Thank You RichDaDCLakerFan...
... Because we could use a break from debating Smush vs. Farmar, Pinnock vs. "The System," and "KG Joining the Lakers" vs. "Ain't Gonna Happen." And your comment presents a pretty cool topic of discussion.
"Of all of the role players we have had over the years, do you think there are some role players worthy of having their jersey retired? The first one that comes to mind who should be considered is Michael Cooper. He was on all 5 Showtime Laker championship teams, defensive player of the year 86-87, and played his entire career with the team. Any thoughts?"
Interesting question, indeed.
I remember when Robert Horry was en route to winning his sixth ring with San Antonio (and hitting his typical array of clutch shots to make it happen), it spurred (sorry!) a debate between BK and I that lasted roughly a week. The subject? Should role players be allowed in the Hall of Fame? I won't subject y'all to a complete rehash of our yapping. You good people certainly don't deserve that. But in a nutshell, even though there would be inherent problems (how to truly judge one role guy against the next, since much of what they do isn't stat heavy), I liked the idea simply because rewarding standout guys of that nature appealed to me, imperfections be damned. BK was against it because he hates Robert Horry. Or more accurately, because aside from issues already presented, guys who simply weren't good enough to be HOF players — as opposed to sacrificing stats for team — could end up enshrined (which may diminish the point of the Hall itself) and someone like Horry may have an unfair advantage due to the teams he played with. In the end, nothing was decided for sure (other than BK and I having way too much time on our hands), but it was a lively discussion. And it sort of reminds me of Rich's question. If the HOF is indeed too much, even for the best of role players, perhaps the team should be doing something on their behalf.
As far as literally retiring the numbers, put aside the "who's to say blah blah blah is better than blah blah blah?" arguments. The biggest problem I see is eventually running out of numbers for current players. Seriously. Say there are one or two outstanding role players every few seasons (and with the Lakers' stellar track record in this regard, that could be guesstimating on the low side). If each of those guys' numbers go the way of the Logo, Cap or Goodrich (not to mention inevitable candidates like Kobe and Shaq), we're eventually gonna see Lakers with decimal pointed digits, letters or shapes under the names on their jerseys. They'll even burn through the weirdo numbers like 73 and 91 that only the Rodmans and Artests of the world wear. Therefore, a formal retirement may require the kabash on a purely practical level.
What I do think could work and would definitely be cool, though, is some item next to the retired jerseys that lists all the exceptional role players. It could be an oversized jersey, a plaque, whatever. Those invaluable guys get their due and a suitable assortment of numbers remain open for use.
Would you get behind this? Or do you think while role players should be appreciated, there are certain honors reserved for stars and stars only?
—AK
How can nobody mention Sedale Threatt? He carried the Lakers during the dark days following Magic's retirement. His midrange jumper from the elbows was automatic and one of the sweetest I've ever seen. Ceballos and Nick were flashy, but Threatt was why the Lakers made the playoffs when they shouldn't have stood a chance. If there's a plaque or ring of honor, Sedale deserves to be there. Does no one remeber the the Threatt for president signs?
Posted by: David | August 29, 2006 at 10:18 PM
LakerTom-
Trust me, if we got paid by the comment, there would be three or four times more per day than there are. I'd have a wall of computers generating infinite IP addresses, all looped to leave stuff on the site. I'm afraid we disagree with you out of the kindness of our own hearts (hahahaha).
BK
Posted by: Brian Kamenetzky | August 29, 2006 at 10:29 PM
Saga, I think the difference was, Joe D was actually the best player on a team that won a championship. He won an MVP of the finals for a reason. Coop never did that. Dumars was a star player, Coop was a role player. That's the difference.
Posted by: Michael A | August 29, 2006 at 10:34 PM
Niketh, I hate to say you're wrong but... you've got ot be joking if you think Horry was better than Barkley or Patrick Ewing. No offence to Robert, but there wasn't a GM in the league who would have taken him over those two. You're talking about two Dream Team members, two HOFs, two guys on the top 50 list... what are you talking about? Barkley won an MVP, for goodness sake, and it could be argued he deserved more than one.
