way home for a champagne-soaked summer.

This season was one to savor.

Will next season be, too?

The Lakers victory parade and rally at the Coliseum drew approximately 150,000 fans who came to celebrate the team's 15th NBA title but with the distinct hope it was the start of a new dynasty, not a fleeting glory.

``It was Laker-monium in here today,'' said Wendree White, who has been selling sausages and turkey dogs at the Coliseum since the 1984 Olympics. ``Laker-monium. I don't know what the decibel level was inside, but it was loud.

``Now we just got to get Mitch Kupchak to bring everyone back, Lamar (Odom), Trevor (Ariza), Shannon (Brown) and Phil (Jackson), so we can win again next year.''

Exactly one year had passed since the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals and Wednesday's victory parade.

But no sooner had the Lakers covered the 2.2 miles from Staples Center to the L.A. Coliseum in their double-decker buses, than questions about next year came up.

Lakers television commentators Joel Meyers and Stu Lantz emceed the event, but made sure to grill coach Phil Jackson and Finals MVP Kobe Bryant --who can opt out of the final two years of his contract on July 1st -- on whether both would be back with the team next year.

``I had to,'' Lantz said afterwards. ``Had to.''

He got a pretty good answer from Bryant, who led his teammates and the 80,000 fans who packed the Coliseum in a cheer of ``1-2-3 ... Ring!'' to cap the rally.

``Where am I going to go, this is my home,'' Bryant said, drawing the loudest cheer of the afternoon from the crowd.

``We have a young team, we have a chemistry. We feel this championship, we feel the energy of the city. We want want to do this again and again.''

Jackson, who won his record 10th NBA title, but will turn 64 in September, wasn't as committal, though it is still believed he will return for the final year of his contract.

``Thanks,'' was all Jackson said when Meyers said ``We hope you're back at least one more time'' following Jackson's address to the crowd.

Jackson has said he'll take some time after the season to evaluate his situation before committing to another season. Wednesday he thanked the fans, his family and his team for a memorable season.

``To this team, what was our motto on this team? The Ring. The Ring,'' Jackson said. ``That was the motto. It's not just this band of gold, it's the circle that's made a bond between all of these players. They have a great love for one another.''

They also, obviously have a great affection for their fans, who turned out in droves to celebrate the team's first title since 2002.

Lakers forward Pau Gasol blew kisses to the crowd as he stepped to the microphone, standing on the Lakers court which had been brought over from Staples Center and re-assembled on the podium inside.

``I've been blessed to be a part of this team, be a part of this city, be a part of this community, so thank you so much,'' Gasol said.

``I want to thank everybody for being here today, you guys are making our day.

``After experiencing what we experienced in the parade coming here and being in this beautiful stadium. We want to definitely offer you more. So be ready for it.''

LADOT_Lakers_Parade_Map.pdf

Lakers forward Pau Gasol said Tuesday that he hasn't decided yet whether he'll play for Spain in the European Basketball Championships this September in Warsaw, Poland.

Like his Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant, Gasol has played two long NBA seasons and in the Olympics over the past two seasons, making rest and relaxation this offseason important.

But Gasol said Tuesday, as he walked to his car after meeting with Lakers officials at the team's training center in El Segundo, that he'd really like to help Spain win a European Championship.

Asked if Lakers coach Phil Jackson or general manager Mitch Kupchak encouraged him to rest instead, Gasol said, ``No. They understood.''

Gasol said that if he doesn't compete, he'll instead serve as a commentator on Spanish TV.

Small forward Trevor Ariza's agent David Lee said late Tuesday afternoon that he had not begun negotiations with the Lakers on a new contract for Ariza, but expected talks to commence over the weekend or early next week.

``Right now is the time to enjoy the championship instead of looking at the future,'' said Lee, who also represents Lakers center Andrew Bynum. ``I certainly have a good feeling about the Buss family and Mitch, but only time will tell. It's their pocket, they're the ones writing the check.''

Lee said that Ariza ``bleeds purple and gold, there's no doubt about that'' when asked if it was his sense Ariza would like to remain with the Lakers.

When asked whether he though Ariza had boosted his market value with his successful season, and particularly with his outstanding postseason, Lee said:

``I think that's probably a very, very fair statement. Maybe even an understatement.''

Trevor Ariza was asked about his hustle plays throughout the playoffs and which, if any, were the most memorable.

``Honestly to me the play that really stood out wasn't even by me, it was by Derek Fisher in the Houston series,'' Ariza said. ``He said that he didn't really mean to run over Scola, but I think that was the biggest play throughout our whole playoffs because that showed the toughness he had and how hungry he was for us to get past and persevere through hard times, on our pursuit (of the championship).''

