Two things, from different coasts, worth reading out there this morning: First, from the Los Angeles Times, there is a great piece about the marketing of the NBA and the fine-line it walks trying to court the youth hip-hop generation and the white-bread suits that purchase the luxury boxes and $200 seats on the floor. […]
Archives for December 2004
The Butler Did It
Not only was Caron Butler ejected for his punching foul against New Orleans guard Dan Dickau (great porn stage name, by the way), but with that will come a one game suspension. There’s a very good case to make that Butler did nothing to earn a suspension — Dickau took Caron down from behind, intentionally […]
On Tap: The New Orleans Hornets
We know two things for sure heading into tonight’s game: 1) The Hornets are the worst team in the NBA, and very likely will be without their best player. 2) The Lakers can’t afford to look past anyone. The Lakers are 2-0 against the Hornets this year and this will be the final meeting between […]
To Boo Not to Boo, That Is The Question
Starting at center for the Miami Heat, out of Louisiana State University, Shaquille O’Neal….. And your reaction is? Assuming he plays (and after all his hype I’m sure he will), I’m curious to see what we will hear when Shaq is introduced in Staples Center just after noon Christmas Day, and what happens when he […]
0 for 2
Big six-game home stand and the Lakers are now 0-2. And a painful 0-2 because both games were teams the Lakers need to beat. As I am really swamped at work today (maybe it slows down in your office for Christmas, but not around here), today’s post is a collection of notes and observations. Please […]
On Tap: The Memphis Grizzlies
Back in November, the Lakers went into Memphis for the second half of a back-to-back and produced one of those complete dud games that leave us all shaking our heads. Much like Friday night. Tonight, they catch Memphis in a back-to-back, but that’s not necessarily good news — Memphis is 4-2 in those second games. […]
What Shaq, Phil and Karl Say Doesn’t Matter
With the over-hyped Lakers/Heat game just five shopping days away (what do you mean Lakers/Heat, there are more than two players in this contest?), the number of mainstream media NBA writers becoming soap opera writers is about to reach record numbers. Don’t blame them, they can’t help themselves — they’ve been trained to go after […]
Two Steps Back
We’ve given each other some hard lessons lately But we ain’t learnin’ We’re the same sad story that’s a fact One step up and two steps back One Step Up Bruce Springsteen Welcome to a weekend cornucopia of thoughts, starting with last night’s Laker loss and moving on to a bunch of other stuff collecting […]
On Tap: The Washington Wizards:
My get-to-this-file is full, but tonight it’s a family Christmas night decorating the tree with my wife and daughter, so everything save the preview has to wait. (Sure, my daughter is just six months old and really won’t “get†Christmas, that doesn’t mean my wife pretend she’s going to love it.) Check back over the […]
Now That’s More Like It
Let me add my voice to the chorus — what the hell are the Dodgers doing? Oh, wait, not that chorus, this is a Laker blog. Let me try again: Let me add my voice to the chorus — last night’s win in Sacramento was, by far, the best game the Lakers played this year. […]