And to tell the truth, when Robert was in houston, he hit some very big shots. As did Sam Cassell, Mario Elie, kenny Smith, Clyde Drexler... oh yeah, and some big goof named Hakeem. The latter was the heart of that team, to say it was Rob is an interesting interpretation of reality, but not one that bears scrutiny.
Posted by: Mi | August 29, 2006 at 10:41 PM
LakerTom,
You turned wild with your posts but WOW, you are a walking Laker enclopedia. Where are you getting all these informations? This is a primer to Laker history especially on those Chickism and NBA itself. Do you have a picture of Chick that was distributed after his death? I framed it and it's in my office. LakerTom, the K-Bros are no longer posting, they're fuming mad since you exposed the little secret of the gold pit. Just keep on posting, forget the bling bling!!!
AAron Pols....of Kansas,
Great, you found this blog. Historically, you should be loyal to the Kings which moved to Sacramento but they are not winning. I can tell you there are millions more like you (worldwide)who are die hard Laker fans who just cannot participate in the blog. If Kobe did not have his surgery, he will be the most popular player in the Team USA not only because he is Kobe but because he is a Laker. One country I can mention is the Philippines, a third world country but people there will miss the suffer just to watch the Laker games. Many more in USA are not joining because they have no time for the blog or does not have the proficiency in writing and prefers to call radio sportscasters. What we gained in this blog was a lost of revenue of daily newspapers. Would you believe there are people whose first interest in reading the LA Times is go for sports page and look for any tiny news about the Lakers?
Now that there is a blog that will educate us compliments of LakerTom! I nominate LakerTom to represent us as our role player in creating bandwagons and as a Laker Historian.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | August 29, 2006 at 10:59 PM
hello?
shoutout to T-fuzzz
I agree w/laker tom .sasha will win the dunk contest and will start at PG
Farmar will probably play in d-league
But on a good note, he'll probably win 6th man
Posted by: p. diddy | August 29, 2006 at 11:30 PM
Does the team have to win a championship in order for the role players to make the list?
Because, I think of guys like Nick the Quick, who kept Angelinos in the seats while Buss and West were busy rebuilding the franchise while no one was looking. He is as important to our recent successes as the role players who actually played during the championship years. Plus, he does have ring(s), now. So, you can say he's championship calibre.
Do you think West could have pulled off those acquisitions of Shaq and Kobe if the Nick Lakers weren't over-acheiving on a yearly basis, keeping the games fun and lively and earning Dr. Buss a nice profit in the process?
Gotta put Nick. I'm thinking maybe Vlade as well. Jones, don't think he did enough. He was awfully inconsistent while we had him. Though, I bet he'd make the list for Miami, wouldn't he? Nick would definately make the list in San Antonia. I remember he was the real MVP for several of the Spurs tighter games down the stretch.
Horry makes the list for three teams, doesn't he? Dude has had a *SICK* career!
My list (pending)
McAdoo
Scott
Thompson
Van Exel
Vlade
Horry
AC
Fox
Shaw
Coop
Nixon
--Fearless
PS: I think Coop is a borderline HOF. He would make the honorable mention list if the HOF had one.
Posted by: Fearless | August 30, 2006 at 01:14 AM
WiZo,
You are right about West having to trade Van Exel. Plus people forget that he was money the year he got his ring. He is a LOT better than he got treated. He is sort of a victim of circumstance. But, he certainly make his lemons into lemonade and made it to the Promised Land, didn't he?
That's got to earn him some points, just for sticking it out.
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | August 30, 2006 at 01:18 AM
Tom,
Oh My GOD. Those Chickisms constitute the BEST post any person has ever made to any blog!
Serious. Thanks! I needed that.
--Fearless
Posted by: Fearless | August 30, 2006 at 01:36 AM
Staying up for the Greece-France game. Greece is up 63-46 with 8 minutes in the 4th, while Greece has taken 22 threes...and made 6. OUCH
Don't want to jinx anything, but BRING ON THE USA!!!
