Patience Pays Off for Lakers’ Front Office Duo

So what do I do when I have nothing to write about?

I write about what I know best – the Lakers.

So I was thinking yesterday about the Lakers and how the team added Dwight Howard, Steve Nash, and Antawn Jamison this offseason.

When you think about this, and you wind back the clock three, four, five months and you really think about this, you wonder – How the f*** did this happen?

Lakers executive Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchack just don’t get enough credit for saving a declining Lakers team/era.

It starts and ends with Andrew Bynum.

From the day he drafted him, Jim Buss supported Andrew Bynum like no one else did. He believed the young kid could blossom into a superstar, and the Lakers next franchise player.

The first time Mitch Kupchack has smiled in a few years…

In 2007, a struggling Lakers team was fighting to just make the playoffs. The deal was available – a package centered on Andrew Bynum for All-Star Jason Kidd. Many Lakers fans, and even Kobe Bryant, wanted the team’s management to pull the trigger on the deal. Jim Buss couldn’t do it. He couldn’t part ways with the 19-year-old center and his vast potential.

Then came the summer of chaos in 2007.

Kobe Bryant, frustrated with the Lakers front office for not making the Kidd deal, requested to be traded. He then trashed Bynum in a viral video that went public.

The Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves began talking about trading Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom for Kevin Garnett, but the T-Wolves wanted more.

With their franchise in disarray and their superstar player unsatisfied, it would have been easy for Kupchack and Buss to cave.

They didn’t. They held firm, and did so again, with the Jason Kidd offer remaining on the table. So the Lakers moved on from the summer without making any significant moves.

In 2008, Bynum started showing the talent that Buss always believed he had. But when Bynum went down with a knee injury, Kupchack made the Gasol trade and the Lakers went on to make three NBA Finals and win two championships.

Eventually the team’s championship window closed, and Buss and Kupchack returned to work.

In February 2011, the Carmelo Anthony sweepstakes were on. The offer was on the table – Andrew Bynum for Carmelo Anthony, with other minor players involved.

Anthony, an impending free agent, was willing to sign an extension with the Lakers. Bynum was coming off two knee surgeries in the last three season, and concerns that he was “injury-prone” were rampant at the time. Also, the team had a better record without him, 18-7, than with him, 18-9, that season.

The Lakers front office didn’t budge, in large part because Jim Buss strong support of Bynum.

Months later, after the team was coming off an embarrassing sweep to the Dallas Mavericks, the debate raged – should the Lakers give their core another chance or should they make a major move?

In December 2011, Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchack decided on the latter and traded for Chris Paul in a deal involving Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom, leaving the Lakers.

So David Stern allows the heavily lopsided Gasol trade, rejects the fair CP3 trade, and allows the lopsided Dwight trade?

What happened next was out of their control – David Stern rejecting the trade. Reigning Sixth Man of the Year, Lamar Odom, then asked to be traded, and Mitch Kupchack granted his wish.

Lakers fans everywhere were upset that Kupchack actually traded Odom, and more importantly got “nothing” in return for him. Even Bryant said he didn’t like the move.

They didn’t get “nothing” though. They received a first round pick and a $8.9 million trade exception, which would come in handy later.

After another second round exit in the 2012 playoffs, the Lakers definitely needed help. With Gasol’s consecutive second-round disappearing acts, he was the player most likely to be traded. So the trade offers came in – Kevin Martin and Luis Scola from Houston, Josh Smith from Atlanta, and other potential draft day trades.

The Lakers were a desparate team, but Kupchack and Buss were a patient duo. They wanted the right move, not just any move to please a frustrated fan base.

That patience paid dividends as the Lakers completed a sign-and-trade for two-time MVP Steve Nash in July, a move only possible with the Odom trade exception.

Then a month later, Jim Buss finally gave up Andrew Bynum, and Mitch Kupchack delivered the Dwight Howard trade.

Buss waited on Bynum as he developed from a 17-year-old project into the NBA’s second best center and then traded him for the league’s best center. Buss, the rich kid who supposedly lived off his father’s reputation, showed that he’s more than capable of managing the franchise.

To most Lakers fans, Buss and Kupchack will be remembered as the duo who brought Steve Nash and Dwight Howard to LA.

Instead though they should be remembered for all the moves they didn’t make.

Imagine the Lakers having Jason Kidd now? Or Kevin Garnett? Or even Carmelo?

