The Lakeshow (everything Lakers)

Kind of depressing to see them play at such a low level right now. Considering it's Phil's last year, you would think they would strive to get him his last and final ring.

We have a big road trip around the corner...A lot of times that is when the Lakers finally flip the switch and start playing like they care....hopefully this is it....if we get through this road trip battered and beaten than I am in serious doubt of this team.

just waitin for the playoffs.... theyll be fine

DontxTrip wrote:just waitin for the playoffs.... theyll be fine

yeah sure...

This quad reminds me of the 03 team...

lol the pinche rockets...everytime we play these fuckers they give us trouble...

Scola>Pau these days

GM Mitch Kupchak, coach Phil Jackson and LA icon Magic Johnson just did what franchise pillars of their stature rarely do -- something Lakers officials never do, really -- by announcing to the world that the teetering two-time champs might need to make a trade.

Why?

Simple.

The Lakers have been so uncharacteristically public about the potential benefits of an injection of new blood because they know, with a league-high $90.4 million payroll and such limited trade assets, that threatening this locker room with a shakeup move is a far simpler gamble to execute than shaking things up with an actual deal before the Feb. 24 trading deadline.

However ...

I'm told that there's at least one prominent Laker who hopes he's the guy who gets shipped out in the next 20-odd days.

One source close to the situation insists that Ron Artest wants out.

Asked to react to that, Artest's agent David Bauman declined comment.

This is where I'm obligated to remind you that no one in the NBA can change his mind faster than the famously fickle Ron-Ron. Another pertinent disclaimer: Artest's play has been sufficiently sluggish in the second season of a five-year deal that whatever he wants is bound to be greeted by shrugs and scoffs, no matter how much he gave the Lakers in the epic final game of last season.

I've nonetheless been assured this week that Artest -- though he hasn't outright demanded a trade and is likely to publicly deny it -- is serious about wanting to be dealt somewhere "he can have fun again" less than a year removed from the pivotal role he played in that ring-clinching Game 7 with Boston that the Lakers so nearly squandered.

[+] EnlargeArtest
Christian Petersen/Getty ImagesArtest's questioning his fit on the Lakers these days.

This much I can say about the source: It's not Artest's provocatively tweet-happy brother Daniel.

Yet many of the same complaints Daniel Artest revealed Tuesday via his Twitter feed were cited as reasons that Artest, leading into Tuesday night's home win over Houston in which he logged just 5.5 seconds of playing time in the fourth quarter and overtime, is hoping for a new address. He might have rewritten the way he'll be remembered when he retires by proving so remarkably reliable in the biggest game of his life -- while Kobe Bryant was shooting 6-for-24 in a Game 7 at home -- but the honeymoon sure sounds over.

Artest's two main beefs?

1. He's weary of being scapegoated for the team's struggles and feels that he's destined to always absorb the bulk of the blame no matter what happens because Jackson and Bryant are so dependent on the more glamorous contributions of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom and will never publicly go after regal Laker lifer Derek Fisher.

2. As we heard at various points during his stops in Indiana, Sacramento and Houston, Artest is eventually going to squawk if he's being marginalized in the offense, which inevitably disengages him from his defensive responsibilities. (Relegated "to the corner shot" is the way Daniel Artest described it -- except that he said "regulated" and surely meant "relegated.")

It was stressed to me that Artest has actually coexisted better with Jackson since it emerged in December that Artest asked his coach to stop criticizing him so publicly and keep displeasure in-house. Despite Artest's increasingly regular stints on the bench in crunch time, I get the distinct vibe that settling for offensive scraps in the shadow of Kobe and Pau while absorbing the hottest heat on afternoons like Sunday when Paul Pierce erupts for 32 points has soured Artest far more than Jackson's frequently sharp tongue.

The reality, of course, is that Artest is not very tradable no matter how much he'd like to be relocated. Not with the way he's producing and moving.

The Lakers want to believe focus has been Artest's bigger problem as opposed to advancing age. They cling to the hope that he can still deliver physicality and reliability when the game slows down in the postseason and between-games rest can refuel Artest and others, too.

