Big Lakers Fan

Is Kobe Bryant the Lakers' Best Scorer of All-Time?

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 05:03:00 +0000

Kobe Bryant's reputation as a scorer will never be doubted but is the the best scorer the Los Angeles Lakers franchise has ever seen?

To wit, here are some of the franchise milestones Kobe Bryant is in the Top Five of (as of this blog post):

#4 in Field Goals made
#3 in Field Goal attempts
#1 in 3-point Field Goals made
#1 in 3-point Field Goal attempts
#2 in Free Throws made
#3 in Free Throw attempts
#3 in career points
#4 in career scoring average

The list is pretty impressive but there are three other players who are in the top five of the categories I mentioned (except 3-point shooting, which was instituted in the 1984 season): Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West.

Kareem accumulated his numbers with a lengthy playing career with the Lakers. Jerry West is currently on top of the franchise scoring list with more than 25,000 points and Elgin Baylor has the highest career scoring average of anyone who wore the Lakers jersey.

But Kobe Bryant edges the Hall of Famers on some aspects: He's the youngest player to 24,000 career points and at pace to overcome Jerry West. On a Per 36 minutes perspective on averages, Kobe Bryant outscores all of them. And one more thing: Kobe is one of two players to score more than 80 points in a game.

At this point, a lot of these numbers can be argued and some intangibles should be taken into account, like West's clutch performance, the playing era of the 1960's of Baylor, and some "unfair" advantages like Kareem's unstoppable sky hook.

So where do you think Kobe Bryant stands as the Best Scorer in Lakers history?

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers Frontline Out

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:41:00 +0000

Now the Los Angeles Lakers know what 90% of the other NBA teams feel like-- A smallish frontline with no good combo of 7-footers.

Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum will see extended absences due to their respective injuries and both still have no definite return dates as of this writing. Gasol has yet to play this season with a hamstring injury (feared to be torn) and Bynum has a strained elbow he sustained two games ago.

The absence of the two Lakers frontline stalwarts means that Lamar Odom will be seeing time at the center and power forward positions, and Ron Artest will be moonlighting in the 4 position. Of course, Josh Powell and DJ Mbenga will have to say goodbye to the pine for the meantime. While the bench frontline combined for 18 points (8 for 18 shooting), 17 rebounds, and 4 blocks against the Memphis Grizzlies, I'd still prefer to see less of them on a regular basis.

But despite the loss of the talented Gasol and Bynum, the Lakers are 2-0 on games with the two out. The reason? Kobe Bryant.

Kobe has been scoring like a monster and he is shooting a career best 48% from the field in the season so far. His 34.5 points per game is tops in the NBA and his points have come off being the primary offensive option for the Lakers.

The champs will be hard pressed in the next few games without Gasol anf Bynum, but I think they will still keep their winning ways with one weapon the rest of the league doesn't have-- Kobe.

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Did the Lakers Make a Mistake on Letting Trevor Ariza Go?

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:26:00 +0000

Hindsight is 20-20 and what my hindsight is telling me is that the Los Angeles Lakers missed out on Trevor Ariza.

As of writing, Ariza has been flourishing with the Houston Rockets. His numbers? Oh, he's been averaging over 23 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, hitting 3 three-balls and getting almost 2 steals a game. By getting 14 extra minutes per game, Ariza as triples his scoring output and the three pointers he's hitting (and taking). At the rate he's going he could be an All-Star in a couple of years.

The Lakers on the other hand have found little success with Ron Artest.His numbers suggest he has yet to fins his stroke on the field (32% shooting) and on the stripe (a dismal 36%!). I think Artest is still surprised he's wearing purple and gold.

By looking at the numbers objectively, the virtual swap between the Artest and Ariza looks like a lemon for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

So Much for 82-0

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:43:00 +0000

So much for going 82-0.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Dallas Mavericks at home, 94-80, no thanks to a stagnant third quarter and a weak performance from the starters.

In the last game against the Clippers, Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum combined for 59 points. But in the Mavs game, the duo came up with only 34. This slip-off in the offense also affected the rest of the starters (Lamar Odom, Ron Artest, and Derek Fisher) shot 8 for 26 (30%). Artest was the worst offender as he only made one field goal for the game. If you're a starter for any team, that totally unacceptable.