(Greece is going to lose by 20 to the U.S. in the next round if they advance to the semis).
Ronny Turiaf update:Not a good sign, but he already has 4 fouls
Posted by: greek dude | August 30, 2006 at 02:09 AM
Ronny has 4 points as of now
Posted by: greek dude | August 30, 2006 at 02:10 AM
Oh Yeeaahhhhh!!!
Greece spanked France 73-56, after outscoring France only 12-8 in the 1st quarter. Next round, bring on the USA. Although Greece will get slaughtered, the only way to win is to shoot lights out 3's and suffocating D. Considering they shot 7-24, it's not likely.
Ronny Turiaf update: Fouled out with 2 minutes left, 13 minutes, 6 rebs, 1 ast, 5 fouls, 2-2 fg. Looks like he was pretty efficient(2-2fg, 6 boards), but maybe played out of control.
Go USA!!!(except tomorrow night, 7-0)
Go Greece!!!(7-0)
Go Lakers!!!(were 45-37, will be 48-34)
Posted by: greek dude | August 30, 2006 at 02:28 AM
Laker Tom - rocks great history- super Chick-isms!
This place is awesome but you are definitely in this Blog hall of shame - especially for those crazy predictions about Farmar! I sure hope you are right- we need a huge miracle this season.
Posted by: Peter Maguire | August 30, 2006 at 02:40 AM
How about a walk of the stars? Or maybe better, since the Lakers are the first in everything, our own "L_HOF" (Lakers' Hall of Fame) at the Staples Center. There can also be a "Ring of Notables" with all "Lakers' Greats" flashing their names and numbers in the opponents faces during home games.
- Herb ->
Posted by: Herb | August 30, 2006 at 07:23 AM
August is boring ... yessir it iz
http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_18558.shtml
In Kobe we Trust,
Go Lakers
Posted by: Taliq | August 30, 2006 at 07:40 AM
We already have an example of what to do, just look at the banner for the Minneapolis dynasty. We should have 2 additional banners, 1 for the 80's dynasty, and 1 for the 3peat teams. It would recognize the coach, and the outstanding role players. For the 80's: Riley, Coop, Doo, Rambis, Silk, AC, and Nixon. The 3peat would be: Jackson, Harper, Shaw, Horry, DFish, and Fox. These role players shouldn't have their #'s retired like the HOF'ers, but they should be recognized for the dynasties they were a part of.
Posted by: Nick | August 30, 2006 at 08:09 AM
Da 1 Rejekt,
With all due respect, come can you possibly question Worthy's number being retired??? Just look at his NBA resume...
Apologies, but you struck something of a chord with me in that remark. I think it's one of the biggest travesties - as a Laker and basketball fan - that Big Game is not given his due simply because he played alongside the Cap and Buck. James Ager Worthy was one of the best ever to play at his position - Riles said that there was no one who could touch him in his prime... I felt the same way that Marcus did when the man wasn't invited to be on the Dream Team (which, I guess can be justified, regardless of my extreme dislike for Scottie Pippen).
As a first time blogger who appreciates this forum and its members, I wanted to specifcally extend my gratitude to folks like Xodus, Andrew Z, WiZo, Mike T., LakerTom, and sonnybelfast (except when the latter 3 get hung up on their particular Laker, good or bad), as I have great respect for your knowledge on the game, and genuinely look forward to reading each of your posts.
Obviously, much thanks to the K bros. for providing such a pleasant distraction to the day. I'd love to buy you a round of beer if I ever get a chance to meet you personally.
JT
Posted by: James T. | August 30, 2006 at 08:47 AM
If role players did get some special recognition, at least this would give Von Wafer some incentive, so I'm all for it!
