The Official Los Angeles Lakers thread

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Kobe does his part for N.O.at clinic-
He says, 'Whenever I have an opportunity to help out, I'm here'

Wednesday, September 27, 2006
By John Reid
A group of children took their spots with their parents behind a fence at Taylor Park in Central City on Tuesday. Many came with basketballs, footballs and a pen.

After a short wait, suddenly their eyes got wide before joyous yells erupted. Still, one 8-year-old boy asked his mom, "Is that really him," when Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant approached to sign the boy's shirt.

With NBA training camps set to begin next week, Bryant spent one of his final days of vacation in New Orleans, taking part in the Best Damn Sports Clinic held at the park and hosted by Fox Sports Network. Bryant said he did not hesitate when the network offered an invitation to work the camp and help children most affected by Hurricane Katrina last year.

"It's important for them to realize that they are not along in this fight," Bryant said. "Whenever I have an opportunity to help out, I'm here."

One hundred and fifty kids, ages 6 to 16, participated. While Bryant showed some of the campers the proper technique to defend a shooter, New Orleans Saints running back Deuce McAllister was putting another group though some football drills that involved pass catching.

Although Bryant signed the most autographs, McAllister still got the loudest cheers. On Monday night, McAllister led the 3-0 Saints with 81 yards on 19 attempts in their 23-3 victory against the Atlanta Falcons at the Superdome.

The camp involved putting the children through fun-oriented drills in basketball, baseball and football. Some of the guests that helped with the drills included players from the New Orleans Zephyrs. USA softball star Jennie Finch, along with former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete and former NBA player John Salley, and Best Damn Sports show stars Chris Rose and Leeann Tweeden.

Mayor Ray Nagin spoke to the camp participants before the drills started.

"This was awesome for the kids," McAllister said. "It was a chance for them to see that we care about them, and it was great to be out here."

The camp was a kickoff event for the Best Damn Sports Show, which is conducting its show from New Orleans for the rest of this week.

Coming to New Orleans was the idea of George Greenberg, the executive vice president programming and production for FSN.

Greenberg's son attends Tulane and was forced to evacuate to Houston before Katrina struck.

"I thought we could bring the show here to call attention to a rebirth and bring a statement visually to New Orleans," Greenberg said. "Every day and every minute, we shouldn't forget what the people here went through during Katrina."

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Any news on Lamar Odom since his horrible tragedy?

Lakers' Odom still mourning sudden death of infant son

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Lamar Odom, carrying a bible and without his usual smile, spoke somberly Thursday regarding the sudden death of his 6˝-month-old son three months ago, saying he needed to be strong for his other children.

"I feel a little lost at times. God is keeping me strong," Odom told reporters Thursday at the Los Angeles Lakers' training camp in his first public comments since Jayden Odom suffocated in his crib and died June 28.

"Sometimes, I need to be by myself, whether it's a week or two weeks," he said. "My family has been understanding. There was a time when I thought basketball wasn't going to be able to heal the wound."

Odom and Liza Morales, his longtime companion, have an 8-year-old daughter, Destiny, and a 5-year-old son, L.J.

"She's in the third grade -- she reads on a fifth-grade level. She understands," Odom said of his daughter regarding Jayden's death. "[L.J.] understands, too. I don't think he gets it like his sister gets it."

Odom said his son was healthy at the time of his death, and autopsy reports weren't conclusive.

"I've experienced it before -- my mother, my grandmother," he said. "What keeps me strong is he died on the same day as my grandmother."

Odom was in New York for a funeral at the time of his son's death.

"It is a tough time for my family, of course," he said. "You can't take it back. Coming home [to the Los Angeles area], I feel a little better.

"It will take some time. I haven't had much time to mourn -- I've kept so busy. My family is back in New York, I have a lot of support there. I kind of needed it."

The 26-year-old Odom averaged 14.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists for the Lakers last season -- his second with the team. He played four seasons for the Los Angeles Clippers after they made him the fourth overall selection in the 1999 draft, and one with the Miami Heat.

After his son died, the versatile 6-foot-10 forward withdrew from the U.S. National Team that won a bronze medal in the world championship this summer. He also was a member of the U.S. Olympic team that won a bronze two years ago.

Odom said he kept busy this summer with "a lot of things."

"Most of them had nothing to do with basketball," he said. "At the time, basketball just wasn't enough. Of course, basketball is my No. 1 focus."

Odom said he signed a record deal and started a T-shirt line this summer.

"Those are two of the things that kept me going, kept me focused, kept me positive," he said.

When asked if the passage of time had had made things easier, Odom paused before shaking his head, his eyes reddening.

"I don't think nothing could prepare you," he said. "You just have to accept it -- it's God's work."

Odom brightened when asked about the support he's received.

"It's been amazing. The everyday person in the street has reached out and felt me a little bit," he said. "The Lakers, the organization, has been great, stood by me. They really understood how hard I was going to be hit like this.

"It's funny -- I think this is going to make me a better basketball player as far as my mental approach to the game. I look forward to being back out there with my teammates, get in shape so on the 31st [of October] I can give it all I've got."

Odom spoke for 10 minutes before doing a couple of one-on-one television interviews.