Just got done with Trevor Ariza's exit interview, where there wasn't much point in beating around the bush. Like Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown, Ariza is one of three key free agents for the Lakers this offseason so it was best to get straight to the point.

``You coming back,'' I asked, before he could even sit down.

``I'd love to, I hope so,'' Ariza said. ``I feel like I'm at home here. Because I am at home. So I'd definitely love to come back. ''

When asked what the most important thing to him, when looking at other teams, would be, Ariza said:

``Definitely stability would mean the most,'' he said. ``I mean money is important, this is our job here. But I've really bonded with my coaches and teammates. We have a really good team and think that we could be really good for a long time.''

Ariza said his meeting with Mitch Kupchak and Phil Jackson seemed to go pretty well.

``They definitely told me that I improved a lot and they were happy with the way I played and was able to help our team,'' Ariza said. ``They looked really happy and pleased with my improvement.

Asked if they expressed to him whether they wanted him to come back, he joked:

``Yeah, I felt loved in there.''

As for the free agent process, Ariza said he hoped he could get done with it quickly and painlessly.

``Hopefully it won't be that long, but it should be a fun time for me and my family. I'm going to enjoy it a little bit, and hopefully it doesn't get too out of hand.''

The Lakers and AEG just held a press conference confirming all expenses for tommorrow's parade will be covered by the Lakers, AEG, FSN and a group of civic leaders.

Here's a list of those fine people who stepped up to pay for tommorrow's parade, so the City Council can go back to worrying about how to close the city's budget shortfall.

Casey and Laura Wasserman, Margie and Jerry Perenchio, Cheryl and Haim Saban, Edyth and Eli Broad, Sharon and Joe Hernandez of Melissa's Fruits and Vegetables, GAyle and Ed Roski adn the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

That group combined to donate about $900,000 for the parade.

First comes the Wheaties box, then the Warner Home Video DVD

The DVD will officially hit stores on July 14th for $24.98(Standard Definition)
and $34.99 (Blu-Ray).

Click below for the cover art:

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Well, the season is history. The Lakers won their championship and the party started in earnest today. Actually, the fellows looked a bit tired as they limped down the stairs from their chartered airplane after it landed at LAX this afternoon. The parade is Wednesday and then the team's annual exit interviews between players and coaches. Can't say when those will be, but I'm guessing they'll take place later in the week. It's a good chance to catch up with the players and coaches before they leave town for the offseason. I plan to have a blog item on every player, with comments and final statistics. So, check back.

Also, thanks to everyone who stopped by for a peak this season. We started with only a handful of views and grew by leaps and bounds. We also had almost no comments to start the season, but we've had more and more as the playoffs heated up this spring. So, thanks again. We'll keep everyone updated on all the offseason moves, including the draft, which will be held June 25. Free agency follows July 1.

The Lakers receptionist has a new greeting for callers ... ``World Champion Lakers.'' The Lakers undoubtedly won't waste any time marketing their 15th NBA title.

From Shaq's Twitter, a not so subtle reminder about his ``master of panic'' comment on SVG

`Congrats to you to phil jackson. When the general doesn't panic the troops don't panic. You are the greatest now.'

Derek Fisher on Kobe Bryant's evolution as a player and a team leader: "He's grown. He's grown up. He's doing everything that we could ever ask him to do in terms of leading the team and performing on the court during games, in practice, and trying to be the type of guy that guys will follow as opposed to just dominating performances by himself and then expecting everyone to catch up to him. He's really done an unbelievable job getting everybody to believe and buy into what we were trying to do this year."

Bryant on Pau Gasol: "I think the thing that helped us get to this level was the improvements that he made defensively. He did a terrific job defensively for us all year, and particularly in this series. Offensively, his capabilities are limitless. He's a dominant post-up player, extremely versatile, makes great decisions, and obviously when we got him last year, that really took us to that next step."

Lamar Odom on the experience of bouncing back from last year's loss to Boston: "That's exactly what it was, it was an experience, and usually experience makes you better at whatever it is, whether it's on or off the court. We set a goal early in the training camp and that was to win the NBA championship. Every time we came in as a group, we left that group by saying, '1, 2, 3, ring.' We set a goal and we attained it."

Orlando's Dwight Howard on the Lakers: "Kobe led the way, but I think Trevor (Ariza) and Lamar did an excellent job the whole series. Trevor, he stepped his game up. When he was on our team, he couldn't shoot the ball as well as he can now. Now he's one of the best 3-point shooters on their team. He's slashing, scoring and playing great defense on (Hedo) Turkoglu, so I think he was probably the main reason, him and Lamar, for the championship."