Or they could have Steve Nash AND Dwight Howard now?

And that’s why every Lakers fan should send Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchack a card plus chocolates this Christmas.

Must Be the Shoes

A young boy is down game point in a play-to-eleven pickup game in his neighborhood park.  On what might be his last defensive stand, he stretches with all his might to block a right-handed layup for the win.

Using every inch at his disposal, he just taps the ball with his fingertips, gathers it up and takes it out to the three-point line.

Knowing it’s going to take an astonishing comeback to earn bragging rights among his friends, the boy drops down to one knee, pulls back the tongue of his right sneaker and whispers, “Please let me be like Mike.”

The Los Angeles Knights haven’t been the same since Calvin tore his magical shoes open!

We’ve all either dreamed, laughed at or lived one of these Calvin Cambridge moments.  As crazy as it seems, we like to believe there is some fragment of our favorite athlete’s talent embedded within the rubber soles caressing  our feet.

With every pair of shoes comes a sense of confidence, a belief that springing past the competition (yes, a Nike Shox pun) is within the realm of possibility.

This spiritual shoe connection is something any athlete dreams for, but as the most important law of economics goes, “Nothing is free.”

On Tuesday that proved to be truer than ever, as the Wall Street Journal came out  with a report that the Nike LeBron X sneakers will cost $315 at full price, with a stripped down version still emptying the pockets at $180.

The shoes are indeed top-of-the-line, but at some point one has to wonder how much profit Nike and LeBron are taking away from this business venture.  An even bigger unknown is how much negative press the newly crowned champ will endure for overpriced shoes after just having been let out of America’s doghouse.

But the simple fact is that recently, shoe models of high profile athletes have been expensive, and unsurprisingly so.  Decades ago this was not the case, but we now live in a world in which giving in to consumer trends and materialism somehow defines social status.

Sadly, the urge to be current isn’t going away any time soon.  In the meantime, I think it’s time to pull up a chair, keep the New Era sticker securely fastened to the bill of your hat and reminisce over some memorable shoes.

2008 Puma Cell Meio

Puma Cell Meio: Usain Bolt (2008)

Retail: ~$130

To say these shoes were popular after the Beijing Olympics is to say The Fonz was just sort of cool.  A version of the part Jamaican, part gold medal shoes was worn by Lighting himself during a 100 meter final in which he broke stride with 15 meters to go and still posted a world record time of 9.69 seconds.  To Nike founder Phil Knight, Bolt was “the one that got away.”

KD II Creamsicles

Nike KD II Creamsicle: Kevin Durant (2010)

Retail:

2010: $95

Now: $200+

After the release of Durant’s first shoe model, the basketball world was abuzz with excitement over what the newest version would look like.  The world was first graced with the presence of these loud kicks in a nationally televised game against the Dallas Mavericks (a game in which Durant did not play particularly well) during the 2009-2010 season and has since seen many KD models, both in mass and limited release.  Unused original Creamsicles are now considered few and far between and thus the market price for them has increased.

Air Jordan Derek Jeter Mid-Top

Air Jordan Derek Jeter Mid (2007)-

Retail: $90

Nobody aside from Derek Jeter could’ve had the kind of marketability to make baseball cleats stylish.  Think about it—cleats are meant to get dirty, whereas basketball shoes are often taken out then promptly wrapped in tissue paper and neurotically stowed away as collectors’ items.  This shoe and probably Alex Rodriguez’s first Nike Shox model revolutionized the way popular baseball cleats were consumed. Now baseball fans can tune in to Sunday Night Baseball and see Yankees pitcher C.C. Sabathia wearing size 15 Air Jordan XI Concord cleats.

Adidas Stan Smith II (just one of many)

Adidas Stan Smith II (1971)-

Retail (present, adjusted for inflation): $50 or less

If you’ve lived, chances are you’ve seen this shoe. Despite not being the world’s flashiest creation, the Adidas mainstay has gotten the job done on the tennis court and the training field for over 40 years .   The stripeless (an Adidas rarity) creation has sold over 30 million times since 1971 and is currently available in eight different colors and styles.  Not bad for an old piece of leather, huh?  Consider the Stan Smith II the “Godfather” of modern-day tennis shoes.

