OFFICIAL LAKERS 2009/2010 (57-25) 2009-2010 CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!

[kb8sandiego]

Originally Posted by CP1708

I wouldn't be celebrating Sasha's departure unless I liked who we got in return.

I'm fine with Sasha's role and what he brings.

Me too. As long as he gets less and less PT and continues to be that guy that punches up Kobe to get him pumped up before opening jump thenit's all good with that bum still wearing purple and gold.

 

[es el]

Originally Posted by Bigmike23

Originally Posted by CP1708

More minutes for Sasha would = more production, much like playing in Phoenix when you were a scrub before. Sasha would get 15 a game in Phoenix. And I would massacre everybody for it.

that bum could play 40 minutes a night and still couldnt hit the ocean with a beach ball

, if on the trading block we could probably get a bag of chips

 

[notorious 858]

[h3]Kobe Bryant, making the best of bad situations[/h3]By J.A. Adande

After Dwyane Wade had said hello to Kobe Bryant's wife outside the Lakers locker room, then pinched Bryant's daughter's cheek, he turned to Bryant himself and simply stared, with a look of both anger and amazement.

Bryant held out his arms and shrugged. Yes, kind of like this.

"Hey man," Bryant started, almost apologetically. "Hey. What'd you want me to do?"

He could have done what the laws of physics practically ordered him to do, to follow the principles of momentum and projectile motion and miss the shot. He could have allowed the Heat to leave Staples Center with a victory, a reward for their effort on the second night of a back-to-back set, let them be one of 11 teams in the NBA with a winning record on the road.

Except Kobe Bryant isn't that gracious, is he? His blood temperature drops off the bottom of the thermometer in moments like that. He's not known for missing those shots. He's known for making them. That's why he's the best option for a last-second shot in the history of the NBA.

This one on Friday night exemplified it. Normally a Kobe Bryant buzzer beater would be ho-hum. Haven't we seen that before? Don't we expect it to happen? The talk of the NBA should've the Nets actually winning a game. Now that's a rare event.

Except this shot -- this off-one-leg, swaying-to-the-left, three-point bank shot at the buzzer to beat Miami -- was so ridiculous that it had his NBA peers firing off astounded tweets ("@rudygay22 Are you kidding me Kobe!") and even Bryant had a hard time believing it. He called it "the luckiest shot I've made by far."

"I released the ball, I was kind of like, 'No effing way. No way this ball's going in,'" Bryant said. "It felt good, I just didn't think I was going to make that shot. I'd like my chances if I had squared up and got the shot I'd wanted to."

With the version he wound up taking the percentages were supposed to favor the Heat.

"If you told me before the game that the game would be decided by Kobe shooting a left, one-legged, backboard three, I'd have took that," Wade said.

The scenario: Lakers down by two with 3.2 seconds left. Ron Artest inbounded from the right sideline. He ignored Derek Fisher, who was open at halfcourt. He patiently waited for Bryant to break loose from a double-team by Wade and Udonis Haslem and come toward the ball.

"They were trying to deny him, and I knew it was impossible," Artest said. "This is the Black Mamba, you know what I mean?"

Artest gave it to him, then went to a spot vacated by Haslem, who was busy supporting Wade like a linebacker. Bryant dribbled to his left, and when he was directly lined up with the basket he launched a shot over Wade's outstretched arms. He went for the backboard to give himself more margin for error. Bryant's body was arched to the left like a first parenthesis. His momentum carried him over near Jack Nicholson after he released the ball. Everything about the shot screamed "wide left."

"When it left his hand, it didn't look like it was gonna be a shot that could go in," said Fisher, who was just a few feet from Bryant when he took it. "But as it got closer to the basket, I was looking and was like, 'Man it's straight.' I was excited. I had to really remind myself that this is a mid-season game in December. I was running around, I jumped on Kobe's back like it was the Finals."

No, this didn't even clinch a division championship, as Bryant did when he hit this pair of incredible shots in Portland at the end of the 2003-04 season. It simply added to the lore, defied statistical studies that suggest LeBron James, Vince Carter or Ray Allen would be a better option there, made you wonder how he does it.

The answer, apparently, is BMX bikes. Bryant said the skill set he employed Friday night came from his childhood days when he and his friends would try to hit telephone poles with rocks as they rode by.

"You've kind of got to throw back a little bit, you know what I mean?" Bryant said. "That's exactly what I had to do, because I was falling left. If I shot the ball straight, it would have been way off."

The story sounded a little too cute to be true, but might as well roll with it.