Apart from the offensive failures, the Lakers' defense was bad. The team committed 29 fouls and did not protect the perimeter and low blocks effectively, as evidenced by the paltry blocks and steals of the team. The only saving grace was this beauty of a putback from Shannon Brown:

Perhaps the Lakers were still high from their ring ceremonies that a better opponent than the Clippers brought them back to earth? The Lakers should definitely step-up against the rising Atlanta Hawks in the next game.

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Andrew Bynum: An All-Star This Season?

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:54:00 +0000

Andrew Bynum is averaging 26 points and 13 rebounds this season.

Well, the Los Angeles Lakers have only played one game this season so far, Andrew Bynum is showing us glimpses that he may be good enough to be an All-Star this season.

Bynum's numbers may be a bit inflated because resident starter Pau Gasol was out with an injury and the Lakers were playing the hapless Los Angeles Clippers. But Andrew is leaner (and perhaps meaner) and he faced a decent center in Chris Kaman. So that has to count for something right?

If you ask me, the main roadblock to Bynum's ascent into the All-Star stratosphere is not the front court of the tough Western Conference, but his health. He's showing us that he's getting comfortable running the floor and playing with a knee brace.

If he's able to play 90% of his games by February 2010 with an average of 18 points, 11 rebounds, 2 blocks, I think Bynum is a shoo-in to the West Team in Dallas.

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers Look Good In Season Opener

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:33:00 +0000

The Los Angeles Lakers opened the 2009-2010 NBA season with two important things: their championship rings from last season and a win.

The Los Angeles Clippers provided little fight as the Lakers beat them 99-92 at the Staples Center. This cross-town match-up featured a fast start by Lakers, scoring 32 points in the first quarter and forcing the Clippers to 9 turnovers. But like bully toying with little kid, the Lakers let their opponents inch closer in the third quarter only to smother them in the fourth.

Kobe Bryant led the way with 33 points but the focus was on new Laker Ron Artest.Artest had a decent line (10 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists) but shot poorly at 30%. His game reminds me of a stronger, more aggressive version of Rick Fox as Ron-Ron hounded the Clippers front and back-courts well. His elaborate hairdo also reminds me of another former Laker-- Dennis Rodman.

The Lakers looked really sharp even with Pau Gasol out with an injury. Andrew Bynum (26 points, 13 rebounds) and Lamar Odom (16 points, 13 rebounds) stepped up big time. Take away DJ Mbenga's jump shots and the team's dismal third quarter, the Lakers proved their championship mettle.

Ah, it feels good to be a Laker fan this season opener. :D

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Top 10 Best Lakers of the Last Decade

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 08:21:00 +0000

I've followed Ball Don't Lie's series on the Top 10 players in the different positions in the NBA of the last decade and I was inspired to come up with my own list of the Top 10 Best Lakers of the Last Decade:

#1: Kobe Bryant - I guess there will be few arguments for this selection. Kobe was part of all the Lakers' 4 championships in the first decade of the 2000's and has won individual accolades as well. He scored 81 points in a game once and held the scoring title for a couple of years. His best season? Personally, I think it was the 2008-2009, when he led the Lakers to the championship.

#2: Shaquille O'Neal - The Big Aristotle was a monster even before the decade started but he won his lone MVP award as a Laker in 2000. He butted heads with almost everyone in the Lakers organization, but maintained his clown-like demeanor in public. But I still think Shaq's reached his peak wearing purple and gold, winning all the Finals MVP's in the Lakers' Dynasty run early in the decade.

#3: Derek Fisher - Derek Fisher's stats won't wow anyone, but he was the Lakers' locker room leader and silent #3 option in the Dynasty years. Fish also provided some of the most clutch performances in the last decade. Who can forget the ".04" shot he made against the San Antonio Spurs in 2004 and the clutch three's he made against the Orlando Magic last year?

#4: Pau Gasol - Pau Gasol's career Laker is still young but he has been a great #2 option for the last couple of years. After getting slammed by the critics for his weak performance against the Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals, Gasol toughened up and stood his ground against the towering Dwight Howard. Gasol's skill in the post and basketball IQ also supports his case as #4 in this list.

#5: Lamar Odom - Lamar Odom has made fans crazy with his inconsistency-- in one moment he's a versatile forward who can score, rebound, and facilitate the Triangle Offense with ease, in another, he's a lackadaisical player who disappears in the game. Whatever mode he's in, Odom is good for the top half of this list by his talent and solid numbers. Remember, he was one of the players who was traded for Shaquille O'Neal.