Adidas Crazy 8 (Formerly known as the KB8)

Adidas Crazy 8: Kobe Bryant (1998, 2005)-

Retail:

1998: $100+

Now: $225+

Making its debut with Kobe as the Adidas KB8 at the 1998 All-Star Game, this shoe has been a classic ever since.  It disappeared for a while in 2002 when Kobe left for promises of better marketing (see his Nike Black Mamba short film starring Bruce Willis and Kanye West) and pay with Nike, but was re-released by Adidas as the “Crazy 8” 2005 to rival Nike’s sales.  It worked.  Different color combinations using the Crazy 8 design are still worn by UCLA, Kansas and Baylor basketball players, among others.

Note: Retail prices are averaged where no singular price could be found.  Current prices  reflect eBay and other for-sale values, as many of these shoes are no longer produced.  At original release, more expensive, deluxe versions of each shoe were sold to consumers but not recorded here.  For the Stan Smith II’s, a market equivalent of $50-ish has been maintained since its original release.

Honorable Mentions:

• Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars (1917)
• Air Jordan 1 (1985)
• Adidas AdiPower Predator TRX FG: Kaka (New: 2012)

US Men’s Basketball Puts on Quite the Show

A lot has been made recently about whether this year’s US Men’s Basketball squad could top the original 1992 Dream Team. I’ve tried to avoid it, as it felt as a media ploy to generate interest in a US team that is clearly going to cruise to a gold medal. But after today’s 156-73 destruction of team Nigeria, they may have a point with this whole Dream Team talk.

Carmelo Anthony led the US to the biggest rout in Olympic history.

Team USA broke just about every record they could, scoring the most points in an Olympic game (previously 138, set by Brazil in 1988), scoring an Olympic record 78 first half points, and setting US records by shooting 71% from the field, hitting 26 threes and making 59 field goals.

Commentator Doug Collins believed the game to be over at 13-0 about a minute into the game. Amazingly, that’s true.

The final 39 minutes of the game was just time for the US to pad their stats, set some records, and fix some problems they had in their previous game against Tunisia.

That game began in stark contrast to today’s. Whereas the US had a 13 point lead a minute into the Nigeria game, that was the same lead they held at halftime against Tunisia, as the starters struggled out of the gate.

Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant both got off to hot starts against Nigeria, scoring 14 and 9 points respectively in the first quarter.

This is what the US did to Nigeria.

But the real star of the game was Carmelo Anthony, who came of the bench to score 37 points, hitting 13 of his 16 shots and 10 of 12 from beyond the arc. This followed his 6 for 6, 16 point game against Tunisia, making Anthony the hottest player on the planet right now. He’s not too shabby at basketball either.

Nigeria, despite their 83 point loss, was not without highlights of their own. PG Tony Skinn had a slick ankle breaker on James Harden. And that’s about it.

Team USA put on perhaps the most dominant basketball performance as a team of all time.

“When they shoot like this, I don’t know if there’s any team that can beat them,” said Nigerian forward Ike Diogu.

Well, maybe that ’92 Dream Team could. Who knows?

12 NBA Players And How They Got Their Nicknames

“Dr. J”, “The Black Mamba” and “Magic”, these are some of the most famous nicknames in NBA, and sports, history. But what’s sometimes overlooked is the story behind the nickname. Here are 12 NBA players, current and former, and the stories behind how their nicknames came to be.

Kevin Garnett – “The Big Ticket” 

Back in his early days, Garnett played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were horrible back then. It didn’t stop him from putting on a show though. People began calling Garnett “The Big Ticket” because he was the only reason people filled the arena every night. The young stud was the hottest ticket in town, and everyone came out to see him.

From his smile to his vision, everything about him was “Magic”.

Earvin Johnson Jr. – “Magic”

In a basketball game as a 15-year-old star for Everett High School, Johnson notched a monstrous triple double: 36 points, 16 rebounds, and 16 assists. After watching the game, a local sportswriter called him “Magic”. The name stuck and the rest was history.

Paul Pierce – “The Truth”

In a 2001 Celtics’ loss, 112-107, to the Lakers, Paul Pierce scored 42 points on a scorching 13 for 19 shooting. After the game, Shaquille O’Neal pulled a Boston reporter over and pointed to his notepad.

“Take this down,” said O’Neal. “My name is Shaquille O’Neal and Paul Pierce is the m***********g truth. Quote me on that and don’t take nothing out. I knew he could play, but I didn’t know he could play like this. Paul Pierce is the truth.”

Karl Malone – “The Mailman”

The former Utah Jazz star and Hall of Famer, earned the nickname “The Mailman” for his ability to always deliver in the clutch.

