LAKERS4LIFE

Lakers fall just short of being favored to win a title in 2012

2011-11-27T15:34:00.000-08:00

Last season the odds were heavily in favor of the new-look Miami Heat becoming NBA champions with the additions of superstar LeBron James, perennial All-Star Chris Bosh and the re-signing of one-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade. With three superstars on the roster and the goal being winning an NBA championship or bust, the Heat were under tremendous pressure to get the job done.

Unfortunately, for the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers for the matter, the "Dream Team" fell short in the NBA Finals and went home empty handed. With the new Big Three still intact in Miami, the Heat has been favored to win it all once again this season, but not far behind them is the Lakers of Los Angeles.

There is no question that the Lakers were absolutely embarrassed in the playoffs last season as the eventual NBA champion Dallas Mavericks dominated Kobe Bryant and company by pulling off the sweep in four games, but this season the Lakers are coming into the year with fresh blood and are ready to reclaim the NBA throne.

Along with betting on the Los Angeles Lakers to win it all this season, another good bet would be bingo games online for cash. So if sports betting isn't your thing or you are looking at doming something different to make some extra, that is a solid option!

As for the shortened NBA season, the Lakers should make a push to get back to form this year with all their aging players like Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol getting some much-needed time off to heal up and become the team of old.

Lakers Casino Night

2011-04-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

The LA Lakers took time out on 3rd April to take part in the 4th Annual Casino Night at Staples center. The Lakers Casino Night is one of the biggest events organised in order to support the Los Angeles Lakers Youth Foundation and the launch of a new OneWest bank credit card.

Lakers fans get to have a bit of fun playing interactive games and games of chance with the likes of Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Andrew Bynum, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Phil Jackson. Held in the Lexus Club, Pechanga Resorts and Casino the perfect venue for a fun casino evening with celebrities.

Even though the Lakers lost 90-95 against the Denver Nuggets earlier on Sunday, it was not enough to dampen the spirit of the Laker’s players, as they took part in this fun event.

For those that could not afford the $500 tickets to the Annual Casino Night, then there is always online casino blackjack games to play after watching the game on television. I know its not the same as the real live event, but hopefully the casino bonuses will cheer you up.

The money raised playing casino games will go towards the LA Lakers Youth Foundation, who do incredible work within the Los Angeles community. The Laker’s players put back a lot into the community, emphasising teamwork, education and self esteem amongst the youth of Los Angeles.

The Annual Casino Night brought to you by Pechanga Resort & Casino and OneWest Bank, has become a regular feature in the Lakers calendar. The fun and games are all for a good cause, so we hope this event goes on for a long time!

Kobe Bryant on March Madness

2011-03-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again where the NBA regular season is in its final stretch before the NBA playoffs and college basketball starts comes to a close with March Madness right around the corner. Even though the NBA has dominated the headlines as of late with all the moves that have been made with big-name players like Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks) and Deron Williams (Utah Jazz) changing teams, college basketball will soon be in the spotlight starting with Selection Sunday on March 13, 2011.

Once all the teams are selected on March 13, the first-round of the NCAA Tournament will start just two days later at UD Arena in Dayton, Ohio March 15-16. Before March Madness gets underway, the college basketball predictions will begin with everyone and anyone in the sports world filling out brackets and picking their teams to go all the way!

It has been well documented that if the Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant did go college that he would have chosen to go to Duke University under Coach K. Obviously, he chose not to and that worked out for him and the Lakers, but check out what he had to say about March Madness.

Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant on March Madness:

Are the Lakers back on track?

2011-02-07T14:30:00.000-08:00

The two-time defending NBA champions have hit a rough patch as of late losing to both of their fiercest rivals in the Boston Celtics and the San Antonio Spurs. Even though they have lost two games that would have easily rejuvenated this team and hopes of pulling off the repeat, the Lakers lost both games and seem to be on the verge of making a trade to get them back on track.

Despite losing to the Celtics and the Spurs, the Lakers able to get back to their winning ways as of late by beating the New Orleans Hornets 101-95. The win over Chris Paul and company may have given this team a boost in confidence, but they will have their work cut out for them over the next week or so.

On Tuesday night, the defending champs will take on the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are by no means a dominant team in the West, but they did get the best of the Los Angeles Lakers back on Jan. 2 (104-85). This game will be crucial as they are set to take on the Boston Celtics once again this Thursday at the TD Garden.

After the Lakers face the Celtics for the second time, they won't have much time to recover as they will head to the Big Apple on Friday to take on the resurgent New York Knicks. As if that one-two punch wasn't enough, on Sunday the Lakeshow will take on the Orlando Magic.

If the Lakers can get through this brutal week with a favorable record, Kobe Bryant and company might be able to get right back on track and avoid making a trade before the deadline.

Unfortunately, if they struggle to get the best of these teams during this road trip, a trade will almost certainly be on the way as it will force the hand of GM Mitch Kupchak.

