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Archive for May, 2007

Kobe to come on ESPN radio show today (3:20PM PST).

Published by Chris Manning on May 29, 2007 in Announcements. 0 Comments

Kobe Bryant is scheduled to be on ESPN 710 this afternoon with John Ireland. As you may or may not know, Ireland covers the away games as a Lakers reporter during the season. Him and Kobe have a good relationship and perhaps Kobe will yet again come on record and clear all this madness. People are running rampant with Kobe “trade ideas.” It’s just crazy.

Here is the link to ESPN’s Radio 710. You can listen to the live feed from your browser.

We’ll provide a recap and possibly a link to the interview (if one is available). Stay tuned. You can hear it from a reporters mouth, but I will trust Kobe’s word over anyone. Funny how a site dedicated to get a player like Kev Garnett turns out to have the same frustration surrounding Wolves fans - our star player is in the middle of trade talks. Hmm…

O’Neal May Be the Solution

Published by Jim Murdoc on May 29, 2007 in Articles. 10 Comments

HOOPSWORLD.COM: The Los Angeles Lakers and Kobe Bryant have found themselves suddenly painted into a corner.

Bryant has demanded the return of Jerry West to help guide the team back to a championship. The Laker star has clearly lost faith in those currently running the team (General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Vice President of Player Personnel Jim Buss). Though Bryant denies (or has backed off from) actually requesting a trade if West does not return, the message is clear . . . Bryant is unhappy he wants immediate change.

The Lakers are stuck. West is moving to West Virginia. Though he may be open to being a consultant (at a high salary), he’s not about to displace Kupchak from his current position.

Laker owner Jerry Buss has begun the succession process giving his son Jim increased authority over the team’s basketball decisions. To bring back West would be an affront to the owner’s son . . . one a father is unlikely to make.

Can and will West return in some capacity? Certainly.

Continue reading ‘O’Neal May Be the Solution’

“I haven’t asked for a trade.”

Published by Jim Murdoc on May 28, 2007 in Articles. 14 Comments

Kobe Bryant w/ Jerry WestThe Truth (Kobe’s blog): What’s up you all.

Haven’t checked in in a while,

I’m sure you guys have been hearing all this and that and are not sure what to think or believe.

The Truth section was created for times such as these.

So here’s tha deal:

I have NOT asked to be traded, I don’t want to be traded and I have given no ultimatums or demands of being traded.

I love it here in LA, my family loves it here.

I’ve been a laker fan my whole life. A REAL Laker fan! I’m talkin Silk Wilks days, and know the history of the Lakers going back to George Mikan era. I WANT to retire a Laker and contend for titles.

It is my opinion that Mr Clutch, one of the greatest GMs the game has ever seen would b able to get us to back to that level sooner rather than later.

If he is available, then it makes sense to give him the reigns and let him do what he does BEST. I KNOW I can trust him to build us an elite team.

I’m tired of losing and I’m sure you guys are tired of it as well.

Now is the time to step up and make some things happen. We have all have waited patiently for three years…Let’s GO!

- Strength and Honor

Bryant [on trade]: “Those words didn’t come out of my mouth…”

Published by Chris Manning on May 28, 2007 in Articles. 11 Comments

After BSPN’s… err… ESPN’s announcement yesterday that Kobe wants West back or “he’ll ask out,” a lot of the media jumped on the opportunity to bash Kobe and question his loyalty. Well one thing ESPN did not provide at the time was quotes from Kobe. However, when we did hear from Kobe last night he made it clear he isn’t asking out - West or no West:

ESPN: “I’m not demanding anything,” Bryant told the Riverside Press-Enterprise on Sunday night. “I’m not making any threats. I didn’t say that. Those words didn’t come out of my mouth about a trade. I’m just making a suggestion. I think Jerry West is one of the greatest to ever do this thing. It’s undeniably so.”

