The genre of the sports list book has received a new addition. This new series that has been released has gone to several of the major sports towns (or at least those with rabid sports fans) and tapped local sports personalities or journalists to create an insiders view of that city’s sports culture. A nice idea, as fans can become agitated by the broad brush strokes that the national media paints a certain town’s fans. In Philly they boo Santa Claus; in New York they are knowledgeable but ruthless; in Boston they’re die hard but eternally pessimistic; in Cleveland they know even when their team is good, at some point they will find a way to lose; and of course, we arrive late, leave early and talk on our cell phones the whole time. (See: “Top 10 Reasons People Say We’re Terrible Fans”) With any stereotype there is a grain of truth, but these books allow the individual city’s to create a more three dimensional view, through guest spots by local athletes and luminaries of the local sports culture.
The authors of the Los Angles book are Matt “Money” Smith and Steve Hartman. Money is the everyman fan in a lot of ways and he’s So Cal to the bone. In his bio at 570 KLAC he lists his favorite sports moment as “Heckling Jim Mcilvaine from the Forum stands and having him try to hop the railing to beat the crap out of me.” He was also an intern at KROQ and is known for breaking “a little band called Sublime.” (It’s also the reason he can sneak in the “Top 11 So Cal Punk Bands You’ve Never Heard of But Should Have” into a sports book.) Steve Hartman is knowledgeable and has a long historic view of sport, but in a lot of ways many see him as insufferable, especially Laker fans who have trouble with his pragmatism and criticism, dubbing him “Hater Hartman”. But for the cause that is the book, they are both good choices.
The book covers all aspects of LA sports: Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, Angels, and Kings. For our Laker-centric purposes, we’ll focus on the section that highlights the boys in Forum Blue and Gold.
Top 10 Reasons For A Laker Fan To Own This Book:
1. It will fit nicely into your lavatory library. You can put it into the rotation with Brain Droppings and Nine Stories.
2. It will either enhance your depth of Laker history and take you on a wonderful stroll down memory Lane (Top 10 Greatest Laker Moments) or let the neophytes in on the rich history of the franchise.
3. The folly that is The Clippers.
4. Francis Dale Hearn’s most utilized colloquialisms are included, but you probably could have called that one with Braille.
5. Because FBandG is in it (Best Los Angeles Sports Blogs). Checking in at #4 on the list, and it refers to Kurt as “sound, articulate and interesting”, a spot on assessment to me. But there is a glaring error on this list, and I think I know why.
6. It will help you with your Lakers bar trivia… “Who are the top 10 Johnsons in L.A Sports History?” also known as the “How can we put Magic at the top of another list?” list.
7. You can relive how Jerry West bamboozled the NBA for an extended period of time as G. M. (Mitch has followed in his footsteps with that big Pau Gasol feather in his hat.) But you’ll realize that he did this mostly through his draft picks.
8. Kobe lists his favorite arenas, and many fans are always looking for some insight into who that guy really is, the list is surprisingly nostalgic and emotional. Mentioning the arena’s in Italy, PalaEUR where his dad played, and Philly, “The Palestra is Philly”, as well as being one the guys who played in both the Forum and Staples.
9. “Big Game James” gives us a nice insight into who he felt could have shared his moniker, most of them guys he competed against, but not surprisingly, the top 2 he played with.
10. It will cause/resolve/complicate some good sports related discourse.
I’ll end by quoting the authors…
“Depending on your level of sports knowledge, you will either find this book a great source of information, a great trip down memory lane, or a great reason to insist “these guys don’t know what they are talking about.”
-Gatinho aka Scott Thompson
KneeJerkNBA says
LA fans get a bad rap for arriving late. But anyone who’s ever lived in LA can tell you that traffic is a bitch. Just an absolute nightmare.
It’s not about bandwagon fans or a lackadaisical attitude, as some East Coast haters would suggest.