#6: Robert Horry - Like our #3 guy, "Big Shot Rob" gets in because of his intangibles. He lost a great deal of athleticism when the decade set it, so he relied on his wile and shooting to earn his place in the roster. Sacramento Kings fans will never forgive Horry for draining the 3 that sealed the Kings' fate in 2002.

#7: Andrew Bynum - Shaq's replacement? Hardly. But Andrew Bynum is still brimming with potential, despite his early injuries. He has shown flashes of becoming a dominant big man, but he's still enamored with scoring in the low blocks instead of patrolling the middle and letting the offense come to him. Thanks to his mentor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bynum is slowly getting more polished by the day as he is just about to turn 22.

#8: Rick Fox - Rick Fox may be plying his trade in Hollywood right now, but his role during his Lakers days was the team's resident enforcer. His best statline of the decade was during the 2000-2001where he averaged 9.6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, but his tough play and defense were things that never showed in the scoreboard.

#9: Luke Walton - "Luuuuuuke" chants will always be a fan favorite but fans seems to have forgotten Walton was a solid #3 option when the Lakers' starting lineup consisted of Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown, Smush Parker, and Walton. If you ask me, if Luke Walton played in a different system, his lack of athleticism would make him an NBDL candidate. But thanks to his crafty passing and mastery of the Triangle, Walton's career is still going strong.

#10: Caron Butler - Butler only wore the Lakers jersey for only one season but he came up with above average stats that season (15.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals). The only problem then was that the Lakers missed the playoffs and the Bryant-Butler combo was deemed a failure. Butler was shipped to Washington for Kwame Brown, who was in turn, traded to Memphis for Pau Gasol.

So that's my list, the Top 10 Best Lakers of the Last Decade. Did I miss anyone? Feel free to chime in.

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

New Winner!

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:29:00 +0000

We have a winner to our last PurplenGoldLA T-Shirt Contest!

Congratulations to John Paul Vergonia for putting in the effort to place the posts and comments. :D

Enjoy your prize! :D

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

New Contest! "Boom Boom Pau" T-Shirt from PurplenGoldLA

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:23:00 +0000

We're continuing the momentum of the previous PurplenGoldLA T-Shirt contest with a new one: One lucky person will have the chance to take home this Pau Gasol-inspired "Boom Boom Pau" t-shirt!

Pau Gasol has been on a tear this 2009: He won his first NBA championship this year with the Los Angeles Lakers, he won the EuroBasket championship with the Spanish basketball team, and he was named the MVP of the 2009 EuroBasket tournament. Wearing this shirt is probably the best way to give props to the All-World talent.

I've changed the contest rules a bit to level the playing field for everybody, so please take note of the changes. :P Here are the new rules:

Blog comment - Post a comment in this blog with your name and email address. One blog comment counts as two (2) raffle entries and one person can a maximum of ten (10) raffle entries via this method.
Blog post - If you have your own blog or if you have an account on Facebook, write a blog entry (or write a note if you're in Facebook) that has a link going to http://www.biglakersfan.net and http://www.purplengoldla.com. After writing your entry, post a comment here with the blog post's or note's permalink. (For the Facebook note, a permalink looks like this: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=141400159738). Each blog post or note counts for five (5) raffle entries. A person can post up to ten (10) blog posts or Facebook notes.
Twitter - Post a tweet with the text "Big Lakers Fan: Get a FREE PurplenGoldLA T-Shirt!" with a link going to this blog post and the tweet must have the following hashtag: #purplengoldla. Each tweet will count for two (2) raffle entries. A person can post a maximum of ten (10) tweets. Bonus: Followers of @Regnard and @PurplenGoldLA double their Twitter raffle entries.

The deadline for the entries is next week, October 19, 2009 11:59 EST.

Don't forget that we can only send the t-shirt to a valid shipping address in the United States.

So what are you waiting for? Join now!

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

We Have A Winner for the "Big Bad Bynum" and "Throw it Down like Shannon Brown" Shirts!

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:07:00 +0000

If there's one thing I learned for the second PurplenGoldLA t-shirt contest, perseverance will get you the prize. There were two folks who maxed out the possible entries you can get and there were a lot of people who multiple entries via Twitter and Facebook. I salute them for taking the time and effort to join this contest.