Here are a few details on the Lakers' victory parade.

WHEN: Wednesday.

WHERE: Staples Center, starting at 11 a.m. and continuing down Figueroa to the Coliseum, where the celebration begins at noon.

Note: Only the first 95,000 will be invited into the stadium. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. Team and city officials will ride from the arena to the stadium in double-decker buses. Fans are asked to line Figueroa.

FOURTH QUARTER
Random thought: At what point would Chick Hearn put this one in the refrigerator? Let's go with 8:19 remaining, when Bryant hit a 3-pointer to push the Lakers' lead to 83-67. The period turned into a victory march as the Lakers avenged last year's Boston debacle.
LAKERS 99, ORLANDO 86

THIRD QUARTER
Orlando came out with some expected post-halftime energy, and started with a 7-2 run to pull within 58-53, but Lamar Odom hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions to start a 13-2 run. That put the Lakers up 71-55 and within 12 minutes of a championship.
LAKERS 76, ORLANDO 61

SECOND QUARTER
The Lakers trailed by five when Kobe Bryant drove the baseline and violently threw down a one-handed dunk. Two minutes later, the Lakers started a 16-0 run -- Trevor Ariza scored seven of them -- and built a 52-40 lead with three minutes remaining in the quarter.
LAKERS 56, ORLANDO 46

FIRST QUARTER
With a chance to close out a title, the Lakers decided to...feed Andrew Bynum? Bynum missed badly on his first six shots, which allowed the Magic to get out and run. Orlando took a 15-6 lead after five minutes but the Lakers absorbed the blow and kept it close.
ORLANDO 28, LAKERS 26

Lamar Odom sat in front of his locker stall, speaking to a few reporters tonight while performing a ritual he has performed since he first entered the NBA as a 19-year-old in 1999. It's been expanded over the years, but it's essentially the same. First, he wrote the address of the house he grew up in Queens on his sneakers. Then he jotted down "Grandma" for the woman who raised him. He wrote down the name of his mother, Cathy, who died when he wasn't yet a teenage basketball sensation. He also wrote down the name of his son, Jayden, who died in his crib in the summer of 2007.

"I try to keep them close to me," he said. "Every game."

"Tonight's a big one," he added. "I might sleep with my shoes on, my jersey on, my whole uniform, like I'm 12 years old again."

Odom said the bus ride to Amway Arena was about the same as it was before the Lakers faced the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of last year's Finals. The mood of the team was intense, with little chatter among the players. He said he hoped the ride out of the arena would be radically different. After all, a group of Celtics fans tried to tip over the Lakers' bus after Game 6. "They love their Celtics," Odom said, without a trace of humor.

"At that point, I don't think upset is the right word," he said of the team's reaction as fans rocked the bus. "We were down, in our own zone, some of us. Some of our family members had it pretty rough during that game. The fans here (in Orlando), they love their team, of course, but they have been respectful."

Asked about the possibility of playing his final game with the Lakers tonight, Odom gave a quick answer about his impending free agency, saying, "Hopefully, we can keep the team together. The business of basketball usually takes place after the season is over, and I want to keep my focus on the game tonight."

What's the consensus? Do you guys think the Lakers will wrap it up tonight in Game 5? Or will the Orlando Magic regroup and force the series back to Staples Center for Game 6?

Phil Jackson and the Lakers were each fined $25,000 today by the NBA for the coach's critical comments about the officiating in Game 4 of the Finals on Thursday. Jackson expressed his displeasure about the referees' work during a television interview between the first and second quarters of the Lakers' overtime victory over the Orlando Magic.

Here's what Luke Walton had to say about the Lakers movie night before Game 4:

At the end of practice today, Phil called us to the middle circle. He said everybody meet in the hotel lobby at 7:30 for a mandatory team bus tonight.

By the way, Orlando's cool. I like the heat even though I'm more of a dry heat guy. We're staying in the middle of nowhere so there isn't really anywhere to walk around and stuff. We're pretty isolated from everything.

If you have a minute, check out the rest of his blog entry. He's a pretty darn good writer. After SVG's pregame presser yesterday, we all thought he would make a good sportswriter, but Luke's got some chops, too. I like the Grateful Dead motif he uses throughout.

I've seen the replay of this about 100 times today, and I'm still trying to figure out if the right call was made. When Kobe Bryant passed out front to Derek Fisher for the 3-pointer that gave the Lakers the lead for good in overtime, Bryant cracked Orlando's Jameer Nelson in the face with an elbow. Was it a foul? Or was it just part of the action of making the pass? What do you guys think? Oh, and can we discuss this without profanity? Please. Thanks.