The Lakers open training camp Tuesday, and open the regular season Oct. 31 against Phoenix -- the team that eliminated them from the playoffs in the first round last spring.

Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

"It's funny -- I think this is going to make me a better basketball player as far as my mental approach to the game. I look forward to being back out there with my teammates, get in shape so on the 31st [of October] I can give it all I've got."

 

Here's the link:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/nba/09/28/bc.bkn.lakers.odom.ap/index.html?section=si_nba

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Odom Speaks on Death of Son and Being Mugged.

By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
September 29, 2006

Lamar Odom sat down, placed his Bible on a table and, with damp eyes, told the story of his summer.

His infant son died while sleeping in a crib, a loss that has tugged at him since it happened in June.

The autopsy report labeled it an "unremarkable" death, a seven-month-old's life snatched by sudden infant death syndrome, the latest in a line of losses traceable through Odom's years.

Odom was in New York for the funeral of an aunt when Jayden Odom died.

Odom used to remember June 28 as the date of his grandmother's death. His son died the same day, a few years later, at Odom's home in Atlantic Beach, N.Y. Attempts to revive him at a nearby hospital were unsuccessful.

"He was gone already," Odom said Thursday. "I thought they were close to getting him to breathe again. That wasn't the case. I stayed with him for hours and hours after that, just holding him, talking to him."

Odom and his longtime girlfriend, Liza Morales, have two other children, Destiny, 8, and Lamar Jr., 5.

"I have to be strong for them," the Lakers forward said. "I feel a little lost sometimes, but God right now is keeping me strong."

Odom remained in New York most of the summer, trying to cope, when he experienced a loss of another kind. While walking at night near a family member's home in Queens, he was mugged at gunpoint by a teenager who fired a warning shot, then took Odom's watch and cash, a combined total of under $5,000.

"When this kid put a gun to me and held it to my face and, first he shot it, then pointed it at me, I thought he was going to harm me," Odom said. "I was thinking, 'Help me brace for this bullet.' I'd never been in this kind of situation before. When that happened, I said, I've got to get a little closer to the biggest icon in the world. It ain't Michael Jordan. It ain't Bob Marley, Che Guevara, even John Lennon. It's Jesus. Nobody's got more followers."

His son's death, coupled with what Odom described as the near-death experience of his own, pushed him away from basketball, his longtime comfort zone.

He has since tried to stay busy, painfully active, starting a record label called "Rich Soil" and unveiling a religious apparel line.

"Where I'm from, we're really not unified," said Odom, who was born in Queens. "I'm looking for something to bring these young people together. It's like nobody's happy for each other. It's hard times, the economy's down. Drugs in the inner-city neighborhoods are running rampant, really taking over, destroying communities, destroying lives."

Odom's life has been filled with misfortune.

His mother, Cathy, died when he was 12 of colon cancer. He honors her by writing her name on every new pair of basketball shoes he wears. He wears jersey No. 7 because it was the lucky number of his late grandmother, Mildred Mercer, who became his role model after his mother's death.

He recently had a tattoo artist inscribe the image of his son on his chest, just above his heart. His mother's image is on his back.

Basketball has been an afterthought for Odom this summer, although he acknowledged an eagerness to return to it. The Lakers begin training camp Tuesday in El Segundo.

"There was a time where I didn't think basketball was going to be able to heal this wound, but as I come back home — L.A.'s my home — and get around my guys, get around my coaches, stuff like that, I feel a little better," Odom said. "It'll take me some time because I haven't taken the time just to, I guess, mourn. I've kept myself so busy. I almost was probably too strong."

The second-best player on the Lakers, Odom started slowly last season and acknowledged having difficulty with the intricacies of the triangle offense, but over the last two months of the regular season averaged 16.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 55.1%.

"I think it's going to make me a better basketball player as far as the mental approach to the game," Odom said of his summer. "I take my time right now, more than ever, at everything I do. I feel a maturity now. I'm not going to growl at the referees. My walk and my talk is a lot different than the last time you saw me."

[Teddy Roosevelt]

It's fucked up that he lost his son the same day of his grandmothers death (June 28). And that his mom died when he was 12. I read an interview of Lamar Odom in ESPN magainze just after he was traded to the LA Lakers. The dude has had a tough life.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

It's fucked up that he lost his son the same day of his grandmothers death (June 28). And that his mom died when he was 12. I read an interview of Lamar Odom in ESPN magainze just after he was traded to the LA Lakers. The dude has had a tough life.

June 28 also happens to be my birthday and the day Jordan Farmar was drafted...Strange.

[Teddy Roosevelt]

Farmar gives inside scoop

Farmar gives inside scoop
He discusses his decision to enter the NBA and his expectations for this season.
By ADAM MAYA
The Orange County Register

It didn't take long for Jordan Farmar to set the mood.

Before answering his first question, Farmar, perched on a stool, was told he would have to share his microphone.

"I'm supposed to share; I'm a point guard," he said jokingly, raising laughter from those attending the Orange County Register's Insiders Club event at the newspaper's Hoiles Auditorium on Wednesday.