But there can only be one winner and that winner is Maryrose Dimailig!

Congratulations to Maryrose for getting these two shirts: "Big Bad Bynum" and "Throw it Down like Shannon Brown." I'll email you for your confirmation.

For those who didn't get the prize, don't worry-- we will be giving away a nice shirt for this week's contest. Hint: that person is an All-World Talent. ;)

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Shannon Brown Dunks on Mikki Moore

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 07:38:00 +0000

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Shannon Brown throwing it down.

I hope people will give Shannon Brown a little more respect after the shirt contest for "Throwing it Down like Shannon Brown" drew ZERO entries. :P

You still have a chance to win that shirt, along with the "Big Bad Bynum" one for this week's PurplenGoldLA T-Shirt contest. Join now and you could be wearing purple and gold. :D

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

New Contest! Two T-Shirts from PurplenGoldLA! (Andrew Bynum and Shannon Brown)

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:44:00 +0000

Great news everyone! We're continuing with the PurplenGoldLA T-shirt Contest!

Since we didn't have a winner in the last contest, we're carrying over the "Throwing It Down Like Shannon Brown" t-shirt to this week's contest! That means we're giving away two PurplenGoldLA shirts to one lucky individual.

We're giving away the Andrew Bynum-inspired "Big Bad Bynum" shirt along with the Shannon Brown shirt:

Whoa! Aren't those the perfect pair of shirts for the Los Angeles Lakers fan?

There are 3 ways to join this contest:

Blog comment - Post a comment in this blog with your name and email address. One blog comment counts as one (1) raffle entry and one person can only have a maximum of one raffle entry via this method.
Blog post - If you have your own blog or if you have an account on Facebook, write a blog entry (or write a note if you're in Facebook) that has a link going to this blog post. After writing your entry, post a comment here with the blog post's or note's permalink. (For the Facebook note, a permalink looks like this: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=141400159738). Each blog post or note counts for five (5) raffle entries. A person can post up to ten (10) blog posts or Facebook notes.
Twitter - Post a tweet with the text "Big Lakers Fan: Get a FREE PurplenGoldLA T-Shirt!" with a link going to this blog post and the tweet must have the following hashtag: #purplengoldla. Each tweet will count for two (2) raffle entries. A person can post a maximum of ten (10) tweets. Bonus: Followers of @Regnard and @PurplenGoldLA double their Twitter raffle entries for each person followed.

Aren't the contest rules simple?!? The deadline for the entries is next week, October 12, 2009 11:59 EST.

Just remember that we can only send the t-shirt to a valid shipping address in the United States.

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

No Winners for the Shannon Brown Contest...

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Is Shannon Brown that unpopular? :(

For the second week PurplenGoldLA T-Shirt Contest, we received ZERO entries for the "Throwing it Down like Shannon Brown" shirt.

For those unfamiliar, here's a Shannon Brown mix I found in YouTube:

Since we don't have winners this week, the "Throwing it Down like Shannon Brown" shirt from PurplenGoldLA will carry over to this week's contest.

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

PurplenGoldLA T-Shirt Contest: Shannon Brown Shirt up for Grabs!

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 06:45:00 +0000

We're now giving our second PurplenGoldLA T-shirt in our weekly t-shirt contest. This week, we're giving away a "Throw it Down like Shannon Brown" shirt. Shannon Brown re-signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in the off-season and we're going to see his high wire act in the coming season.

To join the contest, the mechanics are still the same:

Blog comment - Post a comment in this blog with your name and email address. One blog comment counts as one (1) raffle entry and one person can only have a maximum of one raffle entry via this method.
Blog post - If you have your own blog or if you have an account on Facebook, write a blog entry (or write a note if you're in Facebook) that has a link going tothis blog post. After writing your entry, post a comment here with the blog post's or note's permalink. (For the Facebook note, a permalink looks like this: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=141400159738). Each blog post or note counts for five (5) raffle entries. A person can post up to ten (10) blog posts or Facebook notes.
Twitter - Post a tweet with the text "Big Lakers Fan: Get a FREE PurplenGoldLA T-Shirt!" with a link going to this blog post and the tweet must have the following hashtag: #purplengoldla. Each tweet will count for two (2) raffle entries. A person can post a maximum of ten (10) tweets. Bonus: Followers of @Regnard and @PurplenGoldLA double their Twitter raffle entries for each person followed.

