ALL QUIET ON THE LAKERS FRONT
By Nicholai R. Roska
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 18 May 2011
LOS ANGELES. The only major thing to report about the Lakers is that there is nothing to report.
Coach Phil Jackson is off to retirement, counting both his blessings and his money. The Zen Master plans to split his time between fishing in Montana and visiting LA, where four of his five children live.
After having "wasted" a year of his life, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers suddenly have nothing but more free time in their hands. Though the Lakers normally don't take vacations this early, their families, especially the kids, probabaly don't mind it.
Andrew Bynum is inarguably the saddest Laker of them all. Not only is the 7-foot-1 center no longer a part of this year's playoffs, he will also miss the first five games of the 2011-12 season.
As a consequence of his assault on Dallas guard JJ Barea, Bynum was suspended by the NBA without pay, which means he will lose nearly $700,000 in salaries. He was also fined $25,000 for removing his shirt while exiting toward the locker rooms at the American Airlines Arena in Dallas.
I know designer shirts can be really quite expensive. But I didn't know having no shirt at all can be so expensive as well.
This time of year, this City of Angels is normally high on Lakers fever. Instead, rabid sports fans are stuck with watching the not-so-awesome LA Dodgers, who are plodding along the baseball season with a 19-23 won-lost slate.
There is still basketball at Staples Center on June 1. It is, however, the WNBA variety as the LA Sparks host the Lynx from Minnesota. It will be one heck of a game, no doubt, but it's not the Lakers.
The search for a new coach has yielded nothing important to report, either. All four candidates -- Brian Shaw, Chuck Person, Jeff Van Gundy and Rick Adelman -- have yet to speak with Lakers management.
The quest for a 3-peat is done. Dead on arrival in Round 2 of these 2011 playoffs. And for avid Laker fans, the emptiness follows the sadness, because what promised to be weeks of heart-stopping, awe-inspiring basketball has simply turned into a long summer of discontent. (NRR)
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Nicholai R. Roska.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Pacquiao Promises Surprise Against Barrios
By Lito delos Reyes, Fri, 18 Jul 2025PACQUIAO VS. BARRIOS UNDERCARD MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES
Fri, 18 Jul 2025Rosaupan rules Pasay rapid chess championship
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 18 Jul 2025Blu Girls Fall to China in Nail-Biter, Slip to 5–2 in Asia Cup
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 18 Jul 2025The 19th Thousand Island Cup Philippine Xiangqi Open tournament on August 3
By Marlon Bernardino, Fri, 18 Jul 2025Pacquiao’s Legacy in Motion: PacMan contra El Azteca
By Emmanuel Rivera, RRT, Thu, 17 Jul 2025Blu Girls Crush Singapore 13-0, Set Sights on China in Asia Cup Showdown
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 17 Jul 2025Laylo, Dableo to play in Baguio Open
By Marlon Bernardino, Thu, 17 Jul 2025Pacquiao Shines in Final Press Conference: Can The Pacman Defeat Father Time and Barrios? (Analysis & Prediction)
By Carlos Costa, Thu, 17 Jul 2025More lucrative fights await Manny Pacquiao
By Leo Reyes, Thu, 17 Jul 2025Rumors about Pacquiao-Mayweather rematch
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Thu, 17 Jul 2025Tapales, Laurente to help Inoue against MJ
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 17 Jul 2025AL BERNSTEIN, CHRISTY MARTIN AND ERIC BOTTJER TO SERVE AS ALL-STAR COMMENTARY TEAM FOR THIS FRIDAY’S ‘LOPEZ VS. VARGAS’ EVENT
Thu, 17 Jul 2025SALITA PROMOTIONS CONGRATULATES SUBRIEL MATIAS ON BECOMING THE WBC SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION
Thu, 17 Jul 2025Gaisano Grand Cup Season 20 opens August 3
By Lito delos Reyes, Thu, 17 Jul 2025