Kobe braces for Euro team offer
Granted, I think the odds of Kobe Bryant joining Barcelona's Catalan Club are about as remote as him hooking up with Olympiakos. But should the former happen, Lakers fans can at least take comfort knowing his departure was neither about the money nor any dissatisfaction with the purple and gold. It's simply about one man's love for football (or as Americans call it, "that sport I don't watch").
For the benefit of the hyperventilating, the article notes that Kobe was kidding. But I already anticipate nervous Nellies wigging out every time he kicks around a basketball like Pele during the stoppage of play. And not to egg those people on, but if Kobe did want to best Michael Jordan on every level, that would include more success in a second sport than MJ had with baseball.
I'm just saying.
AK
Rousing roll call Mamba24 - thanks and can't wait for the game tonight AND - of course - the season to FINALLY start!!!!
Dynamic Duo all the way!!!
SLAM - DUNK - POW - SWAT
That's what I'm talkin bout!!!
GO LAKERS!!!
ps - FATTY - hope your back is ok man.
Posted by: justanothermambafan | October 21, 2008 at 01:07 PM
I agree with Jamie Sweet, only the media is interested of keeping this story alive. GM Colangelo dismissed such tall tale which financial suicide in the midst of economic meltdown. It it is true on what the italian website reported that Greek team offered contract not 80M but 60M for three years. Kobe is enjoying the positive bidding compared to negative dissing him four years ago and these media are the No. 1 Anti-Kobe. It is all about ratings whether positive or negative breaking news on Kobe or Magic.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | October 21, 2008 at 01:09 PM
Thanks for the responses on the LA Times -- It's too bad, I feel like I'm losing an old friend or something --
times, they are a changin'
Posted by: HmrHed | October 21, 2008 at 01:11 PM
I personally like the Two Titans.
Posted by: The Big Fence Defense | October 21, 2008 at 01:13 PM
how about Tango and Cash? LOL! Frightening...
If Bynum's knee was swelling, this might be a good thing in a way because I didn't want them to rush him back. Let's say Bynum plays 25 minutes/game instead of 35. He can exert more energy in those minutes if he knows he doesn't have to save himself. Then Gasol and Mihm could provide the other Center minutes with trash minutes going to Mbenga.
Posted by: Stay Thirsty My Friends | October 21, 2008 at 01:17 PM
Jon K,
>>>Okay, now what's the third round?
I suggest adding an 8th nickname and doing a single elimination
vote to determine the most popular one. Group up names that are
similar and allow everybody to vote for 1 from each group:
The Tall Trees vs The Sequoias vs The Redwoods
Twin Peaks vs The Sierras
The Two-Headed Monster vs Double Trouble
The Dynamic Duo vs Sweet & Sour
Then for the next round, pair off the winners. One more
round after that determines the winner.
My votes:
The Sequoias
Twin Peaks
Double Trouble
The Dynamic Duo
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 21, 2008 at 01:27 PM
I think we should call the Gasol - Bynum tandem: The Great Gas-By. Er... maybe not. :-)
Posted by: stevevillakers | October 21, 2008 at 01:39 PM
We'd better get this Bynum deal done before the deadline or we loose all our leverage. We'll end up overpaying the kid by an unfathomable margin, only to loose out on needed free agents in the future, be handicapped financially for the next half decade and be neigh unable top re-sign any of our own free agents who would be happy with an average market-value contract. To Pay Bynum the max is to make the Gasol / Bynum twin tower experiment (almost) doomed from the start, because how can a franchise find success when it's second and third best players--both near max contracts--play the same position?
The reason the Celtics won last year was in large part because of a lack of redundancy in their players' games. We can probably carry a bit of a redundancy in player position, but we can't have a redundancy in max contracts per position.
We can't pay Bynum the max. Not with the twin tower thing almost 100% unproven at this point. Wait--no official games yet where Bynum and Gasol played along side each other?--then it is 100% unproven.
Thinking out loud,
Wes
Posted by: | October 21, 2008 at 01:52 PM
Jon K,
I can't vote for Twin Peaks since that's what I call Mrs. Magicman. hee hee.
I do like Double Trouble though.
Double Trouble is comin' to your town and they're gonna make rubble!
Anybody remember the Chili Peppers song Magic Johnson??? If so, that line should sound a little familiar! ;-) Blending the past with the present. Gotta love it.
Posted by: magicman | October 21, 2008 at 02:01 PM
Gasol / Bynum duo alternative nicknames:
-Drewpau
-Bynasol
-Purple and Gold People Eaters
-Euro and Hardy
-Pau Byn-yon
-Bam Bam
-El Cid and El Kid
-The Pair for Glory
-Different Strokes
Posted by: LAKER TRUTH | October 21, 2008 at 02:03 PM
Lose. Ugh.
