My Off-Season Begins

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

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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Los Angeles Lakers 2009 NBA Champions on DVD & Blu-Ray

Just a quick one: Warner Home Video will release the Official Los Angeles Lakers 2009 NBA Champions video on DVD ($24.98) and Blu-Ray ($34.99) on July 14, 2009.

The video contains the Lakers' journey to win the 2009 NBA crown from training camp all the way to the hard-fought playoffs and finals against the Orlando Magic.


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The Lakers are the 2009 NBA Champions!

The Los Angeles Lakers are NBA Champions once again!

The Lakers closed out the Orlando Magic in their own home court 99-86, led by Finals MVP Kobe Bryant's 30 points. The Lakers trailed by 9 points in the first quarter after a fast start by the Magic, but roared to a big second quarter run to lead by 10 at the half.

Los Angeles never looked back as they shut down the home team in the decisive third quarter. The outcome was decided early in the fourth quarter when the Magic failed to mount a run and seemed to be deflated by the Lakers defensive effort.

The Lakers are now a 15-time NBA Championship franchise, with coach Phil Jackson earning his record 10th NBA ring.

Congratulations to the Lakers and I knew you'd be back!


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ESPN: Los Angeles Lakers #1 NBA Franchise of All-Time

John Hollinger of ESPN has come up with a ranking of all thirty NBA franchises and evaluates all of them based on their performances thus far. The franchise that came out as #1? The Los Angeles Lakers.

According to Hollinger:

Magic. Kareem. The Logo. Kobe. Shaq. When it comes to superstars, the Lakers are so far out in front of everybody else it's not even funny -- their all-time starting five would crush any other team's; in fact, it might be better than that of the rest of the league's put together. So star-studded is their legacy that I left Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor and George Mikan off my five-man team that opened this paragraph, also neglecting the likes of James Worthy, Bob McAdoo and Gail Goodrich.

And those big names won, too. Although the Celtics have more championships, the Lakers have more of everything else -- wins, playoff wins, playoff series wins and conference titles...

I am in complete agreement with Hollinger here-- the Lakers are by far the best franchise in NBA history. The Lakers may trail the Boston Celtics in terms of championship banners, but that gap may be closed sooner than most people think. The Lakers have demonstrated several championship runs in all decades (The Lakers did reach the NBA finals in eight times in the 1960's but failed in all tries.) and they are closing the first decade of the 2000's with another championship run.


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Lakers Clutch in OT Game 4 Win

What a game!

If you're a Los Angeles Lakers fan, you would've had two cardiac arrests by the time the final buzzer sounded. Add Game Four of the 2009 NBA Finals to the library of clutch Lakers playoff performances.

The game started with the Magic dominating both ends of the court-- Dwight Howard was feasting on weak inside play from the Lakers bigs, and the Magic was executing the offense crisply. The Lakers didn't do themselves a favor by getting into foul trouble early on and scoring a paltry total of 14 points in the second quarter.

But things started to look up after the halftime break.

Trevor Ariza, known more for his defensive lock-down skills, exploded for 13 points in the third quarter and scored 9 straight in a 2-minute stretch that sliced the Orlando lead to one point. The tide turned like an upheaval for the Lakers as they outscored the Magic 30-14 in the third and came into the fourth quarter leading by a slim margin.

The fourth quarter was like a boxing match between two heavy weights slugging it out-- I was waiting for that big uppercut that will put the other one away. It looked like the Magic was able to deliver the killer blows with a three-ball and a short from Hedo Turkoglu. The Magic were up by 5 with a minute and a half left and the Lakers looked like their 2-1 lead would be evened after the game.

But fate, like the Los Angeles Lakers, had a different idea: Kobe Bryant passed to Pau Gasol a minute later to cut the lead to three points. The Magic had a chance to seal the door shut when their superstar Dwight Howard was fouled had two free throws. On both occasions, he missed. (I can feel the collective memories of the Orlando Magic fans hark back 14 years ago when Nick Anderson missed four free throws that could have won them the game. Howard's misses are truly made of those heartbreaking things.)

The Lakers inbounded and Kobe passed to Trevor Ariza, who then shuttled the ball to Derek Fisher. Fisher took a couple of dribbles and shot over the outstretched arm of Jameer Nelson. Swish. Game tied. Heart attack-inducing Moment #1.

The Magic's inexperience showed when instead of drawing a foul (the Lakers were in the penalty), an ill-advised jump shot was taken in the final four seconds of the game. The game went into overtime and it seems the momentum has shifted again to the Lakers' side.

A quick three by the Magic's Rashard Lewis kicked the extra period off, but that would be the the teams only field goal in overtime. Kobe Bryant kept it close with two jumpers, and a Dwight Howard free throw tied the game with a minute left. Thirty seconds would be the time when both teams would remain to be tied as Derek Fisher hit a huge three-pointer at the top of the arc. The Magic fans went silent. Heart attack-inducing Moment #2.

Gasol would hit two slam dunks and a free throw to set the final score but the game practically ended with that Fisher 3.

