Pau Gasol hadn’t played in an NBA game this season — until Thursday night. In a nationally televised game against the Chicago Bulls, Gasol scored 24 points, pulled down 13 rebounds and dished out three assists as the Lakers beat the Bulls 108-93.
Gasol, who was out due to injury, didn’t skip a beat. He hit 9-of-15 field goal attempts and all six of his free throws. Kobe Bryant chipped in 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Ron Artest had 15 points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
The Bulls were never really in the game. They trailed by …read more

And around it goes … everyone keeps speculating about where LeBron James is going to end up next season.  Will it be New York? Will it be Los Angeles? Or … will it be Miami?
The latest twist in the King James free agency story is that the execs over at the Miami Heat front office are scrambling to find a way to get him to Miami. Imagine Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron all in the same uniform. It’s almost as daunting of an image as LeBron and Kobe Bryant on the same team.
The thing of it is, it could …read more

When the season began, the Los Angeles Lakers were supposedly going to threaten 70 wins. Now, after two straight losses, the Lakers just want to get back on track. The latest team to beat L.A. was the Houston Rockets, who did so by a final score of 101-91.
The Rockets only had one starter in double figures, however that one player dominated: Aaron Brooks. The quick little point guard who tortured the Lakers last year in the playoffs was at it again. In 41 minutes of action, Brooks finished with 33 points, six rebounds and four assists. He hit 11-of-23 shots …read more

The Denver Nuggets and their fans don’t like the Los Angeles Lakers very much. On Friday night, the city of Denver had a great time cheering on their Nuggets as they destroyed the Lakers by a final score of 105-79. In a rematch of the 2009 Western Conference Finals, the Lakers were no match for the surging Nuggets.
The Nuggets were led by Carmelo Anthony’s 25 points in 30 minutes. J.R. Smith had 20 points off the bench in 23 minutes, while rookie point guard Ty Lawson chipped in with 13 points and six assists.
Kobe Bryant was uncharacteristically quiet for the …read more

With the best record in the NBA, the Phoenix Suns are rising out of the West. After all, nobody expected them to be 8-1 at the beginning of the season. But the Suns, with a little help from All-Star Steve Nash, are proving everyone wrong.
Tonight, they’ll have a chance to see just how good they really are when they play the defending NBA Champions. The Los Angeles Lakers are currently 6-1, and they are on a mission to repeat.
“When you’re playing the world champs, it’s always a great measuring stick,” said Nash, according to ESPN.com. “Now we go to LA …read more

Sounds a bit crazy, right? But it could happen. Once he hits the free agent market this summer, LeBron James is going to have more options than a boyscout with a  jackknife.  He’s going to end up with a huge contract no matter where he goes. But that’s the main concern on everyone’s mind — just where exactly is King James going to go?
Some NBA analysts speculate about New York, arguing that James belongs in a big city where he can take advantage of off-court opportunities. The same could be said about Los Angeles. It would be a better fit …read more

 It was another good day for the Los Angeles Lakers. The team received their 2008-09 championship rings and then proceeded to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers by a final score of 99-92.
In the first quarter, the Lakers outscored the Clippers 32-22 and never looked back. Kobe Bryant (who else?) led the way with 33 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three assists. Andrew Bynum, who started at center, had 26 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers.
The Clippers, who learned late on Monday that rookie phenom Blake Griffin would miss up to six weeks with a broken kneecap. were led …read more

The Golden State Warriors handed the Los Angeles Lakers a 110-91 drubbing. Luckily for the defending NBA champions, this was only a preseason contest.
Monta Ellis led the way for the Warriors by scoring 24 points and handing out eight assists. Anthony Randolph, who is starting at power forward for Golden State this season, had 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists in 41 minutes.
For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant (15), Andrew Bynum (19) and Pau Gasl (12) were all in double figures. The game, which was played in Los Angeles, saw the Warriors outscore the Lakers 58-43 in the second half.
While …read more

Last year, LeBron James easily won the 2008-09 NBA MVP award. Heading into a new season, who will win the 2009-10 NBA MVP award? Here’s a look at the top five candidates.
5. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
Coming off of a championship season and surrounding with a lot of talent, Kobe Bryant won’t have to put in enough work to win this regular season award.
4. Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
Chris Paul has established himself as one of the best players in the league. If the Hornets can get a first or second seed in the West, Paul has a chance at …read more

NBA 2K10 comes out on October 6, 2009 and the cover athlete, Kobe Bryant, recently talked briefly about the game which is already shaping up to be way better than the last.  The coolest part?  Facial movements have been added so you’ll get to see Kobe making that signature scowl.
Will his two little girls, Natalia (6) and Gianna (3), be playing 2K10?  Not likely.  Kobe said that they prefer games that feature the Disney princesses (I can totally relate) but he’s fine with that saying: “I’m Ariel swimming through the grotto.”  I’d pay money to see that!
I’ll do a more …read more