Posted by: Kobe is a Team Player | August 30, 2006 at 09:08 AM
”Know Thy Enemy”
good idea richdadclakerfan, AK BK
AK/BK
do you guys have any plans to give this blog any insider stuff anytime soon, like you know a interview with Farmar where you say LakerTom wants to marry you and that SonnyBelfast will gladly perform the ceremony. . .haha
actually a Know Thy Enemy sounds good
(seriously with 24 teams left to do, at 4 teams a go thats still 6 posts to spread out over 70 days, or 1 per every 11.5 days (1 per 9 days if you do 3 a post)
i dont know why i just did that. . .i really hate math
Posted by: joninjapan | August 30, 2006 at 09:09 AM
All these posts and only one mention of Vlade? Here are a few reasons Divac should be a part of the "Ring of Honor" or "Display Case of Celebrities" or whatever we're calling the not-ready-for-jersey-retirement-players.
1) Vlade was one of the best passing centers in the league.
2) He was one of the first European players in this era to make an impact in the NBA, opening the door for many others.
3) The Flop was pristine. Hey, it ain't a flop if it gets called, and 7 times out of 10 he got the foul.
4) We got to the playoffs with him and little else.
5) He agreed to the trade which sent him packing and brought Kobe. His contract allowed him to veto the thing, but he went along with it.
6) Longevity and productivity. When Divac's abilities started to wan, so did the fortunes of the Kings. But his veteran peskiness with that team gave even Shaq headaches.
Also, kudos to whoever mentioned Threatt. He was a terrific talent, and nobody could stop him when he went to his left.
Finally, echoing others, thanks for the Chick-isms. Chick WAS the Los Angeles Lakers, and I'm thankful for every video I taped of Laker games with him broadcasting. Great centers, guards and forwards will come and go, but there will never be another Chick Hearn.
--MWN
Posted by: Marty | August 30, 2006 at 09:41 AM
If you include Brian Shaw or Ron Harper in a Ring of Fame, you have to include players like Darrel Imhoff, Rudy LaRusso, Mel Counts, Walt Hazzard, and Kermit Washington, unless you are only including those who won championships in LA, then you might include Mark Landsberger and Happy Hairston.
Posted by: rdlee | August 30, 2006 at 09:51 AM
LakerTom:
Speaking of drafting Magic and Worthy, remember how both were controversial picks at the time? People thought the Lakers should take Sidney Moncrief instead of Magic because the Lakers already had Norm Nixon at point. Also there was a lot of debate about the Lakers drafting Worthy instead of Terry Cummings or Dominique Wilkins. Even though Bird won ROY over Magic and Cummings won ROY over Worthy, we did OK :)
Posted by: rdlee | August 30, 2006 at 09:56 AM
Now I got a new topic for everybody.....
NAME YOUR 5 FAVORITE PLAYERS WHO STILL PLAYS TODAY! (1 being most favorite)
and I dont mean who you think its the top 5 players in the league.... just personal favorites.
________________________________________
I'll start it off..
1. Lamar Odom
2. Tim Duncan
3. Kobe
4. AK 47
5. Amare
Posted by: The Lamar Show | August 30, 2006 at 10:28 AM
Welcome back LO Show! Haven't seen you here for a while.
1. Kobe
2. Lamar
3. Chris Paul
4. Sasha!!!
5. Ray Allen/Michael Redd (love the long range 3's)
honerable mention:Chris Mihm(booyah, Mike T!) LOL!
Posted by: greek dude | August 30, 2006 at 11:01 AM
Lamar Show,
I'll rank mine in order of people I love to watch play. Not sure I have any emotional attachment to them or would buy their jersey, but I'll sit through Charles Barkley mumbling about defense and Kenny Smith's suit for ten minutes to watch them play on TV.