The Lakers are now one win away from the NBA championship.


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Kobe Fumbles Game 3 Away

With just a half minute left in Game Three of the 2009 NBA Finals, the Los Angeles Lakers were trailing the Orlando Magic by two points, 102-104. It was oddly a close game considering the Magic shot an ureal 75% from the field in the first half and has held Kobe Bryant to a dismal shooting in the second half.

Kobe dribbled just passed the the midcourt line, and he was determined to attack the Orlando Magic defense. Pau Gasol was ready to give him a pick near the three-point line, and the Magic's Mickeal Pietrus was approaching Kobe on defense.

Gasol set the pick and Kobe began his drive to the hoop. Kobe made his patented difficult jumpers in the first quarter (7-8 from the field, good for 17 points), and the crowd is wondering if the former MVP will pull up for another dagger of a jumper or drive strong to the hoop to draw the foul. His quick first step was well-timed and as he was about to make his move, he seemed like he was going to redeem himself from the free throws he missed a few minutes back.

But something went wrong.

Mickael Pietrus, was able to deflect the ball from Kobe's hands as he moved around Gasol's pick. Kobe was perturbed and fumbled the ball. No one had complete control of the basketball for a few split seconds until Gasol grabbed the ball as he fell on his back on the floor. He tried to pass it back to Kobe but there was Pietrus again, deflecting the ball until it flew towards the Magic's side of the court.

You could feel the early jubilation form the Orlando crowd as Pietrus was able to gain possession of the ball and Kobe was left with no choice but to commit the quick foul. The French swingman made the following free throws and that was virtually the game winner for the Orlando Magic. The first franchise victory earned at the expense of the Los Angeles Lakers, thanks to a Kobe Bryant turnover.


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Marketing the 2009 NBA Finals

As a Los Angeles Lakers fan, I'm very happy about the 101-96 Game Two win despite the ugliness of the game.

So ugly to fact that the television ratings for Game Two went down compared to last year. People just tuned out. And who can blame them? In the first quarter, instead of showing a very competitive series, both the Lakers and the Orlando Magic combined for 30 measly points. Both teams shot poorly and even Kobe Bryant restrained in shooting lights out.

But despite the fugliness of that game, I still believe that the 2009 NBA Finals can still be a marketing gem for the NBA. After taking my MBA, I've been more keen on what can be done to capture the people's fancy plus the angles that might find interesting. Here are my suggestions to the league:

• Focus on the shining star - Forget Dwight Howard. Put the spotlight on Kobe Bryant. Kobe has got to be the most polarizing figure in the NBA right now-- there is just no middle ground with him. Either you hate him or you love him. Good thing is that he has been shredding the Orlando defense in the first two games that his superb play merits the attention of the promotions folks at the NBA.
• International flavor - Pau Gasol, Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus, Hedo Turkoglu, and Sasha Vuajacic are getting a great amount of tick in the Finals and they are all Europeans. Throw in the inactive Sun Yue and we have a representative from Asia. I heard in the telecast that Orlando Magic jerseys have spiked in Poland, where Gortat is a citizen of.
• The Redemption Angle - Redemption is one of the oldest, most enduring themes in stories and the 2009 NBA Finals have redemptive qualities on two counts. The first is the Los Angeles Lakers. They were beaten to a pulp in last year's finals and this year could be their comeback (sans the Boston Celtics). The second is Kobe Bryant. This is best chance to win a ring without Shaquille O'Neal and after languishing in NBA playoff limbo since 2004, this is chance to redeem himself.
• The Team of the Decade- If the Lakers this year's championship, I think they would have closed the nomination for the best team of the decade. If the 1960's belong to the Boston Celtics, the 1980's to the Los Angeles Lakers, and the 1990's to the Chicago Bulls, the Lakers have a chance to clinch the decade if they win it all this year. Yes, the San Antonio Spurs may have the better decade regular season winning percentage (.702 versus the Lakers .646), but the Lakers have reached the finals six times in the decade, plus they have the chance to get the team's fourth ring in the same time period (versus three of the Spurs).

So, paging NBA commish David Stern, these ideas may be of help to you. :)

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Kobe Bryant... A Knick?!?

Kobe Bryant in a New York Knicks jersey is now a reality... in video game reality, that is.

2K Sports recently announced that Kobe Bryant will be the on the cover of NBA 2K10, and fans have the chance to choose from four versions of Kobe on the cover. The options include a lay-up cover:

 an on-the-dribble cover:

 and a "hero pose" cover:

The Kobe as a Knick cover is just for fun, according to 2K Sports. (Sorry New York Knicks fans!)

NBA and video game fans have a chance to vote which will be the official cover of NBA 2K10. They set-up a voting site at http://www.2ksports.com/vote/ and the deadline for voting is on June 15, 2009. A day after that, the winning cover will be announced. As of this writing, the "hero pose" cover is leading the voting.

Kobe has been upbeat about NBA 2K10. “I’ve been playing sports video games for as long as I can remember and honestly, I’ve never seen one come so close to replicating real basketball. What 2K Sports has done is truly incredible and I’m proud to be a partner with them and on the cover of NBA 2K10,” said Bryant.


