Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 51
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor When I realized the deadline for this week’s paper was Wednesday and the NBA draft was Thursday I was quite disappointed. I wouldn’t be able to comment on the Lakers’ selection until the following week. Then I had an idea. There had been so much interest, so many conflicting rumors in what the Lakers were going to do that there would be considerable reader interest in a description of this process. So. Hopefully, I was right and you’ll read on, At the beginni...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Kobe Bryant was outraged. Byron Scott was outraged. Mitch Chortkoff was outraged. How can a mere sportswriter include himself on a list of competitors outraged by the antics of three Lakers – Nick Young, Jordan Hill and Carlos Boozer who thought they were being clever in clowning while a teammate was being interviewed on television after the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics in overtime last week? Well, you see, this sportswriter traveled with Laker teams for 2...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor All right, you win, we surrender. Those words often come from battlefields. Today, they appear to be coming from the Lakers. When Kobe Bryant underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a torn rotator cuff the Lakers adopted a plan for the upcoming months and most likely the rest of the season. Instead of fielding a lineup they’d likely put on the court in a bid for a playoff berth they’re featuring a group of inexperienced players they’re hoping to develop for the f...
The Los Angeles Sports Council has named Kings President and General Manager Dean Lombardi as the 2014 Sports Executive of the Year. Lombardi, the architect of the 2014 Stanley Cup Champions, will be honored during the 10th Annual LA Sports Awards, presented by Coca-Cola, on Sunday, March 15 at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. A veteran of nearly 30 NHL seasons in the front office as an executive and a scout -- including the past eight with the Kings -- Lombardi has a well-earned reputation for being...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Steve Nash is one of the best point guards ever to play in the NBA. He's been MVP twice and ranks third all-time in assists. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Nash did his remarkable work before he signed here at the age of 38. In two Laker seasons he played in only 65 games, 50 the first year and 15 last season as he was unable to ward off a back injury. Last week the Lakers and Nash jointly announced he won't play this season. He didn't announce his retirement, pre...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Byron Scott said Tuesday the Lakers' organization is all about winning championships. The former backcourt partner of Magic Johnson has become the Lakers' head coach But don't expect a championship in the upcoming season. There are too many better teams in the NBA right now. What fans should expect is a far better Laker team than last season and, at best, a chance of making the playoffs. There was very little defense last season when Mike D'Antoni was the coach....
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor As of this writing, Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks are making progress on details of a contract that will bring him to the team with total control in running the basketball operation. This is what the man who won 11 NBA championship rings as a coach and two as a player has sought in recent years from the Lakers. Apparently, however, Laker owner Jim Buss isn't interested. Avery Johnson, who played in the league for 16 years and then coached Dallas and New...
By Marcus Tiggs Special to the Observer Over the last couple of months the media/public has been in a frenzy over the Culver City Ice Arena story or better described as saga. The latest turn was at Monday's City Council meeting, where it looked like there would be a six month re-opening after an 11th hour interim deal was reached with the landowner (Mike Karagozian) and the a few rink employees (the Takahashi family), only to be doused by the Fire Chef and company revealing a sincere and...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor On Tuesday, it was opening night of the National Basketball Association season and former Laker great Magic Johnson was in peak form. However, Johnson is no longer a player or even a Laker minority owner. He’s one of the Dodgers’ new owners. “But my heart is still with the Lakers,” he said. “I love the Lakers.” He loves them enough to be quite upset about the status of the franchise. Johnson spent Tuesday appearing on a variety of radio sports shows and his theme...
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Bill Sharman was one of the toughest men I’ve ever known. Also one of the nicest. When he became a Hall of Fame player with the Celtics stories were told that he used to help old ladies across the street from Boston Garden, then get into three fights during the game. “He never stood still on the court,” said Bob Cousy, his Celtic backcourt partner. “So he was impossible to guard. And in an era when few guys played defense, he did.” It was a different era then....
By Mitch Chortkoff Sports Editor Bill Sharman was one of the toughest men I've ever known. Also one of the nicest. When he became a Hall of Fame player with the Celtics stories were told that he used to help old ladies across the street from Boston Garden, then get into three fights during the game. "He never stood still on the court," said Bob Cousy, his Celtic backcourt partner. "So he was impossible to guard. And in an era when few guys played defense, he did." It was a different era then. A...
Before debating the merits and deficiencies of Vinny del Negro, let’s remember the Clippers have a long history of replacing coaches. It’s the way they solve problems. I wish they’d notice that stability is something to cherish in professional sports. There were Walter Alston and Tommy Lasorda with the Dodgers, about 20 years each, the players knowing there was no doubt about who was in charge. There were Phil Jackson and Pat Riley in the NBA, and the players knew what was expected. Do it right...
In October, after the Lakers had signed Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, they began training camp labeled as the hottest story in the NBA. The franchise with 16 NBA championships was seemingly in position to win another. A colleague of mine, Howard Beck, who writes in New York, said the Lakers were a bigger story there than the Knicks or the defending champion Miami Heat. But on Sunday night at Staples Center, the Lakers’ disastrous season ended with a first round playoff sweep at the hands of t...