Wes
Posted by: | October 21, 2008 at 02:03 PM
Here's my nicknames for Bynum and Gasol. Didn't I suggest us creating names like 4 blogs ago?
AB, PG
Too Tall
7 & 7
Skyscrapers
Posted by: ajax | October 21, 2008 at 02:06 PM
LTLF,
Sigh more nick name suggestions ... though yet to get some love from the blog for any so guessing they're all crappy ...
Python (Pau's the longer snake ) and Anaconda ( Andrew's the heavier snake ) ... http://tinyurl.com/58zsuk
Sweet ( pau's sweet offensive arsenal ) and Sour ( andrew's bitter defense )
Big (andrew) & Tall (pau) ...
well frankly the other suggestions seem like blatant rip offs of the twin tower or just plain corny, so if they can make the grade y not my crappy nick name ... jeez aint this the same league that has the oklahoma thunder cats ...
Posted by: Taliq | October 21, 2008 at 02:07 PM
The blog has spoken:
Third Round of the Nickname Playoffs for Bynum-Gasol:
1. The Sequoias
2. Twin Peaks
3. Double Trouble
4. The Dynamic Duo
Which two make it to the Fourth Round?
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 21, 2008 at 02:10 PM
Jon K-
"The blog has spoken:
Third Round of the Nickname Playoffs for Bynum-Gasol:
1. The Sequoias
2. Twin Peaks
3. Double Trouble
4. The Dynamic Duo
Which two make it to the Fourth Round?"
Um, I don't think any of those are quality nicknames. We need to dig deeper into our creative minds people!!
Posted by: ajax | October 21, 2008 at 02:18 PM
Wes,
What are u takling about? Have u not been watching the games? Gasol and Bynum HAVE played together, and NO they do NOT play the same position. Again, have you not been watching??
Posted by: The Big Fence Defense | October 21, 2008 at 02:18 PM
Taliq,
I like the Big and Tall names for Bynum and Pau, you got my vote.
Posted by: The Big Fence Defense | October 21, 2008 at 02:24 PM
Jon K.
"The blog has spoken: Third Round of the Nickname Playoffs for Bynum-Gasol:"
I demand a recount. My nick names were never up for consideration. Furthermore I think we need to better understand the relationship/correlation some of the names chosen (in particular dynamic duo, double trouble, and twin peak) with twin towers. Let me be clear that I'm not interested in a washed up nick name like twin towers and i'm just concerned the obvious correlation between the names you chose and twin towers will lead to accusation that we're paling around with washed up duos.
Posted by: Taliq | October 21, 2008 at 02:25 PM
Hey, Jon K.
Although I like The Sequoias, I'll go with Dynamic Duo. The Sequoias are indeed huge but just stand there. Dynamic Duo implies action - SLAM - DUNK - POW - SWAT!
Go Dynamic Duo!
Go Lakers!
Posted by: SamLL | October 21, 2008 at 02:27 PM
Bynum and Gasol Names:
Uptown Boogie and the Vibe
Boof and Rollie Fingers
Dick Pole and Rock Cherry
Monster and the Spaniard
Dank and Smooth
Buffoid and the Carpenter
Air and Silky
Mangler and the Tangler
Sky and Slim
Muscle and the Tussle
Taste Great Less Filling
Daddy Green and Filmore Slim
Boy in Lean and White Folk
Lovetron and Planet Game
Sixth Sense and the Green Mile
The Kid and the Hustle
Starsky and Clutch
Bounce-Rock-Skate
Super Bad and Pee-Gee
NC17 and the Trade
Tracy Morgan and Charlie Murphy
Posted by: Charles | October 21, 2008 at 02:30 PM
>>>We'd better get this Bynum deal done before the
>>>deadline or we loose all our leverage.
I just don't get that argument. How does Bynum's agent get
more leverage after the 31st?
The Lakers will still be able to offer Bynum more money than
any other team in the summer of 2009.
The Lakers would also be able to offer Bynum more money
than any other team in the summer of 2010.
The Lakers would still be able to match any offers from other
teams in the summer of 2009. Because of this, most teams
won't even bother to make an offer... See Deng, Igoudala,
Okafor from this summer.
It would be a huge huge risk for Bynum to play the 2009-10
season for 3.7 million dollars rather than 5 years for 50 million
guaranteed (or whatever the Lakers or another team offer).