Gatinho says
From the book. Number 2 on the list… “When Firestone, GM, Standard Oil and a grip of other big businesses comspired to squash the Pacific Electric Railway… we were out of luck and destined to have brutal traffic problems.”
Kurt says
I only get to read in the bathroom anymore, I need to get this.
Thanks Gatinho!
Employee#5 says
Listened to AM 710 during my lunch break. They had Steve Lavin reporting that Ariza met with Houston at 1pm in Las Vegas today.
Kurt, does this sound like a possible sign and trade? Or is Houston thinking of letting Artest walk and replacing him with a decent Money Ball Daryl Morey type % player like Ariza?
Brian says
One (small) correction – I’ve known Money since we were freshmen in college (18 years ago), and he is *not* “So Cal to the bone” – he’s born and bred Chicago and was a big Bulls/Bears fan growing up. He’s been in SoCal a while, and it’s his job now, so he’s warmed up to the Lakers, but just keep that in mind. He really wanted to do the Lakers pre/post-game shows because it gave him a chance to interview PJ all the time, and he’s idolized PJ since his Bulls days.
Kurt says
4. My theory: Houston is looking for options if it loses Artest. But they too can only offer the MLE, just what the Lakers offered. At this point I don’t see who is going to offer Ariza the money his agent told him he deserves.
Brian says
All Houston can offer is the MLE. They have $65M committed to salaries this year, but are really far under the cap next year (due to TMac’s salary coming off).
I guess what is worrisome to me about Houston is Ariza could sign 1-year MLE deal with them and then sign a larger deal after that. But he could also sign a 1-year deal with LA and do the same thing (although I doubt Mitch is offering a 1 year MLE deal).
We’ll have to see how this shakes out I guess…
Gatinho says
Brian, thanks. I knew he wasn’t from LA, but with his connections to KROQ and the Lakers and Dodgers we can grant him citizenship.
Bernie says
Hmm…might have to take a quick visit to Barnes and Noble. I curious how one of my favorite radio personalities (Money) and one of my least favorite (whatshisname) can co-exists in such an opinion-based book.
Seriously, the Loose Cannons with Thompson, Hartman, and Vick the Brick has to be one of the most mind-numbing 3 hours ever in radio yet it preceeded with the most entertaining 3 hours, the PMS show.
MannyP13 says
Kurt and the rest:
Are teams able to find out what other teams are bidding for a player? I mean, let’s say Ariza gets a $6.5m offer from Cleveland, can his agent tell the Lakers that in an effort to have them match that? Can the Lakers find out if its true?
Kurt says
Agents certainly do try to play one team off another, but other teams are under no obligation to say what they have offered. In practice, the real number eventually comes out, but to react to the first news and reports can be a mistake.
j.d. Hastings says
Gatinho- I was alweays a big fan of your when you were on The Kids In The Hall!
j.d. Hastings says
I’m not panicking, but I don’t know why the Lakers wouldn’t offer a token amount more than the MLE. If that’s what all his suitors are offering, just trump it by a little. Then he’d have to leave to take less on general principle (though TX has no income tax…)
Anonymous says
Adrian Wojnarowski says via Twitter (@YahooSportsNBA) that the Rockets will offer Ariza a multi-year midlevel deal. So why is David Lee excited about that, and pissed off when the Lakers make the same offer?
Reed says
Lakers after-tax payroll the last seven years: 90.25, 74.5, 62.2, 54.2, 65.1, 70.6, 52.9.
After tax next year with Odom (7), Ariza (5.6) and Brown (2): 111.4.
After tax next year with Odom (7), Brown (2), and vet minimum: 104.
Time to readjust expectations, I think.
j.d. Hastings says
Eh, what’s 10 million$ between friends?
Brian says
j.d. –
I imagine that is Mitch’s plan. He’s letting the market inform Lee that all Trevor is going to get is an MLE deal, and at the end he’ll up that to, say, $6M/per and lock him up.
Brian says
Reed:
One thing to factor into that list is the fact that we won a title this year. Dr. Buss loves winning and has always spent what it took if he thought it would win a title. Some of those payrolls yo posted were from some pretty lean years.
