On Wednesday, Andrew Bynum had surgery on his right knee to repair a tear of the lateral meniscus. Dr. David Altchek, who is the Medical Director for the New York Mets and a medical consultant for the NBA, completed the surgery. Andrew Bynum is expected to make a full recovery by the start of the season and is expected to be available on a “limited basis” for the Lakers training camp in late September.
Health will be one of the biggest obstacles that the Lakers will have to overcome next season. Getting both Kobe and Drew to take care of their respective knees months before training camp is just one of many huge steps the Lakers have taken this off-season to begin their two-time title defense journey. Taking care of these injuries were every bit as important as brining back Derek Fisher and the signings of Steve Blake, Theo Ratliff and Matt Barnes. It’s hard to be satisfied with every way the Lakers have handled this off-season. If they’re able to bring back Shannon Brown, the Lakers will have essentially done everything they set out to do. Lets just hope for full, timely recoveries.
By most fans’ standards, LeBron James’ much-ballyhooed departure from the Cavaliers earlier this month not only tarnished his carefully crafted image, but also any notion of loyalty. In fact, if there is one overarching theme to this topsy-turvy NBA offseason, it is probably just that—loyalty. At what point though, are players released from the burden placed by fans and media and allowed to move on to a better opportunity? If a superstar like Chris Paul officially demands a trade from the mediocre Hornets—a team and city he has almost single-handedly revived over the past few years—is he automatically deemed disloyal? To that end, what happens when a less known role player switches teams? Are they spared the wrath of fans’ since they didn’t mean as much to their teams? Were the Lakers virtually obligated to give in to Derek Fisher’s contract demands this offseason out of loyalty to the wily veteran?
While L.A. hasn’t participated in this offseason’s flurry of superstar moves, the acquisition of Matt Barnes, on the heels of last season’s pick-up of Ron Artest—two players that drew the ire of Lakers fans prior to them donning the forum blue and gold—calls into light the nature by which we judge free agents and trades. A little over one year ago, STAPLES Center roared as a belligerent Artest was thrown out of Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. This past season, Lamar Odom and Matt Barnes engaged in a good ol’ fashioned no-holds barred Twitter war after a contentious road game in Orlando. Flash forward one year later and crazy Ron Ron has cemented a [positive] place in Lakers lore and Barnes just wrapped up a two-week romance with Kobe that eventually led to him signing with the Lake Show.
Former foe Raja Bell nearly joined the team in similar fashion this offseason before signing with the Jazz. Laker circles across the nation even raised the possibility of signing hated Celtic Ray Allen with the mid-level exception—the same Ray Allen who almost single-handedly won Game 2 of this year’s NBA Finals and was an invaluable part of the 2008 championship team that bloodied up Kobe and Co.
In 2003-2004, the Lakers signed two of the franchise’s longtime rivals—Karl Malone and Gary Payton—effectively creating one of the first “super teams” of the decade. For years, Malone was public enemy number one in L.A. for his alleged dirty play, yet all it took was a few months for the Lakers faithful to embrace the Hall-of-Fame forward. One of Karl’s former Lakers teammates, Shaquille O’Neal, finds himself in a somewhat similar position this offseason—clearly aging, but still longing to become a part of a championship team. That state of mind has apparently led to the center’s rumored interest in playing for the Celtics—a potentially traitorous development that has angered many Lakers fans. If there aren’t any other viable title contenders who desire his services though, is Shaq a little less disloyal if he winds up in Boston?
Loyalty is undoubtedly an important quality in life and in a lot of ways, sports acts as a microcosm for the world we live in. However, the truth of the matter is that sports isn’t completely reflective of real life, as much as fans want to believe. NBA players and front offices play by different rules and can’t always be held to the same standards. While outsiders may claim the Lakers are hypocritical by signing or trading for players with whom their fans and current roster have expressed wide-spread discontent, the team’s brain trust consistently bases its basketball decisions on whether or not they will improve the team on-the-floor. In that sense, the Lakers straddle the line between allegiance and disloyalty as well as any team, with Bryant taking the lead.
At the end of the day, Kobe respects players like Artest and Barnes for their gritty play, going so far as to tell Barnes via text that if the forward was crazy enough to mess with him, he was crazy enough to play with him. Instead of professing his animosity toward the Lakers, Barnes excitedly told the world just a few weeks later that playing for L.A. was a lifelong dream. Such is the current state of loyalty in the NBA—both for individual players, fans and teams. At times, it is understandably maddening for fans, while others are more forgiving. Ultimately though, it is a subjective business for all parties involved.
