UPDATE - 09.10.2011
Merged all the sports threads into one, since none of them are active enough to make the combination explode. But if it becomes super active, then we'll just make a new one every year. Also that Lakers blog is long gone.
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UPDATE - 02.08.2007
Not entirely sure where i'm going with this, but i started a blog about the Lakers:
less than three Lakers dot com
From here on out, my random ramblings about Kobe, Lamar, and everyone else are going to be posted up there instead of this thread. With any luck, a few of my friends will participate as well. So if you're a Lakers' fan, make sure to check that blog every once in a while when you're bored. And if you're not, then you don't have to worry about seeing much of this thread near the top of the forum index anymore.
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Ground rules: No spoilers. That means no talking about games until the day after.
Ok so Gilbert scored 60 points and i was actually there and i'm totally happy for the dude. But that game was so rigged. Wizards had 60 free throws and Lakers had 30. Wizards have no defense whatsoever so they should have been getting shut down all over the place, but the refs would not let the Lakers play any defense at all. Towards the end whenever one of the Wizards got the ball, the dude next to us yelled "Why don't you just call the foul now?!"
Lakers played with amazing efficiency and everyone was making their shots. Even people who never ever make shots actually hit some threes. It was helluva frustrating to get to get robbed even after the crazy comeback. So rigged.
General Sports Discussion
General Sports Discussion
Last edited by Maj on Tue Dec 19, 2006 2:01 am, edited 1 time in total.
This is the formula for beating the Lakers this year:
1) Have one of your players go fucking nuts.
The end.
Michael Redd did it to us, Chris Paul did it to us, and now Gilbert Arenas did it to us. Almost half of our losses have come when someone just goes to town and has one of those games that no other team can beat.
If Arenas scores 60, you shrug your shoulders and move on. Just know that when players haven't gone insane, you can get cool victories like the Lakers did over Houston a few nights ago. THAT was a victory.
- James
1) Have one of your players go fucking nuts.
The end.
Michael Redd did it to us, Chris Paul did it to us, and now Gilbert Arenas did it to us. Almost half of our losses have come when someone just goes to town and has one of those games that no other team can beat.
If Arenas scores 60, you shrug your shoulders and move on. Just know that when players haven't gone insane, you can get cool victories like the Lakers did over Houston a few nights ago. THAT was a victory.
- James
Sucks to see the Lakers lose two close games in a row, but Ben Wallace is my favorite center in the league so i can't hate.
It's too bad that Detroit fell apart the way it did. They could have been a dynasty or something. But since Wallace left, there's nothing interesting left on that team. Phoenix is doing amazingly well too. Man, it's less than a third of the way into the season and already i can't wait for playoffs.
It's too bad that Detroit fell apart the way it did. They could have been a dynasty or something. But since Wallace left, there's nothing interesting left on that team. Phoenix is doing amazingly well too. Man, it's less than a third of the way into the season and already i can't wait for playoffs.
Well, hard to call the top team in the East "fallen apart." It IS the East, granted. But you can't knock them when they are on top.
I expect the Lakers to fall a few positions in December. Maybe to 7th seed or something like that. It's gonna happen 'cause Odom is out. However, I'm hoping the good comes of this in the same way the good came of Kobe being out for the Preseason. Our team got GOOD because Kobe didn't play in the preseason. That gave everyone a chance to get a feel for each other in games that didn't matter. Our preseason record was 50% I think? But the benefits were huge.
And now, with Odom out, I'm hoping Radmanovic really heats up. He's already looked a bit better with his 3. If the increased minutes allow him to find his flow,we can only benefit. It's also allowed for Cook to get back into the swing of things. After being out for a few games, it'll be nice to see him get his shootingtouch back as well.
If we are only a .500 team until Odom gets back, that's fine by me. With Odom back and Radmanovic playing like the free agent salary we gave him this summer demnads, and the Lakers being TRULY 10 players deep or something like that, I expect the Lakers to be scary good.
- James
I expect the Lakers to fall a few positions in December. Maybe to 7th seed or something like that. It's gonna happen 'cause Odom is out. However, I'm hoping the good comes of this in the same way the good came of Kobe being out for the Preseason. Our team got GOOD because Kobe didn't play in the preseason. That gave everyone a chance to get a feel for each other in games that didn't matter. Our preseason record was 50% I think? But the benefits were huge.