Pincus: Kobe Bryant Steps Up His Game

Published by Kam Pashai on May 28, 2007 in Articles. 2 Comments

Kobe BryantHOOPSWORLD.COM: Kobe Bryant has stepped up his offseason game, applying massive pressure to the Los Angeles Lakers “requesting” change. As reported by ESPN, Bryant wants Jerry West to return to the Lakers with full control, otherwise he’ll demand a trade.
West is currently employed by the Memphis Grizzlies but is scheduled to leave as of July 1. In the meantime, Bryant may get fined for tampering.Now the hard part . . . what do the Lakers do now?

Kobe Bryant has stepped up his offseason game, applying massive pressure to the Los Angeles Lakers “requesting” change. As reported by ESPN, Bryant wants Jerry West to return to the Lakers with full control, otherwise he’ll demand a trade.

West is currently employed by the Memphis Grizzlies but is scheduled to leave as of July 1. In the meantime, Bryant may get fined for tampering.

Now the hard part . . . what do the Lakers do now?

Offer Jerry West the Job
The Lakers can quickly accede to Bryant’s demand, getting on the phone the first day of July and offer West the position of General Manager.

In this scenario he can accept the job, reject it or compromise with a position as “consultant.”

For West to accept, Mitch Kupchak would either have to be fired or reassigned. It would be a very public rebuke . . . one that West may not be willing accept.

Remember, Kupchak is West’s protégé. There is much loyalty between the two. West may not take the job based on that alone.

Continue reading “Kobe Bryant Steps Up His Game”

GetGarnett.com will be down tonight.

Published by Jim Murdoc on May 28, 2007 in Announcements. 1 Comment

I’ll be doing some maintenance to the blog itself tonight. So not to worry if you get any sort of error messages or if the blog looks out of place. That is all.

Thanks.

A tale of two years…

Published by Jim Murdoc on May 28, 2007 in User's Take. 13 Comments

LUUUUUUKE!Special thanks to Warren Lim for writing this take and giving us the privilege to add it to GetGarnett.com. If you have an article that is Lakers related and you know that it will interest our readers, feel free to e-mail us and will add it to the blog. Thanks!

The average NBA player retires at the age of 36-37. They usually start at the age of 21-22 and have had high school and 1-2 years in College Hoops experience. Therefore, the usual Basketball shelf life of an average NBA player is 20 years.

There are, however, a few exceptions. As they are not really considered “normal” or average. Kevin Willis plays till now, but they are not significant minutes anymore.

The talk is about Jason Kidd. Drafted in 1994 as the #2 over-all next only to Glen “big dog” Robinson by the Mavericks. He was age 21 then. After mesmerizing everyone with his triple doubles, Kidd has cemented his name on the future Hall of Fame. He was technically league MVP in 2003 when he transformed the cellar-dwelling NJ Nets to the NBA Finals in back-to-back seasons.

Continue reading ‘A tale of two years…’

ESPN’s Mark Stein reports West may indeed rejoin Lakers as consultant this summer!

Published by Chris Manning on May 28, 2007 in Articles. 3 Comments

Well in a crazy day of your have-to-know, every day LA drama with the Lakers, ESPN’s Mark Stein gave Lakers fans something to smile about regarding Jerry West!

ESPN: Kobe Bryant can count on getting some of what he’s demanding from the Lakers.

That’s the feeling I’m getting from Lakerland in the wake of the blast reported Sunday by our own Ric Bucher: Kobe wants Jerry West to return as the organization’s lead decision-maker if the Lakers expect Kobe to stay with them.

The most likely scenario as of Sunday night, according to team sources, is that West will indeed rejoin the Lakers as a consultant this summer after becoming a front-office free agent on July 1. This has been circulating as a possibility since the Lakers’ first-round series with Phoenix. Only now, with a public plea from one of his favorite all-time players virtually upstaging the playoffs, it’ll be even tougher for West to resist a homecoming.