Plus, AEG has a vested interest in having a championship-caliber team playing in Staples to continually draw crowds to LA Live.
Bernie says
Here’s a little bit of a surprise. Gortat is going to be a Mav for the MLE. I wonder if it was the expensive towels that made him choose Dallas over every other NBA team.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4303432
Reed says
Brian — That’s true, and it’s seeing the glass as half full, so I hope you’re right. But remember, Buss pays for stars. He was very welling to let important role players go to save money at the end of the title run, which really thinned out our depth. And, we’re talking about a staggering, unprecedented leap from historical spending. It’s one thing to say maybe he’ll dip up to 100 this year, but over 110? In a horrific recession? I don’t know. We’ll see. If he comes through, then we’ll build him statutes and name our children after him. I’m not getting my hopes up though.
j.d. Hastings says
I think we could save some money re-signing Odom if we recruit Ice Cube and Snoop Dog to say they’ll sign to his label if he stays. Not sure what the CBA says about that.
kwame a. says
Gatinho-I never knew Matt Money broke Sublime, that makes me see him in a whole new light
kwame a. says
Reed/Brian- Brian makes a good point about AEG. Again, with the whole LA Live project, keeping the Lakers winning is vital. If AEG assures Dr. Buss that they will cover the tax after a certain point (90 million), then it is conceivable the Lakers enter the 100 mill range.
zerb says
quick salary cap question here.
assuming midlevel is 5.8 mil
is there an advantage to offering a free agent midlevel, rather than just offering 6 mil?
is there a difference on how its calculated against the cap?
also, if the lakers sign ariza to 5.8 mil, doesnt that also leave them a midlevel of 5.8 to sign another free agent from another team?
zerb says
any word on odom?
all this ariza talk has made us forget about the guy who is probably stoned out of his mind on some tropical island.
if no one has more than midlevel to get any players, does that mean that we could get odom for midlevel money?
Kurt says
If you haven’t seen it, CBS is reporting Artest to the Lakers, with Artest as the source. Trying to confirm.
Gatinho says
j.d. Kids in the Hall is possibly one of the best shows ever, so thanks, but let’s just say that that Scott Thompson and I don’t have a lot in common…
Zephid says
omg, I love Nine Stories. For Esme – With Love and Squalor is one of my favorite short stories ever. Some of the best lines ever come from that story.
“Happiness does not lie in happiness, but in the achievement of it.”
“Innovators and men of genius have almost always been regarded as fools at the beginning (and very often at the end) of their careers.”
“Man only likes to count his troubles, but he does not count his joys.”
“Realists do not fear the results of their study.”
“Sarcasm: the last refuge of modest and chaste-souled people when the privacy of their soul is coarsely and intrusively invaded.”
“The formula ‘Two and two make five’ is not without its attractions.”
“Fathers and teachers, I ponder “What is hell?” I maintain that it is the suffering of being unable to love.”
Though the last one is stolen from Dostoyevsky. Surprisingly, a lot of those seem unusually poignant regarding our free agent situation and most recent championship run.
j.d.hastings says
the aeg point is crucial- how big an influence are they? they can’t be a cablevision sized pro, but any help is great.
however as the knicks proved spending tax money doesnt equal winning teams or butts in the seats. is aeg really going to equate 10 mil of ariza on a huge dif in revenues? I love the kid and think we should lightly overpay him, but the fervor he’s getting from other teams (latest- simmons railing against cs management for not chasing him under the assumtion that any other team offering the mle will get him… ) really could make his price unreasonable.
to what extent is aeg really going to play gm here?
kurt just retweeted that artest is reporting hell sign w lakers. this is bizarre to me. I hope its not true but if it is, well make due. were talking about our #3 or 4 player. if ariza does leave hou seems mot likely because of taxes. that’s also the least heartbreaking destination fr me. but bynum should fire lee if this is how it goes down…
exhelodrvr says
If someone signs a 1 year contract, there are no Bird rights, correct? So the next year the team would be limited by the salary cap/MLE to re-sign?
j.d.hastings says
gatinho- in the obscure aussieimport movie strictly ballroom the protagonists’s dad, doug hastngs (the name I go by to friends) is described as ‘the greatest ball room dancer of all time’. so I understand…
E-ROC says
Kurt, Berger has more quotes from Artest and some other info.