And now, with Odom out, I'm hoping Radmanovic really heats up. He's already looked a bit better with his 3. If the increased minutes allow him to find his flow,we can only benefit. It's also allowed for Cook to get back into the swing of things. After being out for a few games, it'll be nice to see him get his shootingtouch back as well.
If we are only a .500 team until Odom gets back, that's fine by me. With Odom back and Radmanovic playing like the free agent salary we gave him this summer demnads, and the Lakers being TRULY 10 players deep or something like that, I expect the Lakers to be scary good.
- James
Actually i was talking about last year, when they had the best team in the NBA and let Miami win the championship for no good reason. That was depressing to watch. Every time i see Ben Wallace on the court and he doesn't have a 2k5-2k6 championship trophy strapped to his back (Tekken 5 style), i get angry at the Pistons. At least if they had stopped Miami, it would have made up for them breaking up the Lakers gang in the championship game all those years ago.
Also last night's game was amazing. I dunno who gets credit for that. The coaching staff for doing a good job, the players for finding some magic rhythm, or the franchise for picking the right players. Evans is so much fun to watch. Any given second, that guy can be four feet in the air without a moment's notice.
The one thing that's still disappointing about the Lakers is that there's still no consistency in anything they do. Even if they're up by like 15 points, they could be down by 5 points five minutes later. Sometimes they'll go a whole quarter and it feels like NOBODY can hit a shot. Defense is the same coin toss. Sometimes they get like 3 steals in a row, sometimes nobody can stop a layup. With a lot of those guys, it feels like every point they make is a lucky basket - especially Kwame, Sasha, and Parker. They need to get that shit under control.
Also last night's game was amazing. I dunno who gets credit for that. The coaching staff for doing a good job, the players for finding some magic rhythm, or the franchise for picking the right players. Evans is so much fun to watch. Any given second, that guy can be four feet in the air without a moment's notice.
The one thing that's still disappointing about the Lakers is that there's still no consistency in anything they do. Even if they're up by like 15 points, they could be down by 5 points five minutes later. Sometimes they'll go a whole quarter and it feels like NOBODY can hit a shot. Defense is the same coin toss. Sometimes they get like 3 steals in a row, sometimes nobody can stop a layup. With a lot of those guys, it feels like every point they make is a lucky basket - especially Kwame, Sasha, and Parker. They need to get that shit under control.
Against the Kings last night Kobe had 42 points, 10 rebounds, and 9 assists. But that's bullshit because he had 9 assists with 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Then he made that pass to Smush for the layup that tied the game and sent them into overtime. Smush only dribbled once. That's an assist! Haters and thieves, all of them. Kobe shoulda had a triple double.
It was a damn good game though.
It was a damn good game though.
I hate to say it, but if the Lakers go up against the Hornets or the Grizzlies in the playoffs, i think it's our duty as fans to kidnap some key players and imprison them in unlabeled basements. It's one thing to get eliminated by a lucky shot from Phoenix. It's another thing to keep losing to the lowest-ranked teams in the NBA. Don't get me wrong, i'm happy to see New Orleans winning games cuz that city needs something to be happy about but the Los Angeles Kobes need to win a championship this year, preferably against the Miami Referees in the Finals.
Wow, what a disappointing road trip. It's ok to lose to great teams like Detroit, but it's not ok to look like complete fucking amateurs while it's happening. Especially after such a well-played game at Boston. Even though i'm not a big fan of LeBron James (cuz he's kinda boring to watch), i'm still glad that Cleveland beat the Lakers. Otherwise, the story would have been that LeBron dropped the ball and he doesn't deserve any criticism when it's the Lakers that are playing like shit. I hope the Lakers get their act together, and i hope that they don't get any false praise until it happens.
This is starting to get serious, here. 
Hopefully we can beat Cleveland tomorrow and have SOME momentum going into the break. I jsut hope Luke Walton can return soon after the break. And that Kwame Brown can come back soon, too. I know there a lot of Kwame haters out there, but he can put a big body on those post-up players like Dwight Howard, and he prevent s a lot of offensive rebounds that we are getting killed by right now.