Yet it seems safe to suggest that the 31-year-old, producing career-low numbers almost everywhere you look on the stat sheet, has given prospective suitors fresh reason -- piled onto the old baggage that dissuades teams that don't have the Lakers' conviction or a Jackson to manage the situation -- to balk at taking on a contract that still has three years and nearly $22 million remaining after this season. Especially in this climate of widespread fear about how restrictive the league's next labor pact will be.

None of that, though, has convinced Artest to back off. Not yet, anyway.

Dare I say he's been fined too many times to get sucked into publicly asking out -- which is obviously a legit dare in this case -- but I continue to hear that this is more than mere venting and that a trade is what Artest is rooting for.

Which means the Lakers have 22 days to somehow find a destination for him ... or 73 days before the start of the playoffs to diffuse the biggest Artest crisis they've faced so far and get him plugged back in after essentially trading away Trevor Ariza to get him.

On a more positive not...I am happily eating crow about Kobe not being the player he once was...He still has it...just had to recuperate from the knee surgery and hit his mid season form.....

fuuuck those classic Laker jerseys are fuckin sweet....

anyways...Celtics got mamba'd in the 4th...good show in the 2nd half Lakers.

that Laker D has been killin the past few games always in the second half tho when it counts.. they been playing pretty good

DontxTrip wrote:artest for steven jackson? melo for bynum? what u think?

Melo for Bynum...stupid fucking idea...


Artest for Captain Jack.....hmmmmm....That might be interesting...however, when the game slows down in the post season Artest's defense will be valuable..

trading bynum right now will be pretty stupid of them, they know that they will need his size come playoff time.. and plus they are said to make a run for dwight howard next year using bynum as a centerpiece for the trade, dwight howard is gunna be wanting a trade nxt year i hear.. it's still pretty far fetched but it makes more sense than getting melo who is pretty much one dimensional, all he can pretty much do is score but having dwight howard will be alot better.. who knows the lakers might get him they might not but all i heard is that they might make a run at him next year

lol...fuckin Kwamaaaaayyyy Brown! showing us whatsup hahaha.


typical Lakers @ Bobcats game tonight...i dont know what it is about that fuckin team that bothers us....i think fatigue is also starting to set in over the road trip and the two back to backs we had...

W.Devil wrote:lol...fuckin Kwamaaaaayyyy Brown! showing us whatsup hahaha.


typical Lakers @ Bobcats game tonight...i dont know what it is about that fuckin team that bothers us....i think fatigue is also starting to set in over the road trip and the two back to backs we had...

yeah im sure its fatigue they've had 4 games in 5 days all on the road

lol @ reggie miller at the end....mmmmmmhhhmmmmmmmmmhhhm haha...

Reggie...greatest IE basketball playah of all time...Riva's finest

lol...this team really needs to get focused...this shit is ridiculous.

trade everybody!!!!!!!!!1

trade fucking Artest for a focused small Forward who can play decent defense...but...hit a consistent jump shot and create for himself and is somewhat athletic...fuckin Artest is a black hole on offense and runs around with a lead foot out there.

^lol..retract pervious statement...dude has been ballin since the break and is an official Durant Stopper.

We're on a nice roll right now...im worried about the T Wolves game...just the kind of game for us to lose focus and get an L.

1 loss since all star break...keep this shit going...

lakers been tearin it up lately... 14-1 since the all star break.... that miami game should've been won, but those mistakes cost them but overall good ass ball they r playing good defense everything.. kobe slowed down for those few 3-4 games he was injured but past 2 he picked it up scoring 42 & 37 not baadd homiie... i think they'll beat NO & Dallas & Utah they have it in em..

OH ey wut u guys think about the Kings coming down to Anaheim?? word is they r set to come down here...

March 26, 2011 9:48 a.m.
$75 million proposal could lure Kings here
By ERIC CARPENTER
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ANAHEIM – The city outlined a $75-million plan on Friday to pave the way for the NBA's Sacramento Kings to move into the Honda Center.

Under the agreement, scheduled for a vote at Tuesday's City Council meeting, Anaheim would provide $75 million in lease-revenue bonds: $25 million for construction upgrades to the Honda Center, and $50 million in working capital, possibly for the Kings' relocation costs.