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/15861966
Gatinho says
Zephid, “The Laughing Man” is my personal favorite but I will definitely copy and paste those quotes…
j.d.hastings says
sweet crap I don’t know what to think about the artest thing. pj called him? this feels too much like 2004 to me…
but it coul be worse- I could be kurt and have a press pass and get to talk to ron ron after writing whole articles excoriating him.
but seriously im not happy but this shouldt be the difference between repeating and not
kwame a. says
UPDATE:
Lakers spokesman John Black declined to comment on Artest’s assertion, but another person with knowledge of the situation corroborated Artest’s account that he will sign with L.A. pending the financial parameters being finalized.
Only 24 hours earlier, the buzz was focused on Artest joining LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal in Cleveland in what would’ve made a potent Big Three on the shores of Lake Erie. It would’ve been, well, eerie, too: Artest’s internal combustion engine, combined with LeBron’s exquisite dominance and Shaq’s alpha-male, all-round Shaq-ness would’ve been something to see.
But Artest said talks with Cleveland “never got that far.” Told that Cleveland, by all accounts, had extreme interest, Artest said, “I don’t know how extreme. I love the Cleveland Cavaliers, though. I love LeBron and Coach (Mike) Brown and Shaq.”
But what he really loves is L.A.
“L.A. is what it is,” Artest said. “I’ve been here for the whole summer, and it’s pretty good. It’s good for me. I know Lamar Odom, so that’s pretty cool.”
Artest spoke as though Odom would return to the Lakers to join Artest and Kobe Bryant for another title run. The addition of Artest would mean the Lakers have to choose between Odom and Trevor Ariza. Obviously, Ariza would be the odd man out and already has expressed displeasure with the Lakers’ efforts to lure him back with only the mid-level exception.
Anonymous says
Is Ariza gone now? If we’re getting Artest can’t we keep Ariza at least
I hope Artest isn’t signed to a long term deal. How much is he getting paid? UGH. I hope Artest is getting paid less than our full MLE. What a bummer
VoR says
Just when things were calming down, leave it to Kurt to stir the Artest pot again. 🙂
kwame a. says
The “no comment” from JB is the strongest indication this thing has legs.
Phil will earn that 12 mill if he can get Ron to stay within the confines of the offense
ladlal says
If we get Artest, it seems to me that we need to keep odom instead of ariza. odom gives us more options in the front court.
don’t know if odom would be willing to come back and back up artest though…
Brian P. says
If it is true, Odom’s role doesn’t change as of last year. He would be backing up Pau. LO didn’t really play SF at all last year.
Artest would be a SF primarily and an ocassional 2 in our offense.
Odom and Artest would only clash when they are getting high…
Brian P. says
Hah, I just sent my first comment that has gotten moderated. Pretty sure Kurt will let it through.
Anonymous says
ESPN The Magazine’s Chris Broussard reports that Artest and the Lakers have reached a verbal agreement on what is believed to be a three-year contract worth an estimated $18 million. Wednesday is the first day free agents are permitted to sign new deals.
I’d rather Ariza get paid that then Artest
Jeff Haut says
Espn reporting Artest deal supposedly 3 years, 18 million. Thoughts?
Andreas R says
Dang, I was hoping it would be TA. I’d rather have RA than nobody. If he acts up, the Lakers have a history of properly dealing with the antics – ask JR Rider.
VoR says
The only way this works is if we keep Odom.
Kevin H says
my friend saw artest and buss meet for lunch today and confirmed that people involved said it was true
Fudgy says
If Artest is signed….then they’ll go after TA too. LO is a goner.
