Los Angeles Lakers

10) They were spotted in Kobe's escalade at an 'N and Out drive-through. And yes, they both got "animal style."

9) When on road trips in Denver, Kobe's got Artest covered for booty calls.

Continue reading "Top 10 Reasons Kobe and Artest will work out"

Almost exactly a year ago I wrote and published my first blog in this here forum of journalistic excellence and opinionated sports debate. I recounted the pitfalls of a thoroughly disappointing Lakers-Celtics Finals, one that should have been steeped in drama, history and haymakers but was instead hampered by flops, bricks, and poor decision-making. I find it fitting to sit here on this most unceremonious of anniversaries (does anyone still read this? if you’re out there, send money) and begrudgingly opine on yet another, equally disappointing Finals. 

Continue reading "Another Disappointing Finals"

NBA FINALS; Orlando Magic give LA a Battle of a Game, but Lakers Take It in Overtime!!!!
  Orlando came out of the gate a little sloppy, but so did the Lakers. Last night LA did not control the paint. This game was was a real fight and a really good game.  After the 1st period it was 15-15, an even game. The Magic really shut down Kobe in the first half, and played really great defense all around. D. Howard was getting his rebounds, 16 a game high and made some nice moves to help out the Magic's offense, scoring 17-points and 4 assists, a lot better than last game, and at half it was a 5 point LA lead.

Continue reading "Lakers in Overtime"

Western Conference Finals Game 5: Another Battle But Kobe Makes Right Decision For Lakers Win!!!!! As I wrote in my last couple blogs teamwork wins, and LA and Cleveland have not been playing as a team, either Bryant or James wins it for their team or they have lost because Orlando and Denver have been playing with teamwork for the whole playoffs.

Continue reading "Lakers Teamwork brings a Home a win"

Or is it dilemmi? Either way.

As the entire NBA world eagerly awaits the potential match-up of Kobe and LeBron in this year's finals, they also can't help observe it's getting increasingly difficult for them to get there. The Magic and Nuggets are hitting their strides at the right time, with bench players stepping up at crucial moments, Van Panic and Karl making good coaching moves, and both team's point guards acting as the leaders they can be. Even if the current and future MJ's of our time average 50 a game for the rest of the playoffs, it won't matter. That's not how you reach the Golden Summit (Yes, I just used "Golden Summit" as an analogy for the Finals. Deal with it. I like it.).

Continue reading "Kobe and LeBron facing similar dilemmas"

When Mark Cuban told Lydia Moore that her son, the Nuggets' Kenyon Martin, was a "thug" after Game 3 of the Nuggets-Mavs series, he crossed a line. I thought I'd point out the Top 10 Things he MEANT TO SAY to Ms. Moore:

Continue reading "Top 10 Things Mark Cuban MEANT TO ..."

Steroids has officially gone postal.

The list of all-star players who have been revealed to be using steroids: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro, Andy Pettitte, Jason Giambi, Miguel Tejada, Alex Rodriguez, now.......MANNY RAMIREZ.

Continue reading "Manny being Manny: The Latest twist ..."

If Kobe Bryant expects to win a championship this June, he needs to trust his teammates more. If he doesn't, the Lakers will not only struggle to win the Finals, they may have trouble even getting there. Last night's loss to the Houston Rockets, putting them down 1-0 in the series, is to me, enough cause for concern. Phil Jackson needs to sit down Kobe and tell him the same thing he told Jordan: trust your teammates more.

Continue reading "Memo to Kobe: Be like Mike"

Say Swine Flu keeps spreading. Say it gets worse, like "Outbreak" worse, and the majority of people in the US get it, including LeBron James. I still don't think I could beat him one-on-one. Even if it was first to score. Or if we played "PIG." Remember when Jordan had the flu in the '88 playoffs, and he dropped 47 against the Knicks, AT the Garden??? We spectators/bloggers/sports fans seriously over-estimate the flu. If LeBron had swine flu, not only would he stuff me like a Quizno's Torpedo, he would still be able to beat the following athletes/teams:

Continue reading "LeBron could beat me with Swine Flu"

I'm a Kobe fan. Huge Kobe fan. He's practically my generation's MJ. Nothing against MJ, I just never saw him play much. I went to the United Center once, when I was seven, and all I remember is Scottie Pippen's crew-cut and cotton candy. Also, I'm from D.C., so the fact that MJ ruined the entire development and chemistry of an up-and-coming Washington Wizards team, just so he could milk a little more limelight, doesn't really sit well.

