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Official Rookie Card I had it passed on by my grandfather when he passed
THEE OFFICIAL 2019-2020 NBA OFFSEASON THREAD: VICTORY LAP
- Thread in 'Sports & Training' Thread starter Started by BIG LEEMELONE,
- Start date
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Because of the unique relationship this franchise and it's players had with Kobe, a part of me really wondered if they would even be able to focus on ball at all in the immediate future.
Our GM is Gigi's Godfather...... Jeanie has known Kobe 20+ years, It's very easy to understand why basketball & trying to win a title takes a backseat.
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The Magic interview was nice but he also did a great special show dedicated to him the night before
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Didn't even realize Middleton dropped 51 last night 
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I like the Magic interview ...
That story about calling every foul was cool.
No excuses ...
That story about calling every foul was cool.
No excuses ...
do work son
Banned
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bold.
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Here's the rest of that piece from The Athletic:
‘God gave me wide shoulders for a reason:’ LeBron and Lakers try to move forward in wake of Kobe Bryant’s death
By Bill Oram 3h ago
24
The room sat silent. An emotional Rob Pelinka had just finished addressing the Lakers for the first time since Kobe Bryant’s death two days earlier. His anguish was evident. Now, Frank Vogel, emceeing a luncheon designed for members of the organization to collectively grieve, had opened the floor at the team’s El Segundo headquarters to anyone who wanted to share stories, their own stories about Bryant.
No one spoke. Finally, after about 15 seconds of silence, LeBron James rose from his seat. “I’ll go,” he said.
For more than 10 minutes, Lakers players, staff members and executives, including owner Jeanie Buss, sat rapt as James shared stories from his battles with Bryant as opponents and their time as teammates in a pair of Olympics. The group was gathered in an event suite overlooking the team’s practice court, directly across the gym from where the Lakers championship trophies could be seen in Buss’ office window.
When James redirected his focus to what lies ahead for the grieving franchise, James said he could handle the burden of playing through grief in pursuit of the Lakers’ 17th championship.
“God gave me wide shoulders for a reason,” James said, according to multiple people who were present.
The lunch served as the first formal team gathering since the Lakers learned of Bryant’s death while they were on a flight home from Philadelphia. The Lakers legend was on a helicopter that crashed in a hillside in Calabasas, killing all nine people aboard, including Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
When Pelinka, who was Bryant’s longtime agent before he joined the Lakers, addressed the room, he told stories about Bryant and “Gigi” sharing a love for basketball. They were flying to her game Sunday morning, and other victims of the crash included two teammates, three parents, and a coach.
Among those who also spoke were senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis; assistant coaches Lionel Hollins, Phil Handy, Miles Simon and Mike Penberthy, who won a championship with Bryant as a backup point guard for the Lakers in 2001; and Dwight Howard.
Howard, who left the Lakers after one season in 2013 on bad terms with Bryant, returned as a free agent last summer, and their relationship had begun to thaw. In the fall, Bryant told the Los Angeles Times that Howard was “going to have a hell of an impact on the Lakers.” The former adversaries joked around when Bryant attended a game in November and last week, days before Bryant’s death, Howard had begun to campaign for his former teammate to assist him in next month’s dunk contest.
Tears were mixed with some laughter, sources said, as the stories about Bryant flowed and the Lakers began the seemingly monumental undertaking of moving forward.
By Tuesday, the league was grinding back into motion. It was the third day of games since the crash, and general managers were working the phones in anticipation of next week’s trade deadline. But in Los Angeles, there has been a sense of basketball paralysis.
How could the Lakers ever get back to basketball when the whole city and a global fanbase were grieving? The NBA postponed the Lakers game against the Clippers on Tuesday, due to an understanding that the Lakers would not be ready to play in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Just days earlier, nothing felt bigger than that matchup. The city’s two teams fighting for supremacy in the Western Conference. There was pressure for the Lakers to avoid falling to 0-3 in the season series. The game mattered.
How long will it be before anything feels that important again?
Time, presumably, will help. The Lakers will not play now until Friday against Portland, giving them five days to process Bryant’s death and steel themselves for a return to the court. The team had a light shootaround-type practice on Tuesday and is scheduled for a full practice on Wednesday morning.
The Lakers will slowly get back to the business of basketball. And in time, that may start to feel like the most significant thing again. At least sometimes.
“It’s never going to feel normal,” one Lakers official said. “It won’t.”
By Bill Oram 3h ago
The room sat silent. An emotional Rob Pelinka had just finished addressing the Lakers for the first time since Kobe Bryant’s death two days earlier. His anguish was evident. Now, Frank Vogel, emceeing a luncheon designed for members of the organization to collectively grieve, had opened the floor at the team’s El Segundo headquarters to anyone who wanted to share stories, their own stories about Bryant.
No one spoke. Finally, after about 15 seconds of silence, LeBron James rose from his seat. “I’ll go,” he said.
For more than 10 minutes, Lakers players, staff members and executives, including owner Jeanie Buss, sat rapt as James shared stories from his battles with Bryant as opponents and their time as teammates in a pair of Olympics. The group was gathered in an event suite overlooking the team’s practice court, directly across the gym from where the Lakers championship trophies could be seen in Buss’ office window.
When James redirected his focus to what lies ahead for the grieving franchise, James said he could handle the burden of playing through grief in pursuit of the Lakers’ 17th championship.