Lakers Trade: Sasha Vujacic Heads to the New Jersey Nets for Joe Smith

2010-12-14T20:53:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Lakers have now won two straight against the New Jersey Nets (99-92) and the Washington Wizards (103-89), but after their win over the Wizards on Tuesday night in the nation's capital, the two-time defending champs made their first trade of the season by sending sharp shooter Sasha "The Machine" Vujacic to the New Jersey Nets in exchange for veteran bigman Joe Smith.

In his seven-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers, Sasha won two rings and averaged 4.8 ppg, 1.2 apg and 1.7 rpg. Even though his numbers over the last seven years show that he didn't have much of an impact on this championship team, Sasha did come up big at times during his time in Los Angeles hitting some big shots including two huge free throws in the NBA Finals last season against the Boston Celtics in Game 7.

It has been no secret that the Lakers have been looking to shop The Machine ever since the end of last season as Shannon Brown has emerged as Kobe Bryant's new backup at shooting guard, but no team has been willing to take on his contract that was set to pay him $5.5 million.

Fortunately, the Lakers finally found a taker in the Nets as they sent Vujacic and a first-round pick to New Jersey. In this three-way deal the New Jersey Nets also sent forward Terrance Williams to the Houston Rockets in return for a 2012 first-round pick.

At first glance, this move looked a bit suspect in my opinion as forward Joe Smith is on the verge of retirement and basically useless for the Los Angeles Lakers, but by giving away a pick and Sasha's grossly overpaid contract has saved them about $8.7 million.

As for Sasha, it was time to go brotha, but you did have your moments with the Lakeshow and as a way to say goodbye, here is a highlights for Sasha "The Machine" Vujacic:

Lakers Hold Off Nets in 99-92 Win

2010-12-13T16:52:00.000-08:00

The Los Angeles Lakers were coming off a disappointing loss to the Chicago Bulls in which Derrick Rose and company gave the two-time defending champs a bit of a wakeup call, but Phil Jackson's squad was able get back on track with a win over the New Jersey Nets.

Even though this was the first game the Lakers would play against their former point guard Jordan Farmar, this game was thought to be nothing more than another easy win for the Lakeshow, but that wasn't the case as the Nets gave the champs a run for their money.

Heading into halftime, Kobe Bryant and company were sitting pretty with a 10 point lead at 52-42, but the New Jersey Nets came out strong in the second half by outscoring the Lakers 25 to 17. Despite the Nets resurgence in the second half, the Black Mamba took control in the fourth quarter in a way only he can by scoring 16 points and leading the team to their 17th win of the season 99-92. Kobe finished with a game-high 32 points, six assists and four steals while the Nets were led by bigman Brook Lopez who had a team-high 25 points and nine rebounds.

As for Farmar, the two-time NBA champ finished with just eight points in 23 minutes. Not only was this a less than impressive performance from the former Lakers guard, but he kept jacking up threes all night long only hitting 1 for 6 from deep.

The Lakers may have been able to lockup the win in the second half, but Kobe wasn't happy about it as he really had to turn it on in order to pull out the win. There is no question that the defending champs should have blown out this Nets team that has only won six games all year long, but the Lakers have struggled as of late and have shown signs of weakness on both ends of the floor.

NEXT LAKERS GAME: @ Washington Wizards Tues. Dec. 14th 7pm EST

LOS ANGELES LAKERS @ NEW JERSEY NETS HIGHLIGHTS

Sharp Shooting Suns Give Lakers Second Straight Loss

2010-11-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

At this point in the NBA regular season it would be hard to argue that there are any teams in the league as stacked as the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, but over the past two games against the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns that dominant team we all saw in the first eight games has failed to show up.

Fortunately, this is only the beginning of the NBA regular season and a team as talented as the Lakers can easily turn things around, but this loss to the Suns really makes one question the Lakers perimeter defense.

As if it weren't bad enough that the Lakers lost to their division rivals, the way the Suns took down the Pacific division heavyweights was embarrassing to say the least.

Everyone knows that the Phoenix Suns are an extremely talented team with the ability to light up the scoreboard on any given night, but a lot of their points can come from beyond the arc and that is exactly what happen last night as Steve Nash and company lit up the Los Angeles Lakers defense for 22 three pointers.

Obviously, that has got to get under Phil Jackson's skin as it means the Lakers are slacking off on defense which could end up being their Achilles heel this season if they don't get it straightened out as soon as possible.

As usual, Kobe Bryant (25 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds) and Pau Gasol (28 points and 17 rebounds) showed up and kept the defending champs in the game, but it just wasn't enough to hold off Suns sharp shooter Jason Richardson (35 points and eight rebounds) who always seems to light up the Lakers whenever these two teams meet.

Along with scoring a game-high 35 points, Richardson shot extremely well from deep by hitting seven out of 10 three pointers. Steve Nash (21 points and 13 assists), Hedo Turkoglu (17 points, 5 of 7 from deep) and Channing Frye (20 points, 4 of 9 from beyond the arc) also had solid performances as well and helped lead the team to a 121-116 victory.