Fisher likened Bryant's bad-shot making to the ability of David Ortiz or Vladimir Guerrero to hit bad pitches. As Wade, (who, as Bryant noted, has "hit some pretty crazy shots himself") said, "If you want anybody to hit a shot like that you'd rather it be Kobe than anybody else, because that's what he's done in the past. Somebody else would've hit that shot, this locker room wouldn't look this way."

The most telling statement was made just outside the Laker locker room, where Phil Jackson stood outside waiting for an electric cart to drive him down the tunnel and to his car. I told him Kobe's shot showed why I'd take Bryant over anyone in the final seconds, even the guy who used to wear No. 23. That caused Jackson to raise his eyebrows. Now maybe with six seconds left, enough time to create a good look, I'd go with Jordan. But with only enough time to take a dribble or two, or to catch and fire, I'd go with the best bad shot-maker ever. Because even when it's a bad shot, Kobe gives you a good shot at winning.

Jackson processed it all, then said two words that resonated as much as Bryant's three-pointer: "I agree."


Link:

http://espn.go.com/blog/t...e-best-of-bad-situations

 

[worlds enemy]

^ Adande is the truth. Love his writing, and his sly references to music, pop culture etc (a la Wu-Tang)

Forgive me but who's Ammo, and how did he get his nickname?

 

[notorious 858]

[h2]Artest's past dominating his present[/h2]

At least now we know why Ron Artest would reveal that he drank alcohol before playing in games for the Chicago Bulls about a decade ago. He did it for the kids.

"The whole point of the testimony was to share the problematic times in my life with the youth," Artest said Thursday. "I have a program coming up pretty soon that I'm going to go visit schools and share situations that I've gone through."

An Artest publicist said his youth program is still a couple of months from launching, so if there's one thing Artest has to learn about bombshell announcements, it is timing. It's not too soon for the rest of us to learn from this Artest episode, though. What we've seen once again is that you never truly escape your own history. (A prospect that's even more chilling with the revelation that Google keeps records of your Web search and browsing history.)

In Artest's case, we tend to let past dominate the present. Through 17 games, it's been so far, so good for him in Lakerland. Phil Jackson called Artest "an exceptional teammate." Kobe Bryant gave him a grade of A-plus. Artest isn't even among the top two Lakers in technical fouls -- with two, he's behind Kobe Bryant (five) and Andrew Bynum (three). Yet the jury remains in deliberation, certain that Artest will unravel at some point and cause the destruction of the Lakers' championship dream.

If there's one team capable of absorbing an Artest incident and calmly going about business, it's the Lakers. Jackson and Bryant have been through so much that anything short of an FBI raid won't rattle them. In this case, they're also products of their history, hardened and controversy-resistant. They've been living the reality show life for so long that they treated the Artest story like a weak layup instead of an in-your-face dunk. Artest didn't say anything crazy that involved his time with the Lakers, although it seemed a little unfair that they would have to deal with the fallout.

"What fallout?" Bryant said. "He ain't doing that [stuff] here. It's got nothing to do with us."

So they gave it the Jay-Z brush-off, to the point that Bryant simply laughed and shook his head when I asked him whether he could imagine playing against a drunk Artest.

The Lakers were off when the Artest story made its way through the NBA on Wednesday, and Jackson didn't find it necessary to address it when he met with the team before practice on Thursday.

"We had to talk about, you know, basketball," Jackson said.

That's rarely Topic A when it comes to Artest. He elicits a selective memory. People don't focus on the facts that the Sacramento Kings' best postseason showing in the past five years came when Artest was there or that the Houston Rockets' first playoff series victory since 1997 came when Artest was there. He might bring drama, but he brings W's, as well. Oh, and he adds defense.

In a less sensational but still eye-raising part of his interview with The Sporting News, Artest went as far as to say, "On defense, now I have my supporting cast … I'm one of the best defenders to ever play basketball, so I'm still the first option on defense."

Bryant, seven-time member of the NBA's All-Defensive team, relegated to the supporting cast on his own squad? He said he's fine with it.

"That's something that we've talked about, actually, is divvying up that responsibility, taking some things off of my plate," Bryant said. "I've had to be offensive captain, defensive captain, all that stuff … compass. One of the things I told him is that I want somebody that can take over a little bit of those responsibilities defensively and communicate with guys on the floor, so I'm not having to do all of that stuff."