The league has decided against suspending Orlando's Mickael Pietrus for his two-handed shove in the back of a dunking Pau Gasol in the closing seconds of Game 4. Pietrus received a flagrant-1 foul, which meant the play was automatically reviewed by the league. Gasol was furious at Pietrus, chest-bumping him after the play and screaming in his face.

At first, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy seemed confused after the Magic failed to foul on the Lakers' final possession in regulation play in Game 4. The Magic could have fouled Derek Fisher before he launched the game-tying 3-pointer, which sent the game to overtime. The Magic had a foul to give, meaning the Lakers would have had to start their final play all over again with an inbounds pass. Van Gundy later seemed to be unsure of how many fouls the Magic had at that point in the game.

Still later, he said, "Yes, I regret it (not fouling) now. ... That play will haunt me forever."

In fact, the Magic should have grabbed Fisher as he dribbled toward the basket, halting his momentum. The Lakers would have had to set up another play. Even if the Magic had been over the limit in fouls, they would have forced him to make two free throws. Even if Fisher made both, the Lakers would have still been down by 87-86 with about, say, eight seconds left. The Magic could have inbounded the ball into the front court, making sure it landed in the hands of one of their better free throw shooters.

Not Dwight Howard, in other words.

FOURTH QUARTER
What else but another Derek Fisher miracle? With the Magic leading 87-84, Dwight Howard missed two free throws. The Lakers drove the court, and Fisher made a 3-pointer from the right side with 4.6 seconds left to tie the game 87-87 and send it to overtime.
LAKERS 87, ORLANDO 87

OVERTIME
Rashard Lewis got the home fans going with a 3-pointer on the first possession, but then it was all Lakers, as they went on a 12-1 run to close out the game. The big shot, of course, came from Fisher, who broke a 91-91 tie with yet another devastating 3-pointer.
LAKERS 99, ORLANDO 91

THIRD QUARTER
Reminiscent of their third-quarter dominance in Game 1, the Lakers absolutely crushed the Magic in this period. They went on a 16-3 run to take a 55-54 lead midway through the period, and Orlando lost all rhythm on offense as the Lakers gained more confidence.
LAKERS 67, ORLANDO 63

SECOND QUARTER
Josh Powell? DJ Mbenga? Was this a preseason game in Bakersfield? Foul trouble made the Lakers go deep into their bench, and it showed. Orlando took a 10-point lead less than five minutes in, and the Lakers did well to stay within 12 points at the half.
ORLANDO 49, LAKERS 37

FIRST QUARTER
A nightmare period for the Lakers. They missed 12 of their first 17 shots, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom each picked up two fouls and Dwight Howard had a monster quarter, with 11 rebounds and three blocks. The score could have been much worse.
ORLANDO 24, LAKERS 20

Just had a brief chat with Magic guard Courtney Lee, he of the notorious missed layup in Game 2 and plastic facemask, since fracturing his left sinus on an elbow from teammate Dwight Howard in the first-round series against Philly.

Lee said that his sinus, which required 12 stitches, feels good right now even though it remains swollen. As a whole, he feels better than before because while doctors were performing surgery on his sinus, they discovered he had a deviated septum and fixed that at the same time.

``I'm breathing a whole lot better now,'' Lee said.

Kobe Bryant looked tired during the latter stages of Game 3. He wasn't sharp in any facet of the game, particularly while making only 5 of 10 free throws. Here's more on Bryant, who disagreed with the suggestion that he had hit the wall as a marathon runner might during the final miles of the 26.2-mile race:

"As far as me hitting the wall, so what if I did? I didn't but so what if I did?" Bryant said during a formal press conference after the team's workout today.

"What does it mean if you did?" a reporter asked.

Bryant: "It means nothing."

Reporter: "Because?"

Bryant: "Because I'll run straight through it."

For the record, Bryant scored 31 points on 11-for-25 shooting in a little more than 40 minutes Tuesday. He made only 5 of 10 free throws. However, he scored 14 points on 4-for-15 shooting in the game's final three quarters.

Here's the top few lines from a story today on ESPN.com: "The Sacramento Kings offered their coaching job to two candidates on an eventful Tuesday in the NBA, ultimately reaching an agreement with Paul Westphal after Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis turned the job down. League coaching sources told ESPN.com that the Kings made a formal offer to Rambis hours before the Lakers' 108-104 loss to the Orlando Magic in Game 3 of the NBA Finals."

UPDATE: Rambis confirmed the report today at practice, but declined further comment.

UPDATE: Rambis explained the situation in detail on the "Petros and Money Show" on Fox Sports Radio, saying, "I really did not want to focus on it (the Kings' coaching situation). They put some sort of timetable there. I understand that they wanted to move forward in their coaching search, but really what it came down to was that they have a bunch of young players on their team. It's a project team. As it stands right now, that team is -- particularly in the Western Conference -- is a ways away from winning.