But man, can't believe BOTH ankle sprains are turning out worse than originally thought. It's like the BBall Gods didn't think losing Chris Mihm for the whole season was enough. They gotta take out more guys.
- James
Hopefully we can beat Cleveland tomorrow and have SOME momentum going into the break. I jsut hope Luke Walton can return soon after the break. And that Kwame Brown can come back soon, too. I know there a lot of Kwame haters out there, but he can put a big body on those post-up players like Dwight Howard, and he prevent s a lot of offensive rebounds that we are getting killed by right now.
But man, can't believe BOTH ankle sprains are turning out worse than originally thought. It's like the BBall Gods didn't think losing Chris Mihm for the whole season was enough. They gotta take out more guys.
- James
The Lakers are the #1 team in the NBA again! Three wins, ZERO LOSSES!! That's 100% win record for as far back as i'm willing to remember!
In honor of the Lakers not sucking, here are some links to highlight videos from the All-Star game where Kobe won the MVP award.
The All-Star Game in 15 Minutes
Watch Kobe Bryant's MVP Performance
All-Access: All-Star Game
The All-Access video is dope. Kobe says, "This is basically the best pickup game in the world. You know what I mean? It just so happens that the rest of the world gets to kinda have a glimpse in." I wanted to post these earlier, but i was too ashamed to do it while the Lakers had lost 12 of their last 16 games.
In honor of the Lakers not sucking, here are some links to highlight videos from the All-Star game where Kobe won the MVP award.
The All-Star Game in 15 Minutes
Watch Kobe Bryant's MVP Performance
All-Access: All-Star Game
The All-Access video is dope. Kobe says, "This is basically the best pickup game in the world. You know what I mean? It just so happens that the rest of the world gets to kinda have a glimpse in." I wanted to post these earlier, but i was too ashamed to do it while the Lakers had lost 12 of their last 16 games.
Wow, have these people ever played with one another before? No rhythm whatsoever. I guess we're back to the days of Kobe doing everything. If this is gonna be the lineup for the rest of the season, then i just want to skip ahead to playoffs in hopes that they learn to make an inbounds pass by then. Futile sloppy streetball offense is not fun to watch.
The saddest thing is that the huddle isn't even crowded when the Lakers call a time out. Half the team is sitting in the back, wearing suits.
The saddest thing is that the huddle isn't even crowded when the Lakers call a time out. Half the team is sitting in the back, wearing suits.
Kobe's points per game average went up from 29.1 to 29.8 in one game. In the 66th game of the season. I know because i happened to check online during the game, because they said that he's the second leading scorer in the NBA, which was surprising in and of itself cuz last i heard he was fourth. Now he's about to be first again, for the second season in a row. Get em get em.
Kobe Scores a Season-Best 65
That three from the corner was the craziest shot ever. Shoving fools out the way (without fouling) like Jordan!
Kobe Scores a Season-Best 65
That three from the corner was the craziest shot ever. Shoving fools out the way (without fouling) like Jordan!
When he made that shot, I screamed "OH MY GOD!" and my brother had to come upstairs and see what the heck was going on.
I still joke about Kobe's 81 point barrage from last year. If he played EVERY OTHER GAME of that season and scored no points, he would have had a 1 point average for the year. Insane.
Let's see if he can go back-to-back-to-back with these 50 point games, but I highly doubt he'll get that high today. I'm sure it'll be in his mind, but it really depends on if it is needed. He's been better about these kind of things of late. I mean, he barely got 50 last game.
- James
I still joke about Kobe's 81 point barrage from last year. If he played EVERY OTHER GAME of that season and scored no points, he would have had a 1 point average for the year. Insane.
Let's see if he can go back-to-back-to-back with these 50 point games, but I highly doubt he'll get that high today. I'm sure it'll be in his mind, but it really depends on if it is needed. He's been better about these kind of things of late. I mean, he barely got 50 last game.
- James
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Thongboy Bebop
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Haha, that's pretty dope TB. Get em get em.
