Bynum is very motivated and even wants Yao Ming and the Rockets in the 2nd round.
SLAMOnline: “It makes me very hungry,” Bynum said. “I can’t wait to go out there against a challenging player like Yao Ming. I know I’m going to play better just because it’s a big guy I’m going to go up against.”
Kobe is king again… at jersey sales. We all love rockin’ that 24!
Lakers BasketBlog: Based on sales from the NBA Store in New York and online sales through NBAStore.com, Guard Kobe Bryant once again has the most popular selling jersey in the NBA. Bryant’s #24 jersey was also the most popular in 2006-07, before falling to second last year in the wake of Boston’s acquisition of Kevin Garnett.
Here’s the top 15…
1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
2. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
3. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
We get that Roy might be better than LeBron James (kidding) but Kobe “Bean” Bryant? Uh, yeah… This should be bulletin material for Kobe IF they go against the Houston Rockets. Sound-off, Lakers Nation.
I love what Kareem had to say about Bynum.
L.A. Times: “Andrew, he wants to excel,” said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a Lakers special assistant who is Bynum’s mentor. “So he’s looking to dominate the game and sometimes you have to be patient. . . . He’s figuring it out. I’m sure by the end of the playoffs, people won’t be talking about these issues.”
O.C. Register: Andrew Bynum wasn’t altogether surprised that Phil Jackson plans to start him in the Western Conference semifinals for one reason.
Yao Ming.
Bynum seemed convinced Wednesday the Lakers will meet Houston in the next round, ignoring all possibility that Portland would emerge from that first-round series. The Rockets lead, 3-2, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday.
“That’s who I think we’re going to play. They’re up and have two games to win one,” said Bynum, not giving the Trail Blazers much of a chance.
But it doesn’t really matter to Bynum who they play as long as he gets more than the foul-plagued 77 minutes he saw in the Lakers’ first-round five-game series against Utah. And Phil Jackson is set on making that happen.
The Lakers coach said after the team wrapped up the Utah series Monday that Bynum would start at center and Lamar Odom would return to a reserve role. Bynum was a non-factor in the first round, but Jackson believes the Lakers will need all of his 7 feet against 7-foot-6 center Yao or Portland’s Joel Przybilla.
“(The last series) makes me very hungry,” Bynum said. “I can’t wait to get out there. I know I’m going to play better.”
Well it seems no one in the NBA wants to use or learn the most beautiful shot in basketball history, so Kareem once again took control of the “sky hook.” This time, off the court.
L.A. Times: Next time you want to use the phrase “sky hook,” you better get permission. Lakers special assistant coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has trademarked the words that helped define his career.
“My legacy is part of the game. I might as well do something with it, so I put my little trademark on it,” Abdul-Jabbar said.
Abdul-Jabbar, who was wearing a “sky hook” T-shirt before Monday’s game against Utah, said he hoped to use proceeds from “sky hook” apparel sales to help fund a new venture that involved fundraising for grade schools and high schools.
Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld dropped us a note about the upcoming NBA scheduling. Game One for the Lakers will be on Monday.
The NBA just announced the many possible schedules for the rest of round one with a footnate
Lakers vs (Portland or Houston) will be on Monday, May 4.
No times yet – my guess is it’d be 7:30pm
Who says the NBA isn’t scripted? In a dark, murky cave somewhere in Boston, David Stern and his round table of WB writers likely had this conversation:
David Stern: I want the Lakers to win, but I want people to watch. Make it happen.
Josh Schwartz: What if we let them build a big lead, only to have Utah come storming back?
Mark Schwahn: Yes, it could appear to be close, but everyone knows Utah won’t actually win.
Marketing Guy: Our sponsor TNT will love this; it fits perfectly with there we know drama slogan.
David Stern: Great, what about the rest of the series?
(Confused silence)
This is definitely worth a read. I got to take a glance at it and it was very cool. And it features two AM570 personalities in Steve Hartman and Matt “Money” Smith who co-wrote it. Here is an excerpt from Kobe Bryant’s favorite places.
KB24.com: If someone asked you to make a list of your favorite foods, movies, teams or cars, you could probably bang it out without skipping a beat, right?
Recently, Kobe was asked to rank his favorite venues, and he obliged in a new book by Southern California sports authorities Steve Hartman and Matt “Money” Smith, titled “The Great Book of Los Angeles Sports Lists.”
Before we get to Mamba’s list, you should know this book is chock full of lists from SoCal stars such as Phil Jackson, Tommy Lasorda, Luc Robitaille, Jeanie Buss, James Worthy, Eric Dickerson, Steve Garvey, Tony Hawk, Flea, and many more.
In all, there are almost 100 lists, and several come directly from Hartman and Smith. (Top 12 Lakers Draft Picks, Top 10 Greatest Lakers Moments and Top 10 Reasons People Say We’re Terrible Fans are some juicy examples of the topics they tackle.)
So how does Kobe’s list of favorite venues look? Read his introduction below, which explains why his lists looks the way it does, and then check out the list of his all-time favorite arenas…
Upon stepping foot on Utah’s home court, it was obvious that the battle was mostly with the overzealous Jazz fans. “Hostile crowd” was a common phrase throughout our romp in Utah, but as passionate as fans can get for the home team, it doesn’t mean anything if you can’t step up and play the game.
After a disappointing defeat in Game 3, the Lakers came back with intensity to overcome the Jazz’s aggressive audience and head home for Game 5.
The Zen Master made a significant change in the line-up by starting Lamar Odom for Game 5 and Game 6 over Andrew Bynum, a good choice considering the fact that Bynum is definitely not at 100% yet. His average field goal percentage in the series against the Jazz was weak (a big man averaging only 5 points per game is not a good sign, especially in post-season), while Odom was averaging a double-double per game.
Although bringing Odom to the starting line for Game 4 and Game 5 might have been mere strategy, it will give Bynum the rest he needs to heal fully, so that when we head to the next series, Lamar can facilitate further for the bench, and Bynum can continue with Pau down low for some Twin Towers mayhem (you know you’re excited for Bynum to be back at his best).
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