The bonds, funded by private investors, would be paid back over 10 years by revenues from the city-owned Honda Center.

"In the event that the Honda Center's revenues are not sufficient to pay the interest and principal on the bonds, then the private investors have taken on all risk of non-payment," Finance Director Bob Wingenroth writes in a council staff report.

The Kings have been in private negotiations with Anaheim Arena Management, which operates the Honda Center. Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof have until April 18 to file for relocation with the NBA.

The council actions are the first official acknowledgement that steps are being taken to bring the Kings here for the 2011-12 season.

"It is no secret that Anaheim is one of Southern California's most exciting sports and entertainment destinations," Mayor Tom Tait said in a statement Friday. "With more than three million people in Orange County, the addition of an NBA team is a great move that promises to be a successful venture."

Attorneys for Kings' owners earlier this month filed for trademarks on several names, including the Anaheim Royals; the franchise was originally the Rochester Royals.

Also on Tuesday's agenda is a document that reiterates that any NBA team must include Anaheim first and as the only geographic identifier in its name – preventing a potential Anaheim Royals of Southern California scenario.

A few years ago, the city amended its agreement with Anaheim Arena Management after the Anaheim Angels baseball team unexpectedly changed the team name to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

The 17,000-seat arena was built in 1993 and was intended for two major professional sports teams. Until now, the only prominent tenant has been the Anaheim Ducks hockey team.

The staff report doesn't spell out what upgrades would be constructed at the Honda Center, but in 2008 the city said that an NBA team would need locker rooms, a sports-training facility and a practice court. (A practice facility could be inside the arena or nearby.)

Under the current agreement, the city makes no money off the Honda Center until the annual profit reaches a $12-million threshold. At that point, Anaheim would receive 15 percent of revenues.

If the Kings move here, city officials expect revenues to exceed the $12-million mark. But as part of the new agreement, Anaheim would delay its share of those profits until the bonds are paid off. Anaheim Arena Management's contract to operate the Honda Center also would be extended 10 years to 2033.

A spokesman for Anaheim Arena Management, owned by Ducks owner Henry Samueli, declined comment.

The entire financing deal is contingent upon the Kings' owners signing a deal to come to Anaheim and winning NBA approval.

City officials, in the long run, believe having an NBA team would be a financial boon to Anaheim.

The city staff report cites a 2008 study by economist Lon Hatamiya that says the Seattle SuperSonics contributed $188 million annually to the local economy before moving to Oklahoma City.

"As mayor, I look forward to joining my colleagues on Tuesday to consider these important agenda items," Tait said. "As a basketball fan, I'm hoping that we will soon be cheering at that first tip-off at Anaheim's own Honda Center."

Register staff writer Randy Youngman contributed to this story.

City Council of Anaheim approves funding for Kings
CBSSports.com wire reports
March 29, 2011

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Anaheim city council unanimously approved a $75 million bond deal Tuesday night to entice the Sacramento Kings to relocate to Orange County.

The city council twice voted 5-0 for the lease-revenue bond measures, resulting in a round of applause from the audience at its packed City Hall meeting room.

"Anaheim took a giant step closer to bringing an NBA team to Anaheim and the Honda Center," Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait said. "I am thrilled. A better word is stoked."

Tait repeatedly emphasized the city is borrowing no money and has no financial risk in the deal. According to every Anaheim official at the meeting, the city is merely acting as a conduit for a private investment by Henry Samueli, the billionaire owner of the NHL's Anaheim Ducks.

"I'd like to recognize this is a historic moment for us," Council Member Harry Sidhu said. "This is going to be a great economic engine for us. A lot of jobs are going to be created, and I'm fully confident in that."

Samueli, who also manages the city-owned arena, is financing the deal, which includes $25 million in upgrades to Honda Center, including a practice court and new locker rooms. Another $50 million will be working capital for moving costs that could include relocation fees paid to the NBA's other owners.

The Kings must file for relocation by April 18 for the deal to move forward. The bond issue was publicly opposed by just one person in the meeting crowd, which also included a fan wearing the No. 4 Sacramento jersey of retired star Chris Webber.