The Lakers' rookie point guard discussed everything from UCLA's recent NCAA championship run to why he decided to turn pro.

What were the deciding factors to make that jump (to the NBA)?

A: It was the toughest decision of my life. We were so close to reaching our goal and putting up another banner at Pauley Pavilion. I worked out for a lot of teams and got nothing but positive feedback. They said 'You're ready. You can play in the NBA right now.' My stock was high. For me, I was feeling like it was time for me to move on.

Tell us the story behind the name Jordan.

A: My parents loved it. Before I was born, they said I would be named Jordan whether I was a boy or a girl. Michael Jordan was just coming along at the time and he was showing signs of greatness. And just before I was born, he had a 63-point game against the Celtics at the Boston Garden, and they just fell in love with it.

You've had so many great games and great moments in a really young career. Is there any moment that stands above everything else?

A: The Final Four, without a doubt. If you can just imagine walking out in front of 70,000 people, and half of them in blue and Orange and half of them in blue and gold. And you can go to half court and raise your hands, and 35,000 people start clapping. Just having that power and that feeling at that one moment.

Has (Lakers coach) Phil (Jackson) told you what type of role you will have with the Lakers this year, how much playing time, if you can be the starting point guard?

A: When I first got drafted, I spoke to him for a while. They drafted me because they wanted a ball-handling guard. They want to push the tempo a little more. As far as playing time, I know what his reputation is. I'm prepared for that. I'm a professional athlete, and I am a member of a team. Everybody has a role. My role is to sit and learn and watch somebody else do it, and just work as hard as I can, shoot as many jumpers, so that when I'm in the game and my opportunity is presented to me, I'll be ready for it.

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

He Pulled a shaq   

Lakers coach Jackson to have hip replacement

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, owner of an NBA-record 178 playoff victories, will have surgery to replace his right hip Tuesday -- the day his team opens training camp.

"It's to the point where he can't really function without having surgery," Lakers spokesman John Black said Friday. "He's had a problem with it for a long time. He was hoping that by doing physical therapy, it would get better over the course of the summer. Instead of getting better, it got worse."

The surgery will be performed at the Centinela Hospital Medical Center by Dr. Lawrence Dorr of the Arthritis Institute in Inglewood. Jackson is expected to be released from the hospital Wednesday.

There was no timetable listed for Jackson's return, but Black said he expects the 61-year-old coach to be back on the job before the NBA season begins Oct. 31.

Assistant coaches Kurt Rambis, Frank Hamblen, Brian Shaw and Jim Cleamons will share coaching duties while Jackson recuperates.

"The plan is to have Kurt organize practices, but all four of them will run the team equally in Phil's absence," Black said. "It will be a group effort."

Black said Jackson will discuss his surgery Monday at the conclusion of the team's annual media day.

Jackson coached the Chicago Bulls to six championships in nine seasons during the 1990s, and the Lakers to three titles in six years since then. His nine championships tie him with former Boston coach Red Auerbach for the most in NBA history.

Jackson's 877 regular-season wins are the ninth-most in NBA history, and his .713 winning percentage is the best ever.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2607824

[LAKERS_FAN89]

Six of the eight preseason games will be televised.

Tue-Oct 10th, 7:00pm vs Jazz (in Fresno) - No TV listing
Thu-Oct 12th, 7:00pm vs Sonics (Anaheim) - KCAL
Sun-Oct 15th, 6:30pm vs Suns (Vegas) - KCAL
Tue-Oct 17th, 7:00pm vs Kings (Vegas) - NBATV
Thu-Oct 19th, 7:00pm vs Clips (LA ?) - FSN & TNT
Fri-Oct 20th, TBD vs TBD - No TV listing
Sun-Oct 22nd, 6:30pm vs Suns (San Diego) - KCAL
Thu-Oct 26th, 7:00pm vs Nuggets (Anaheim) - TNT

                           L'UP

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

Six of the eight preseason games will be televised.

Tue-Oct 10th, 7:00pm vs Jazz (in Fresno) - No TV listing
Thu-Oct 12th, 7:00pm vs Sonics (Anaheim) - KCAL
Sun-Oct 15th, 6:30pm vs Suns (Vegas) - KCAL
Tue-Oct 17th, 7:00pm vs Kings (Vegas) - NBATV
Thu-Oct 19th, 7:00pm vs Clips (LA ?) - FSN & TNT
Fri-Oct 20th, TBD vs TBD - No TV listing
Sun-Oct 22nd, 6:30pm vs Suns (San Diego) - KCAL
Thu-Oct 26th, 7:00pm vs Nuggets (Anaheim) - TNT

                           L'UP

Wow...I'm pretty sure the first game will be televised. That's what I heard at least...

[Doggystylin]

i feel like grabbing my eyeballs and pulling hthem out

[GangstaBoogy]

kinda weird seeing this

http://lakerszone.com/cards/ud94.htm

^ wtf was eddie jones' original number?

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

^^ 25

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^^Yup...I still remember when he had to change it to number 6, due to Gail Goodrich finally getting his number retired...

[Juronimo]

Lamar Odom interview with Jim Hill

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BPgliSR9sGg

I got this from clublakers.com.