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Author Archive for hZm

Redemption! - USA Basketball wins Gold

Published by hZm on August 24, 2008 in USA Basketball. 12 Comments

ESPN: Order is restored in international basketball. The United States is back on top, but not by that much anymore.

Culminating a three-year mission to end years of embarrassment, the U.S. Olympic team survived a huge challenge from Spain, winning 118-107 Sunday in the gold-medal game.

After overwhelming everyone for seven games, the Americans led by only four points with under 2½ minutes to play. Then the U.S. proved it could handle a close game that seemed would never come in Beijing.

Their prize: the first U.S. gold medal since the 2000 Olympics.

Argentina won the bronze with an 87-75 victory against Lithuania.

Dwyane Wade scored 27 points for the Americans, who found a much gamer Spanish team than the one it humiliated by 37 points earlier in the tournament. Kobe Bryant added 20 points.

In a game so void of defense that it felt more like an NBA All-Star game than one with a title at stake, the Americans had too much offense down the stretch. Bryant converted a clutch four-point play with 3:10 remaining, holding his finger to his lips to quiet the rowdy Spanish crowd behind the basket.

Wade added another 3-pointer that made it 111-104 with just over 2 minutes left, and only then could the Americans relax a little.

They began to celebrate during a break after some technical fouls on Spain with 26 seconds left, then celebrated at midcourt when it was over with “Born in the USA” blaring over the arena’s speakers.

Shaq Attacks Kobe… again.

Published by hZm on June 23, 2008 in Kobe Watch. 120 Comments

Mr. O’Neal is back to his old ways.

TMZ: Shaquille O’Neal took the mic at a NYC club last night, unleashing a freestyle verbal assault directed at his arch-enemy Kobe Bryant — blaming his former teammate for ruining his marriage and imploring him to “Tell me how my ass tastes.”

The line most likely references a comment Kobe made during his infamous 2003 rape case, when he told Colorado police that he “Should have done what Shaq does … Shaq would pay his women not to say anything.” The two became famously bitter rivals after the incident.

After spending several verses shredding Kobe apart for losing in the NBA playoffs, Shaq drops the line, “I’m a horse, Kobe ratted me out, that’s why I’m getting divorced.”

Watch the video on TMZ.

UPDATE: Here is Shaq’s response to the his freestyle. Anyone actually believe a word this man says?

The Lakers Nation teams up with AM570

Published by hZm on June 11, 2008 in Announcements. 26 Comments

Great news Lakers Nation! We’re proud to announce that The Lakers Nation has teamed up with AM570, the flagship station of our Los Angeles Lakers, to bring you complete Lakers coverage.

As if having all the latest Lakers news with one click wasn’t enough; now you can listen to the latest Lakers interviews and audio clips too! You can also get all the latest Nation news on AM570Radio.com. Can you ask for more Lakers coverage? Is it even possible.

Here’s a word from our new partners:

“AM 570 KLAC is excited to be teaming up with The Lakers Nation to provide Lakers fans with the most current, expansive coverage of the Lakers available. Our hope is to help grow this online community and reach all the Lakers fans worldwide. The Lakers Nation has created an excellent online community where fans can turn for coverage and analysis of the NBA’s premier team, and pairing up with their radio home makes perfect sense for both of us. Go Lakers!”

Along with AM570, we have a lot of great stuff in store for you guys in the near future. And in case you haven’t heard it yet, here’s our promotion spot now running on AM570…

Nation Discussion: Did he fake it?

Published by hZm on June 6, 2008 in Nation Discussion. 76 Comments

A lot has been made of Paul Pierce’s “injury” that he “suffered” during Thursday nights Game. 1 of the NBA Finals. Many believe that the injury was just a huge exaggeration by Paul; who minutes after being picked up by his teammates and put on a wheelchair, ran out on the floor with no limp as the Rocky theme music blazed through the Garden and nailed two three point shots.

Was this all just blow out of proportion by Pierce, or was it a serious injury? We want your thoughts!

Lakers vs. Celtics - Retrospective

Published by hZm on June 3, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs. 11 Comments

Great piece by Isaac Lowenkron of AM570! Sums up the Lakers/Celtics rivalry through the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and what’s to come. Take a listen, it’s worth your time.

Lakers vs. Celtics - NBA Finals 2008

Published by hZm on May 30, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs. 63 Comments

After 21 long years, the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics will meet again in the NBA Finals.

The greatest rivalry in basketball will be reborn.

The Celtics are in the NBA finals for the first since losing to the Lakers in 1987, the third meeting in a four-year span. The Lakers and the Celtics have met a total of 10 times in the NBA finals, with Boston winning the first eight meetings, and Los Angeles the last two. Los Angeles has made the Finals 29 times, Boston has made it 20 times.

The Boston Celtics swept LA 2-0 in the regular season. The key here is that Pau Gasol played for Memphis while both those games were played. This is a new look Lakers team.

Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals will be played in Boston on Thursday.

Lakers will play against FC Barcelona

Published by hZm on April 25, 2008 in 2008 Pre-Season. 12 Comments

This should make for an interesting pre-season game!

Sport.es: Barca will face Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol next October in Los Angeles in a match scheduled within the partnership agreement between the NBA and the Euroleague, which annually offers a series of clashes between teams from the two continents, both in Europe and the United States.

This year there will be no mourning ‘mixed’ on European soil (New Jersey and Miami will face each other in Paris and London and Washington and New Orleans will do so in Berlin and Barcelona), but in the United States, where three teams that come about playing half a dozen parties.

The Lakers Nation on PMS

Published by hZm on April 23, 2008 in Spots. 28 Comments

If you missed it yesterday - The Lakers Nation was mentioned on AM570’s PMS (Petros and Money Show). Matt “Money” Smith (host of Lakers Line) had some interesting thoughts on the term “Nation” being used when referring to a community of sports fans. Do you agree with him?

We here at The Lakers Nation have taken his thoughts into consideration and you know what? He’s right! As of May 2008, TLN will buy an island, elect officials, establish its own currency and start charging its members (or “citizens”) taxes. All in an effort to make us an official Nation.

But I digress… Hopefully everyone at AM570 loves the Kobe/Gasol ‘08 stickers. Even though Petros said on air that he didn’t know what to do with the stickers… which is understandable since he’s not a Lakers fan, we caught him on the live video feed taking the sticker with him as he understandable left the studio.

Here’s the clip…