It is a bit early to get concerned about the defending champs, especially after how well they played in the first eight games of the season, but be sure that Phil Jackson will look to make some changes and emphasize defense moving forward.

NEXT GAME: @ Milwaukee Bucks Tues. Nov. 16th 6pm PST

Nuggets Hand Lakers First Loss of the Season

2010-11-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

There is no question that the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers have played brilliantly in their title defense so far this season and have led some people to believe that they could actually challenge Michael Jordan's 95-96 Chicago Bulls for the best record in NBA history (72-10), but this past Thursday the defending champs were given somewhat of a reality check as they were beaten for the first time this season by the Denver Nuggets 118-112.

Even though the Denver Nuggets haven't played all that well this season as they came into this Western Conference heavyweight showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers with a 4-4 record and coming off an embarrassing blowout loss to the Indiana Pacers 144-113, Carmelo Anthony and company always seem to give Phil Jackson's squad a run for their money and they did just that at the Pepsi Center Thursday.

There may be a lot of trade rumors flying around the Mile High City recently as it is uncertain how much longer superstar Carmelo Anthony will be in a Nuggets uniform, but the perennial All-Star forward played as if he weren't going anywhere this season as he was able to lead his team to victory with 32 points (14-25 shooting) and 13 rebounds.

Kobe Bryant on the other hand had a game-high 34 points (11-32 shooting), but struggled shooting the basketball all night long as he started jacking up threes late in the fourth quarter trying to get the Lakers back in the game (3-10 from beyond the arc).

Fortunately, the vastly improved Shannon Brown was able to step it up once again as he finished with 19 points off the bench, but it just wasn't enough to snatch the lead back for the Nuggets. Pau Gasol also had a good game with 17 points and 20 rebounds, but was virtually nonexistent in the fourth quarter.

So even though Los Angeles Lakers only have one loss on the season and are still considered the best team in the league, they still have some things they need to work moving forward before they can make a legitimate run at a third straight NBA title.

NEXT GAME: @ Milwaukee Bucks Tues. Nov. 16th 5pm PST

Shannon Brown's Dunk of the Night!

Los Angeles Lakers continue to prove that they are still the best team in the NBA with 5-0 start

2010-11-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

Last season the Los Angeles Lakers came into the NBA season with high hopes of repeating as NBA champs and throughout the year Kobe Bryant and company looked solid, but also flawed at the same time as had trouble playing consistently well due to injury problems amongst other distractions.

This season all anyone can talk about is LeBron James and the revamped Miami Heat, but even though this new NBA superpower is the real deal as they are just blowing out teams, the two-time defending champs are still arguably the best team in the league as they have played some flawless basketball in the first five games of the season.

Not only does Kobe Bryant appear to be fully recovered from offseason knee surgery after he dropped his 17th career triple-double (30 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists) in the win against the division rival Sacramento Kings recently, but the team as a whole is firing on all cylinders with Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and most notably Shannon Brown playing like All-Stars.

Along with the all the stars from last year already playing at mid-season form right now, the two new additions to the team in Steve Blake and Matt Barnes have also played much better than anticipated. Blake has already become a key player off the bench for the Lakers as he has been the perfect backup for Derek Fisher. Barnes has struggled a bit in the first five games, but has shown signs of promising on the defensive end and with his ability to rebound the basketball.

Needless to say, this team is more than ready to pick up where they left off and send head coach Phil Jackson with his 12th NBA title and fourth three-peat!

Lakers re-sign Shannon Brown to two-year deal

2010-08-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak may have taken a bit longer than expected, but he was finally able to get a deal done on Thursday with backup guard Shannon Brown which will keep him in a Lakers uniform for at least the next two seasons.

The new deal to keep Brown from signing with the New York Knicks or the Cleveland Cavaliers is reportedly worth about $4.6 million dollars over the next two seasons. Even though the high flying guard could have gotten more money and a bigger role (possibly starting) with the Knicks and Cavs, Brown chose to stay with the Lakers as it appears that winning is much more important to the two-time NBA champion than a bigger paycheck.

Ever since Shannon Brown joined the Los Angeles Lakers via trade from the Charlotte Bobcats with Adam Morrison a couple of seasons ago, the promising young guard has only seen success as the team has won two straight NBA titles and will be going for third with an upgraded roster next season.

With the addition of versatile forward Matt Barnes, defensive minded center Theo Ratliff and backup point guard Steve Blake through free agency and the re-signing of five-time NBA champion Derek Fisher and arguably the most athletic player on the team in Shannon Brown, the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers will have a great chance of pulling off the three-peat in the 2010-2011 NBA season.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol named to All-NBA teams

2010-05-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

Every single season in the NBA, the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers almost always have Kobe Bryant selected to an All-NBA First Team, but this season is the second consecutive with two Lakers selected in Kobe Bryant (first team) and Pau Gasol (third team).