Allen Iverson – “The Answer”

With his ‘Too-cool-for-Skool’ personality and off-the-court issues in high school, his friends in high school called him “The Answer” because he was just that to basketball’s conformity, which was the image of a family-friendly environment. Iverson’s first and only tattoo he had coming into the NBA was a tattoo of a bulldog with the writing, “The Answer”, above it. The nickname later transformed into much more. Iverson was the number one pick for the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996. As a rookie, he averaged 23.5 points en route to winning rookie of the year. He would later go onto win the MVP, four scoring titles, and lead the Sixers to the NBA Finals. In short he was “The Answer” to all the Sixers’ questions: When would the team be good again? When would they have another superstar? When would the team reach the Finals again?

Vince Carter – “Half Man, Half Amazing”

Aside from “Vinsanity”, Vince Carter earned another nickname. In the 2000 Olympics, Carter jumped over a 7’2’’ French player on a dunk. He didn’t do it in a dunk contest, he did it in an actual game which truly was half man, half amazing.

Amare Stoudemire – “STAT”

On first thought it would seem like Stoudemire got this nickname for filling up the stat sheet. Instead, STAT means “Standing Tall and Talented.” Real cool stuff, Amare… He actually does think that apparently because he got a tattoo that says “STAT”. Where this nickname came from remains unclear, but it was probably Stoudemire himself.

Glen Davis – “Big Baby”

Glen Davis was 5’6’’, 160 pounds at age nine and playing in the peewee leagues. He was too big for kids his age though, so he had to play with the older kids. While playing with them, Davis would pout and whine about some calls, so they called him a “Big Baby.” Whether he’s nine or twenty-two, Davis still knows how to cry on the court. In a 2008 Celtics game, he was caught crying on the bench after Kevin Garnett yelled at him.

Julius Erving – “Dr. J”

While playing pickup games as a kid, Erving was given the nickname “The Doctor” by a friend because of the way he could slice through defenses to the rim and ‘operate’ on his opponents playing basketball. The nickname was later shortened to Dr. J.

I’m not sure what Barkley is more known for: his game or his role as a TNT analyst? He’s one of the best, either way.

Charles Barkley – “The Round Mound of Rebound” 

Out of all the nicknames on this list, this one may be the most fitting. Listed at 6’6’’, but measured slightly under 6’5’’, Barkley was the shortest player ever to lead the league in rebounds. He averaged 11.7 rebounds per game over his career. A large factor for his success was his dominating physical presence due to his 252-pound frame. Hence the nickname, “The Round Mound of Rebound.”

Kobe Bryant – “The Black Mamba”

Kobe Bryant actually gave himself his own nickname. Lame? Kind of, but it’s a pretty cool nickname. The Mamba is the world’s second largest venomous snake. It’s also the fastest land snake in the world and can become very long. (avg. length 8 ft)

As Bryant once told the LA Times, “The Mamba can strike with 99 percent accuracy at maximum speed, in rapid succession. That’s the kind of basketball precision I want to have.”

Dwayne Wade – “Flash”

In 2004, Shaquille O’Neal aka “Superman” joined the Miami Heat after being traded from the Lakers. He determined his teammate and star-in-the-making, Dwayne Wade, needed a great sidekick name. Impressed by Wade’s speed, he called him “Flash”, after the superhero.

Steve Nash’s Arrival Brings About Many Questions For Lakers

“We’ll try to hit a home run,” Lakers’ general manager Mitch Kupchack said a few weeks ago on the Lakers’ offseason plans.

Well the addition of Steve Nash was a bomb worthy of the Home Run Derby. Nash instantly turns the Lakers into serious title contenders.

That was one clutch phone call by Kobe Bryant…

By acquiring Nash the Lakers fixed one major problem but made another one much worse.

The Lakers were already reaching deep in their pockets with Kobe Bryant’s, Pau Gasol’s, and Andrew Bynum’s high salaries already on the books. Taking on Nash and his three-year, $25 million plus contract only makes things worse, financially.

Under the previous collective bargaining agreement, an NBA team had to pay an additional dollar for every dollar it went over the luxury tax threshold.