This season, Bryant won't be asked to spend much -- if any -- time guarding LeBron James and Paul Pierce, as he has in the past. His agenda seems to be all about saving his legs, whether it's by launching fewer 3-pointers or taking off on fewer drives to the hoop. If Artest can keep Bryant from chasing or banging with other stars, he'll take a deferring role. It's working; with Artest and Bryant on the perimeter and Pau Gasol and Bynum clogging the lane the Lakers' defensive rating on basketball-reference.com is the lowest (best) it's been since the 1999-2000 season.

If having Artest also means having to deal with a larger gathering of reporters than usual at practice from time to time, the Lakers can live with that. There are those who believe that Artest made the admission on himself simply to get attention, an allegation he denied. It's still curious why Artest would give unsolicited stories of in-game drinking or Andre Agassi would confess to using crystal meth in his autobiography when there already are enough tabloid reporters and bloggers willing to scrounge for dirt without any invitations.

Just ask Tiger Woods. Or if Tiger's not available, try Bryant. All you needed to know about history's inescapable gravitational pull came when a reporter began to ask Bryant a question about a dinner he once had with Woods, a question headed to an inevitable link to the biggest scandal in sports right now. Bryant cut him off before he even finished, saying, "Man, get off of that, man."

It was a natural pairing, given that Bryant has been able to rebound from a public admission to an extramarital sexual encounter, with the added onus of a rape charge that came with it, and return to the good graces of fans and sponsors. He has a signature shoe with Nike, is on the cover of the "NBA2K10" video game and even got in a plug for another sponsor when asked Thursday whether he ever drank before a game.

"Yes," Bryant said, pausing for dramatic effect, "Vitaminwater."

Bryant can laugh now, some five years past a personal and career crisis, the criminal case dropped, the civil suit settled, his championship credentials restored. But that Colorado incident will always be part of the narrative, even if used as an example of his resilience.

We get choices on what to do next. The past can never be changed.

Artest might have some more accounting to do for his Sporting News interview if the NBA finds it worthy to fine him for his comments about Joey Crawford's officiating in the Western Conference semifinals. Artest was contrite Thursday, saying, "Joey's a good person. That question was asked a while ago, in the summertime, and I just felt bad for the Houston Rockets fans."

Words from the offseason, referencing last season, coming on the heel of his jaw-dropping statements about his early days in the league at the start of the decade. History keeps working its way to the present -- something for the Lakers to keep a watchful eye on in the days still to come.


Link:

http://sports.espn.go.com...a&page=artest-091203

 

[notorious 858]

Originally Posted by Worlds Enemy

^ Adande is the truth. Love his writing, and his sly references to music, pop culture etc (a la Wu-Tang)

Forgive me but who's Ammo, and how did he get his nickname?

Nah man. Adande has improved as a journalist. Earlier this decade when he had his own column with the LA Times and use to write for them, he wasvery much anti Kobe and loved Shaq during the 3 peat years. Adande has slowly evolved into respecting Kobe's game on the court.

 

[notorious 858]

[h1]Lakers' Phil Jackson would rather not discuss All-Star game[/h1]

It's December, not February.

Visions of the All-Star game are the last thing dancing around Phil Jackson's head.

"Why are you bringing things like that up that aren't important?" he said Friday to a reporter.

The Lakers coach had been asked about the possibility of three Lakers playing in the All-Star game -- Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant.

After some pressing, Jackson said they "probably should be" part of the Western Conference team.

"Andrew's playing like an All-Star center right now and has those kind of stats," he said. "We know how effective Pau's been. There's a possibility [of all three]. A slim one, but a possibility."

The Lakers haven't had more than two players on the All-Star team since 1998, when Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Eddie Jones and Nick Van Exel were all selected.

Bryant, an 11-time All-Star, was "a natural" to make the team, Jackson said. Bynum has never played in the game. Gasol made it last season for the first time.

Talking to Artest

Ron Artest made news earlier this week by revealing that he drank cognac during games earlier in his career. Then he heard from Jackson.

"I did talk to him about his indiscretion with discussing with you guys his use of Hennessy," Jackson said. "It's certainly not a behavior that we've seen exhibited here. I haven't checked his locker, but we really think it's just kind of Ron baring his soul, so to speak, and talking about some indiscretions in his past."

Artest was not suspended by the NBA for his comments, which also included some critical remarks toward referee Joey Crawford. There's a chance he'll get fined, but only a small possibility.

Another thing caught Jackson's attention about the revelation.

"I think that he's just growing up and this is maybe a delayed process," he said. "He was talking about some of the things that kept him from being as good a performer as he could have been in the past."