1. Kobe
2. Lebron
3. Nash
4. AI
5. Sam Cassell (becasue he might do the "big nuts" dance if he hits a clutch shot).
Posted by: Andrew Z | August 30, 2006 at 11:29 AM
1. Kobe
2. Bynum
3. Farmar
4. KG
5. LeBron
Hmm... looks like a good starting lineup in '08
Posted by: rdlee | August 30, 2006 at 11:35 AM
No question that Cooper should be on every list and his number hanging from the Staples rafters. I also have to go to bat for NICK. I know he went out a*z backwords in the end with the famous 1-2-3 Cancun chant. But for the team he was on and the lonely years after Magic, when we had Nick, Campbell, and Eddie Jones (ala before Shaq). Nick wore the Purple and Gold with pride. The same pride some of us real fans still show. Nick got into to trouble because he knew what it ment to be a LAKER! Ready to play, fighting to the end, actually he had the one thing that I didn't see in Smush last year, that true pride and realization of where he was and what the organization means across the NBA, not just L.A. Smush was more concerned about a contract and his whips a.k.a the Smushcalade. The new guys spend more time at 310 motoring trickin' out their trucks than in the gym perfecting their game. Atleast D. Wade won both the King of bling car contest an a NBA RING... As for WORTHY, he deserves it totally! Don't know what you were watching if you didn't see Big GAME JAMES in ACTION! Even at North Carolina he was the man, not JORDAN! So check yo self on that one. DAVE, I remember the Threat signs, also remember Magic gave up some pay to bring in Threat, (restructed his contract to make room) Something you don't see happening today.
LAKER LOVE
Posted by: LakerFaze | August 30, 2006 at 11:39 AM
It was very difficult to narrow it down to my 5 favorites (Non lakers), but here it is:
1. Carmelo Anthony
2. Jason Kidd
3. Allen Iverson
4. Kevin Garnett
5. Shaquille O'Neal
Honorable mention: Grant Hill, Arroyo, Billups, Caron Butler, Duncan, D. Howard, J. O'neal, Chris Paul, Amare, & Telfair.
Of course my #1 favorite player (& best baller on the planet) is Kobe. My favorite Lakers are: Kobe, Odom, Kwame and Smush.
Posted by: Blaze1bx | August 30, 2006 at 12:02 PM
1. Kobe (The best)
2. Lamar (I like his attitude and I think he is going to come up for us in a major way this year)
3. Melo (I think he is on the wrong team but will be one of the top 10 for a long time to come)
4. Garnett (Everyone knows about KG)
5. Wade (Dude shot a crazy % in the playoffs last year, and the way he crashes the boards is pretty sick--anyone who can put up with Shaq's ego crap and smile at the same time...)
Posted by: Marcus | August 30, 2006 at 12:19 PM
Andrew Z,
LOVE the "big nuts" dance.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | August 30, 2006 at 12:41 PM
1. Kobe
2. Gilbert Arenas
3. KG
4. Baron Davis
5. Lebron
Honorable mention: Marcus Williams New Jersey ( because I watched him play as a kid :0)
Posted by: Anthony Winston | August 30, 2006 at 12:46 PM
The fans who never got to see Big Game James play missed a special player. In my mind's eye where memory resides, I can still see James Worthy having taken off, skywalking, soaring in mid-flight to traumatize opponents with a thunderous tomahawk dunk.
A Worthy dunk could silence entire arenas, including opposing commentators, sucking the all the oxygen and energy out of opposing team's fans. At one point his mid-range jumper was the closest thing to automatic, and his quick hands and quicker feet alone forced some opposing power forwards to refuse passes.
Worthy was a rare combination of power and speed, quickness and muscle, agility and strength, size and athleticism. The troika of Magic, Kareem and Worthy was sublime.
I believe that in today's diluted NBA a troika like that would've been unbeatable.
Posted by: Glenn | August 30, 2006 at 12:51 PM
Kobe if course
Carmelo
LeBron
Wade
AI
and there has to be honorable mention
Shaq
KGarnett
Tim Duncan
Steve MVP Nash
Dirk Nowitski
Ray Allen
Elton Brand
Dwight Howard
Paul Pierce
Manu Ginobli
Vince Carter
Tracy McGrady and Yao
...and for just plain entertainment Earl Boykins, he is a trip, unreal how well he plays at times against his own shortcomings.