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Determined Kobe Leads Lakers in Game One

There was a stretch in Game One of the 2009 NBA Finals where it turned the match into a mismatch: The Los Angeles Lakers were protecting an 11-point lead roughly five minutes into the third quarter. They led by 10 points after the half-time break and the Orlando Magic were trying to shave as much points in that lead. At that point, no team was establishing control in the third quarter... until Kobe Bryant happened.

Kobe's dagger was a pull-up jumper from 14 feet, with his defender Mickeal Pietrus planted on the floor and could only foul to stop the Black Mamba. The three-point play led to a 14-2 run to turn an 11-point lead into a 23-point cushion that the Lakers will not relinquish for the remainder of the game.

As a fan, I was proud of the determination and hunger the Lakers showed in the game. You can feel that for Game One, they wanted it more than the Magic-- Kobe was determined to crush the spirits of the Magic players that he went back to the fourth quarter. He broke the Magic's defense with his first 40-point Finals game, but Kobe demoralized the Magic with his unstoppable game.

If the Lakers and Kobe show this focus to defeat the seemingly stunned Orlando team, this will be a short series. Kobe knows that the Magic will make adjustments, but he will be prepared and single-minded in his quest for his fourth championship ring.


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Lakers-Magic 2009 NBA Finals Preview

The Los Angeles Lakers are back at the NBA Finals, and they are poised to put the 2008 NBA Finals defeat behind them. This year, the Lakers are a grizzled & tested team that weathered physical match-ups against the Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets. Now they get the Beast of the East: The Orlando Magic.

The Magic sweep the Lakers in the regular season, but as we found out in the Lakers-Rockets match-up (where the Lakers swept the Rockets 4-0), the regular season records don't mean squat in the NBA playoffs. Also, the Magic are now playing Rafer Alston on the point, in lieu of the injured Jameer Nelson. Nelson scorched the Lakers in their regular season meetings.

The Lakers will also face a tough center in Dwight Howard. Howard will be the team's first major frontline opponent, an inside force that makes Yao Ming and Nene look like little school girls. Howard's inside game makes the three-point shooters of the Magic happy recipients of passes off double-teams in the paint.

In consideration of these things, here's what I think are the important factors for the Lakers:

• Team Defense - To offset the Magic's strengths, the Lakers will rely on their depth for defense. Lamar Odom and Luke Walton off the bench to defend the Magic forwards will be key. I predict Phil Jackson will rely on single coverage from Andrew Bynum to defend Dwight Howard, so quick defensive rotation from Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza will be important to stifle the inside-outside attack.
• Triangle Offense Execution - Like what happened in the Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets, the Lakers have to execute the triangle offense crisply in order to out-pace the Magic offensively. Pau Gasol is the offensive X-Factor for the Lakers-- as long as he can keep the Magic front-line play honest defense on him, he can throw good inside passes to cutting Lakers like Kobe Bryant or Lamar Odom.
• Point Guard Play - With the absence of Jameer Nelson, point guard play in the series virtually becomes a free-for-all. This position has been the Lakers' weakest since the playoffs began. Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmer had moments, but over-all, their play is spotty. It remains to be seen how they will respond against Rafer Alston and Anthony Johnson. I see that the team with the better PG performance will have the upper hand.
• Kobe Bryant - How will Kobe respond to the duo of Mickeal Pietrus and Courtney Lee, a pair of athletic defensive stoppers who were able to stop LeBron James in the Game Six of the Eastern Conference Finals? Kobe had little challenge from Dahntay Jones in the previous round, and I see Kobe shredding the Frenchman and the rookie in the Finals.

With the better offensive execution and team depth, the Lakers have the means to close out the Magic to win the NBA Championship.

My prediction: Lakers in 5.


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LeBron James: Royal Loser

If Lebron James is "The King," he definitely acted like a spoiled monarch after they lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference Finals (ECF).

After the Cleveland Cavaliers lost 103-90 in Game Six of the ECF, LeBron James walked off the court and refused to shake the hands of the victors. Talk about being a sore loser! Here's what LeBron had to say:

It's hard for me to congratulate somebody after you just lose to them. I'm a winner. It's not being a poor sport or anything like that. If somebody beats you up, you're not going to congratulate them. That doesn't make sense to me. I'm a competitor. That's what I do. It doesn't make sense for me to go over and shake somebody's hand.

WTF?!? Just because you're a "winner" you're spared from sportsman-like protocol?

Well LeBron, you haven't won any rings yet so you're technically not in the winner's circle.

It also annoys me to no end that LeBron's team has either kept mum or defended his unsportsman-like actions. This tolerance just spoils James further and fuels his whining attitude. Can you imagine Phil Jackson defending Kobe Bryant in this type of situation? (Jackson has criticized Kobe and called him "uncoachable" in the past).

So to LeBron James, shake the hands of your vanquishers. It's not supposed to be fun, but it's what real winners do.


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