Please take note that we can only send the t-shirt to a valid shipping address in the United States.

The deadline of the contest is next week, September 30, 2009 at 9pm EST.

So join now and you may be the person to get the "Throw it Down like Shannon Brown" t-shirt.

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

We Have Our First PurplenGoldLA T-Shirt Winner!

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:26:00 +0000

We have the first winner of our PurplenGoldLA T-shirt contest!

Congratulations to Hampton Forbes (@hampforbes) for getting this nice Ron Artest-inspired shirt:

So to you Hampton, I'll be contacting you via Twitter and I'll be waiting for your confirmation response within 3 days.

For everyone who joined, thanks and don't lose hope because we will be giving away more PurplenGoldLA Los Angeles Lakers-inspired graphic t-shirts in the weeks to come!

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Start the NBA Season Right: Get a FREE PurplenGoldLA T-Shirt!

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:23:00 +0000

I'm now officially out of my blogging off-season and I'm starting-off with a bang!

Big Lakers Fan and PurplenGoldLA are going to give away spiffy Los Angeles Lakers-themed t-shirts for FREE! And we're not stopping there: we're doing this EVERY WEEK!

From this week up to the week of the start of the 2009-2010 NBA season on October 27, 2009, we will be giving away nice graphic t-shirts from PurplenGoldLA. We will be giving away a total of eight t-shirts during that period and for the very first week, we're giving away a shirt inspired by the Lakers' latest acquisition: Ron Artest.

The shirt design is featured below:

So how do you get this great-looking shirt?

We have a very simple online contest to determine who will get the shirt. The only limitation is that we can only send the t-shirt to a valid shipping address in the United States. That means either you're staying somewhere in the U.S. or you have relative or friend staying there who can receive the shirt for you. If you have a friend in the U.S. who's a big Laker fan, this shirt may be the perfect gift.

The contest rules are pretty simple. There are 3 ways to join this contest:

Blog comment - Post a comment in this blog with your name and email address. One blog comment counts as one (1) raffle entry and one person can only have a maximum of one raffle entry via this method.
Blog post - If you have your own blog or if you have an account on Facebook, write a blog entry (or write a note if you're in Facebook) that has a link going to this blog post. After writing your entry, post a comment here with the blog post's or note's permalink. (For the Facebook note, a permalink looks like this: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=141400159738). Each blog post or note counts for five (5) raffle entries. A person can post up to ten (10) blog posts or Facebook notes.
Twitter - Post a tweet with the text "Big Lakers Fan: Get a FREE PurplenGoldLA T-Shirt!" with a link going to this blog post and the tweet must have the following hashtag: #purplengoldla. Each tweet will count for two (2) raffle entries. A person can post a maximum of ten (10) tweets. Bonus: Followers of @Regnard and @PurplenGoldLA double their Twitter raffle entries for each person followed.

Aren't the contest rules simple?!?

All raffle tickets will entered into a virtual raffle and the winner will be determined randomly. Once a winner has been drawn, I will contact him/her and the winner must confirm within 3 days upon announcement. If the winner fails to confirm, the winning is forfeited and a new winner will be drawn.

The deadline for this week's entry is on September 20, 2009, Sunday, 9pm (EST). The winner will be announced the following day.

So post that comment, write that blog entry, or tweet-- you could be the taking home the nice Los Angeles Lakers inspired PurplenGoldLA graphic t-shirt.

Technorati: Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant Versus Michael Jordan in 1998 All-Star Game

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 01:52:00 +0000

NBA Legend Michael Jordan will be entering the Basketball Hall of Fame tomorrow and there's no doubt he was the best player of his era. He simply dominated the 1990's with his Chicago Bulls teams and he provided the template for future NBA stars (and perhaps future Hall of Famers) like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwayne Wade.

As a Laker Fan, I used to like seeing the match-ups between Jordan and Kobe in the late 1990's. And one of the most famous duels between "Air" and the "Air Apparent" was the 1998 NBA All-Star Game. The two were in the opposite sides of a basketball career-- Jordan was at the tail-end of his Chicago Bulls stint and Kobe was just starting to gain prominence in his first All-Star start.

In that game, Jordan went on to win the All-Star MVP award by getting 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists. Kobe had 18 points, 6 rebounds, and a single assist. At that time, there was no doubt who was the Best.

