|| LocK Dis Up ||

sb · Jun 11, 2016

starbury really making it out there in china. crazy where lifes journey takes people.

pmatic · Jun 11, 2016

"I just know when I first had a chance to meet Kobe and Shaq, just being in awe," Lue said in an hour-long interview last week at the Cavaliers' suburban training complex. "Basketball is all I know. It wasn't real. Coming from a small town of Mexico, Missouri, we got 11,000 people. Never seen a celebrity."

Lue generally eschewed the Hollywood scene and often spent his down time shopping at the Fox Hills Mall.

"Shaq made the rookies go out with him," Lue said. "So I went out, but I just never got involved or engaged in none of the drinking or smoking. That wasn't my thing.

"You know, for me, it was always a thing of being a lower-level NBA player. Like, it just didn't look right for me hanging with Shaq. Or to hang with Kobe, or Eddie Murphy, whoever. I'm not on that scale. It just didn't seem right."

That was Lue as a player: confident but humble.

Yet with his cherubic face and charm, he was also a social magnet, earning the nickname "Lue Hefner"—a phrase that now makes him cringe sheepishly.

"He was young, and all the pretty girls loved him," Shaw said.

Not everyone welcomed the jokes. Shaw recalled Lue zinging one-liners at the notoriously volatile Isaiah Rider, who grew more tense as the rest of the Lakers buckled over in laughter.

"If I was your size, I'd whup your ***," Rider fired back, though the situation never escalated.

When Lue did get physical once—with none other than O'Neal—it was in defense of another teammate. As Shaw tells it, the Lakers had just lost to the San Antonio Spurs, and Devean George had made a key mistake down the stretch, sending O'Neal into a rage.

"Shaq was standing over Devean's locker and he was physically beating Devean up," Shaw recalled.

"I said, 'Man, what are you doing? He's a young player. He made mistakes. But that's not why we lost the game.' I said, 'If you would have used some of that energy that you're using pushing him around and boxed out Malik Rose, he wouldn't have gotten 10 offensive rebounds against us, and maybe we would have won the game because of that.'"

At that point, O'Neal let go of George and charged at Shaw, who dropped and grabbed O'Neal by the legs.

"He was dragging me around the locker room," Shaw said. "The only one who came to my rescue was Ty Lue. He got in between us and was like, 'Get off of him.' And he defended what was right."

"Iverson making it to the Finals really saved my career," Lue said. "Without Iverson, there probably wouldn't be me."

In June 2001, Lue was a seldom-used backup guard who had been squeezed out of the rotation by Rider and three-point specialist Mike Penberthy. He was 24 years old and about to enter free agency. He was worried about his future.

In those days, teams had to set their playoff rosters before the postseason began. Lue expected to be left off, which would have likely spelled the end of his Lakers tenure.

The room erupted in delight when Phil Jackson announced Lue's name on the day rosters were finalized—"an unbelievable feeling," Lue said.

The expectation of a showdown with Iverson figured heavily into the decision. The Lakers were stocked with veteran guards like Bryant, Shaw, Ron Harper and Derek Fisher, but they needed a quick, feisty defender to check Iverson if Philadelphia won the East.

When the 76ers knocked off the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, Lue's role in the Finals was assured.

"If Milwaukee would have beat Philly, I wouldn't have played," Lue said. "So that could have possibly been my last year in the NBA. People don't understand that."

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...t-cavs-can-take-a-few-lessons-from-tyronn-lue

pmatic · Jun 11, 2016

https://www.facebook.com/BrandonIngramOfficial/?fref=ts

BIG LEEMELONE · Jun 11, 2016

I like this kid already :pimp:

I just checked and he has like 3 pics of him in a Lakers jersey up there :pimp:

mr j 858 · Jun 12, 2016

View media item 2065230

essential1 · Jun 12, 2016

If you're feeling a bit discouraged about where the Lakers are..

Just a reminder that the 2011-12 Warriors were 23-43 (28 wins if it were an 82 games season), and were the 3rd worst team in the West. Curry goes down with injury after 26 games, but they were still on pace for 27 wins in the 66 games season with Curry. They were also still a really young team, so having all those B2B2B in the shortened season would have been just as difficult had Curry stayed healthy, to predict that they'd improve by much over the season had Curry not gone down.

Their biggest signing over the next few years was Andre Iguodala in a sign & trade due to Bogut & Lee taking up a bunch of their cap.

If we wait patiently, we'll catch OKC on the down slide (the severity of which depends on if KD and/or Russell leave after 2017). SA trying to figure out where they are going without Duncan, Ginobli, Parker & Pop, and Aldridge at the end of his prime. Clippers without CP3.

Right now it's probably 2017-18 to make the playoffs barely. 2018-19 or 2019-20 to be a top 4 seed.

That's if the Lakers do it relatively organically, and do not have that huge FA signing this year. And instead get the decent signings the next 2 years.

pmatic · Jun 13, 2016

@Chris_Reichert Confirmed with multiple league sources -- Jesse Mermuys (Raptors 905 HC in 15/16) will join Luke Walton's staff in Los Angeles #NBADL

the kobe show · Jun 13, 2016

Some Ingram private workout clips today with Philly..

fun guy · Jun 13, 2016

Hopefully dubs can finish off the finals tonight so Luke can get his *** to LA.

menacin methods · Jun 13, 2016

If we sign Whiteside and draft Ingram, how many games do you think we would win? I'm thinking in the range of 33 to 38

C - Whiteside
PF - Randle
SF - Ingram
SG - Clarkson
PG - Russell

dceja · Jun 13, 2016

30 to 40 if the kids progressed and Walton is the real deal

fun guy · Jun 13, 2016

Lizakers · Jun 13, 2016

We will sign another starter, I highly doubt Ingram will start

fun guy · Jun 13, 2016

Depends on who we sign. I think its more likely JC finds himself coming off the bench.

Johnny_Cakes · Jun 13, 2016

Simmons refused to work out with the Sixers?

fun guy · Jun 13, 2016

I don't think he's working out for any team. My guess is that its his way of snubbing Phili without getting a bad warp

lovehateself · Jun 13, 2016

Th3RealF0lkBlu3s said:
Simmons refused to work out with the Sixers?

He got the deal he wanted
He's not risking losing the #1 slot

pmatic · Jun 13, 2016

Menacin Methods said:
If we sign Whiteside and draft Ingram, how many games do you think we would win? I'm thinking in the range of 33 to 38

C - Whiteside
PF - Randle
SF - Ingram
SG - Clarkson
PG - Russell

Probably like 25-30 wins. Team would be reeeeeeeally young. And young teams lose, a lot.