Artest can play the 2, 3, or 4 (in a backup role).
Artest is the perfect person to guard Lebron because of his physical nature.
Andres says
Short term seems ok. But, don’t love it. Ariza fits short term and long term.
Firewalker says
If this is Mitch letting Lee know that it is on, then kudos to Mitch. If, instead, Artest is really on the “Lakers, Lakers, Lakers” then, well. I don’t know.
Basketball me says “take that Cleveland, San Antonio, and Orlando” ’cause I think this improves the roster. Fan me says “dang, we’re the bad guys now?”
E-ROC says
37. That’s a damn good deal for a guy like Ron Artest. I think its a win-win situation if Trevor Ariza isn’t coming back. I’m curious as to how he’ll fit into the triangle. This signing could help the re-signing of Lamar Odom a bit easier. I don’t know what went wrong with Ariza. Maybe his agent overplayed the market a bit and didn’t the system and players that Ariza played in last season.
With that said, I wish the Lakers would’ve played it a bit different. While Artest is somewhat of an ubertalent, I probably would’ve went for the bargain like Matt Barnes and/or Grant Hill. Hell, I would’ve doled out some money to Ramon Sessions or something. I think I would’ve played it a bit differently.
hertagnism says
@43
We were always the bad guys to the rest of the league.
As per all these Artest talks, the sources are still not as concrete as I would like so until the contract has been signed and we hold a press conference to hand Artest a jersey, let’s just have it as a highly likely situation.
DirtySanchez says
Let the Lakers be the bad guys, we can have OLD SPICE sponsor our team. We got swagger now baby!
Chris J says
You’ve got to be kidding, right?
If the Lakers add Artest at the expense of Odom, and possibly Ariza, it’s just disgusting to me. I can just see him shooting the team out of games come May, or shooting so poorly that the other players refuse to get him the ball, thereby allowing the defense to pack it in on Kobe, Pau and Bynum. As we all saw, that couldn’t happen when Odom and or Ariza were playing well.
I hate the way the guy plays; he’s a lunatic headcase. Odom was flighty, sure, but his teammates loved the guy. I don’t see the same with Artest.
If this sickness is really joining the team, I hope it’s at the expense of losing Ariza and not Odom.
Ideally, in my opinion anyway, L.A. would have signed Odom and Ariza, but it seems the money wasn’t in order.
we says
i lovee arizaa but cmon any one who thinks that ariza is better than artest is tripping…
YOU GUYS SHOULD Be HAPPY
this is one of the best defenders in the LEAGUE
he also won’t give Kobe trouble anymore!
we says
btw Ariza’s agent screwed it up for him..
Sseriously, be greedy and stupid and see what happens…
gaeaahea says
LA loved trevor..and his agent is making it seem liek we hate him.
more than anything, I bet the lakers feel disrespected and that is why they went after Artest.
Looks like Ariza just got bit in the ass.
Nicholas says
From the CBS article is sounds like Artest thinks Odom will be staying. If he just had lunch with Buss and has talked with Phil and his agent has talked with Mitch, I feel pretty confident that’s a reflection of how the Lakers are thinking. This move is a big risk but perhaps the Lakers simply liked Artest more at this price than they did Trevor. Artest can handle the ball better, shoot the three, and play three positions. And Ariza’s agent’s antics the last day or two may have pushed the Lakers away. Yes, Artest is a handful and a powderkeg…but Phil has had some success with this personality type in the past and Artest has lots talent, respect for Phil and is close with Odom. It may be the best situation for Ron to focus (wishful thinking, but that’s what we have to have now). And I wonder: did Phil push hard for this? He likes challenges and we know also had a soft spot for Artest, who he called ‘a bear of a man’. To come back for another year, Phil may have wanted something dramatically different and challenging for the next year.
Joel says
54
“he also won’t give Kobe trouble anymore!”
He never gave Kobe trouble. Battier maybe, but not Artest.