It’s An Uncertain Future For Kobe, Lakers There are two questions on the minds of local sports fans today. Where does Kobe Bryant go from here? And where do the Lakers go from here? Each day since Bryant suffered a completely ruptured Achilles tendon against Golden State last Friday there’s been speculation about his future with the team. Bryant will be paid $30 million next season whether or not he’s able to play but the Lakers could save $80 million if they send him away via the NBA’s amnesty...
‘I’m Not Going Anywhere’ – Kobe There’s been a lot of speculation about Kobe Bryant’s basketball future when his contract with the Lakers expires after one more season. Will he retire from playing in the NBA? Will he play in Italy, a possibility he has raised in several interviews? He grew up there because his father was a professional player and Kobe speaks Italian. Would he consider coaching? Or how about signing another contract to continue playing for the Lakers? Bryant made one pronounceme...
(EDITORfS NOTE:) Tributes to Jerry Buss in the last week have focused on his vision in bringing a brand of basketball that made the Lakers and the NBA popular all over the world. An example of this is provided here by Observer sports columnist Bosmat Eynav Sports Columnist Picture this: a remote desert town in Southern Israel, home to 20,000 people; three banks, one high school, one cinema, one market, one pub and me. Everyone knows your business and every untoward step you take is reported...
(EDITOR’S NOTE:) Tributes to Jerry Buss in the last week have focused on his vision in bringing a brand of basketball that made the Lakers and the NBA popular all over the world. An example of this is provided here by Observer sports columnist Bosmat Eynav Sports Columnist Picture this: a remote desert town in Southern Israel, home to 20,000 people; three banks, one high school, one cinema, one market, one pub and me. Everyone knows your business and every untoward step you take is reported d...
Senator Curren Price’s Statement on Death of Jerry Buss “I join the residents of Los Angeles and sports fans throughout the world in mourning the death of Jerry Buss, the great owner of the Los Angeles Lakers and other sports teams in our city. Who can match the legacy of such a man who gave Los Angeles 10 NBA championships and great players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant, and coaches like Pat Riley and Phil Jackson? Few people, if any, have done more to turn exceptional African Ame...
Lakers’ Owner Dies At 80 By Mitch Chortkoff Sport Editor Jerry Buss hadn’t owned the Lakers yet when I drove to his Santa Monica office in the ‘70s to discuss World Team Tennis. That was Buss’ first venture into sports and as sports editor of the now-defunct Santa Monica Outlook I wanted to ask if we could arrange a tradeout – he’d pay travel expenses for one of our writers to cover the LA Strings in exchange for advertising in the newspaper. I was nervous but he put me at ease. I stammered a...
What’s Next For The Lakers? Uncertainty The family of Jerry Buss issued a statement Monday saying they would honor their father’s wish to keep the team in the family rather than selling it following his death. I admire Jerry Buss for his many accomplishments and the fact he was a strong family man. But keeping the team in the family brings concern to Laker fans because nobody in the family has emerged as an obvious choice to maintain the Lakers at a championship level. Jim Buss, in his fir...
It has been in the back of the minds of fans and some in the media throughout the early part of the NBA season. It has been a problem magnified by recent developments. Now it’s out in the open. The Lakers are in danger of failing to qualify for the playoffs which they’ve dominated so often through the years. The franchise which has won 16 championships and acquired Dwight Howard and Steve Nash prior to this season is stumbling through one dismal defeat after another. The loss at home to Den...
If you follow the Lakers you’ve probably heard every theory about the selection of Mike D’Antoni over Phil Jackson as the team’s new coach. I can simplify the matter for you. Owner Jerry Buss decided not to remove power from his son, Jim Buss, when Jackson asked for some authority beyond coaching. I think that’s the whole story – not that Jackson asked for too much money or asked to miss some road trips for health reasons. Jackson did want a salary in the range of $10 million per season, but tha...
Since the Lakers have a grand history – 16 NBA championships – they are associated with success. When the playoffs begin, fans tend to believe the Lakers will prevail, regardless of what happened in the regular season After all, these are the Lakers. So, when the Lakers were driven out of the current post-season tournament by the younger, faster Oklahoma City Thunder Monday night, four games to one in the second round, a lot of people were jolted. They shouldn’t have been. The Lakers’ season...
Former UCLA and Laker star Jamaal Wilkes, who also played for the Clippers, was voted into the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame this week. The following statement was issued by Lakers Owner Dr. Jerry Buss on behalf of the Lakers organization: “Anyone who truly knows and loves the game of basketball surely recognizes what a special and gifted player Jamaal Wilkes was. A rare combination of selflessness and grace, Jamaal made the game look effortless. It’s easy to forget that Jamaal averaged 20-plus points during our 1980 and 1982 championship se...
When the 1971-’72 Lakers went to training camp not much was expected of them. Wilt Chamberlain had joined the team in 1968 but no championships were won with Butch van Breda Kolff or Joe Mullaney as coach. So even the arrival of Bill Sharman, who had guided the Utah Stars to the American Basketball championship the previous season, didn’t stir the imagination of forecasters. After all, all-time National Basketball Association great Elgin Baylor was close to retiring. But the Lakers won 33 con...