It won't affect the Lakers, Jackson said. After all, it happened when Artest was with the Chicago Bulls. He was traded by them in February 2002.

"I think these guys are used to handling things like that, so I don't think it's any problem," Jackson said.

Fisher flinging

Derek Fisher has seen more open shots lately. He can thank Gasol.

Fisher scored more than 10 points only once in 11 games while Gasol was sidelined. In seven games with Gasol back in the lineup, Fisher has done it four times.

Gasol's presence doesn't guarantee scoring success for Fisher, but the open looks will be there for him.

"We have a little more balance and a little more ability to feed off passing opportunities," Jackson said recently. "Pau's a good passer from that position. I think all those things correlate with Fish having more opportunities."

Fisher had 11 points on four-for-10 shooting Friday against the Miami Heat, including a three-pointer in the final seconds..

Link:

http://www.latimes.com/sp...009dec05,0,4471336.story

 

[notorious 858]

[h1]Kobe Bryant admires Wade's patience[/h1]Fresh off of being named the NBA's top player in a national survey of league executives and experts, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said he's runner-up to Dwyane Wade in one area.
Patience.

Bryant said Friday that Wade is doing a much better job at handling the adversity he faces on the court this season while dealing with frustrating losses, an inconsistent supporting cast and the fact that help might not arrive until next summer.

It was only three seasons ago when Bryant was in a valley between championship runs with Shaquille O'Neal a decade ago and last season's return to an NBA title.

So when told of Wade's critical comments of his Heat teammates before Friday's game against the Lakers at the Staples Center, Bryant said the message was too familiar.

``Dwyane is handling this a hell of a lot better than I did,'' Bryant said of the burden Wade faces as he tries to emerge from a sluggish start. ``I'm sure he's frustrated to some degree. But he's being very patient. When it was me, I just put my head down. I didn't have the ability to say, `OK, defenses are taking me out of the game. So let me go to my other guys.' No. I had to beat five guys.''

With the Heat searching for consistency on its four-game Western Conference trip, Wade has resisted the urge to abandon the game plan, take over by force.

But after getting off to yet another rough start individually in Thursday's blowout loss at Denver -- yet another team that devoted two or three players to stopping him -- Wade reached somewhat of a boiling point.

Wade, shooting a career-low 42.7 percent from the field entering Friday's game, was 8 of 20 for 25 points in the 114-96 loss to the Nuggets. Michael Beasley was the only other Heat player in double figures, a first this season.

``My teammates have to do a better job of getting me open,'' Wade said of needing more help. ``I feel like it's disrespectful to my teammates when they send two or three guys. When we don't capitalize, that's when it gets frustrating, because I'm a willing passer. I want guys to succeed . . . make the game easy.''

Had Wade been granted his wish last summer, Lamar Odom would have been among those players making things easier for the Heat. Instead, Odom re-signed with the Lakers after he helped them win a championship.

ODOM'S EXPLANATION

Odom said he called Wade to explain why he turned down a Miami reunion.

``I had to just tell him that it was really tough on me,'' Odom said Friday. ``But it was hard to walk away from this after . . . a championship. He's got a lot of responsibility there. But he's going to have more ups than downs.''

The Heat was 9-3 this season when at least three players scored in double figures to complement Wade, who is averaging 26.7 points a game.

But the losses mount when it's a one-man show.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Wade is in the same predicament as Bryant was before the big trade for Pau Gasol, the reemergence of Odom and Andrew Bynum's return to health.

It was 2007 when Jackson had frequent talks with Bryant about being patient with Bynum and Jordan Farmar's transition at point guard.

``I know they were hoping that the trade for Jermaine O'Neal would be a big boost, sort of like when Pau came to us,'' Jackson said. ``But you can see a lot of the similarities. It takes time when you have young guys like Beasley. We saw the same thing with Andrew. Kobe stuck with it, we made a few more moves and were able to get back.''

But even Bryant admits that he didn't always see things turning around as quickly. Three seasons ago, the Suns eliminated the Lakers in the first round. Bryant asked to be traded, backed off those requests and then demanded roster upgrades.

Gasol arrived the following season, Bynum got healthy, Odom grew consistent and the Lakers made consecutive trips to the Finals.

HEAT SIMILARITIES

Bryant sees the same type of transformation happening for the Heat, which plans to re-sign Wade to a long-term deal this summer and bring in another top free agent.