But under the new CBA, the consequences for going over the threshold become much harsher. Take a look at it here:

• If a team is $0 to $5M over the tax, they pay $1.50 per dollar (so if you’re $3M over, you pay $4.5M in taxes).
• If a team is $5M to $10M over the tax, they pay $1.75 per dollar
• If a team is $10M to $15M over the tax, they pay $2.50 per dollar
• If a team is $15M to $20M over a tax, they pay $3.25 per dollar
• If a team is $20M over, they pay $3.75 per dollar, with the penalty increasing by .50 for every additional $5M it goes over

The system was made to prevent big market teams like the Lakers, Knicks and Mavs from becoming the ‘Yankees’ of the NBA.

The Lakers would have payed over $50 million in luxury taxes last season under this new system. Next season with Nash, this number would blossom much higher. Along with that, the Lakers still have to pay the players their actual salaries. Even the real Yankees would have a tough time swallowing that bill.

Financially the Lakers can’t keep everyone. Though the new CBA’s luxury taxes don’t kick in until the 2013 – 2014 season, expect the Lakers to cut salary soon, just as they did with Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher last season.

Mitch Kupchuck will now have the task of deciding where to cut salary. Who stays? Who goes? Who comes?

The Lakers still have yet to use their one-time amnesty clause and Metta World Peace would be a prime candidate for that. But who better to guard Durant and Lebron than World Peace with his size and strength?

Trade Gasol? Gasol’s value to the Lakers just went through the roof. Nash will create off pick-and-rolls and find Gasol all day on cuts and open mid-range jump shots, which he knocks down routinely. Don’t be surprised to see Gasol rebound from a less-than-stellar season and return to the All-Star game, if he’s still in purple and gold next season.

Is Bynum the Lakers’ next team leader? If you have to think about, then probably not.

What about Bynum? Bynum will only become better with Nash. The Lakers’ issues of not being able to get the ball into Bynum on the low block disappear with Nash at the helm.

But the real question for Lakers management is, ‘Is Bynum the next superstar to lead this team’?

If it’s a yes, then Gasol has to go. If it’s a no, then it’s time to go after Howard. The chances that Howard leaves as a free agent after next season are real. Still the Lakers would have a superstar point guard, they are an annual title contender, would be able to offer him the most years and money (like in the D-Will Nets situation), and it’s LA where he’ll get all the attention he craves; Hey Dwight, are you sure you want to leave?

But with the addition of Nash and the Lakers’ dire financial issues, is the Dwight Howard deal even possible?

It was a real possibility before, but less likely now. Orlando remains stubborn in wanting the Lakers to take back either Hedo Turkoglu or Jason Richardson along with Dwight Howard.

Asking the Lakers to take on additional money? Somewhere Jerry Buss just ‘LOL’, literally. Turkoglu has 2 years, $23.8 million left and Richardson has 3 years, $18.6 million. The Lakers would have to send back at least Metta World Peace, if not more, to match salaries.

The Magic are going to have to lower their demands for the Lakers to move in. They just might though because the Lakers’ offer appears to be the best on the table.

Tough, franchise-altering decisions lay ahead for the Lakers.

Hey Mitch, how about one more home run? Don’t hit too many though, you’ll make the Dodgers jealous.

Lakers Executive Jim Buss: Major Moves ‘Unlikely’ – Wait, What?

“Very good,” Jim Buss, the Lakers’ primary decision maker, said when asked what are the chances the Lakers have Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum to start the upcoming NBA season.

Come again? Has Jim Buss been living under a rock for the past year and a half?

In the their last two playoff appearances, the Lakers have only won one second round playoff game en route to back-to-back early exits.

Is Jim Buss putting an end to Lakers fan’s daily “Gasol for (blank)” trade fantasies?

Buss isn’t exactly crazy though. He’s sees the talent on floor we all see. The Lakers Big Three is talented enough to play with any NBA team’s Big Three, including the Thunder’s young tandem and the Heat’s superstar trio.

Yet that’s only when Gasol asserts himself, Bynum focuses in, and Bryant shows a deeper trust in his teammates.

It’s been two years and the Lakers’ haven’t put this all together.

For a franchise whose goal is to win the NBA Championship every year, anything less is a failure.

Coming off consecutive disappearing acts in the second round, Gasol appears to be the ‘fall guy’ for these shortcomings. Once starring in the role of Robin to Kobe’s Batman, the Spainard appears to have relinquished that role to an ascending Bynum.

Though Bynum has maturity issues and an history of injuries, his upside is sky high. Trading Gasol is the best option for the Lakers, preferably for an elite point guard like Deron Williams or Rajon Rondo.