This season has been another for the record books for Kobe Bryant as he has become the Los Angeles Lakers all-time leading scorer in franchise history and during the playoffs. Not only has Kobe become the team's top scorer ahead of Jerry West, but he has also done something that West used to do by hitting a league best six game-winning shots.

Even though a lot of people have been talking about Kobe's multiple injuries throughout the NBA regular season, the Black Mamba has been an all out warrior this year by fighting through these injuries, averaging 27 points a game and leading the Lakers to a third straight number one seed in the Western Conference.

Pretty impressive if you ask me! In my opinion, despite all the hype surrounding LeBron James, Kobe Bryant is still the best all around player in the NBA today and will be until LeBron can win a ring.

As for Pau Gasol, the Spaniard has also had another solid season and is well deserving of his All-NBA third team selection by averaging 18.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.

Lakers head to Utah up 2-0 for game 3

2010-05-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

It has been an easy postseason for the Kobe Bryant and company, but despite having a tough series against the up and coming Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs, they have seemed to come into their own in the first two games against the Utah Jazz.

Over the last two years, the Los Angeles Lakers have had to face the Utah Jazz at one point or another in the playoffs. Obviously, with two straight appearances in the NBA Finals, with one NBA title to show for it, the Lakers have faired well against the Jazz, but they have struggled at times in Utah.

EnergySolutions Arena in Utah is not an easy place to play for an opposing team of the Jazz as this season is no different. So far during these playoffs, the Utah Jazz are a perfect 3-0 (all wins against the Denver Nuggets) at home and will look to improve to 4-0 with a win over the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in game three.

Personally, I believe game three will be the toughest game of the series for the defending champs as they will be going into a very hostile environment in Utah in which the Jazz always seem to come on strong. Even though I believe the Lakers will most likely come out on top in game three, I won't be surprised to see the Jazz give Phil Jackson's squad a run for their money and possible pull off the slight upset.

During the regular season, the Jazz and the Lakers split their season series 2-2, but the defending champs proved they can play and win in Utah with a dominant 96-81 victory EnergySolutions Arena, but Deron Williams and his boys also got the best of the Lakers with a 102-94 win earlier in the season.

This will be a tight game, there is no doubting that, so make sure your eyes are glued to the tube on Saturday night Lakers fans!

Western Conference Playoff Semifinals: Los Angeles Lakers @ Utah Jazz Game 3 Sat. May 8th 5pm PST on ABC

Kobe Leads the Lakers Over the Warriors

2009-12-30T16:01:00.000-08:00

It has been a rough road for the Los Angeles Lakers over the past week or so as they have suffered some pretty disappointing losses as of late.

As if the blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day wasn't bad enough, the Lakers lost their second consecutive game to the division rival Phoenix Suns in the very next game. It doesn't get much worse than that.

Even though the Lakers have been and still are arguably the best team in the NBA this season, they were bound to suffer some losses like this sooner or later, but losing to Shaq and the Suns hurts to say the least.

Needless to say, Kobe Bryant and company had to rebound and rebound quickly so coming into their matchup with the Golden State Warriors, the Lakers were not going to lose their third straight game.

Coming into this game against the Warriors, sportsbooks were predicting the Lakers basically blowing out Golden State with a -12 points spread, but unfortunately the Warriors took Kobe and company to the limit before losing 124-118 in this high scoring affair

Fortunatley, Kobe really came to play on Tuesday night as he lit up the Warriors for a season high 44 points and 11 assists. This 40 point game is the seven time Kobe has reached that mark this season which is impressive to say the least!

Not only did Kobe Bryant drive the Warriors defenders crazy with his offensive onslaught, but Pau Gasol also got in on the action with 27 points and 12 rebounds.

Nuggets Dominate Kobe and the Lakers in Denver

2009-11-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else feel like last night's game against the Denver Nuggets was a flashback of game four in Denver in the Western Conference finals last year?

The Nuggets seemed to come into this game with a solid game plan to keep Kobe Bryant in check and limit the Lakers scoring in the paint. And that is exactly what they were able to do on Friday night at home as they held Kobe Bryant to just 19 points and zero points in the second half. Yes, I said zero points in the second half for Kobe.

On Thursday night in Los Angeles the Lakers just dominated the Phoenix Suns in every which way as they were able to contain the Suns high powered offense and absolutely annialated Phoenix in the paint even without Pau Gasol.

With the absence of Gasol, which might last all the way up to Christmas, Kobe Bryant has changed his game by taking more of a Michael Jordan approach by getting into the post. As MJ started to get older in his career he changed his game by using his unguardable turnaround in the post instead of slicing his way through the defense and playing above the rim.

