SHOULD HE OR SHOULDN'T HE ???

Dwight Howard is the subject here today.

Placards and giant billboards are seen

with "STAY" written for all to see and to

contemplate. Angers some and encourages

others. With quite an ego I think, this #D12

Laker seems to hold onto his ego very tenuously.

However having said that, it is not my decision

to make. Granted he is tall and yes, he did

try hard to make a come back after major

surgery so we must give him that edge. 

Lakers' Vice President of public relations

John Black, admitted on Thursday that a

very significant amount of money was spent

on 7 billboards around town (with possibly

even more to come) asking Dwight to "Stay"

with our Lakers team. Even one was seen adorning

the sides of Staples Center. Deadspin.com called

the campaign "kind of sad". USA Today referred

to it as resorting to desperation. NBC Sports

Radio said it was  embarrassing and rather

hilarious. A tweet from Ben Maller, who has

a syndicated show on Fox Sports Radio, made

a comment regarding the billboards as well.

"If you are the Lakers, you don't beg people

to stay" said Dan Patrick on his syndicated 

radio show. Sacramento did this with Chris 

Weber back in 2001. Yet, being Lakers it

just seems so inappropriate and silly..

Will the next write up say "Pretty Please" ?

Babs Wells

LATEST NEWS RE: Steve Nash

Steve's back and hamstring issues for being out

of court play and making attempts at recuperating,

have sidelined him from our Lakers games for awhile.

Being 100% is his aim for playing again for the Lakers

when fall games begin. During his rehabilitation 

time he has been working with the soccer team and

will continue doing so this summer. The Charity games

with two soccer games are in his plans along with other

NBA players and will be played on June 26 and July 14.

The first game will be played in New York and the second

game will be played in downtown Los Angeles. Soccer stars

along with various NBA players has yet to be determined.

This will be the sixth time Nash's game will be played in

New York and the first time it will be played in Los Angeles.

The L.A. event will be played at Red Shield Community

Center, a few blocks west of Staples Center. The events

are free to the public. If any donations are given they will

go to the Steve Nash Foundation which assists underserved 

children around the world. The games are played

in local parks, taking players of both soccer and basketball 

sports back to their roots. With NBA players as well as

International soccer stars being able to once again play on

the streets as they did as a kid makes the games less

pretentious and far more accessible. It is not as if they

are in a stadium where fans are miles from the action.

Among the NBA players listed from past rosters on the

Nash Foundation web site are Tony Parker, Grant Hill, 

Baron Davis and Brandon Jennings. Some of the soccer

stars named are Robbie Rogers, Thierry Henry, Claudio

Reyes, Patrick Vieira, Maurice Edu and Giuseppe Rossi.

If there was one player Nash would dream of hiring to

these events, he said it would be Lionel Messi. If Lakers player 

Dwight Howard played, he would be best served

in goal but could even be surprising on the field a little 

bit. Steve was asked about his former teammate, Jason

Kidd. Kidd has retired from playing NBA basketball and

now has been hired by the Brooklyn Nets as head coach.

Steve himself is 39 and very likely looking to his own

future as well. As a very intense player and personality, 

it might fare well for him to one day be seeking a coaching

job himself. We have missed him out on the Lakers court.

Babs Wells

MORE ABOUT COLLECTIBLES

Seems there finally has been a decision made, and

it appears to be a very good one too. Kobe Bryant

and his parents, Joe and Pamela have found more

common ground now with their son regarding some

of his memorabilia and so they have contacted the

New Jersey based Golden Auctions founder, Kenneth

Goldin. Some of Kobe's articles from years ago, he

would rather hang on to and so it posed a problem

for them all, being that the Auction firm had already

advanced Pamela Bryant $450,000 up front.

Kobe ended up suing Goldin Auctions in federal

court last month where it was revealed in April that his

Mom had agreed to put nearly 100 items that had 

been in her home up for auction. Bryant claimed that

he never agreed to this action and that she had no

right to take them and so a family dispute erupted.

A trial was to have begun this very week. The main

draw in this collection was a maroon uniform from

Bryant's freshman year in high school when he

wore number 24. This was believed to be the only

authentic game-worn #24 Kobe Bryant LMHS

jersey in existence. That very jersey is not now

part of the new auction consignment. Attorneys 

representing our Laker NBA player, Kobe Bryant,

included a statement on behalf of Bryant's parents

which reads: "We regret our actions and statements

related to the Kobe Bryant auction memorabilia. We

apologize for any misunderstandings and unintended

pain we have caused our son and appreciate the 

financial support he has provided over the years. We also

apologize to Goldin Auctions for their inadvertent

involvement in this matter and thank them for their

assistance". Goldin auctions issued a news release

Monday about the updated auction with Ken Goldin

saying: "We have reached an amicable resolution in

this case and want to thank Kobe Bryant for his 

assistance in resolving this matter". This then ought

to be the end resolution of this misunderstanding.

Babs Wells

THE TWO GASOL BROTHERS

NBA Laker, Pau Gasol and his Memphis

NBA player brother, Marc Gasol have

organized a youngsters Boys and Girls Club.

They take great enjoyment and pride in

their affiliation with these children and

separate their association during their

time spent with them from their own love

of playing basketball. Going through

the transition on the Lakers team, Pau

states because losing Jerry Buss, 

his children are doing their best with

the team now so he is not at all certain

that his role for the Lakers will

come to fruition. A great deal depends

on Dwight Howard's decision to remain

on the Lakers team or not. Also, Pau

himself has been recovering from a

medical procedure which entailed 

having a probe inserted into both

of his knees to help eliminate scar tissue

without damaging the healthy tissue. This

procedure is called "Fast

Technique" and was performed just three weeks ago.

Four days after walking without crutches, 

Pau appeared mobile enough to move with

ease and playfully block shots with the

youngsters at the Boys and Girls Club.

The Lakers expect Pau to return to

basketball-related activities within 9

weeks. As he heads to his native Spain this

week, Pau is hopeful time spent while there

will give him more assurance for returning

to play along with his Lakers teammates. 

Being able to participate along

with his younger brother Marc in activities

as well as support this new organization they

have become involved with, Pau says it 

has turned into a huge motivation for him.

We wish him all of the very best and yes, 

we certainly do hope to see him along

with injured Kobe Bryant there on the courts

in playing with the Lakers team, this coming fall.

Babs Wells