I mean, cheating on your wife is terrible but this is the NBA we're talking about. At least you get the impression that it was a rare occurance with Kobe. I bet the vast majority of married celebrities cheat on their significant others on a regular basis. The best players in every sport tend to be especially guilty of this. As for the rape charges, well, i don't even think it's worth thinking about. With the amount of money and distorted media coverage that was involved, it could easily go both ways. Whether he did or he didn't, there's absolutely no way whatsoever that any of us are ever going to extract the truth from the political clusterfuck that (inevitably) ensued.
There's like a level of wealth and fame, that once someone crosses that line, they forfeit the truth of their character to the sea of ambiguity known as public opinion. We only get to see who Kobe is on the court. Off the court, i'm not even gonna waste my time guessing.
So anyway, looks like the 50-point string ended. I was hella sad yesterday, but i guess it had to happen. All streaks must end. To be honest though, i got a little pissed off at Ronny Turiaf. Towards the end he was getting all the rebounds but wasn't passing them to Kobe. Like, if the team wanted, they could have easily gotten him the 50. But i guess that wouldn't be as cool. Also in all fairness, Kobe had a good shot at the 50 without having to force it. There were two 3-point attempts he missed towards the end of the game that were both the deciding factor. If he had hit either of those, then it would have been easy to justify giving him the ball on the next couple of plays. But he missed so other people got to take shots (even though most of 'em were missing too).
Cool thing is that Kobe made his point, he did it without ballhogging by shooting well over 50%, he didn't force the issue, he set a record that only Wilt Chamberlain (whose records don't count for shit) beats, he pulled the Lakers out of an enormous losing streak into an impressive ongoing winstreak, and he stopped before the NCAA finals so those kids don't get upstaged at the peak of their season. Plus it was a dumb record anyway. "Most 50-point games" is completely arbitrary. The only thing making it more important than "most 51-point games" is that we have 10 fingers.
I mean, cheating on your wife is terrible but this is the NBA we're talking about. At least you get the impression that it was a rare occurance with Kobe. I bet the vast majority of married celebrities cheat on their significant others on a regular basis. The best players in every sport tend to be especially guilty of this. As for the rape charges, well, i don't even think it's worth thinking about. With the amount of money and distorted media coverage that was involved, it could easily go both ways. Whether he did or he didn't, there's absolutely no way whatsoever that any of us are ever going to extract the truth from the political clusterfuck that (inevitably) ensued.
There's like a level of wealth and fame, that once someone crosses that line, they forfeit the truth of their character to the sea of ambiguity known as public opinion. We only get to see who Kobe is on the court. Off the court, i'm not even gonna waste my time guessing.
So anyway, looks like the 50-point string ended. I was hella sad yesterday, but i guess it had to happen. All streaks must end. To be honest though, i got a little pissed off at Ronny Turiaf. Towards the end he was getting all the rebounds but wasn't passing them to Kobe. Like, if the team wanted, they could have easily gotten him the 50. But i guess that wouldn't be as cool. Also in all fairness, Kobe had a good shot at the 50 without having to force it. There were two 3-point attempts he missed towards the end of the game that were both the deciding factor. If he had hit either of those, then it would have been easy to justify giving him the ball on the next couple of plays. But he missed so other people got to take shots (even though most of 'em were missing too).
Cool thing is that Kobe made his point, he did it without ballhogging by shooting well over 50%, he didn't force the issue, he set a record that only Wilt Chamberlain (whose records don't count for shit) beats, he pulled the Lakers out of an enormous losing streak into an impressive ongoing winstreak, and he stopped before the NCAA finals so those kids don't get upstaged at the peak of their season. Plus it was a dumb record anyway. "Most 50-point games" is completely arbitrary. The only thing making it more important than "most 51-point games" is that we have 10 fingers.
Yeah, people seem to forget that Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan both cheated on their wives, too. I mean, they both are still paragons of personality and lovability in the sport of basketball. Kobe doesn't get that benefit just 'cause the man does not have a sense of humor gene in his body.
Famous sports athletes probably have extremely hot women throwing themselves at them their whole lives. It takes some mighty strong will NOT to fall into that trap ever.
- James
Famous sports athletes probably have extremely hot women throwing themselves at them their whole lives. It takes some mighty strong will NOT to fall into that trap ever.