In a way to make up for the absence of Gasol in the paint Kobe has taken a page out of MJ's book and has started to dominate using the post game, but he wasn't that successful against the Nuggets on Friday night as Denver took Kobe completely out of the game in the second half and ultimately beat the defending champion Lakers 105-79.

The Lakers were able to hang with the Nuggets in the first half as they went into halftime down just two points 58-56, but the second half was another story altogether as the Denver Nuggets took over and held the Lakers to just eight points in the third quarter.

Carmelo Anthony played well with 25 points, but it was JR Smith and rookie Ty Lawson's contribution off the bench that really sparked the Nuggets in the second half. Smith finished the game with 20 points and Lawson added 13 points and six assists to lead the Nuggets to victory.

Kobe Bryant was held to just 19 points in this game, which is a season low, but perhaps the biggest stat was Kobe not scoring a single point in the second half.

Andrew Bynum had a decent game despite being defended well all night long as the big kid finished the game with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Ron Artest also had a fairly decent game with 11 points of his own hitting 3 for 6 from deep, but he ended up only shooting 4 for 11 from the field.

Obviously the Lakers win streak was going to end at some point in time, but losing like this their new rivals in the Denver Nuggets has got to sting!

It will be interesting to see how Kobe Bryant and company rebound from their worst loss of the season.

Kobe Bryant Gets Cover of NBA2K10

2009-09-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last year's NBA2K9 was arguably one the best NBA video games in a long time! It hard to best games previous due to the fact that a new one comes out every single year, but the 2K franchise has been making excellent NBA games going all the way back to 2000 when it revolutionized the sports gaming industry with NBA 2K.

I still remember playing NBA 2K all those years ago on my Sega Dreamcast of all things and absolutely loving it, so much so that my thumbs and eyes were killing me after playing for hours on end.

NBA 2K9 had the same effect on me last year and even now before 2K10 comes out. The features are awesome, the gameplay is superb and rivals that of the Madden of the NFL. Madden is by far the best of all the sports gaming franchises with such a huge following, but I believe in the upcoming years we might see the NBA 2K franchise compete with Madden.

This year is special for all sports gamers and especially Los Angeles Lakers fans as the defending NBA champs superstar Kobe Bryant graces the cover of NBA 2K10!

Usually when any player graces the cover of any sports game the developers pay extra attention to making sure the player (Kobe Bryant) and his team (Los Angeles Lakers) are paid close attention to and are as authentic as humanly possible.

So Lakers fans and sports gamers who love basketball games we are all in for a treat as NBA2K10 looks to be the best basketball game yet!

Are you a College Football fan? Check out the College Football Schedule

Lakers Free Agency: Lamar Odom Signs Four Year Deal with Lakers

2009-07-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Lakers finally got there man despite rumors of Lamar Odom signing with his former team the Miami Heat.

It looks like Dwyane Wade visiting Lamar Odom in LA wasn't enough to convince to make the move back to Miami, but the Lakers were pretty damn close to losing their forward.

It took some time, but the Lakers were finally able to convince Lamar Odom to resign with them for $33 million dollars over the next four years with an option for the fourth and final year of the contract.

Let the repeat talk begin! As if getting Ron Artest wasn't enough for the Lakers to have a legit shot at repeating next season, Lamar Odom resigning for the at least the next three seasons drastically improves their chances of winning the West for the third straight season and making another run at a title.

Not saying the Lakers won't have their fair share of competition in the Western Conference next season as the San Antonio Spurs have improved by adding Richard Jefferson and the Denver Nuggets can only get better with Chauncey Billups getting more comfortable with his new team. The Lakers will have their work cut out for them in their championship defense next season, but I have to say that keeping Odom and adding Ron Artest definitely makes the best team in the NBA that much better coming into next season.

It should be interesting to see how the Lakers involve Ron Artest and how they plan to distribute minutes between Odom and Artest. If anyone can figure out a way to make it all come together it is Phil Jackson!

Lakers Free Agency: Lamar Odom Favoring the Heat

2009-07-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

First the Los Angeles Lakers lost Trevor Ariza to free agency as he decided to sign with the Houston Rockets, but the Lakers made a great move in snatching Ron Artest away from the Rockets even though some fans seem to have preferred to have Ariza back instead.

Personally, I like Ariza, but Artest brings a much needed toughness to the Lakers which has eluded the Lakers since the Shaq/Kobe dynasty was broken up. So in the end the Lakers have improved despite losing their best young defender by adding a proven veteran who thrives on both sides of the floor.

When the offseason began both Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant said that resigning Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza was very important and the number priority for the Lakers along with keeping point guard Shannon Brown. Well, the Lakers were able to keep Brown, lost Ariza and now look to be on the verge of losing Lamar Odom as well.

When contract talks began with Lamar Odom and the Los Angeles Lakers things seemed promising, but Odom was asking for about $10 million a year. Odom played great last season, if the Lakers didn't have Odom on the roster they most likely wouldn't have even gotten to the NBA Finals, but despite Odom's impressive play he has been a underachiever the majority of his career in LA.