``I remember hoping and praying it was going to happen for us, and it worked out,'' Bryant said. ``Miami has all of the things in place. Pat Riley is extremely competitive. They have a great owner. Dwyane is a cornerstone, Beasley and Chalmers are good young guys. They're going to get [stuff] right. D-Wade may be a little frustrated right now. But you know he'll be OK.''



Link:

http://www.miamiherald.co...tball/story/1366490.html

 

[worlds enemy]

Originally Posted by Notorious 858

Originally Posted by Worlds Enemy

^ Adande is the truth. Love his writing, and his sly references to music, pop culture etc (a la Wu-Tang)

Forgive me but who's Ammo, and how did he get his nickname?

Nah man. Adande has improved as a journalist. Earlier this decade when he had his own column with the LA Times and use to write for them, he was very much anti Kobe and loved Shaq during the 3 peat years. Adande has slowly evolved into respecting Kobe's game on the court.

Hmm interesting. I never read his articles til recently. Only saw him on Around the Horn and a few Laker articles before.

 

[CP1708]

Fish is a made man ya'll. We need to from now on don't ever bad mouth dude again. He stays making plays when we need them.

Last night was just a reminder. I'm sure there will be more thru the season.

 

[badboyf0life420]

Originally Posted by CP1708

Fish is a made man ya'll. We need to from now on don't ever bad mouth dude again. He stays making plays when we need them.

Last night was just a reminder. I'm sure there will be more thru the season.

i agree! laker fans loves to talk bad about fish but when he makes those big shots they all up in his %!##!

 

[notorious 858]

 

[notorious 858]

 

[notorious 858]

The season to forget and that got us Andrew Bynum eventually:

 

[badboyf0life420]

i wish we never traded caron but at the same time if we dint trade for kwame.. that means no pau..

 

[notorious 858]

Such a good article written here:

[h1]His Name Is Kobe Bryant, But You Can Call Him Mr. Clutch[/h1]

This one, was definitely for the haters. Last night Kobe Bryant capped a brilliant fourth quarter performance with a 28 foot, bomb released just as time expired, while drifting left at the top of the key. The ball tipped off the glass, fell through the net, and the game was over.

It was really an amazing shot, and it sent Los Angeles Laker fans into a frenzy, and dealt a formidable blow to the legions of "Kobe Doubters" that exist in the stratosphere.

For them that shot had to be like a quick punch to the gut, because it momentarily took the wind out of what has become the vogue thing to do when regarding Kobe Bryant and his "clutch player" status.

Various media-types, fans, and pundits have been using statistics to proclaim that Bryant's image as a closer is an illusion, and that there are far more players in the league that are more clutch than he is.

There are websites that can give you each number of times that Bryant took a shot in the closing moments of a game, and the regularity in which he converted those attempts into points.

The numbers are accurate, but what is lost in the coldness of the digits is the memorable moment that took place in last night's game against the Miami Heat.

The statistic that I love the most is the one that says Kobe actually only hits one in four game-winning shots that he takes, or that he is 25 percent accurate in those situations.

Take a moment to process that thought. One in four? I guess that the numerous other players must be hitting game-winning shots at an amazing clip, because when you think about it, one in four is not that bad.

And exactly how many other players find themselves in position to seal a game on so many different occasions? I'd go out on a limb and say not as many as Bryant, and certainly not with the same pressure and attention.

Although Bryant's shot will be remembered, it should be noted that he had another moment in Friday night's game where he shot an airball while being closely guarded by Dwyane Wade.

That shot is the type that fuels the fire of the observers who would question Bryant's big game status. The same can be said of his team that saw themselves relapse into their defenseless ways of the past.

The Lakers in the fourth quarter allowed a penetrating Wade to get to the basket at will and he was instrumental in erasing a Laker nine point lead, and actually putting the Heat ahead near the end of the game.

The expected duel between Wade and Bryant was good as advertised as the two guards spent the fourth quarter trading buckets and facial grimaces.

Wade rebounded from a poor start and had the Heat on the brink of victory with a few shots that were clutch in their own right, and it seemed that Miami would escape the Staples Center with a narrow road victory.

In a night that was made for clutch players, Derrick Fisher contributed his part with a three-pointer that cut a four point lead to one, and set the stage for Kobe's later heroics.

I would like to re-visit the one out of four statistic for a minute. To my knowledge, this is the Lakers' first game that came down to the final horn this season, and subsequently this makes the first time that Kobe has been in a position to win the game.

I guess that would make him one for one so far. To argue the merit of his end-game status is senseless anyway, because no other players in the league take as many last second shots, nor have as many memorable moments etched in history.