Houston would be the most likely destination for Gasol because Rockets’ general manager Daryl Morey has long chased after the 31 year old and his unique skill set.

Boston, with the possible retirement of Kevin Garnett, and Philadelphia, with Elton Brand’s lack of production, could be other potential suitors for Gasol.

Instead Buss and the Lakers will strive for continuity this offseason and a few minor splashes.

“We will try to sign (Ramon) Sessions when the rules allow beginning in July…and improve the bench,” Buss said on the Lakers’ offseason plans.

Assuming the Lakers don’t land an elite point guard in a blockbuster trade, Sessions may be the best option at point guard.

The days of Lamar Odom, Jordan Farmar, and Sasha Vujacic coming off the bench seem pretty grand right now for Lakers fans….

Under the current CBA and the Lakers’ huge salary commitment to Bryant, Bynum and Gasol, their financial flexibility is limited. The team will only have a mini-mid-level exception for $3 million a year over two years to offer. Point guards in this salary range could be Raymond Felton and Kirk Hinrich.

If Session’s asking price goes too high, the Lakers could turn to Hinrich. He plays solid defense and can shoot three pointers, hitting 37.8% for his career. Health could be factor though as Hinrich has played 48, 48 and 24 games in the last three seasons, respectively.

Yet the biggest upgrade needs to be in the bench. Last season, the Lakers’ bench ranked dead last in the NBA in scoring. This lies in stark contrast to the Lakers’ two championship years, 2009 and 2010, where their bench was consistently one of the best in the NBA.

The Lakers need bench players who can play solid defense and hit a few three point shots a game to keep defenses from crowding Gasol and Bynum and relieve some of the scoring load off of Bryant.

Though it will have to be a Mike Miller – Miami Heat sort of deal, where a player will choose to come to a contender for the veteran’s minimum because of the Lakers’ cap space issues.

For the Lakers, this offseason will be a telling one and with Bryant’s prime playing days receding faster than LeBron James’ hairline, Buss needs to take a more aggressive approach to building a title team.

Why Fans Love Scalabrine

If you are a religious “SportsCenter’s Not Top 10” viewer, love wasting valuable study time perusing NBA blooper videos on YouTube or have become acquainted with NBA Memes, you undoubtedly know who Brian Scalabrine is.

Standing six feet nine and weighing in at a generous 235 pounds, the Long Beach native is arguably one of the most popular players in the Association, yet he hardly ever touches the hardwood.

Every time Scalabrine sets foot on the floor, fans either get excited or wish they never left the arena early.

Scalabrine was drafted 34^th overall in the 2001 NBA Draft, which includes current All-Stars like Pau Gasol, Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace and Tony Parker as well as notorious duds like Kwame Brown.

And while even a “bust” like Kwame Brown boasts far more impressive numbers than Scalabrine, the “White Mamba” is beloved around the league, whereas Kwame is constantly labeled a disappointment.

His red hair, rotund frame and camera-friendly pre-game squat thrusts make him a must-see attraction throughout the entire NBA and at an 11-year average of 13 minutes per game, it is popularly believed that he has the highest jersey sale to playing time ratio since Naismith decided to cut a hole in the peach basket.

Needless to say, an NBA without “Scal” would be incomplete, and here’s why:

1. He looks like the average American, just elevated-

When fans see the high-flying acrobatics of LeBron James, the speed and agility of Russell Westbrook and the cannonball shoulders of Dwight Howard, they develop a sense of separation from the game.  Scalabrine’s lack of foot speed, occasional mental errors and sedentary nature during games draws fans in because barring his height advantage, he resembles the typical middle-aged sports enthusiast watching the game from home.  Each and every one of us can see a few of our own characteristics in a thirty-three year-old man who has started less than 12 percent of the NBA games he’s played.

2. He’s had his few signature moments-

Despite averaging only 3.1 points per game on the career, Scalabrine’s career defining moment in the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals will forever overshadow these statistics.  In Game 5 of a hotly contested series against the Pistons, the eventual NBA champions, Scalabrine, at this time a member of the Nets, found himself in the game after starters Kenyon Martin and Jason Collins had both fouled out.  Contributing with 23 minutes off the bench, Scalabrine was 6 of 7 from the field, including 4 of 4 from 3-point range in a triple-overtime victory.  He sank a key 3-pointer in triple OT to seal the deal for the Nets and finished with a career-high 17 points.  The performance is listed as an Honorable Mention in the “NBA’s 60 Greatest Playoff Moments.”