Even if he did all that, there's no guarantee that he'd make
more than the Lakers are offering now. 3 of the 4 guys who
got offered 50 million plus last summer got offered LESS money
this summer and took it (the only exception was Igoudala).
Trust me, the Lakers have all the leverage until the summer
of 2010. At that point Bynum would be an unrestricted free
agent and would be able to accept less money to go to another
team if he wants (the Lakers could still offer more than any
other team at that point).
Whatever team Bynum goes to, they're less likely than the
Lakers to be championship contenders, so he would likely
earn less money to play for a worse team in a worse city.
To this point Bynum has not shown a high enough level of
play consistently over a full season to warrant a max contract
or anywhere near one. PERIOD.
If his agent wants max dollars with no strings attached, then
Bynum's got to show that he's worth it by playing out this
season. I'd say to get max dollars, he has to:
a. play at least 70 of the 82 games
b. average at least 10 rebounds per game
c. average at least 2 blocks per game
d. average at least 15 points per game
e. At least come CLOSE to making the All-Star team
If he does those 5 things, I guarantee you the Lakers would
have no qualms about offering him a max contract. If he does
less than that, the Lakers will offer him less than a max contract
next summer. How much less depends on what he does next
year.
And you know what? If he goes out and plays less than
half the games for another year, then the offer will be
more like 40 million for 5 years, because it will be clear
that he is a high injury risk.
That is the gamble that Andrew takes if he decides not
to accept the Lakers generous offer by the 31st.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 21, 2008 at 02:31 PM
Quick shout out to Charles for sending some Dit Da Jow to Gary Vitti and getting The Machine back online!!!!
Posted by: magicman | October 21, 2008 at 02:31 PM
Again Jon K,
Dynamic Duo get a vote,
Wes,
"We'd better get this Bynum deal done before the deadline or we loose all our leverage."
No in fact we have almost all the leverage. The Lakers next year can offer the max should Drew perform like a $17 million dollar player. If Drew finds a better deal (save for Europe) then the Lakers can match the deal. Plus he would be a Larry Bird Free Agent so the Lakers can go beyond the cap all the way to the maximum deal to resign him.
Maybe not all the leverage and there is certainly risks to not signing him now but heck Lakers should be signing at most to $13 million per year. The Lakers shouldn't give in at $17 million unless it's next year and Drew shows he can sustain a high level of performance for the season AND the Playoffs.
-blitz
Posted by: kobeblitz | October 21, 2008 at 02:33 PM
>>> 7 & 7
oooh. I do like that one as well.
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | October 21, 2008 at 02:34 PM
well i gotta go now, but I say...
"7&7"
just think about it used in context. "Phil, what did you think of your defense down low tonight?"
"Well, 7&7 really helped us out down there, collecting a total of 21 rebounds. That helps us out a lot."
Posted by: ajax | October 21, 2008 at 02:35 PM
Jon K -
Not bad with the nicknames. I'm a little partial to the Twin Peaks if we had to choose from those 4. BUT...
For a dark horse candidate, I have one kind of out of left field: "The N2O Duo". Why?
Because if you combine the end of Bynum with the beginning of Gasol, you get NumGas. A "Gas" that "Numbs" is Nitrous Oxide, or... N2O. Plus, it knocks people out, which Bynum and Gasol are bound to do to many forwards/centers, AND N2O rhymes with duo. Thus, The N2O Duo.
A stretch? Yes. Preposterous? Yes. Will I forever be labeled as the Laker Blog dork? Most likely.
But I still like it.
Posted by: puddle | October 21, 2008 at 02:42 PM
Jon K. & LTLF,
Ok got yet another new top nick name but first lets recount the gems my efforts have produced so far
1. Python N Anaconda
2. Sweet N Sour
3. Big N Tall
And last but certainly not the least, this is a nick name with it's roots in LA.
http://tinyurl.com/32ahog
"The first SWAT team was established in the Los Angeles Police Department in the 1960s"
Our 7 footers will be patroling the paint and given our new mantra of defense, I suggest we call them "SWAT team", for all the shots they'll swat away in the paint
Posted by: Taliq | October 21, 2008 at 02:52 PM
I've been watching...
Wes
Posted by: | October 21, 2008 at 02:54 PM
I like Double Trouble for obvious reasons, but I do think we can get better than Batman and Robin's old nicknames.
Posted by: "Pig" Miller | October 21, 2008 at 02:54 PM
Ok...
Fric and Frac
Purple People Eaters II
Manchild and Sasquatch
Socks and Spaghetti? Oooooooh... hmmmm...
The Jersey Beast and the Spanish Inquistion...