CL says
I think Artest is a GREAT addition over Ariza. If PJ handled Rodman he can handle Artest. And if we cant get odom back i think we should try signing Hedo no? and if not Hedo then Marion?
ladlal says
56. is close with Odom.
From when? Not challenging you, I just don’t know, and I want to know.
kwame a. says
Chris J- Relax. Artest is the plan B for Trevor. Unfortunatley, Trevor’s agent got in Trev’s ear and gassed him into thinking the Lakers would blink. Unlike humans, Mitch is a machine and cannot blink. Instead, he shrewdly secured a solid SF who can defend and shoot the spot up jumper. Lessons to be learned for Trevor, maybe starting with firing David Lee.
TRad says
I’m oficially depressed.
I think the main advantage of Artest vs Ariza is the length of the contract. Ariza will sign, somewhere, 5y contract.
However I don’t know why Lakers won’t give Ariza 5y – I could see Bynum/Ariza nucleus of the new Lakers.
I could understand had Pistons offered some stupid money – but it seems Ariza could have been Lakers for a little above MLE. It’s depressing. It’s Rider/Rodman all over again.
Mitch, WHYYYYY?
kwame a. says
ladla- LO and Ron-Ron were on the same AAU team when they were young
E-ROC says
CL – The Lakers can’t sign Hedo or Marion because they allegedly used their MLE on Ron Artest. They don’t have enough cash for Hedo or Marion.
ladlal says
62. remember that now. thanks
Zephid says
Under the premise that this report of Artest joining the Lakers is true, that almost certainly implies that Trevor Ariza will no longer be a Laker. However, the repercussions do not end there. It will be interesting to see if Ariza even gets mid-level money at this point. The main reason why Ariza’s market value had a lower support of the mid-level was because that’s what the Lakers were offering; he could only go up from there. Now, with the Lakers out of the running, who’s going to offer Ariza the mid-level, especially when there’s maybe 2-3 teams with the actual cap space and desire to sign him. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ariza’s market value plummets due to the Lakers giving the perverbial “FU” to David Lee. But then again, some GM will probably stupidly offer Ariza a 5 year, 30+ million dollar contract. My money is on Danny Ferry, if it comes down to it.
Scot says
What I would like to know is whether Ron-Ron was always our free-agent preference over Ariza, or whether we contacted Ron only after Ariza’s agent overplayed his hand. I hope we get a full explanation.
I also wonder whether Kobe signed off on this, or whether he was true to his word and deferred to the front office.
wondahbap says
Say it ain’t so.
Fortunately, this is only coming from Artest. Whom has everything to gain by releasing this news.
I’ll hold my breath. Get it done Ariza. We do not want Ron Ron.
kwame a. says
Trevor was great. Great attitude, and great contributor, but the biggest improvement in his game- his shooting, was influenced primarily by his work with Laker shooting coach Craig Hodges (and through Kobe’s tuteledge, via osmosis). Without Hodges, the triangle, Kobe, Pau or Phil, I will be interested to see how Trevor is able to contribute on his next team. I wish him all the luck, I wish things would’ve worked out better.
E-ROC says
I wonder why Ariza didn’t sign. Did Lee overplay the market? Did Mitch not offer the full 5 years of the MLE? I just find it strange that there is large possibility that Ariza will not be returning.
MannyP13 says
Say it isn’t so!
kwame a. says
Wonder if ESPN will make it clear that Ron chose to play with Kobe over LBJ…just sayin
Kurt says
new artest thread post up
wondahbap says
I think everyone should calm down a bit.
I’m reading these comments like everything is a done deal. I think there still a lot of negotiating going one.
Let’s all hold our horses and see what happens before we start wishing Trevor well and saying good-bye.
aB says
My heart hurts….there goes my Cooper 2.0.
This is mind boggling…..Artest? Seriously? I think he’s smart enough to pickup the triangle, but can he trust the triangle?
Plus, P Jax is not young anymore. Can he handle him?