If there is something that never gets old it’s reliving championship seasons. Thanks to Alex Klenert, who worked with Bombo Sports & Entertainment and NBA Entertainment, the Lakers Championship DVD is now available at the NBAStore.com or on iTunes. Alex was kind enough to release a couple of previews to the DVD, the first showing the first two minutes of the DVD followed by a clip highlighting the Lakers/Celtics rivalry. Be sure to check out these two previews and grab your copy.
When talking about Ron Artest, I believe that we’ve reached a point to where any conceivable story reported is instantly believable just because of his recent history. He has a remix to his song “Champions with T-Pain”? Where can I download it? He threw a parade in his Queens Bridge hood? I wish I could have gone. He plays dodge ball? How can I watch? The Los Angeles times has a collection of videos that show Ron Artest playing dodge ball. Just watching his entrance, red headband included, is quite possibly one of the funniest moments of my summer. Ron Ron isn’t the greatest dodgeball player I’ve ever seen, but it’s definitely worth the watch if you have the time.
Here is a nice fluff piece on Kobe’s time in Beijing, China. He participated in a “talk show-style forum dubbed ‘Kobe 24’” where he answered questions about his athletic exploits, mentoring, street basketball, pressure and constant practice. Forums like this is a huge part of the reason why Kobe has been able to take his brand world wide. The people of China have always been a huge supporter of Kobe and this was a huge gesture to show his appreciation to some of his global fans.
Last, but not least, Matt Barnes was introduced as a Laker today. He’ll wear Nick Van Exel’s old number 9. Lakers.com plan on posting his whole press conference on their website later on today. Last Friday, Theo Ratliff was introduced. You can watch his introductory press conference here.
As this latest potential Lakers dynasty rounds into shape, I got to thinking about one of the most beloved players from the team’s last three-peat bid—Rick Fox. The former UNC grad was a critical component of three championship squads and will always be remembered fondly for his seven years of service with the forum blue and gold. While this current Lakers group relies on the likes of Derek Fisher for locker room leadership, the Lakers teams at the beginning of the decade had several savvy veteran leaders with which to rely—and none with a smile brighter than Mr. Cool, Calm and Collected.
In a true testament to his lasting impact during his L.A. tenure, most fans have either forgotten or are willing to dismiss the fact that Fox played the first six years of his career in Celtics green after being drafted by Boston with the 24th pick in the First Round in the 1991 NBA Draft. During his seven years with the Lakers, Foxy averaged nearly 10 points per game in 25 minutes, while also pulling down nearly four rebounds and shooting 35% from beyond the arc. Though his numbers never quite matched his 15 points per game average in his final year with the C’s in 1996-97, Rick unselfishly took a backseat on offense, recognizing his role in the team’s budding title hopes. However, Fox stepped to the forefront on defense and was one of the premier defenders at his position throughout his career.
Relive some of Fox’s greatest moments as a Laker in this fan video (Sorry for the low quality…I don’t think they had HD during Rick’s day).
His impact on and off the court can’t be measured on stat sheets though, as it was often the even-keeled Canadian small forward who served as a voice of reason when inner turmoil between Kobe, Shaq and the like threatened to derail the team’s title dreams. Like Derek Fisher, Robert Horry and Brian Shaw, Fox also had a knack for performing well in the clutch, even if he doesn’t get as much publicity for his late-game heroics as his former teammates. In fact, the Lakers might not have held on to win their first title of the new decade had it not been for Fox’s key buckets down the stretch of the deciding Game 6 of 2000 NBA Finals against the Pacers. At the end of the day, Fox was a player who was trusted by both Coach Jackson and teammates and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more consummate professional during his 13 years in the league.
Maybe even more than his leadership, fans and critics alike revered Rick for his willingness to mix it up against opponents—most notably in a 2002 pre-season game at STAPLES Center against the Sacramento Kings. Only two minutes into an exhibition game between the heated rivals, Fox and Christie jostled with one another, leading to a memorable fight in the alley on the way to the locker room—a battle that foreshadowed the teams’ epic seven-game series in that year’s Western Conference Finals. Aspiring actor or not, Rick’s grit and flare for the dramatic provided a huge spark for a team whose success hinged primarily on the play of Kobe and Shaq.
Recent additions Ron Artest and Matt Barnes undoubtedly embody a lot of Fox’s strengths, but the uncanny poise and class displayed by Rick still stand out to this day. Fox was a true winner at every level—not only leading the 1991 Tar Heels to the NCAA Final Four, but proving himself as an invaluable piece of a back-to-back-to back championship squad. Though he’s still as visible as ever off the basketball floor, his contributions on it will never be forgotten.
