The Los Angeles Lakers held their media day Tuesday giving Ron Artest an early chance to bond with L.A. sports reporters. Nothing much came from the interview unless you wanted to know if Ron is motivated and how Lamar Odom‘s wedding went.
If Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom are truly what Artest needed in his life we can crown the Lakers’ asses right now. They’re too talented and Kobe is still the best player in the world for another year or so. I”m blaming a Cristiano Ronaldo-like wizard curse, not Ron Artest, if Los Angeles doesn’t repeat as NBA champs.
Is anyone else thrilled about the prospect of Artest in one of the major media markets in the country? On the one hand, you can’t add a player of his caliber and not expect to be better. On the other, how hungry will this team be during the regular season and how will he fit in on what they do offensively. Also, what happens when the inevitable injury/meltdown occurs?
Obviously, the Lakers are the team to beat. And they are going to show up against the other top teams. But might they mail it in a bit in the “dog days” and just kind of coast until the playoffs get here? We will see.
Did you know that he Lakers lost all their NBA closing matches in the1960s.They won their first title in Los Angeles in 1972, their 6th since their inception in 1946. It was in the 80′s that the Lakers popularity soared after they gained 5 championships with giants like Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar and James Worthy playing under the guidance of coach Pat Riley.