Hope you are all aware Lamar doesn't even make it close to someone I think is in the upper echelon of the NBA. Wasted talent at this point in time, he has to have a great year or this guy is going to get traded. Another guy who is great in his own right but doesn't make me want to run and go see him is Artest. I think Jermaine ONeal is definitely the best Pacer of this decade.
It is intersting that the best team in the NBA - in my opinion - the Pistons don't have one huge stand out - a lot of great players and a team concept. They needed Larry Brown - that team was way too good to get spanked like that. Coaching was the difference. He plated them all too much and didn't learn to develop the benchs confidence.
Posted by: Peter Maguire | August 30, 2006 at 12:57 PM
MY TOP 5 FAV non-Lakers
1. Alonzo Mourning (CLASS GUY, tough competitor, and takes NO DAYS OFF
2. Kevin Garnett -- HARD not to LIKE, he does everything for the sake of the "team"
3. Kirk Heinrich (dudes got SKILLZ and a crazy handle) I sooo wanted to Lakers to snatch him up, but any ole wayz
4. Ron Ron (Artest) QUEENS Native, what can I say, dude is SICK literally and figuratively, LOL
5. Lebron (though I hate that he's annointed the best in the game by some of the pundits), I do believe he's truly gifted but I admire that he formulates his own opinions about the different players in the league, most notably KOBE. He's good maybe even Great to some degree but he's not the BEST just YET.
Posted by: lakersrydeordie | August 30, 2006 at 01:00 PM
Here are my top 5 favorite players in the league today:
1. Kobe (I've been a Kobe fan since he first came into the league, I feel like I've grown up with him lol)
2. Kirk Hinrich (I love his game and his toughness, I'vee been a fan of his since his Kansas days).
3. D-Wade (I love his efficiency--despite his occassional flopping--and being from Miami, I've gotta be a fan of the most exciting player ever to grace the Miami Heat)
4. Lamar Odom (I've been a fan of his since he played for the Heat. I love his unselfishness and I think he can be a multiple time all star)
5. Amare (The guy was an absolute stud before his injury, I hope he can pick up where he left off).
Posted by: Xodus | August 30, 2006 at 01:03 PM
wiZO,
"1-2-3-CANCUN!"
Do you really believe that Jerry was that bitter? or was that sarcasim?
>_<
Posted by: dan the man >_< aka smushcalade | August 30, 2006 at 01:06 PM
Herb:
I actually think your idea for a Lakers Hall of Fame is not bad. It would give the team a way to recognize role players who made big contributions to the team without diminishing the importance of those few elite players whose numbers were retired or who were in the Basketball Hall of Fame. And I like your idea of a Walk of Stars, ala Hollywood Blvd. It gets my vote for the best suggestion yet. Hope to see you post more. Thanks.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 30, 2006 at 01:07 PM
For my top 5, the list goes like this :
1. Kobe ('nuff said)
2. KG (guy has heart, and definitely deserves better)
3. Melo (is it me or he's leading the way for Team USA ?)
4. Chris Paul (a chance to become the greatest point guard EVER. Well, at least he'll come second only to Magic, but Magic wasn't a true PG)
5. Tim Duncan (hope he'll get better soon, 'cause he doesn't dominate the way he did 3 years ago)
Saga
Posted by: Saga | August 30, 2006 at 01:14 PM
Peter Maguire:
It was really fun reading all of those Chick-isms, although it made me misty eyed thinking about Chick and how much I miss him. I wonder what Chick would be saying about Farmar right now…Hold on, I just got a supernatural call from Chick on his new Cellestial cell phone from Laker Heaven:
”Wow, Chick…Is it really you? Great…I didn’t know they had cell towers in Heaven… Yeah, technology is a ‘Slam Dunk.’ …Yeah, you really got a ‘Word’s Eye View’ of everything now... Huh, tell ‘em not to worry about ‘The Kid II,’ he’s got ‘Ice Water’ in his Veins? Oh, you mean Farmar…OK, I will… What? You mean ‘The Kid II’ is on the way to help ‘The Kid’ save the day! Wow, that’s great news, Chick!