Technorati: NBA

Ex-Lakers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Vlade Divac and Robert Horry in Manila

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:57:00 +0000

Former Los Angeles Lakers players Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Vlade Divac, and Robert Horry are here in Manila for the Philippine leg of the NBA Asia Challenge.

Joining them are former NBA All-stars Dominique Wilkins, Tim Hardaway, and several NBDL players to face a team of selected former and current Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players. Abdul-Jabbar is the assistant coach of the "NBA Generations" team.

Also, the NBA legends launched the very first NBA Cares outreach activity here in the Philippines. They went to one of the sites of Gawad Kalinga, a housing project for the poor, and the NBA Legends helped build houses.

The face-off between the NBA Generations team and the PBA All-Stars tomorrow at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Tickets sell at PhP264 for general admission, PhP792 for upper box, PhP1,320 for upper box A, PhP2,112 for lower box, and PhP2,640 for ringside.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch the game. (Ugh!) This is the second time I'm missing an NBA-related event here in Manila. The first one? Kobe Bryant's visit here for his Nike Dream Season Tour.

Technorati: NBA

This Blog is now BigLakersFan.net!

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:40:00 +0000

I'm taking advantage of my blogging off-season at Big Lakers Fan to make some changes around here. And one of the biggest changes is in your browser's address/URL area.

Big Lakers Fan now has a more friendly URL: http://www.BigLakersFan.Net. I figured this is the best time to replace the old URL while I'm not blogging actively. This will give time for search engines like Google and Bing to re-crawl this site and associate the content with the new domain.

Don't worry about your links to the old site's URL and this site's RSS feed-- I've made sure that the http://biglakersfan.blogspot.com points to the new domain and the feed works perfectly. I'd appreciate any feedback if you experience any problems during this transition period. :)

Go Lakers! :D

Technorati: Big Lakers Fan

Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown Update

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 01:27:00 +0000

We are closer in finding out the dunkers who will compete in the Sprite Slam Dunk Showdown in the 2010 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas.

After a tough elimination round, 10 dunkers from the eight U.S. cities and two online selections by none other than LeBron James reached the semi-finals and it is now up to us to determine who will be the group's Final Four.

To vote for your favorite dunker, log on to http://nba.com/dunk to watch dunks from each of the ten semi-finalists. The winner will receive a grand prize of $10,000 and will attend the Sprite Slam Dunk contest during NBA All-Star Saturday Night on Feb. 13, 2010.

The voting period begins today and runs through August 24, 2009.

Technorati: NBA

Kobe Bryant in Manila Tickets

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 07:05:00 +0000

Kobe Bryant will be here in Manila tomorrow and the most important commodity for NBA fans in the city is a ticket to Kobe's appearance at the Philippine Sports Center.

Unfortunately, tickets to the event are things I don't have. :( The tickets shown above belong to a friend of mine. (Lucky!)

Kobe has been in Manila twice and I'll be missing both. :(

Technorati: Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant To Visit Manila

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:54:00 +0000

Four-time NBA champion and 2009 Finals MVP Kobe Bryant will be in Manila this July 21, 2009. His Manila visit is part of his Asian Tour sponsored by Nike.

Kobe will be leading basketball clinics, talking to basketball fans, and promoting his newest shoe, the Nike Dream Season.

Man, I sure hope there are tickets out there still available. I definitely would like to meet Kobe Bryant in person. :)

--

Here's the press release for Kobe's visit I got from Jayvee Fernadez' blog:

July 13, 2009 (Manila) – Making his promised return trip to Manila, NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant will kick off his Nike sponsored 2009 Asia Tour: Philippines on July 21, 2009. Seeking to inspire young ballers to continue aspiring for their big hoop dreams, the tour will touch six cities in Asia – Manila, Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chengdu.

“Nike Philippines is proud to welcome Kobe Bryant back to Manila, and we are excited to be the first stop of his Asia tour. Since his last visit, Kobe has further cemented his status as a basketball powerhouse having been awarded NBA’s 2007-2008 MVP. The Lakers’ clinching the NBA Championship and Kobe being named the Finals’ Most Valuable Player in the recently concluded season makes the timing of his visit doubly exciting, and though brief, we know he will again touch many young lives, inspiring them to reach for their hoop dreams,” said Nike Philippines country marketing manager Mae Dichupa.