Continue reading "Why Lakers fans should worry about ..."

Always an interesting time of the NBA season, when all of us fans sit and wonder which NBA superstars are on the move. This year, there are some really big names that are on the trading block. Lets look at a few of them, hey they just might end up on your favorite team.

Continue reading "The NBA Trade Deadline is right around ..."

Some trades are simply mind-boggling. The Los Angeles Lakers' trade that sent Vladimir Radmanovic to the Charlotte Bobcats for Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown, is alarmingly close to that dubious distinction. If "mind-boggling" isn't the best description, then just plain "dumb" should suffice.

Continue reading "Radmanovic trade a mistake for Lakers"

ow, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo will make up for his slightly decreased production.

2-Los Angeles Lakers; 40-9, 1st in the Western Conference

With Bynum, they're (barely) the best team in the NBA. Without him they're second -- again. Kobe Bryant is, without a doubt, the premier basketball player in the universe, but Pau Gasol is his only reliable partner in crime.

Continue reading "NBA Power Rankings"

The Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics have indeed renewed there once coveted rivalry. The Lakers have had a very sour taste in there mouth since last year's NBA finals and this year they have come to play against the Celtics. The Lakers, yet again must learn life without Andrew Bynum. And this year things will be different. They match up so well with the Celtics. Kobe and Gasol against Garnet, Pierce, and Allen. One of the Celtics three will always shoot themselves in the foot. The Lakers bench is devised of quick, nagging, humble assassins who have come to love there role of being Kobe's sidekicks. The Celtics bench is devised of a Big Baby, a Leon Powe and a cold blooded Eddie House. I guess you could throw in an ineffective Tony Allen, as well.

Continue reading "Battle at The Garden"

I never had the opportunity to personally attend any of the classic Celtics-Lakers games of the 80s. I was actually only in the old Boston Garden twice, and neither occasion was for basketball. I can’t even claim to remember watching any of the historic battles live on television since I was just six when the decade ended. ESPN Classic provided me with the handful of Bird vs. Magic matchups I have seen, and while I could still feel the intensity between the two great franchises, the suspense was lacking because I already knew the outcomes prior to sitting down.

Continue reading "Lakers-Celtics: Waiting for Round Three"

starters by the fans:

G – Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets

G – Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

F – Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs

F – Amar’e Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns

Continue reading "The Sports Don Reveals His Western ..."

(Note: I've published this post on another blog of mine, here.)

Did you see these two teams yesterday? I don't think I've ever been more impressed by a pair of NBA teams on the same day. The Celtics absolutely dismantled a respectable Dallas Mavericks' team, and the Lakers shamed the once-mighty San Antonio Spurs. Everything was clicking for both the Celtics and Lakers, and yet it's not as if this was a one-time deal.

Continue reading "We're headed for a Lakers/Celtics ..."

The Kobes and the LeBrons, excuse me, I mean, the Lakers and the Cavs met for the first time this season a week ago today in Los Angeles, and while the home team won by 17 in an uneventful game where James matched his number in points and Bryant’s 20 weren’t even a team-high, it did give basketball’s so-called pundits another opportunity to debate who’s better: Kobe or LeBron.

Continue reading "Kobe versus LeBron - The Battle for Superiority"

Anyone catch that Spurs Lakers game from last night?  It was a fantastic, wonderful game from tip-off to final buzzer.  It came down to the last possession, and there was a certain exchange that I found to be quite delightful that may just come in handy sometime later this year...  

Continue reading "A Quick Aside... (NOT!)"

Dear readers:

I'd like to begin my blogging on this account by thanking each and every one of you who have taken the time to read my content in the past, and those of you who will do the same in the near future. A special, personal thanks goes out to the readers who have provided me with direct feedback.