Sad day for me…
kwame a. says
Wondahbap-Start wrapping your head around it bro, I think this is true. I think Lee took the negotiations past the point of no return.
Anonymous says
Artest and Odom played basketball together in New York when they were growing up. (Alston too)
go0db0i says
While it would have been preferable to have Ariza, in order to guarantee his services, seems like it would have cost up to 6.5 to 7mm to keep him, and it would have the lakers committed for 5 full years.
So to compare:
Ariza = 7mm for 5yrs = 35mm.
vs.
Artest = 5.6mm for 3yrs = 18mm
If you make the worst case assumption that Lakers pay luxury tax every year, then Lakers at least save 3mm a year for the first 3 years (9mm). And have cap flexibility 3 years from now.
Seems like Lakers got an upgrade in talent, downgrade of character, at least with a net savings of 9mm over 3 years. I would take it.
DirtySanchez says
Can’t wait to see that LA RonRon’s barber puts in his head
passerby says
i hate to see ariza go and i hope there was some way to keep him. contrary to others, i don’t think this is pau gasol heist 2.0 unless i see this team execution with LO in the fold and dominating. but i don’t get the expressed sadness of some bloggers around the net…. utter disappointment with the franchise.
you play with the cards you deal with. i still believe mitch knows what he is doing and he has been playing to keep everyone happy, save for ariza obviously but that was because it ended that way. the lakers are keen on keeping this thing going for 3 more years. they got kobe, artest and hopefully lamar for that long on the fold with a budding ab. worry about nick van exel days a bit later.
as for future nucleus, too early to say. goodness, bynum might not even be part of the new laker team pushing the run. or maybe a re-signed brown suddenly explodes. or what if sasha gets his groove back before he gets moved? so many variables. a lot of us are keeping the faith should this be inked. i suggest we wait and see. i think mitch is avoiding another overpaying session here. plus, he has made some choice to keep our versatile nightmare forward here it seems.
if we are stuck with artest, then it doesn’t really sound to me like we’re “stuck”. from some point of view of winning now, this can be an upgrade or a replacement at worst.
one thing to me is clear or some: we sent a message. we’re competing. we’re playing smart. and we’re not done moving yet. GO LAKERS!
Anonymous says
I’m going to miss Ariza a lot.
“”I understand that they did sign Ron Artest,” Ariza said. “They did what they had to do. I understand it’s a business.””
If only Ariza had a different agent, maybe things would have turned out differently
ladlal says
As much as I would like the Lakers to keep Ariza, this has to be placed on agent David Lee’s shoulders. He was the one who prematurely burned bridges. I find it hard to believe that he has never encountered a GM that didn’t want to just throw money at a free agent. His aggressive tactics are going to cost Trevor someday. Unfortunately, the media world is running with Lee’s story.
passerby says
ariza verbal commitment to houston espn reports. so some kind of a trade that gains us some more flexibility in talent and experience plus some change in exchange of a budding talent that hopefully in 2-3 years time doesn’t haunt us at caron butler levels. well, do best to move on and let the games begin!
shannon, take that next step and be the pg of the future. lamar, time to meet the board and sign on for one promising run. reading fan reaction across makes the fan in me giggle. how could they have not seen this coming? how now could they top this? sheed to celtics? if it clicks, it is a scary proposition. but this move (coupled with re-signings) somehow makes me feel better about our positiion
passerby says
ariza verbal commitment to houston espn reports. so some kind of a trade that gains us some more flexibility in talent and experience plus some change in exchange of a budding talent that hopefully in 2-3 years time doesn’t haunt us at caron butler levels. well, do best to move on and let the games begin!
shannon, take that next step and be the pg of the future. lamar, time to meet the board and sign on for one promising run. reading fan reaction across makes the fan in me giggle. how could they have not seen this coming? how now could they top this? sheed to celtics? if it clicks, it is a scary proposition. but this move (coupled with re-signings) somehow makes me feel better about our positiion
BTW I love your blog!