“Uh, say, could you maybe put a word in with Phil, you know how he is about Rookies? You will, great. Oh, you don’t know whether he will listen to you… Yeah, I know he is stubborn as a mule. Why don’t … Yeah, that’s a great idea. He really hates Red. Yeah, I agree. That’s the way to get him to wise up. Thanks, Chick. “
“What? Say, Hi, to the blog. I will do that for sure, Chick. We love you…You, too? I’ll tell all of them the same…Keep in touch, Chick, OK. Great, I’ll look forward to it…OK, I know you have a lot of other calls to make…Really, he’s next? Great, tell “The Kid II’ to really work hard on his defense and shooting, OK …Really, like a postage stamp? Yeah, I love his Finger Rolls and Leapin’ Lenas, too… Love you too, Chick. You’ll get back to us with some trade ideas next week. OK, no Darius Miles trades. Great, I’ll let everyone know. Ok, Thanks, Chick…Talk to you then. Bye. “
You heard it first, straight from Chick in Heaven to the Lakers Blog (with a little help from LakerTom. More to come.)
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 30, 2006 at 01:32 PM
Hey Lamar Show - Let's take this a step further, how about TOP 5 PLAYERS/COACHES WE Don't Like (HATER LIST)
1. Shaq ( I was raised to forgive and forget but I just cannot seem to let this go) that's why ShaqDummy tops my list
2. DWade ( He's a d@ck r%yd@r, so no, I don't care for him (d@mn I dont even know him but you feel me? He's too perfect nah mean? Hmph. Much like how the media once portrayed KOBE..
3. Raja Bell (if there was way I could ring his bell, I mos def would!
4. RILES -- he str8t played LA -- nuff said!
5. D'Antonio -- that look he gets -- need I say more?
I could easily come up with more but this should suffice. lol (This is what this blog has come to, hurry up already season 06-07!
Posted by: lakersrydeordie | August 30, 2006 at 01:34 PM
Big ups to the lamar show and lakersrydeordie,
Favorite top five:
5. Earl Boykins- its like watching the game in fast forward!
4. D.Wade- not quite kobe, but still fun to watch.
3. L.O.- a one man wrecking crew!
2. K.G.- too damn good!
1.Kobe- nuff said.
Least Favorite top five.
5. Isaiah Thomas- dude, I know your smarter than that. or r u?
4. Ray Allen- he covered his ass and made up with Kobe, but...
3. Jason Kidd - you can ball, but I'd still wup ya if I saw your wife-beating ass on the street!!
2. Raja Bell- nuff said
1. Ricky Davis - I don't know if it was that triple-double he tried to steal a couple of years back, but I just don't like him.
>_<
Posted by: dan the man >_< aka smushcalade | August 30, 2006 at 01:47 PM
Taliq:
Thanks for the link to Eric’s post. Couple of points that I think are worth highlighting:
“The Lakers are a top ten team.”
“With Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant, the Lakers will always be a threat.”
“It doesn't appear that a trade is even percolating.”
“Chris Mihm is already said to be 100% recovered from his.”
“Giving up a player with Bynum's potential for Harrington would probably have been a mistake.”
“Until Bynum is ready to play significant minutes, LA will want to make sure they have enough big bodies up front.”
“Although Laker GM Mitch Kupchak has yet to hit a home run, the Lakers had a 12-year gap between the 1988 and 2000 championships when the legendary Jerry West ran the team.”
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 30, 2006 at 01:49 PM
Top five players in the league:
1) Kobe
2) LeBron
3) AI
4) D Wade
5) Dirk
My All NBA 1st, 2nd, 3rd Team:
PG - AI, S Nash, T Parker
SG - Kobe, D Wade. R Allen
SF - LeBron, T MAC, Melo'
PF - Dirk, KG, Amare
C - T Duncan, B Wallace, The "Used" Diesel
Posted by: LakerReg | August 30, 2006 at 01:53 PM
Rdlee:
Maybe my memory is finally starting to go but I just don’t remember any controversy related to picking either guy. Could be the start of senioritis.