Continue reading "Welcome to JFro Sports Journalism"

The Celtics finally lost, and although many in the sports world would have you believe that the sky is falling, I for one am not entirely convinced.  Give credit to Kobe and the Lakers, they played hard on Christmas day and earned their win.  They were physical with the Celtics and very aggressive on both ends of the floor, forcing Boston turnovers and making big shots when it counted, but I'm not worried, and I don't believe that the Lakers have redeemed themselves at all for the turd egg they laid in last season's Finals.  Since when does winning one regular season game at home count as a statement game?  How does one victory on National TV even come close to making up for a humiliating 39 point ego-ectomy (to use the basketbawful terminology) of a defeat in basketball's biggest game of the year or the three embarassing losses that preceeded it?

Continue reading "Are They Who We Thought They Were?"

With the MLB playoffs set to begin, there is a subtle difference in the air compared to start of any other postseason. In the NHL, fans can potentially look forward to a great Canadians/Bruins series that is not only exciting, but has a historical kick to it. Likewise basketball fans always have the chance to see if the Suns can finally get past the Spurs and football fans love seeing the rivalry of the Eagles Vs the City of Philadelphia when the Eagles so much as get tackled for a loss.

Continue reading "The Ups and Downs of the MLB Playoffs"

Jon Lester can add this to all of the accolades he has already achieved:  he is a definitive stopper on the Boston Red Sox.  He has overcome Cancer, won the deciding game of the World Series, pitched a no-hitter and, oh yeah, is right now the most effective starting pitcher the Red Sox have.

Continue reading "Lester: The New Stopper"

Are you like me? Are you thinking that last week’s NBA Finals should go down as one of the biggest disappointments in league history? Lakers-Celtics was supposed to rekindle the drama and mystique of the Finals; a match-up steeped in tradition, the best team from each conference squaring off in a best-of-seven, no-holes-bared, knockout, high-caliber glitz-fest. The glitz was plentiful, but the high-caliber basketball never really materialized.

Continue reading "Disappointing Finals"

;d like to offer my most sincere apologies for the delay in between the axe murdering defeat of the Los Angeles Lakers at the hands of the Boston Celtics, but seeing as it was their NBA record 17th title, and the first since 1986 (can’t say I remember that one), I thought that instead of immediately pumping out a sloppy reaction column to the Celtics’ 39 point mop-the-floor-with-Pau-and-Kobe victory, I’d spend two days getting hammered in celebration and then pump out a sloppy reaction column later (that’s it boy, show off those $100,000 liberal arts study skills!).  So without further ado, let the praise, adulation, and probably more than a few sick burns commence!

Continue reading "Defense Dominates"

I'm somewhat at a loss for words today (surprising, no?).  All I can say is that the Lakers got lucky last night in more ways than just the favorable officiating (Kobe just about hacked Paul Pierce's arm off on the decisive steal, but the game was not lost there).  The Lakers are lucky that KG missed two crucial free-throws (which, should the Celtics lose will become the mother of all albatrosses hanging around the Big TIcket's neck), and especially lucky that 3 of 5 Celtic starters are hurt during the biggest games of the entire season.  Knowing that, the Lakers should be ahead, they should be cruising to a championship, but they aren't.  The Celtics botched game five and spoiled a brilliant performance by Paul Pierce that could have, and should have clinched the series. The bad news for LA is that the Celtics know that, and they won't let it happen again.

Continue reading "Redraw"

?  You mean to tell me that the Celtics rallied from an 18-point halftime deficite to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 97-91 and put a hammer lock on this series?  And Kobe only scored 17, in LA?  You can't be serious.

Continue reading "Hallucinating in Tandem, or Real?"

Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.  I’m way too burned out on the Celtics/Lakers nostalgia trip to really engage this, but I think that this is worth pointing out (mostly because it’s an opportunity to poke at the national sports media for their laughably predictable analysis and Finals picks).  I just find it somewhat strange that after so many years of going for the same fools gold, the talking heads of the Association can’t figure anything out. 

Continue reading "Cyclical History and Boxing Tips"

Sorry about the delay in the game one post, but it wasn't until very recently that I was able to pick my jaw back up off the floor after Thursday's game one 98-88 Celtics win in game one of this year's NBA Finals.  As giddy as I am about the Celtics' win, I am equally terrified for the health of Paul Pierce's knee and Boston's future in this series.

Continue reading "Joyful Panic"

e plans for the Celtics to employ against the mighty and dangerous (they're just mighty dangerous!) Los Angeles Lakers.