"They have holes in their roster, and they certainly have to improve as a ballclub if they expect to win. And I was just looking to be involved with that team for a longer term than what the Sacramento Kings were looking for. I think that that's basically what it came down to. I like the Kings organization, I like Geoff Petrie as a general manager. The Maloofs are good owners, but my vision and their vision just didn't coincide, so I decided to turn their offer down and they moved in another direction."

FOURTH QUARTER
Orlando had an eight-point lead and momentum with seven minutes left, but the Lakers went on a 14-6 run to tie the game 99-99. The Magic didn't fold, however. Bryant missed a 3 that would have given the Lakers the lead, and killed the Lakers' hopes with a late turnover.
ORLANDO 108, LAKERS 104

THIRD QUARTER
Orlando shot a Finals record 75 percent from the field in the first half, but couldn't keep it up, right? Well, sort of. The Magic hit three of its first four shots and built an eight-point lead with 2:31 remaining, but Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 1:20 left to keep the Lakers close.
ORLANDO 81, LAKERS 75

SECOND QUARTER
Five minutes into the period, the Magic was shooting 77 percent from the field and losing by three points. The Lakers did just enough to stay ahead for a while, but the Magic couldn't miss. Rashard Lewis hit two late 3-pointers to give Orlando its biggest lead at the break.
ORLANDO 59, LAKERS 54

FIRST QUARTER
The Lakers quieted the crowd with an 8-2 start, then started settling for jumpers and the Magic rallied for a 13-12 lead. Then, Kobe Bryant happened. Bryant hit a jumper to give the Lakers the lead, the first two of his 17 points over the final six minutes of the quarter.
LAKERS 31, ORLANDO 27

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Our friends at the Orlando Sentinel have a lengthy piece today based on the notion that the series would be tied if not for the referees missing a goaltending call against Pau Gasol of the Lakers on the blown layup by the Magic's Courtney Lee at the buzzer of regulation in Game 2. Actually, when I saw the headline, I thought it was a story about the hockey playoffs. Goaltending? Really? Seriously? I've seen the replay of Lee's miss a couple of times on the teevee this morning and I see Gasol flick the net, but that's a call for a high school game. That's my opinion. What do you guys think?

I heard this quote this morning on the radio while driving to the airport. Made me laugh out loud. Lamar Odom had this to say when someone asked him whether he was frustrated after he bruised his lower back after a fall in Game 4 against the Houston Rockets:

"Nothing in my life has been easy, like from Day 1. I don't expect it. I've got a nice big house. I expect the door to break. I expect something to go wrong. That's life."

In other words, no, he wasn't frustrated because his back hurt. When you've been through as much as Odom has in his life, a sore back isn't much to get over-excited about.

Last night's overtime game between the Lakers and Magic was the first overtime game in the NBA Finals since Game 5 between Miami and Dallas in 2006. Miami won behind Dwayne Wade's 43 points.

Only three teams have ever come back from an 0-2 deficit to win the NBA Finals. In 1969, Boston rallied to beat the Lakers and in 1977, Portland rallied to to beat Philadelphia. In 2006, the Miami Heat was down 0-2 before coming back to beat Dallas.

Derek Fisher came up big late in the game tonight, especially with a steal he got against J.J. Redick with 1:56 left in overtime.
He drove the lane with 5:27 left in regulation, split two defenders and made a layup to tie the game at 77. He had the assist on Pau Gasol's layup that tied the score at 88 with 33 seconds left and insured the Lakers would get to overtime. There was the Redick steal and the ensuing free throws. And then with 26 seconds left, Fisher caught the inbounds pass and brought the ball up the floor and got it to Lamar Odom, who was fouled and made two free throws in the bonus situation.

OVERTIME
Leave it to the old veteran, Derek Fisher, to make the big play. With two minutes left in overtime, and the Lakers leading by one, Fisher stole a sloppy pass from J.J. Redick, dashed to the other end and hit two free throws. The rattled Magic never recovered.
LAKERS 101, ORLANDO 96

FOURTH QUARTER
A messy game finally got some life in the final period. Neither team held more than a three-point lead, and they exchanged it several times. The Lakers had a chance to win in the final second, but Hedo Turkoglu blocked Bryant's jumper from behind and sent it to overtime.
LAKERS 88, ORLANDO 88

THIRD QUARTER
No third-quarter blowout for the Lakers this time. The motivated Magic scored eight of the first 10 points to take a one-point lead. Kobe Bryant, silent for much of the first half, scored 10 points in the period, but Orlando closed the quarter with a 6-3 run to take the lead.
ORLANDO 65, LAKERS 63