That being said the Lakers never seem to know what Odom they are getting with every passing game and that makes people like Lakers owner Jerry Buss hold back from paying the big money for a long period of time. Honestly, I can't blame him. I love Odom and I hope they can come to an agreement, but Odom can be extremely inconsistent at times.

The story now is that Odom is getting an offer less than what Buss originally offered the forward and because of that Odom is leaning more towards signing with his former team the Miami Heat.

Reportedly, Dwyane Wade is taking this matter into his own hands by flying out to Los Angeles to bring him back to Miami. Pat Riley is also supposed to be in Los Angeles at the same time, but it is uncertain that Odom is the reason he is there.

So the way things are looking right now I get the feeling we have seen the last of Odom in a Lakers uniform unless either Kobe Bryant takes matters into his own hands as well and talks Odom into winning some championships or Jerry Buss gets the stick out of his ass and pays Odom what he wants.

Lamar Odom heading back to Miami is by no means set in stone, but unless the Lakers step it up I don't see Odom ending up anywhere other than Miami playing alongside Dwyane Wade.

Lakers Free Agency: Shannon Brown Accepts Two Year Offer for $4.2 Million

2009-07-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

It looks like the Los Angeles Lakers are making all the right decisions this offseason. They may have missed out on the Trevor Ariza sweepstakes, but adding Ron Artest and keeping guard Shannon Brown it without a doubt a step in the right direction.

Now Shannon Brown isn't a huge piece to the puzzle in LA, but he can definitely be key next season as he continues to develop and become more familiar with the Lakers triangle offense.

The terms of Brown's new deal with the Lakers will have the young guard making $4.2 million over the next two seasons.

If the Lakers have any position in doubt over the next few years it will be at the point guard position. Derek Fisher isn't getting any younger, Jordan Farmar seems to have fallen out of favor with Phil Jackson and Shannon Brown seems more like a two guard instead of a true point guard.

When the draft came along I thought the Lakers would have addressed this problem by drafting another UCLA guard in Darren Collison, but in somewhat of a smart move the Lakers sold their first round pick to the New York Knicks to save some money to sign players like Lamar Odom, Ron Artest and now Shannon Brown not to mention have enough money to keep Kobe Bryant.

So even though this isn't a huge signing for the Lakers, keeping Brown in LA was definitely a smart move and could pay off over the next two seasons.

Lakers Free Agency: Lakers to Offer Lamar Odom 3 Years $25 Million

2009-07-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

It has been a huge week for the Los Angeles Lakers as they have made one major change and tied up some loose ends by making sure Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson were going to stay.

The two biggest questions this offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers, besides Phil and Kobe, was were they going to sign both Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom. Well, we know now that Ariza is out of the picture after signing with the Houston Rockets, but Odom's future with the Lakers is still up in the air.

Personally, I think Lamar Odom is a pivitol piece of the puzzle and is a must sign, but after the Lakers added Ron Artest into the mix who is as versitale as they come and a great defender Lamar's value may gone down a bit.

One problem the Lakers will face next season if they do end up signing Lamar Odom is how will the change up the roster. Both Artest and Odom are legitimate starters for any other team in the NBA, but who starts and who starts will be the big questions to start next season.

Regardless of their possible roster problems, the Lakers are still very determined to sign Odom for at least three years. The offer that is reportedly on the table right now for the forward is three years and $24-25 million. It is a considerable pay cut for Odom, but in long run two or three more championships is well worth the cut in pay.

One good thing to come out of this recent development in Lakerland is that they are doing what they can to keep Odom in LA.

Will Odom accept the Lakers' offer? I think he will, but with you never know.

Phil Jackson Return to Lakers: 99.9% Assured

2009-07-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

I think we all know that Phil Jackson will be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff next season regardless of what he has said and the fact that no decision has officially been made, but as of today, the same day that Ron Artest is officially a Laker, Phil Jackson is said to be 99.9% assured to return next season as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach.

It is no secret that Phil Jackson's body is starting to breakdown, it is painful just to watch him walk and to think he travels with the team throughout their 82 game season and into the playoffs where the Lakers have gone the distance the past two seasons, that has to wear on him.

Yes, all Phil has to do throughout the game is sit on his ass. Yes, Kobe seems to be taking over most of the coaching duties on the bench lately, but Phil Jackson's job is no easy task and can be extremely draining for an ex-athlete who's body just doesn't agree with him anymore.

Is it time to take it easy? Probably, but I can't blame the guy for wanting to stick around with the Lakers team his has right now. The Lakers will be competing for a title for at least the next five years until Kobe starts to show signs of age.

One thing we might see as the result of a Phil Jackson's return to the bench is the hall of fame coach only coaching home games and leaving the away game duties to Kurt Rambis and Brian Shaw as a way to limit travel and usher in a successor to arguably the best NBA coach all-time.

Whatever the case may be I am sure we will see big Phil coaching the Lakers for at least one more season.