One of the biggest keys for the Celtics is staying aggressive on offense.  I know, that's really insightful and descriptive (I was going to say cliché...), but don't worry, baby birds, I'll feed you.  If the Celtics can stay aggressive on offense and continually drive to the basket and get shots in the paint, they'll be attacking the Lakers softest and most exploitable spot, their interior defense and big men.  You are now undoubtedly protesting by saying something along the lines of "Pau Gasol is down there, and he's long, athletic and a Laker now which means no fouls get called on him!"  Right you are, but whom, I ask you, is behind Pau Gasol in the Lakers rotation?  Ronny Turiaf and DJ Mbenga, that's who. 

Continue reading "Middle Men"

id chunk on the Tivo) to catch some classic NBA Finals match ups between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.  The games will be a smattering from the 1980s era of Bird v. Magic, and will be airing starting this Monday and continuing through Wednesday.  These games have something for everyone, short shorts and good shooting for my mom, passing and good defense for dad, and good, competitive basketball that everyone can and should enjoy.

Continue reading "Get Psyched!!!!!!!"

ad of being downright cocky and picking the Celtics to win the title.  That good reason is the Los Angeles Lakers, which is also the same reason that I'm not so giddy about the Celtics' prospects in the Finals this year.  The Lakers are really good, and they've shown it too, ripping through some of the fiercest competition in recent NBA history with ease en route to a Finals berth.

Continue reading "Throwback"

Today's tangent is inspired by Raymond (shockingly, with me on this one) and Matt Stauffer, who has posed a challenge to me by asserting that the Celtics will lose to either Detroit or the winner of the Western Conference for a few key reasons.  Following the game one victory for Boston, I thought I'd address a few of his concerns (convenient that I waited until a resounding Celtics victory to start talking smack, isn't it?).  Hey, hey, easy now, I'm not fixin' to start a war or anything, in fact I respect the feedback and the fact that somebody is actually reading my posts (anyone else? ...Beuller?).  I'm only out to address the argument and provide as complete a rebuttal as I can, so without further delay, let's get started.

Continue reading "Hungry Like the (Former) Wolf"

Don't blame me for this, it's just that time of year.  Sadly, the Celtics are still in cruise control and I have to do something to fill the void between now and Saturday.  So, for lack of anything better to write about, I suppose I'll put my two bits in about the various award races going on in the NBA.  If I eventually tail off and stop writing mid-sentence, it's because I'm just as bored with the subject as you'll be (actually, if you stick with it longer than I do, I'll be impressed!).  And I suppose it is the popular question du-jour, so let's get down to it.

Continue reading "Award Tour"

  No 'd,' there you have it (Look what my college degree gets me!).  Maybe that's why the Los Angeles Lakers (no "d" there either!) don't play it very well.  I don't even need to back that statement up, either (but fear not, I'm going to!).  The proof is in the pudding, and by pudding I mean last night's loss to the Trail Blazers in Portland.

Continue reading "There's No 'D' in Los Angeles"

No NBA yesterday, instead I had to settle for March Madness, boo hoo.  It was a great game, and despite the loss I still think that Derrick Rose is the best player in college right now and should be the no. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft.  He's incredibly athletic, has a great sense of the game, a high basketball IQ and most importantly is, by all accounts, an excellent leader and teammate.  Michael "Beastly" is incredible as well, I just think Rose's ability to make his teammates better and his upside are tremendous.  Also, Chris Douglas Roberts and Mario Chalmers were amazing, to put it mildly.

Continue reading "A Pu-Pu Platter of Coming Attractions"

We have been waiting for this moment for months.  No, I’m not talking about the Jason Kidd trade to go through (which it did today).  I am talking to about the second half of the NBA season to begin.  The first three and a half months can be such a drag, and usually are but in the second half, everything picks up.  It is a two-month stretch run to the playoffs.  This is the time when teams like San Antonio and Detroit flip their switch on and look to be playing their best when the playoffs begin.  The flurry of trades that have gone on in the last two or three weeks has just made the second half that much more interesting.  The NBA season is about 20 games too long and it kills ratings but now is the time to jump on the bandwagon.  These next couple months of the regular season and the playoffs are going to be some of the best basketball since the ‘80’s.  The NBA, where exciting happens.

Continue reading "The NBA, Where Only the Second Half ..."