SECOND QUARTER
After their abysmal effort in Game 1, the Lakers' bench players came through with quality minutes and built a five-point lead. This would have turned into a Lakers rout without the effort of Rashard Lewis, who scored 18 of the Magic's 20 points in the period.
LAKERS 40, MAGIC 35

FIRST QUARTER
What happened to the intensity and strong play of Game 1? Both teams came out looking timid and did little but draw fouls and miss jumpers. Three Orlando players picked up two fouls, as did Andrew Bynum, and the period ended, fittingly, without either team leading.
LAKERS 15, ORLANDO 15

The league announced that the All-Star game will return to Staples Center on Feb. 20, 2011. The game was last played at Staples in 2004, when Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal led the Western Conference past the Eastern Conference. O'Neal was named the game's MVP. Los Angeles and Inglewood combined to host the All-Star game in 1963 at the Sports Arena and in 1972 and 1983 at the Forum. The Dallas Mavericks will play host to the 2010 All-Star game, which will be played in the Dallas Cowboys new indoor stadium.

Kobe Bryant had this to say when asked this afternoon how much longer he might play in the NBA: "I still love the game so much. I feel like there's so much for me still to improve on and work on. My body feels great. God willing, I'll stay healthy and keep going. I feel like I'm a much better player than I was last year."

Asked how long he believed Bryant would play, Phil Jackson said: "I think Kobe's going to play it out for as long as he can. He's a player who's going to find a way regardless. I can see him playing until he's 36 or 37. ... You saw guys like (Jerry) Stackhouse and (Michael) Jordan play past 35 with great ability, and there's no reason why Kobe won't."

Coach Phil Jackson's teams are 43-0 when winning Game 1 of a playoff series. The Lakers are 19-0 after winning Game 1 and then eliminating the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals. Jackson's Chicago Bulls teams of the 1990s were 24-0 when winning Game 1. So, after the Lakers took Game 1 on Thursday, does that mean the NBA Finals are a foregone conclusion? The Magic certainly appeared to be in big trouble in Game 1.

The Lakers made no secret of their success against Orlando's Dwight Howard, who had 12 points on 1-for-6 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds in Game 1. They played him straight-up for the most part, with occasional help from their guards. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, the Lakers' 7-footers, used their quickness to keep Howard off balance. Bynum and Gasol each said the key was to prevent Howard from getting comfortable on the low block.

Adam Lambert fans close your eyes and do not read any further.
Everyone else continue:

American Idol winner Kris Allen will perform at his first major sporting event since winning the Idol crown when he sings the U.S. national anthem on Sunday, June 7, prior to Game 2 of The Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic at the STAPLES Center.

Allen's performance continues the NBA's tradition of having Idol winners
perform the anthem at the league's championship series. The Finals will be
Allen's first appearance at a marquee sporting event before heading out on
the American Idol 2009 Summer Tour. Since 2004, the NBA has worked with
winners Kelly Clarkson, David Cook, Ruben Studdard, Carrie Underwood,
Taylor Hicks, and Jordin Sparks.

The anthem will be televised live on ABC in the U.S. and to a worldwide
audience in 215 countries and territories beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Kobe Bryant's 40-point outburst carried the Lakers past the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of the Finals tonight. He hardly smiled before, during or after the Lakers' 100-75 wipeout of the overmatched Magic. He explained his stern demeanor this way: "My kids call me Grumpy from the Seven Dwarfs. That's how I've been at home, just a grouch."

Here's a rundown of all the stories we put together for our special section today:

Tom Hoffarth's Tale of the Tape:

Jill Painter on the friendship between Lakers forward Trevor Ariza and the Dodgers' Matt Kemp:

Elliott Teaford's Game 1 advance:

Vincent Bonsignore's look at Orlando's run-and-gun offense

My cover story on Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant's shared pursuit:

And whatever happened to that LeBron puppet?

Click here for Michael Owen Baker's slideshow on the Larry O'Brien trophy's arrival in Los Angeles this morning:

Still no definite answer on whether Orlando's Jameer Nelson will play in the Finals. He's been out since February because of a right shoulder injury. He averaged 27.5 points in two victories over the Lakers during the regular season. Rafer Alston was acquired from the Houston Rockets to take his place at point guard. Now, he's back on the practice court.

Officially, Nelson is listed as "out" for the series because of a torn labrum in his right shoulder that required surgery Feb. 19. Unofficially, he could play a limited role after returning to the practice court this week.