Lakers Free Agency: Ron Artest to the Los Angeles Lakers!

2009-07-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

It's official! Ron Artest is now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers after agreeing to a three year deal for about $18.7 million which could stretch out to a five year deal for about $33.5 million.

A lot of people will say that signing Trevor Ariza who is still very young at 24 years old might have been the smarter decision between the two, but I disagree as Artest brings a much needed physical presence and toughness that the Lakers have been lacking ever since they were dominated by the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

Trevor Ariza may be a young up and coming player in this league, but you know exactly what you are getting with Ron Artest as he comes to play night in and night out. Not saying that Ariza doesn't give it his all, but I believe Artest is the missing piece of the puzzle for an already great Lakers team.

All the Lakers have to do now is sign Lamar Odom before teams start offering him deals that he can't refuse. With this team intact the way it is right now, the Lakers should repeat next season pending any other moves other title contending teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics might make before next season.

As of right now the only deal I see making a huge difference is Rasheed Wallace landing in either Boston, San Antonio or maybe even Cleveland.

It should be interesting to see what these teams do in response to Artest going to the Lakers and making them an even better team than last season.

Ron Artest Will Be Signing with the Lakers

2009-07-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Wow! Things seem to change very quickly in the NBA these days as at the beginning of the day we heard that Ron Artest was meeting with LeBron James in LA to talk about coming to Cleveland, but now it appears Ron Ron might have been in LA to talk to the Lakers about signing with them and LeBron James came there to talk him out of it.

Most Los Angeles Lakers fans will probably be pissed off about Ron Artest signing with the Lakers, but those were the same fans that hate Artest after his dust up with Kobe in the second round series with the Houston Rockets.

I'll admit, I thought Artest was a punk for getting in Kobe's face, but he threw no blows and just let Kobe he wasn't going to take his elbows in the paint and I can't say I blame the guy. The Lakers need an enforcer like Artest, that is the one thing this team has been missing for quite some time.

Granted, Artest does bring some baggage, but he also brings a tireless work ethic and the total package in terms of a great defender and a player that can be a force on offense as well.

If Ron Artest does sign with the Los Angeles Lakers like he has said he will do, that will most likely, if not definitely mean that Trevor Ariza will be going elsewhere.

When I heard that the Lakers were not going to offer Ariza anything more than the mid-level exception of $5.6 million I thought they were making a huge mistake, but after learning that Artest intends to signing with the Lakers it is starting to make perfect sense.

Although some people may disagree, signing Artest over Ariza is the right move. Ariza is a great young defender with a bright future, but Artest can great lockdown defense at multiple positions and is without a doubt a much better offensive player.

So even though it will be tough to see the hometown boy Ariza go to Cleveland or Houston, it is all for the best in order to make another run at a title for the Lakers next season.

Nothing is set in stone, and God knows Artest changes his mind like the wind blows, so this could just be rumor, but I am telling you that signing Artest is move in the right direction!

Trevor Ariza Might Be Headed for Cleveland

2009-07-02T11:50:00.001-07:00

After the Los Angeles Lakers won their 15th NBA title against the Orlando Magic there were a few players on the team that had to come back next season for the Lakers to remain the most dominant team in the West if not the entire NBA.

The most important player was Kobe Bryant of course, but there were two other free agents that were a MUST sign for the Lakers, at least in Kobe's opinion. The first is Lamar Odom who really stepped it up in the playoffs for the Lakers. Odom is really a freak of nature, he can play both the inside and outside game and has the ball handling skills to bring the ball up the floor. The other key free agent is Trevor Ariza who showed that he can be a major factor on any team in the league after the impressive performances all season long and most especially in the postseason.

Ariza's defense and new found confidence shooting from beyond the arch has made Trevor a key ingredient in the Lakers gameplan. Not only is he as athletic as they come, but he is only 24 and has a very bright future ahead of him.

Even though Ariza showed how valuable he can be to the Lakers, enough to where Kobe thinks it is extremely important they resign him, Mitch Kupchak and company have not offered Ariza anything more than the mid-level exception which is about $5.6 million a year.

As of right now, Ariza is not a happy with the way the Lakers are handling his situation and is actively fielding other offers from other teams.

Here are some of the other teams that have their eyes on Trevor Ariza:

Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors and the Portland Trailblazers

The Cavs seem to be the most interested in Ariza, but I won't be surprised to see the Clippers or the Blazers pull the youngster away from the Lakers.

I hope the Lakers can find out a way to make Ariza a better offer because I believe losing him to contender could be devastating, but if they do lose him there is an outside chance the Lakers could go after Ron Artest who they wanted to deal for last season.

Derek Fisher Hits Clutch Threes to Win Game Four of the Finals

2009-06-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

He has done it again! Derek Fisher has hit another big shot to win another big game in a big time clutch situation!