- James
Wtf, Phil Jackson has 10 championship rings? He's being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and it says that he won a championship with the NY Knicks in 1973 as a player. That's crazy!
Also wtf is up with Jordan Farmar? What the hell was the point of putting him in the D-League for a day? He sucked and they lost that game.
Anyway good job Lakers for winning last game against Sacramento. Can't believe they lost that game against Houston though. Such a beautiful comeback, blown cuz of two questionable calls. Both times Kobe gambled and both times the refs weren't buying it. Even Skip to my Lou said he was shocked that they called traveling on Kobe. He probably tried to pass to someone but they weren't even looking in his direction, so he had to change his mind and his momentum owned him up. Still a great game though, even though it's hella frustrating that Lakers can't win overtime games.
Also wtf is up with Jordan Farmar? What the hell was the point of putting him in the D-League for a day? He sucked and they lost that game.
Anyway good job Lakers for winning last game against Sacramento. Can't believe they lost that game against Houston though. Such a beautiful comeback, blown cuz of two questionable calls. Both times Kobe gambled and both times the refs weren't buying it. Even Skip to my Lou said he was shocked that they called traveling on Kobe. He probably tried to pass to someone but they weren't even looking in his direction, so he had to change his mind and his momentum owned him up. Still a great game though, even though it's hella frustrating that Lakers can't win overtime games.
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Thongboy Bebop
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Yet somehow the top two MVP candidates have been white for like the last three years. Wtf?!
Actually the real reason i brought it up is cuz Mark Cuban (owner of the Dallas Mavs) was making an interesting case for why Dirk should win MVP over Steve Nash.
Also, it's tight when you click on the NBA Stats Index and Kobe is the day's leader in the Assists column.
Actually the real reason i brought it up is cuz Mark Cuban (owner of the Dallas Mavs) was making an interesting case for why Dirk should win MVP over Steve Nash.
He's basically saying that it's kind of easy to get your teammates good numbers when you're playing with three All Stars. Phoenix never goes as deep into their roster as Dallas does. Also, Steve Nash had been on the Mavs for years and wasn't nearly as effective as he is on the Suns. It's just that D'Antoni's system fits Nash really well. If you put him on the Lakers in the triangle offense, his productivity would plummet. Anyway i just thought it was interesting because nobody has ever made an argument before against Steve Nash making his teammates better. Now i kinda wonder.Mark Cuban wrote:If the measure of an MVP is making the players around him better, then by definition that team should be able to go ten deep when that MVP is on the court ... If you're not good enough to get the other guy off the bench, then maybe you don't make your teammates as good as everybody thinks.
Also, it's tight when you click on the NBA Stats Index and Kobe is the day's leader in the Assists column.
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Thongboy Bebop
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I think it's because you really, really notice when white guys are doing well, as opposed to the other 98% of the league where "all look same". Also, it's not like the NBA has an affirmative action program or anything. Random black guys are generally really good, so when there's pretty much anybody else who's comparable they're usually really above-average. There's what, like 2-3 asian players? But Yao Ming is the one everybody knows, 'cause he stands out.
N - Are there any hispanic players at all? I really don't know squat about basketball.
N - Are there any hispanic players at all? I really don't know squat about basketball.
"If you lose any more weight I'm sending you to rehab." -- My Mother
I'll agree with the first statement if you move over one of the "really"s like this: you really notice when white guys are doing really well.Thongboy Bebop wrote:I think it's because you really, really notice when white guys are doing well, as opposed to the other 98% of the league where "all look same".
N - Are there any hispanic players at all? I really don't know squat about basketball.
Cuz there are like four or five white guys on the Lakers but only Luke Walton is anywhere near consistent. When either Vujacic or Farmar do well on one end of the court, it's usually a sign that they're going to make a terrible decision on the other end. When either of them makes a few good plays in a row, it gives them quote unquote confidence. Mostly unquote. Cuz that just means we get to watch them brick like 5 shots in a row. They're the kind of players that when they start to get hot, you gotta keep the ball out of their hands. Smush Parker is another great example of letdown central.
There are a few hispanic players i think. There was a guy named Francisco Garcia on the Kings, the last team we played.