Although most city officials were careful to emphasize the bonds could be used to move any team, not just the Kings, Council Member Kris Murray acknowledged the obviously messy emotions behind the deal.

"My heart does go out to the Sacramento fans and residents," Murray said. "They're a great team, and I know we would be proud to have them in our city. ... I hope we come up with some creative way to replace the cowbell."

Tait expressed similar emotions after the meeting.

"Most teams come from another city," Tait said, noting the Kings have moved three previous times, while both the Lakers and Clippers didn't start out in Los Angeles. "That's just the nature of professional sports."

The bonds will be purchased by Samueli and repaid over 10 years with Honda Center revenue.

"It is the investors that are taking on the risk in this financing structure," said Bob Wingenroth, Anaheim's Director of Finance.

Those investors are three companies bearing the initials of Samueli, the co-founder of Broadcom Corp. and a UCLA graduate who bought the Ducks from the Walt Disney Company in 2005. The Ducks won the Stanley Cup two years later, but Samueli is a longtime basketball fan whose sports ownership dreams have always included an NBA team for Orange County.

Samueli didn't attend the meeting, but his Anaheim Arena Management company issued its first public comment on the deal.

"We trust that the overwhelming support of Anaheim's city management and elected officials will be looked at favorably by the NBA and its member clubs," company chairman Michael Schulman said in a statement. "This vote is an important first step as we continue working toward hosting an NBA franchise at Honda Center."

The well-traveled Kings' move out of California's capital city still is far from a done deal, although this lucrative financing plan removes a major obstacle for Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof. Their active interest in Anaheim became public in recent months after several years of failed arena deals to replace the former Arco Arena, the Kings' aging home.

If the Kings file for relocation, the NBA's other 29 owners must approve the move by majority vote. The Maloofs then might need to pay a relocation fee to the owners, including possibly hefty payments to the Lakers and Clippers, who share Staples Center 35 miles away.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson recently sounded resigned to the Kings' departure, but the former NBA player's city government has taken a more combative tone recently. On Monday, Sacramento's assistant city manager sent a letter asking Anaheim to cease all negotiations over worries the Kings might default on $77 million owed to the city from a 1997 loan.

Joe Maloof responded to the letter with his first public comments on the deal, telling the Orange County Register that the Kings will repay everything they owe, and warning Sacramento to stay out of his business dealings.

Tait suggested Sacramento's anger might be misdirected at Anaheim, saying he hasn't even spoken with the Maloof brothers during the process, which began before he took office late last year.

When asked about Sacramento's demands, which could be the first step in establishing grounds for a lawsuit, Tait responded: "Well, I'm Mayor of Anaheim, and I look out for the best interests of the city of Anaheim."

Tait said the city had two main criteria in approving the deal: No city money would be involved, and any new NBA team would use Anaheim as its only geographic identifier.

The Kings are likely to be renamed the Anaheim Royals if they relocate. The city is determined to avoid the embarrassment of the local baseball team's decision to rename itself the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2005, sparking a failed four-year legal battle.

"We're not there yet," Tait said. "We set the table for the Kings or, in theory, another NBA team to come to Anaheim, and now we're waiting for the vote of the NBA owners."

Fuck the Kings..stay in norcal..or take your asses up to seattle and bring back the sonics...

on another note...we keep on dominating.

SAVE SOME FOR THE PLAYOFFS
lol

yupp.. that was a firme comeback for them in the 2nd half.. we're gunna take this streak into the playoffs.. i heard them at the mavs game saying the 4 times a team has won atleast the first 16 of 17 since the all star break, all have gone to the finals, 3 of them winning the championship.. sooo good odds.. but either wayy they been playing good basketball im jst waiting for them damn playoffs already.. we're 1 1/2 games out of 1st place from san antonio.. they r really breaking down

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH THE LAKERS THEY HAD ME SO HYPED UP WITH THAT 17-1 RUN SINCE THE ALL STAR BREAK AND NOW 5 STRAIGHT LOSSES IF THEIR GONNA PLAY LIKE THIS IN THE PLAYOFFS THEY CAN FORGET ABOUT 3 STRAIGHT, BY THE WAY FUCK KENDRICK PERKINS HAHA