This and That

Tidbits today..many articles referring to our Laker
NBA basketball team have been mentioned in the
papers during this late summertime season.
One is about our new point guard Steve Blake.
He has (up to now) not been playing the triangle
play and is trying to bone up on doing this.
The triangle offense call can be a tricky thing.
Guards can get lost in its intricacies. So can
forwards and centers. Blake has not mastered
his options yet & is still learning some of the
terminologies but he looks good & feels comfortable.
Kobe Bryant has told reporters now that he is through
answering questions regarding his surgically repaired
right knee. He answered questions though with a smile.
Sasha Vujacic had injuries last year and the year before
to contend with so is now talking with coach Phil
Jackson about hopefully being used a little more in
plays on the court this year. Averaging only 2.8 points
in 67 games last season suffering with ankle and
shoulder injuries, we will see now what transpires
with trying to get out on the court for more plays this season.
Pau Gasol was far too fatigued last season in the start of
the games having been playing during the summer helping
to lead Spain to the European championship but this past
summer he did travel about, yet is energized now so is
very ready to play. During the summer one trip took him
to Barcelona where he played against his brother Marc,
a center for the Memphis Grizzlies, & they had a lot of fun
in competition with sibling rivalry but Pau came out the winner!
Ron Artest has decided to sell off his Championship ring!
He states it was hard won but still only a piece of jewelry
and if the proceeds from its sale will benefit others then
that is what he is prepared to do. He has become involved
with raising mental health awareness and wants to have
monies from the ring sale to go toward this foundation.
Promoting mental health awareness, and his wish that
underprivileged children have access to counselors is
not a job he says, but rather is his passion.
With Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher we
begin our new basketball playing season and we
are in high hopes of once again being winners so
we start off with the attitude that indeed perhaps we
can pull it off to have a three-peat & send Phil
Jackson into retirement as coach with yet another win!
Babs Wells

Those Laker Guys!

October 4 NBA Lakers play their first Exhibition game
and will be playing the Minnesota Timberwolves
in London. Then on October 26 they will begin
their regular Basketball season.
Lakers Adam Morrison has accepted a Training
Camp Invitation with the Washington Wizards.
Flip Saunders is Wizards coach and says that
Morrison would have an offensive rhythm he hopes.
Training camp begins September 28th.
Andrew Bynum is not expected to be playing in
any of our Laker's exhibition games and it is
even an "iffy" for when he will be able to return
to play during our regular season.
He underwent surgery to mend torn cartilage
in his right knee on July 28th. He has been
undergoing daily therapy.
Bynum, a 7 ft. center, has had a history of
knee injuries & his therapists have been
working with him. They are Alex McKechnie
and July Seto spokesman John Black said.
This Sunday the Lakers open training camp
in El Segundo.
Kobe Bryant also had arthroscopic surgery
on his right knee during the offseason.
Unlike Bynum, Bryant is "right on target"
to begin camp & play the exhibition game,
reported Black.
Lamar Odom continues treating a nagging
left shoulder injury he tells the newspapers.
Luke Walton was limited in his playing too
and played only 29 games last season but
claims his back is feeling good. The Lakers
will wait it out some & see how Walton fares
during the rigors of camp before pronouncing
him sound however.
We have lost an Ex-Laker trainer too.
Frank O'Neil died at age 83 on Tuesday.
He suffered with congestive heart failure.
So it looks as if we are up to date & now looking forward
to our boys perhaps winning another basketball championship!
Babs Wells

On the other hand...speaking of basketball, were you folks
aware that the Clippers point guard Baron Davis vies for
Emmy award for documentary on L.A. gang life?
The former UCLA star hopes to shed some light on
the root causes of gang life, a world of frustration,
hopelessness and despair that all too often leads
youngsters to believe that they have no other options.
The information provided in this film "Crips and Bloods
Made in America" was first released in 2008.
It is narrated by Academy Award winner Forrest
Whitaker & includes interviews with gang members
and NFL Hall of famer Jim Brown who works well
with inner-city youngsters.
Baron Davis himself will be at training camp when the
Emmy awards for News and documentaries are handed
out in New York City next Monday. From afar though
he will be rooting for the film for which he acted as
executive producer and put up the money & provided
entree into the world from which he escaped from...
largely because of basketball, but he has not forgotten.
In an interview with the Associated Press Davis said
that the film is "very prestigious". The 31 year old
Clipper player longs to be more than a star athlete
and believes he can be an agent for social change.
This is why he formed the production company "Verso
Entertainment" & pushed to make the film about two
of America's most notorious gangs.
And then there is the quote from our Laker player
Ron Artest, Laker forward, believing that the next season
will be even better than our last NBA season whereby we
won the Championship....saying "We're hungry and you
know Kobe Bryant is. Kobe's after something. I don't even
know what it is. I think he's after stardom of Pluto or something" !!
So on that note we will await our players to bounce out onto the
courts once again as NBA next season will very soon begin for us.
Babs Wells

Old news here today but worthy of seeing
all the same. Kevin Durant was the popular
player in the USA games against all the other
foreign countries. In fact he propelled U.S. to
the finals. Wearing the red, white and blue -
especially on 9/11, he had a special memorial
message written on his sneakers. He carried the
U.S. into victory for the gold medal game in the
world championship, scoring a U.S. record 38
points in the 89-74 victory over Lithuania.
To play that day, Kevin said, was a great honor.
He went on to surpass Carmello Anthony's single-game record
of 35 points & raise the average in the tournament to 22.1, which
would be the best ever by a U.S. player.
They got their first world title since 1994
winning against Turkey in the final game.
The Lakers Lamar Odom added 15 points
and 19 rebounds. He stated that playing on
September 11th. was "an incredible day for
all of us". A native New Yorker, he said he lost
friends from High school to those terrorists attacks nine years ago in the United States.
"So to be playing and representing your own
country, is a really big deal" Odom said.
The players just beamed after their win over
Turkey 81-64 in order to bring home the gold.
With Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Co.
sitting home, this group that played overseas
was called a "B" team which the players were
aware of and could not wait to disprove!
"I think that was extra motivation" Durant said.
"It was exciting to come out here and win and be
able to prove people wrong".
They may have been unconventional at times
but they worked real hard & made it happen.
At half time during the
Turkey game, the FIBA
inducted its Hall of Fame class, a group that
included women's star Cheryl Miller, former
NBA centers Vlade Divac, Arvydas Sabonia,
and Brazilian star Oscar Schmidt.
Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski helped
cut down the basketball net as he too celebrated
the Final game with Turkey. USA brought us the gold! So very proud of each one of you!
Babs Wells