Kobe Bryant’s one-day Manila visit will kick off with a visit at Nike Park, The Fort at 2:00pm, where he will meet young ballers from select Gawad Kalinga communities. Kobe has made it a point to support deserving institutions in every tour, setting aside quality time to be with children who are interested in basketball to encourage them to keep dreaming big. Activities at the Nike Park, The Fort will be broadcast live over W.N.I.K.E Radio on 89.9 DWTM.

The main event of the basketball superstar’s Manila visit will be a basketball camp at the ULTRA where Kobe will showcase his skills and share his basketball prowess alongside the Nike Elite Campers, a group of up-and-coming young basketball players. The camp will allow Kobe to work with his young fans to help them increase their level of play on the basketball court. The show will start at 4:00pm, gates will be open to the public at 3:00pm.

Additionally, during the tour, Nike and Kobe Bryant will introduce the new Dream Season shoe, a first of its kind basketball shoe designed for outdoor games. The Nike Dream Season, designed with insights from Kobe, helps share his passion for basketball with players throughout Asia Pacific and gives them the opportunity to live out their dreams on the outdoor court.

The Nike Dream Season, both lightweight and durable, is sleek and aggressive much like Kobe’s style of play. In the recently concluded league, Kobe Bryant lived out his dream season. With Nike Dream Season and Kobe’s 2009 Asia Tour, he hopes to continue inspiring young ballers to realize their own dream seasons.

Tickets to see Kobe live at ULTRA will be distributed for one day only: Saturday, July 18, 2009, beginning at 12 noon at Nike Park, The Fort. Tickets are free of charge and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Only two tickets will be given per person, with a total of 3,000 tickets distributed.

W.N.I.K.E Radio, which airs on 89.9 DWTM every Monday from 10-10:30 am, will also award tickets to lucky listeners for this rare opportunity to see Kobe Bryant live.

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Lakers 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 14:32:00 +0000

I'm coming out of my little blogging hiatus to give everyone a Los Angeles Lakers public service announcement. :)

The 2009 World Champion Los Angeles Lakers will play host to the first-ever Lakers 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament presented by Nike and Fan Fest, Friday, Aug. 14- Sunday, Aug. 16 at L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.

There are four main divisions of play: Standard, Nike Elite, Special Olympics and Wheelchair. The Standard division includes three categories of participants: adult, high school (oldest player's next grade will be 9-12) and youth (oldest player's next grade will be 3-8). The Nike Elite Division also consists of three categories of players: Women, Men's 6 Foot and Under, and Men's Over 6 Foot. Players will then choose between Recreational and Competitive levels of competition at which time brackets will be formed based upon these criteria and those delineated above. Special Olympics and Wheelchair divisions are open to athletes of all ages and abilities, and are free of charge.

Participants can register their teams online at www.Lakers3on3.com or mail in the registration forms to the designated address on the Web site. Registration closes on Friday, July 31.

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My Off-Season Begins

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:33:00 +0000

Ahhh... It feels good to be a Laker fan these days.

After losing in the NBA Finals in 2008, the Los Angeles Lakers won their franchise's 15th championship over the Orlando Magic in five games this year. (Trivia: I correctly predicted that the Lakers will win in five games) Kobe Bryant won his fourth championship ring and Nike should be updating the puppet commercials to reflect the new championship ring. Bryant also won his first NBA Finals MVP.

A few days later, the team had a cost-saving 2009 draft to facilitate the signing of Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom, two players instrumental in the Lakers' 2009 championship run.

A few months from now, players would have rested and injuries to Andrew Bynum would have healed and Bryant would be getting a rejuvenating break from basketball and be ready for a back-to-back championship.

This also means that my off-season from blogging here at Big Lakers Fan has started and I'll be back for the 2009-2010 NBA regular season in a few months. (Of course, I'll be blogging about major stuff sporadically in the coming days and months).

It was a great time to be a Laker last season. Here's to a great Laker run next season! Go Lakers! :D

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Kobe Bryant on the Tonight Show

regnard@raquedan.com (Regnard Raquedan) — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:07:00 +0000

2009 NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant recently visited Conan O'Brien at the Tonight Show. After wearing a scowl for most of the playoffs, Kobe let loose and he was pretty goofy as a talk show guest.

Here are the videos from NBC:

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