For various reasons – some very personal, others less so – Pau Gasol has been front and center in my mind for the past couple of years. The whole thing started almost two years ago, when my wife and I relocated, from New York to Barcelona, Spain. As an L.A. native, I couldn’t help but […]
Lakers I Miss
A Year Later…
I do not have anything amazingly thoughtful to say today. No coherent message to help anyone heal. No insightful story to inspire peace of mind. No anecdote that brings levity to a day so many are hurting. It’s been a year since Kobe and Gianna, John and Keri and Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah and Payton Chester, […]
Flashback Friday: Jerry West Was a Monster
When your nicknames are “Mr. Clutch” and “The Logo” it’s pretty difficult to argue you might ever be considered underrated. Jerry West certainly is not that, but as time passes and the game evolves it is sometimes easy to forget just how good some of the players from previous generations were, West included. Luckily, youtube […]
Some Thoughts on Lamar Odom
There are people in various corners of the NBA map trying to help the man right now. We’re talking former teammates and coaches and a clutch of confidants who don’t want their names out there because they’re not looking for attention for their efforts. All they want to see is Lamar Joseph Odom dislodge himself […]
Prodigal Son
One of the funner bits of recent Lakers-related news is the hiring of Mark Madsen as the new head coach of the Los Angeles D-Fenders. The mere mention of Madsen’s name is invariably accompanied by references to his victory parade dance but the essence of the player was always his hustle and determination. Dubbed Mad […]
The Lakers And All-Star Saturday – A Retrospective
Halfway (well, 65.8%, but who’s counting) through its annual marathon, the NBA bestows upon its rank-and-file (players, coaches, hell, fans) a much-needed four-day respite from the mental and physical grind of 82 in ~175. In 2013, nowhere is this midseason oasis more welcome than in Lakerland, where, in depressingly short order, euphoria and stratospheric expectations […]
Silk Finally Gets The Call To The Hall
It’s been 20 years since he became eligible, but he’s finally made it. Today, Jamaal “Silk” Wilkes was named to the 2012 Basketball Hall of Fame class. Wilkes’ averages of nearly 18 points, a shade over 6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game don’t necessarily scream hall of famer, but his impact on winning teams […]
A Fond Farewell: Wishing Lamar Odom The Peace He Deserves
At what point does a person’s income preclude him from complaining about some of life’s breaks? Is there a line of demarcation? $10 million per year? A million? $500,000? $100,000? At what point does compensation beget dehumanization? Though I share neither their income bracket nor VIP status, I have a tendency to empathize with athletes […]
Lakers I Miss: 90s Backcourt Duo
The lockout has me not only missing the NBA, but missing the backcourt that forced me to fall in love with the Lakers: Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel. I was born into a Lakers loving family, so I would have been a fan regardless, but Jones and Van Exel are why I’m so heavily […]