3. He’s a likeable guy-

One of the main reasons fans are chanting “SCALA-BRINE” every time the Bulls are winning by a generous margin and every time he touches the ball is because of his personality.  While most players would lie about staying in contact with former teammates following their departure from a team, “Scal” did exactly opposite after he left the Celtics, jokingly explaining to a reporter that it doesn’t count as “keeping in touch” when Ray Allen only leaves him voicemails during games.

Part of the reason for Rondo’s stardom was Scal’s unrelenting defense in practice. Well, sort of.

His most charismatic moment, though, came in a press conference following Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals.  When asked by a European reporter what it is like to win an NBA title knowing that he never set foot on the court during the series, the big man replied, “I’ll tell you, it’s not that difficult to do because maybe now you could say I didn’t play a second, but in five years, you guys are gonna forget.  In ten years, I’ll still be a champ.  In twenty years, I’ll probably tell my kids I started and in thirty years I’ll probably tell ‘em I got the MVP, so I’m really not too worried about it.”

Scalabrine came off a one-year, 1.4 million dollar deal with the bulls at the end of the season and is now an unrestricted free agent.  While it is uncertain if he’ll be with the Bulls next season or any team for that matter, you can bet “24” (no, not Kobe) will be worn, albeit a bit sarcastically, by fans all across the nation.

Tips for a Panicked Lakers Front Office

Well, here you have it Lakers fans.  Your team is once again out of the playoffs and the Western Conference Semifinals are quickly becoming your kryptonite.

It seems as though next season there are only two certainties with the team—that Kobe Bryant will continue to be the centerpiece and that Jack Nicholson will be courtside.

Andrew Bynum consistently showed his All-Star ability but always remains an injury risk.

An absent Pau Gasol appears at the moment to be an immovable piece with not too many teams having the financial means to take on the 19-million dollar contract of a man who appeared to be taking a vacation from boxing out and dunking.

Ramon Sessions flashed potential at the point guard position but is unsigned beyond the 2012-2013 season.

Los Angeles is a basketball city with a rich tradition that refuses to accept mediocrity.  To quote Saturday Night Live’s “Bob and Bill Schwersky’s Superfans,” the expectation is generally a “minimum eight-peat.”

Since the snow-covered moving vans pulled into the Forum back in 1960, the Lakers have reigned as the crown jewel (sorry, LA Kings) of the city.  In order to prevent the Lake Show from being cast aside in favor of a younger, livelier Lob City brand, I have devised a few guidelines the Lakers should consider.

1. Give Mike Brown a couple of years– Sure, his hiring went unrecognized by Kobe for nearly a month and his team failed to mesh down the stretch but Phil Jackson’s last hurrah against the Dallas Mavericks will go down as one of the most notorious playoff beat-downs in NBA history.  In 2007, Brown coached LeBron James and the Nonexistent Supporting Cast (my future band name) to the NBA Finals and there is no reason he can’t do the same with the Lakers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers: Practicing bench dance moves since 2003.

2. Make things right with Derek Fisher– Everyone knows Derek Fisher is not the point guard he once was and has never been a piece to build a team around, but his trade gave the Lakers a black eye that they certainly didn’t need in mid-May.  If the season ends and he decides to hang up the sneakers, Lakers management needs to do the right thing and reach out to Fisher to silence all the rabble-rousers.

No. 2 doesn’t have to hang from the rafters any time soon, but the two sides need to reconcile their differences.

3. Sign Dwight Howard and put him in couples therapy with Kobe- If only NBA signings came with a test drive.  On paper, a Kobe Bryant-Dwight Howard dynamic duo (if Dwight even wants to make the trip out West) is a match made in heaven, but personality-wise it has the makings of a battle between two divas.  Whatever changes the Lakers decide to make (and they will make changes), they need to be sure to receive an affirmative Kobe face before putting pen to paper.

Lakers fans haven’t seen this Blue Steel-esque look in over two years.

4. Relax! Didn’t you just come off of back-to-back titles?- Amidst all this post-elimination turmoil, the Lakers are still just two seasons removed from Kobe’s fifth NBA title and one offseason move away from once again hoisting the trophy.  No Kobe-led squad will ever imitate the Bobcats.  If all else fails, Magic Johnson can just buy the team.

Wouldn’t it be easier if everything was owned by Magic?