"I don't think it's going to be like a Willis Reed moment or anything," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said when asked about Nelson's possible participation in the Finals. "We'll just decide after (practice) if we think playing him gives us a better chance to win than not playing him. It's really as simple as that."

Interesting admission from Lakers power forward/center Pau Gasol today at media day. He said he had nothing left in the tank last spring. He was fatigued as the Lakers marched toward the NBA Finals. Whatever strength he had left, he used in reaching the fourth and final round of the longest playoff run of his career.

So, in the offseason, he decided it was time to hit the weights from the beginning to the end of the season. He lifted in the past, but never stuck to a regime. As the seasons progressed, he would usually drop the weights and stick to the basketball.

"I just tried to work with discipline and (do) steady work in the weight room throughout the year, so my body is ready to compete, especially at this stage," Gasol said. "I think last year I fell a little short, especially down the stretch. This year, I just tried to stay strong and tried to stay toned to be able to be physical and be able to compete."

According to his Twitter feed, the Big Saguaro, or whatever he's going by these days, will be pulling for his old running mate in Los Angeles during the NBA Finals.

``Thats right i am saying it today and today only, i want kobe bryant to get number 4, spread da word,'' Shaquille O'Neal wrote around 1:15 this afternoon.

Today is NBA Finals media day, which isn't as bad as media day at the Super Bowl, but it's zany enough. Hundreds of reporters, ranging from yours truly to some truly oddballs, will converge on Staples Center around noon to speak to players, coaches and other reporters in the hope of unearthing some nugget of information no one has ever revealed. Good luck with that. Guaranteed to happen: some knucklehead from some outlet that hasn't been to a game or a practice all season will bogart an interview and ask someone something seriously ridiculous. If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? is my favorite. Anyway, check back later for some worthwhile notes and quotes on the eve of Game 1.

Reports out of Orlando indicate that All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson may be closer to a return from a torn labrum in his shoulder than previously believed.

``"I'm pretty sure he's going to be given the benefit of the doubt. I expect him to be out there sometime during the series," back-up point guard Anthony Johnson told the Orlando Sentinel.

Nelson scored 55 points in the Magic's two wins over Los Angeles in the regular season, but has been sideline since February with a shoulder injury.

Lakers forward Trevor Ariza, who still keeps in touch with Nelson, said: ``Even being hurt, he's still one of the leaders of that team. I know he wants to play. I've been in the same situation, so I know he's trying to do everything that he can, so that if he's able to come back, he can play.''

Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis met with Sacramento Kings officials Monday after practice about their head coaching vacancy. "We had a great meeting," Kings co-owner Joe Maloof told the Sacramento Bee newspaper in today's editions. "We've known (Rambis) throughout the years, and he's a very, very dynamic, smart man. Very intelligent. Like before (in previous interviews), we were very impressed with him. He knows his stuff." Rambis has interviewed with the Kings two other times. Other candidates for the job are Paul Westphal (former coach with Seattle and Phoenix) and Boston associate head coach Tom Thibodeau. They have each had their interviews.

Tiger Woods is always spotted at Orlando Magic games, but he grew up a Lakers fan in Cypress. So whose his pick? He's on the fence. Here's what he said in his newsletter that just came out today:
``I'm really torn about the NBA finals,'' Woods wrote. ``I grew up a die-hard Los Angeles Lakers fan but have season tickets to Orlando Magic games. Hopefully, it will be a great series.''

OK, it's only Monday and Game 1 of the Finals isn't until Thursday, plus Lakers coach Phil Jackson was as coy as ever about how his team might match up with the Orlando Magic. But here's a good guess on how things might look for the opening game:

Center: The Lakers' Andrew Bynum versus the Magic's Dwight Howard.
Power forward: Pau Gasol vs. Rashard Lewis.
Small forward: Trevor Ariza vs. Hedo Turkoglu.
Shooting guard: Kobe Bryant vs. Courtney Lee.
Point guard: Derek Fisher vs. Rafer Alston.

I would give Howard the edge over Bynum, but the Lakers win the rest of the 1-on-1 matchups. Anyone have any other thoughts?

We all had a great time talking with Lamar Odom today about his sweet tooth. Actually, make that sweet sweet sweet sweet tooth .

But here's Shelley Smith's hilarious story on his addiction that started this amusing storyline:

PHIL:
There is kind of a death march to come into the Finals, to watch other teams disappear. We're still standing here with only one other team left, a good team, and we're anticipating a really good final.

(Did you watch the game last night?)
Yeah.

(What did you learn about Orlando that you didn't know previously?)
Well, you know, I think you saw all the things Orlando can do in last night's game. They have a post-up game - obviously, there was more emphasis in that than most of the games because Varejao got in foul trouble early and they had their way pretty much with Cleveland because of that. But you saw their 3-point shooting and their ability to do a lot of things offensively.