All I do remember was the rest of the league being p!ssed that the Lakers were going to get Magic and the Celtics Bird and totally p!ssed that the Lakers were going to get Worthy right after winning the NBA championship.
What brain supplement have you been taking, rd?
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 30, 2006 at 01:53 PM
Joninjapan:
Haha. Sorry, but I am already married and sonny and I unfortunately do not believe in the same religion.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | August 30, 2006 at 01:54 PM
Laker Tom,
Are we having another senior moment?(j/k)..lol.
>_<
Posted by: dan the man >_< aka smushcalade | August 30, 2006 at 01:59 PM
Lakersrydeordie,
My top 5 Hater list;
1. Vince Carter - Jealous of kobe whines on every call everytime they play the Lakers.
2. Gary Payton - a good player, but when he was with the Lakers, he sulked while we went down in flames in the Finals!.
3. Raja Bell - Kobe should have just clocked him. He didn't and we lost anyway, while he grinned and got more attention.
4. D george - 10 mil the past 2 years! he just did not care, and did not help at all in the playoffs. He sux.
5. Shaq - Game 1; I'll ignore Kobe. Game 2; I'll make up with Kobe because its MLK day and Bill Russell told me to. This guy is stupid, if he wanted to stay with the Lakers, just sign the extension. what has he made? 300 million.
Posted by: Ken | August 30, 2006 at 02:00 PM
If the question is the best (or dream) starting five playing today?
Then i will go with
1. Iverson - like his game, he should pass more
2. Kobe - The man can play with anyone, anywhere in any era.
3. Lebron - got to give the man his due, he is a unique talent.
4. KG - more versatile and a better rebounder than Amare
5. Tim Duncan - A natural back to the basket center that can step out and shoot with range
Posted by: The Troll | August 30, 2006 at 02:11 PM
With all due respect to AK and BK, a debate involving "role players" is really not much of a debate since the term "role player" is a new generation term, that only applies to the current generation. It was not until the Chicago Bulls Dynasty, that the term "role player" began to be used. Before that time, no one ever classified players as role players.
Based on the mentality implored today for prefessional basketball teams, every team has its stars and every team has its role players. However, that was never an issue back in the day. In fact, talk of role players versus stars back then would have only caused problems as players were players, all expected to do their part in order to win titles. A distinction between the two was never discussed even if it could be seen from a fans' perspective. It is this talk of stars and role players that has lead to the demise of the league as we know it. That is why players request such high salaries. Every team has bought into this system where they must have stars and role players. No one ever talked about that before. I would like to cite 3 teams as examples of how things were handled back then. You will notice that with each team several players have already been inducted into the HOF and others are most likely still to be added.
The 1960 Celtics - Each of the five starters-Frank Ramsey, Tom Heinsohn, Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, and Bob Cousy-averaged better than 15 points, and Auerbach had a bench that included Sam Jones & K. C. Jones. All 7 of those men are in the Hall-O-Fame now. Who would you consider as the role players on that team?
The 1984 Sixers - Lineup included Julius Erving, Bobby Jones, Moses Malone, Andrew Toney, Maurice Cheeks, and Charles Barkely. All of these players are either current or future HOFers.
The 1972 Knicks - Roster was talent-laden with the likes of Walt Frazier, Dick Barnett, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Bill Bradley & Earl Monroe. Once again, a roster full of HOFers.
That was just 3 rosters, however, I could identify several more which were full of HOFers. My point is that, before recent years, it was never even an issue as to the worth of players. Many players were important, not just a few key ones and a host of "role players". The key to it all is that, you won't find overly impressive numbers by all of the players I have listed. At times they shined, and at times they didn't, in order to win championships. Yet they always were important and equally deserving of their HOF honors.
Posted by: JJ | August 30, 2006 at 02:15 PM
LakerTom sees dead people.
Posted by: Andrew Z | August 30, 2006 at 02:22 PM