Last night was the perfect example of a player that is greatness personified, and has a game that defies statistics. Instead of the numbers the anti-Kobe clan has a bonafide moment in history that they can bear witness as testament to Kobe's clutch skill.


Link:

http://bleacherreport.com...u-can-call-him-mr-clutch

 

[notorious 858]

It was really an amazing shot, and it sent Los Angeles Laker fans into a frenzy, and dealt a formidable blow to the legions of "Kobe Doubters" that exist in the stratosphere.

For them that shot had to be like a quick punch to the gut, because it momentarily took the wind out of what has become the vogue thing to do when regarding Kobe Bryant and his "clutch player" status.

Various media-types, fans, and pundits have been using statistics to proclaim that Bryant's image as a closer is an illusion, and that there are far more players in the league that are more clutch than he is.

There are websites that can give you each number of times that Bryant took a shot in the closing moments of a game, and the regularity in which he converted those attempts into points.

The numbers are accurate, but what is lost in the coldness of the digits is the memorable moment that took place in last night's game against the Miami Heat.his

This part is so true. Especially here on NT whenever a debate comes up about Kobe & Lebron. Kobe haters & Lebron lovers always start theirarguments with stats and that their main thing on why so many people on here think Lebron is better than Kobe.

 

[moiety]

 

[notorious 858]

[h1]Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar encouraged by Andrew Bynum's progress[/h1]Lakers special assistant coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has taken on fewer duties this season as he battles leukemia, but the NBA's all-time leading scorer likes what he sees in Andrew Bynum.

The education of the 22-year-old center continues week by week, game by game.

"I think he's running the court real well, really keeping up with the play," Abdul-Jabbar said. "He's using his left hand, keeping his body between the ball and the defender and just shooting it over people. That was the hardest thing when we first started. He didn't want to use his left hand at all. Now he's comfortable with it. It's happening for him."

It's hard to argue with Abdul-Jabbar. Bynum is averaging 18.2 points and 9.8 rebounds, numbers that were actually higher before Pau Gasol returned to the lineup.

Bynum had 13 points and six rebounds Sunday in the Lakers' 108-88 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

On one third-quarter play, he turned in the post and hit a six-footer despite a double-team from Grant Hill and Channing Frye. He was fouled on the play and made the free throw.

Kobe Bryant ran over to him before the free throw, tapped him excitedly on the shoulder and smiled.

Defense will be the key from here, as usual with Bynum.

"He's learning about the things he needs to do on defense, but that's still an ongoing process," Abdul-Jabbar said. "He's definitely making a difference with the blocked shots that he has. He's starting to become a factor. When he gets that part of the game down, when that catches up to his offense, he's going to be a very, very good center."

Bynum needs to anticipate better, keeping his head on a swivel and helping out when necessary, Abdul-Jabbar said.

"He's getting there," Abdul-Jabbar said. "I'm very pleased with what he's been able to bring to the team. His body's maturing. Lots of good things."

Kareem feeling strong

A month after revealing he had been diagnosed with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, Abdul-Jabbar said he was "doing well."

"I have to take my medication, go to the doctor regularly and have my blood examined, but that's part of it," he said. "As long as I can do that, I can manage this situation and live my life. I think I'm very fortunate that that's possible."

Abdul-Jabbar actually found out that he had the disease last December, but went public with it only a month ago.

He attends fewer Lakers practices than he has in the last few seasons but still goes to many home games.

"I'm not at every practice, but I'm watching [Bynum] and when I have stuff to deal with him, I go and talk to him about it," he said.

Abdul-Jabbar's type of leukemia is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells.


Link:

http://www.latimes.com/sp...009dec07,0,6044204.story

 

[2g00d4u]

Nice seats Drizz

Man, its hard to believe that Fish was in a Warriors and Jazz jersey. That just doesnt look right.

Its true, the Lakers do need him. Ill admit, Ive made some comments about some of his boneheaded plays.

Though, he seems to always make up for his bad plays with clutch plays at the end of games.

 

[notorious 858]

What the heck:

 

[westcoastsfinest]

good win fellas...great blowout

nice pix driz...do u have season tix fam?!

btw can anyone please make me an gif avy of kobes game winner on friday? thanks

 

[CP1708]

Always nice to beat the overrated bums out in Phoenix.

 

[Los Angeles]

The schedule is gonna start getting tougher, should be fun.

Btw, don't hurt your necks too much .... you know ... looking at me in first place and all

 

[grimey]

yo

@ all the bums in that last pic.