(Haven't played them since January. Besides obviously Nelson and the Rafer Alston trade, how have they changed since then?)
Well, you know, I think there's kind of another chemistry fit they had to get with Rafer Alston on that team. It's a different match than Jameer - Jameer has a different style of play - but they refitted again and they came back and played really great the last month, and they've had an interesting playoffs - it's been challenging at times - but a good playoffs.

(Match up favorably with their front court?)
Yeah. We are a long team. We have lengthy defenders to deal with Turkoglu and Lewis. But I don't know who can guard this big kid if he's as physical as he is. Howard's just a real, real powerhouse in there inside.

(regular season, you didn't double Howard off the bat on most possessions. Do you think you'll stick with that?)
It's to your advantage not to double against this team. They have four 3-point shooters arrayed around the corners of the court, and they really spread you out. Their spacing is good, so it puts a lot of priority on being able to defend in the post.

(Best outside shooting team in the league?)
They're up there. They're going to threaten you with that. But really, it's their inside game that you have to worry about.

(Do you go small with Odom to counteract Lewis?)
You know, I think we'll be all right with what we do. I think we'll measure out the game. You know, one of the games Andrew was in foul trouble immediately, both in the first and the third quarters. That's something we really don't want to have happen. But our big lineup is going to create a problem for them.

(When you played them, you still had Vladimir. How does that change now that he's not here?)
Welll, we send him a telegram and say, hope you're having a good time on the beach. (laughter)
Obviously, you know, Trevor has advanced as a player a lot. He's doing a really good job for us and it changes a little bit of what we do. We don't have as much of what you would consider a 3-point threat, but I think Trevor's really taken that spot well.

(Is your mindset on the distance? Do you prepare for seven games?)
You prepare for the first game and then you go from there. It's about trying to get a leg up right off the bat so you have advantage. And as you know, the first two sets of our homestands, the last two series, we've lost a game and lost homecourt advantage. And that's something you don't want to do in the finals, with this kind of a setup, the two-three-two setup. So we really want to come out and be prepared.

(Six days off too much of a good thing?)
No, not for us. We really got banged up in this last two series, and there are a number of guys who can really use the two days off. So we'll measure it out. We'll be ready.

(Home court advantage?)
It's nice to have home court advantage, but it's still not something to rely on in this kind of a series. Orlando's a very good road team, one of the better road teams in the league the past two years. And you have to be prepared for that. They like the challenge on the road, they play well on the road, and they beat us on our home court this year. So we understand that.

(Some talk that Jameer might try to come back for this series. How difficult for a guy like that to come back and make an impact?)_
Well, it would be difficult, but I'm sure they know what they're doing over there. If he comes back, we'll have to be prepared for it. He was instrumental in the victories he had against us. He certainly was.

(What about you individually, if you can get your 10th win?)
Gee, I don't know how to answer that, Jim.
It's about a year, and about doing this, and you know, it happened many times in my career. I've been fortunate in that regard. But we're just looking at this as something to redeem last year's loss. We know what it feels like to lose and we want to come out and amend that.

(So redemption is the motivation now?)
One of the things, yeah.

(That sense with Kobe, too?)
Well, this has been an onward march for him since the last game of the Olympics. Basically it's been all about this. And Pau, too. He came out of the Olympis and lost that game, and immediately they've come right into this year and dedicated themselves to doing something that would change what we had last year.
We got there, but that's not enough.

(Compare this team in any way to the one in 2000?)
No. There's very little resemblance to the 2000 team and this team. That team had a lot of veterans, a lot of size, Shaq dominated teams.
This team is what it is. It's a makeup of a lot of skilled players. We're not a powerful team. We're not a muscular team. But we are athletic and skilled.

(more fun or more exasperating to coach a team like this?)
This team is fun. That team was great. You know, Shaq's always an interesting person to have on a team. He makes things fun and light. This team is a collection of talent that's been accumulated over the last four or five years, excluding Kobe and Fish, and so it's been a team that's had to come together.

(Your best opportunity for another championship since O2?)
You know, I really thought the 04 team that lost to Detroit with Malone and Payton - even though we really got them into the mix quickly and they were at the end of their careers, until Karl was injured, I thought that was a team that was going to do it all, too.

(How much better is this team than last year?)
Well, I think we're better because of the experience we had last year. Last year we played at a really high level through the playoffs, right up until the Finals. But we weren't quite prepared for the physical nature of the game at that point, and how to make the adjustments. I think that hurt us a little bit. And also, we didn't have home-court advantage. I think that's an advantage for us this year.