Basketball, even if in the remedial form of training camp, is back. Players are on the court participating in drills, scrimmaging, and soaking up what the coaches tell them in the hope of applying it in game situations — or, for the fringe roster players, in the hope that they can show enough to even […]
Morning Links
Around The World (Wide Web): Kobe-Jordan, Nash, PF position, Training Camp
From Phillip Barnett, Lakers Nation: One of the most ubiquitous sports debates revolves around the greatest basketball player of all time. It’s a difficult one because every decade adds or takes something away from the game, making it hard to compare players across eras. We can go back and watch the games, but different players found […]
Around The World (Wide Web): A “Team”, Achilles, Contracts, Pau, Offense
From Serena Winters, Lakers Nation: Injuries were the main topic of conversation at today’s Lakers practice. Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said both Steve Nash and Pau Gasol practiced in full for the most part yesterday, with the exception of a drill at the end of practice. The Lakers are currently holding two-a-day practices, but Nash and […]
Sunday Morning Reading: Training Camp Opens
Media day came and went for the Lakers on Saturday, offering a slightly different scene than the one last year where championship expectations came not just from the players, but from many of the reporters in attendance. This year, though, much has changed. Not only did a certain free agent Center choose to bolt town, […]
Around the World (Wide Web): Notes on the Eve of Camp
From Kevin Ding, Bleacher Report: Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak addressed the media Wednesday in advance of Mike D’Antoni opening his first Lakers training camp Saturday, and the strongest statement Kupchak made was in pushing his one element of continuity. Kupchak wouldn’t specify when, but he expressed confidence Bryant will return without any hint of injury—and […]
Around The World (Wide Web): Kobe, Camp, Kupchak,
From Phillip Barnett, Lakers Nation: On April 12, Kobe Bryant suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in a game against the Golden State Warriors. The next day, Bryant had surgery to repair the torn ligament, and has been rehabbing ever since. The usual timetable for a return after an Achilles tear is nine-to-12 months, a during the […]
Around The World (Wide Web): Kobe’s Dive, Lakers-Spurs, Achilles, Nash
From Ryan Ward, Lakers Nation: At 34 years-old, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers sustained the most severe injury of his NBA career. With a torn Achilles tendon, Kobe was sidelined for the remainder of the last season while the team was attempting to lock up a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Ultimately, the […]
Around The World (Wide Web): Shaq, Betrayal, Kobe’s Future, Nash
From Phillip Barnett, Lakers Nation: During the Lakers 2002 championship campaign, they had to go through the Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference Finals before they were able to finish off their three-peat with a sweep over the New Jersey Nets. That WCF against the Kings would prove to be the Lakers toughest test as the […]
Around The World (Wide Web): Magic, Metta, Lakers Expectations,
From Corey Hansford, Lakers Nation: Everyone in America remembers where they were on November 7, 1991. On that day, Magic Johnson announced to the world that he had contracted the HIV virus and would have to immediately retire from the NBA, ending one of the most illustrious careers in the history of the league. Despite announcing […]
Around The World (Wide Web): Expect Less, Have More Fun
From Dave McMenamin, ESPN LA: Pretty much any fan of the Los Angeles Lakers will tell you that the last three seasons haven’t been very fun, with the 2012-13 season falling much closer to painful than joyful on the experience scale. “We were stacked and it was an epic failure,” said Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist and Lakers […]