Mas Conquistadores
Posted by: Stay Thirsty My Friends | October 21, 2008 at 02:55 PM
Jon K,
Double Trouble. And they'll probably be double double trouble no less.....
Charles,
If Bynum starts sporting an afro, we're going to vote offa your list. You're outta control man.
puddle,
My head hurts now. Stop that.
Posted by: magicman | October 21, 2008 at 02:57 PM
Jon K,
"I like the Big and Tall names for Bynum and Pau, you got my vote." from the big fence defense ...
See see there are more names out there ... we should get AK & BK to setup a poll ... this election must not be rigged ....
Also having found a fan for one name, I will now proceed to ditch (anaconda/pyton - don't like snakes enough to have 3 on the team, sweet n sour - sweet ain't gonna help our soft reputation ) ... leaving these two
1. Big N Tall
2. SWAT Team
Posted by: Taliq | October 21, 2008 at 02:58 PM
When I say leverage, I mean that we'll end up paying near the max for Bynum if we don't get him signed by month's end. And the last thing this team needs is to pay Bynum the max. In my eyes, the difference between a Bynum max deal and a Bynum 10 million a year deal is a player like Lamar. If Bynum gets the max, there is no way we keep Lamar, and Lamar is a really valuable member of this team. His value greatly outweighs an extra 7 million a year for Bynum. If we let another team offer him a contract. I guarantee that it'll be a max deal. Are you kidding me? A player like Bynum is a once in a decade player that some team is going to bite on. The only way to avoid this is to sign him to a 10 mil a year deal by his BD.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | October 21, 2008 at 03:03 PM
Slob & Big
Posted by: rl | October 21, 2008 at 03:03 PM
How about:
Nibs and Scooter.
Or...
Giggles and Cherry. That's a good nickname.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | October 21, 2008 at 03:06 PM
magicman
How about : NC17 and PeeGee
Movie ratings I know. But they fit the bid...
Chest Pound to the Family today!
Posted by: Charles | October 21, 2008 at 03:06 PM
magicman
How about : NC17 and PeeGee
Movie ratings I know. But they fit the bid...
Chest Pound to the Family today!
Posted by: Charles | October 21, 2008 at 03:07 PM
Charles/Taliq,
I think we're looking for one nickname to explain the Bynum-Gasol connection in a "Twin Towers" vein but unique to the pair and the Lakers.
Big and Tall and The Kid and the Hustle are individual nicknames linked by the word "and".
I think we're looking for a nickname that describes the duo. That's why the fourth round was chosen as it was AND because of how the blog voted.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 21, 2008 at 03:09 PM
Taliq,
I also likethe following:
SWAT Team
The Pilars
The Titans
Big and Tall
Posted by: The Big Fence Defense | October 21, 2008 at 03:10 PM
Taliq ,
SWAT Team is BA. Like Barrackas.
Other new suggestions:
Bacardi and Cola (A couple of tall drinks)
Backboard Bandits
The Rim Guardians
Posted by: "Pig" Miller | October 21, 2008 at 03:13 PM
Two to Tango?
Posted by: Jamie Sweet | October 21, 2008 at 03:17 PM
Yesssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!
We're back.
Hope we're in for more thrilling basketball moments.
This is what we root the Lakers for.
Their ability to extricate from this thrilling moment and come out Winning.
Go Lakers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: LakersNZ | October 21, 2008 at 03:23 PM
What I'm saying is that the only way we get Bynum at 10 mil a year is if we get him before this deadline, before Oct 31st, before other teams can make offers.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | October 21, 2008 at 03:29 PM
Twinsies
Posted by: exhelodrvr | October 21, 2008 at 03:31 PM
Chip and Peter.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | October 21, 2008 at 03:31 PM
"Giggles and Cherry. That's a good nickname."
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: "Pig" Miller | October 21, 2008 at 03:33 PM
How about...
SLAM-tony and Cleo-PASS-tra.
That's real good.
Wes
Posted by: wesjoenixon | October 21, 2008 at 03:33 PM
Charles,
NC17 and PG... I can dig it.
I tried to refrain from jumping into this myself.
But what the hell.......
How bout Chico and The Man?
Bynum being only 21 and Gasol being the elder......
Ehhhh maybe.
Posted by: magicman | October 21, 2008 at 03:38 PM
Could you imagine Andrew Bynum with a huge afro and a giant bushy beard?
It could happen.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 21, 2008 at 03:42 PM
Wes,
Don't worry about it. Pig, Charles, and I are going to have a little "talk" with David Lee using three sacks of oranges. That deal is going to be surprisingly affordable.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Jon K. | October 21, 2008 at 03:44 PM