Last night, ESPN2 aired the Team USA intra-squad scrimmage. As you would expect from an exhibition game featuring guys who haven’t spent a lot of time together on the court, the game was rather sloppy and I don’t expect the scrimmage to weigh too heavily on the decisions made by Coach K and Brian Colangelo. Recapping the game won’t be necessary (the white squad won 114-96), but there were a few guys who stood out and made a case for a spot on the team.
* Before I get into some of the players who impressed, I’ll take the opportunity to share a few thoughts on Lamar Odom. Odom went into camp out of shape and hadn’t participated in any basketball related activities since helping the Lakers bring home number 16, and it showed in the scrimmage. LO finished with just two points, six rebounds and three assists (which you’ll see in Kevin Garnett and Derrick Rose highlights later). Odom’s poor showing in the intra-squad scrimmage really doesn’t mean much in terms of him making the squad. From everything that I’ve read, Odom is pretty much a lock to make the team as a veteran presence among a slew of youth. His versatility (he started at center in the scrimmage) and the lack of size on Team USA is coveted by the Colangelo/Coach K brain trust and will definitely make the first set of cuts to be happening on Monday.
THE WHITE TEAM
* As expected, Kevin Durant had the biggest showing of the bunch finishing with 28 points and player of the game honors. Durant began his night with what was arguably the highlight of the night – a nifty crossover that led to a dunk that set the tone for the white squad – and had a four-minute stretch in the third quarter where he scored 10 of his 28. Durant picked his spots nicely, didn’t force anything and was genuinely enjoying himself out there on the floor. He did have seven turnovers, but it was a sloppy game all around. Only Derrick Rose and Chauncey Billups played more than 20 minutes and finished with no turnovers. Below are a few highlights from Durant’s night.
* Derrick Rose played along side of Durant and also had a fantastic night finishing with 15 points, eight assists, five steals and no turnovers. Rose played a lot stronger than his counter parts at the point guard spot and definitely made a case for not only making the team, but also for starting as he impressed more than the other point guards. Rose’s quickness isn’t news to anyone, but watching how fast he changes direction and his ability to change speeds is still awe inspiring every time you get an opportunity to watch him play. You’d be hard pressed to find a more athletic point guard in the NBA right now. Below are some highlights of Rose.
* Also for the white team, Andre Iguodala impressed with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists. His game was stamped all over the first half with athletic moves to the basket, he hit all three of this 3-point attempts and got to the free throw line six times. Eric Gordon hit four of seven from behind the arc and was 50 percent from the field for the night. I don’t think Gordon has done enough in the past week to earn a spot on the roster, but he did some good things while on the floor in the scrimmage.
THE BLUE TEAM
* Rudy Gay did a lot of the damage for the Blue Team scoring 23 points and going three for four from behind the three point line (both teams shot over 45 percent from behind the arc). No news, Gay is a terrific scorer and was able to get his points in a multitude of different ways: he hit from behind the arc, was able to create shots off the dribble, scored from the block, got the free throw line seven times and was able to grab a few offensive rebounds (4) and convert those to points. Like Durant, Gay finished with seven turnovers but seemed committed to playing defense, finishing with a pair of blocks and steals. Starting Gay and Durant on the wings would make Team USA awfully long, but bringing Gay off the bench to replace Durant would keep a long, athletic scorer on the floor at all times. I don’t think there is anyway Gay doesn’t make this team. I’ve been having problems getting my Rudy Gay clips up, so hopefully I can have them for you guys at a later time.
* Rudy Gay’s Memphis teammate, O.J. Mayo, also had a strong night scoring 18 points while showing off the clean stroke on his jump shot. There was a lot of talent on the floor, and Mayo didn’t let anyone forget that he was on the floor. He was able to get loose on a few fast breaks and excite the Thomas and Mack crowd with some dunks. Mayo has wanted to play point guard since he was a Trojan at USC, but is finding his game translates better as an off guard with his ability to shoot. He hit a few pull up jumpers and knocked down half of his three point attempts. Mayo highlights are shown below.
* Also for the blue team, teammates Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green both did a lot of good things. Westbrook was a hound defensively on the parameter and finished with three steals to go along with his 14 points. Westbrook is one of the most fearless guys in the NBA and attacks the rim relentlessly. Jeff Green finished with 11 points and a very quiet eight rebounds (second only to Tyson Chandler). If you’re going to make this team, grabbing rebounds is a great way to do it considering Team USA’s size issue.
As I mentioned earlier, Coach K and Brian Colangelo will look to make four cuts on Monday and hope to have their roster down to about 15 by the time they play an exhibition game against France in New York at the Madison Square Garden in August 15. From there, the team will travel to Europe to play a few more exhibition games before the FIBA World Championships start on August 28.
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