Powell: There will be a change…

I love to hear this kind of attitude. Here is what Josh Powell had this to say on his facebook page:

Kobe tied for 2nd in most all-time wins as Laker

With the Lakers thriller win over the Warriors, Kobe Bryant tied Magic Johnson for number of Lakers wins, 640.

640 wins is 2nd all-time in Lakers history. Kareem owns the record. Congrats to a very successful career for Kobe Bean!

Artest, Odom ready to “pair” up for World Record

This sounds awesome! Hope they break the world record!

Per ESPN Los Angeles: This Saturday, March 20th, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest will attempt to break the Guiness World Record for “Most Free Throws Made by a Pair within 60 Seconds”. Current record stands at 10 made freethrows by a pair from England.

Artest wants to close out season undefeated

Ron Artest wants to close out the season without losing.

ESPN: “We just want to win every game and hopefully just win out,” Artest said. “That would be the main goal, just not to lose anymore.”

Amare believes Lakers are the team to beat

Amare feels the Lakers are the team to beat.

Twitter: @PhoenixSuns forward @Amareisreal gives the edge to the Lakers as the best team he’s faced this season; narrowing out the Cavs.

Bryant measures his leadership of Lakers

A fantastic article on Kobe Bryant and his leadership.

Yahoo! Sports: Privately, people wonder: How many more passes does Kobe Bryant give Pau Gasol for speaking so boldly about him? How long until Bryant’s public and private reprisal comes with a ferocity that could bring a 7-footer to his knees? All season, Gasol has been a relentlessly consistent, if not passively aggressive, critic of the franchise star’s shooting habits, of an offense that doesn’t deliver him the ball with the frequency that he wants.

“I believe in what I believe,” Gasol said.

Hours before Friday night’s victory over the Phoenix Suns, chatting on a chair inside U.S. Airways Center, Bryant let out a laugh and insisted there will be no public rebuttals. “I’m not touching that,” Bryant said with a smile and shrug.

Bryant could come out and say that Gasol had never won a playoff game until arriving to the Lakers. He could tell Gasol that the Lakers still had the NBA’s best record without him for a month to start the season. He could tell him to make a free throw in the last minutes of tough games, tell him to toughen up.

Truth be told, Kobe Bryant could tell Pau Gasol to simply shut the bleep up.

Only, Bryant doesn’t do it. Tempted? Well, of course. Yet, the reason for such restraint is simple: The Lakers desperately need Gasol, and a public chastising of him would almost assuredly reduce his fragile psyche to rubble, costing Bryant the player he needs to catch Michael Jordan and his six championship rings.

Bryant responds with polite, processed reason: He isn’t playing differently this season, he insists.

Perhaps circumstances have changed, but not him.

Continue reading ‘Bryant measures his leadership of Lakers’

Barkley: Kobe Not In The Same Conversation As Jordan

Kobe not even in the same conversation as Jordan?

Sports Illustrated: Barkley had interesting comments on Kobe Bryant’s penchant for last-second shots. He said that some of Kobe Bryant’s game-winners are lucky. What are you going to do when he hits a 20-foot fade-away jumper? Barkley said that the Raptors played good defense against Bryant earlier this week but he hit the game-winner any way.

Barkley said that Bryant isn’t in the conversation with Michael Jordan as the greatest ever. Barkley said that the Lakers “play with no sense of urgency” and only won the title because they had more talent then everyone else. Barkley said that Bryant’s Lakers wouldn’t have a chance against the great Bulls teams.

– Barkley has been very impressed with the Dallas Mavericks. “They’re in the conversation with the Denver Nuggets against the Lakers,” Barkley said. “Clearly the Lakers are the favorite. But Denver and Dallas are right there.”

Odom willing to make statement, disprove “soft” title

Odom had some really encouraging words regarding the Lakers and them being considered, “soft.”

O.C. Register: “Got dudes on the Raptors talking (bleep),” Odom said. “They ain’t done (bleep), You know what I mean? As a team, as individuals.”

“Our disposition as a team gives like some of these dudes, they feel like they have the right,” Odom said about the Raptors. “The way we’re playing as a unit, they got dudes on their team that are talking …. They are like .500.  “But our aura comes off like ‘soft’. This was the second game I almost got thrown out. So I see one coming. I’m just going to take one, like, ‘hold up?’ Our energy, we are so laid back right now that these teams are like…

“That … that [Orlando's] Matt Barnes pulled, that ain’t never going to happen again,” Odom said. “He’s lucky it was a close game.”

…

Odom indicated he’s inclined to take flagrant fouls or even draw a one-game suspension to make clear that the Lakers must be determined and forceful to move forward in this season.

Continue reading ‘Odom willing to make statement, disprove “soft” title’

2nd Look: Kobe does it again, sinks Raptors from baseline

Kobe Bryant is the absolute most clutch player in the league today, hands down.

Kobe drove baseline and shot a baseline fadeaway over two with 1.9 seconds remaining to give the Lakers a win over the Toronto Raptors.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, when the game is on the line, there is NO ONE better than Kobe Bryant.

Sasha Scores for Kids with Eczema

Sasha may return tonight, but that hasn’t meant he hasn’t been busy while hurt! Here is a great new program he’s started!

Vujacic.net: Over 30 million Americans – many of them children – suffer from a skin disease called eczema. Sasha Scores for Kids with Eczema, launched with the National Eczema Association (800/818-7546), is a campaign to raise awareness and funds to support this cause. The first 100 donors will receive an autographed photo of Sasha. Donate now!

Sasha became aware of how severe eczema can be through three year old Lakers superfan Jarrett (see Jarrett and Sasha on youtube).

At three months old, Jarrett was diagnosed with eczema. Because of the discomfort and itch, Jarrett scratched his skin so much that it bled. As Jarrett got older, he became somewhat resistant to the skin treatments he had to follow. His parents tried several different coping mechanisms to keep his mind off scratching and create distractions while applying ointments and medicine. Jarrett’s father Eric, says that when Jarrett was two, he began showing interest in the LA Lakers, so they created routines for Jarrett’s treatment revolving around his favorite basketball team.

Jarrett uses his Sasha Soap, Kobe Cream, and Lamar Lotion to help cope with the arduous skin regime he must follow. Jarrett has endeared himself to the entire Lakers team by memorizing all their names, and jersey numbers, and by being what has to be their most adorable fan.

Continue reading ‘Sasha Scores for Kids with Eczema’