“God gave me wide shoulders for a reason,” James said, according to multiple people who were present.
The lunch served as the first formal team gathering since the Lakers learned of Bryant’s death while they were on a flight home from Philadelphia. The Lakers legend was on a helicopter that crashed in a hillside in Calabasas, killing all nine people aboard, including Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
When Pelinka, who was Bryant’s longtime agent before he joined the Lakers, addressed the room, he told stories about Bryant and “Gigi” sharing a love for basketball. They were flying to her game Sunday morning, and other victims of the crash included two teammates, three parents, and a coach.
Among those who also spoke were senior basketball adviser Kurt Rambis; assistant coaches Lionel Hollins, Phil Handy, Miles Simon and Mike Penberthy, who won a championship with Bryant as a backup point guard for the Lakers in 2001; and Dwight Howard.
Howard, who left the Lakers after one season in 2013 on bad terms with Bryant, returned as a free agent last summer, and their relationship had begun to thaw. In the fall, Bryant told the Los Angeles Times that Howard was “going to have a hell of an impact on the Lakers.” The former adversaries joked around when Bryant attended a game in November and last week, days before Bryant’s death, Howard had begun to campaign for his former teammate to assist him in next month’s dunk contest.
Tears were mixed with some laughter, sources said, as the stories about Bryant flowed and the Lakers began the seemingly monumental undertaking of moving forward.
By Tuesday, the league was grinding back into motion. It was the third day of games since the crash, and general managers were working the phones in anticipation of next week’s trade deadline. But in Los Angeles, there has been a sense of basketball paralysis.
How could the Lakers ever get back to basketball when the whole city and a global fanbase were grieving? The NBA postponed the Lakers game against the Clippers on Tuesday, due to an understanding that the Lakers would not be ready to play in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Just days earlier, nothing felt bigger than that matchup. The city’s two teams fighting for supremacy in the Western Conference. There was pressure for the Lakers to avoid falling to 0-3 in the season series. The game mattered.
How long will it be before anything feels that important again?
Time, presumably, will help. The Lakers will not play now until Friday against Portland, giving them five days to process Bryant’s death and steel themselves for a return to the court. The team had a light shootaround-type practice on Tuesday and is scheduled for a full practice on Wednesday morning.
The Lakers will slowly get back to the business of basketball. And in time, that may start to feel like the most significant thing again. At least sometimes.
“It’s never going to feel normal,” one Lakers official said. “It won’t.”
everysingletime
formerly amel223
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You shouldn't have had to respond. Poster who never contributes to the discussion comes in with a sarcastic post instead of asking you to clarify
You are a nicer poster than I am. I would've just hit block
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Every team should go out and try to win it all .... every team will.
This is a monumental chip, everyone want to dedicate the chip to Kobe.
Kobe is a laker, but like I said, he is much more than that .. Kobe was basketball .... he meant the world to the NBA.
Everyone is grieving.. personal relationships or not. Yes Lebron might be his closest friend but to another player, Kobe might of have meant his life.
People need to get this notion that because he was a laker it will mean much more if they win. You dont know how a person have impacted another ones life.
This is a monumental chip, everyone want to dedicate the chip to Kobe.
Kobe is a laker, but like I said, he is much more than that .. Kobe was basketball .... he meant the world to the NBA.
Everyone is grieving.. personal relationships or not. Yes Lebron might be his closest friend but to another player, Kobe might of have meant his life.
People need to get this notion that because he was a laker it will mean much more if they win. You dont know how a person have impacted another ones life.
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everysingletime
formerly amel223
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Everyday I'm thinking more and more about subscribing to the athletic
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I think at this point Los Angeles may be content with even the Clippers winning it, if not the Lakers. Kawhi and PG were Mamba guys and grew up in the area. Lakers will always be LA's team, but I'm saying those two will give everything they have, like tons of other players, to lift up the O'Brien and dedicate it to Bean.
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Nah.
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The Kang 
Bron see’s the opportunity in the wake of this disaster.
Bron see’s the opportunity in the wake of this disaster.
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Watching old clips from the Lakers first 3-peat, it's amazing that we watched in that resolution. I subconsciously assumed I was watching in HD back then, when in reality I was watching on a 13 inch cube TV.
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do work son
Banned
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I love this song.
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one thing I know is if the Clippers win, my trash talk will be almost non-existent towards Lakers fans. Wouldn't feel appropriate
yobyellav
formerly cord15
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This has been saved in my phone for a while. Came across it yesterday. Kinda takes on new meaning now. I’m well past saying, “I can’t believe he’s gone.” Not real sure where I am. I’m going to go back and read some of the articles and watch some of the video tributes later when I get off.
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Why can’t someone be a Kobe fan and not a laker fan? They’re not exclusive. And who is to say if bucks face off against the lakers in the finals, we can’t root for Giannis? Giannis saw Kobe as a mentor too. A lot of other players did.... not just lebron. I’m rooting for Giannis to take it home. But at the end of the day, let’ the best man win. If lebron puts up legendary numbers and takes home the chip for the city of LA, I won’t be mad at it. It was deserved
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Still too soon for this...
everysingletime
formerly amel223
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I'm definitely rooting for Giannis in that scenario.
Lakers fan expecting all nba fans to come together as lakers fans are being unrealistic.
Lakers fan expecting all nba fans to come together as lakers fans are being unrealistic.
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