Robert Horry may be the one Lakers legend with the most clutch shots in the big time playoff game situations, but Derek Fisher is catching up especially hitting two extremely clutch three both in regulation and overtime in the Los Angeles Lakers game four victory in Orlando. These shots weren't as crazy as 0.4 back in the day against San Antonio, but they great shots that had me jumping out of my seat!

In beginning of game four, both teams were playing sloppy and the Lakers got in foul trouble very early in the first quarter, so much so that both Josh Powell and DJ Mbenga saw playing time in the first quarter.

As the game pressed on the Orlando Magic began to take complete control and went into halftime with a commanding 12 point lead over Kobe Bryant and company.

The second half had a similar feel to it, but once Trevor Ariza and Kobe Bryant started to get going the lead disappeared and the Lakers were back on track. Kobe wasn't as impressive as he has been in other games only hitting 11 for 31 shots from the floor, but he still put up a game high 32 points, dished out eight assists and ripped down seven boards.

Trevor Ariza on the other hand was absolutely on fire from beyond the arc hitting 3 for 4 from deep and getting the Lakers back in the game. Ariza finished the game with 16 points, nine boards and two steals.

Pau Gasol also had a decent game by his standards with 16 points of his own and 10 rebounds. Lamar Odom wasn't so fortunate as he struggled all night long with nine points off the bench on 4 of 10 from the floor.

It was Hedo Turkoglu who lead the way for the Orlando Magic scoring a team high 25 points on 8 of 13 shots. This guy continues to become more of a go-to guy for the Magic as he seems to be able to hit shots in clutch situations with great consistency.

As for Dwight Howard, he continues to struggle putting up big numbers in the scoring column, but he is a beast we it comes to rebounding the basketball as he ripped down 21 boards against the Lakers in game four. Besides Howard and Turkoglu it was Mickael Pietrus that stepped up his game to shoulder the scoring load with 15 points.

Not only did Pietrus pick up the scoring in place of Rashard Lewis, who had a miserable night with only six points on 2 of 10 shooting, but he was at the cause of some physicality at the end of game four when Pau Gasol went for a break away layup.

The game was virtually over when Pau went up for dunk to basically end the game and Pietrus comes over and crashes into Gasol. As a result of the obviously dirty play by Pietrus he was given a Flagrant one. I am sure it was just some frustration coming out of Pietrus, can't blame the guy really having to guard both LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in consecutive series, but it was a dirty, uncalled for play when the game was pretty much over and done with.

Will it turn out to be a Luis Scola and Ron Artest type of hatred? I doubt it, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Mickael Pietrus on the floor a few times in game five.

Regardless of the little schuffle between Pietrus and Gasol at the end of the game the Los Angeles Lakers have taken full control of this NBA Finals after their game four victory 99-91. Personally, I think this series is over, but the Magic might have enough left to send this series back to LA for a game six.

NBA FINALS GAME 4 HIGHLIGHTS

NBA FINALS GAME 5: Los Angeles Lakers @ Orlando Magic Sunday, June 14th 5pm PST

Lakers Go Up 2-0 in the NBA Finals Before Heading to Orlando

2009-06-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

Game one may have been a 25 point blowout, but game two was another story altogether as the Orlando Magic kept up with Kobe Bryant and company and were one missed layup away from heading back to Orlando with the series tied up at one win a piece.

Neither the Los Angeles Lakers or the Orlando Magic played well in game two. Both Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant had off games and to be honest, game two was as sloppy a game I have seen in the playoffs. It was just turnover after turnover for both teams, obviously the Lakers forced a bit more turnovers then the Magic did, but both of the teams superstars turned the ball over seven times. Kobe shot wasn't falling and Dwight Howard was still unable to get his game going in the paint.

The one positive that the Lakers can take to Orlando for game three is that they are up 2-0 and the role players like Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom are still on their game. Kobe may have had a forgettable performance in game two, even though he scored 29 points and dished out eight more assists, but the supporting cast stepped up yet again to keep the Lakers ahead in the series before heading to the Magic's home floor for the next three games.

The Magic on the other hand also have some positives from game two as Rashard Lewis (34 points) and Hedo Turkoglu (22 points) were able to get going shooting the basketball. They still have serious problems, especially at point guard, but at least the Magic shooters started to get going.

The one thing that impressed the most about the Magic in game two was Stan Van Gundy's inbounds play to Courtney Lee which could have potentially won the game and changed to outcome of the series. It was the perfect play, but just a couple of inches off the mark for Lee.

Ultimately though, I think this series will be over in one of the three games in Orlando with the Lakers winning it all, but I don't . If the Magic have a shot at winning one of these three games it will be game three in their first game at home.

I still believe the Lakers could pull off the sweep, but if the Magic shooters and Dwight Howard get going early in game three the Lakers will be in trouble. Game three, in my opinion, could be the most entertaining game of the series.

NBA Finals Game 3: Los Angeles Lakers @ Orlando Magic Tuesday, June 8th 7pm PST