Dwight Howard is used to being a star in a star-driven league. Will he be able to handle a lesser role in pursuit of a Championship? The first time Dwight Howard signed with the Lakers he was expected to fill Shaquille O'Neal's shoes or at least Pau Gasol's. We all know how that turned out. Howard is a 6'11, 265 pound cry- baby diva, who has the coordination of a five year old on steroids. The Los Angeles spotlight was too hot and bright for Dwight; he melted under the scrutiny and couldn't handle the pressure of being compared to Shaq and the greatest of all time, Kareem.( Yes, by the way I think Kareem is better than Jordan.) This time around NO one is expecting Howard to fill Shaq's shoes because we all know now that that's impossible. Anthony Davis this time around will try to fill that role. Can Howard handle not being the star player on a team with brighter stars? If I was the coach I would tell Howard that, "You do not have the green light Dwight...

So, Kobe said some things. Were they justified? Where they realistic? Did they need to be said? In Part I we looked at his use of the word "I". Here in Part II we dig deeper into how realistic 12 rings really was for Shaq & Kobe. Are you ready to explore this possibility? I hope so because I had a really good time creating it. In  this universe Shaq works harder. To be honest, even writing that feels offensive. I believe Shaq worked hard. There is no way he does what he did without hard work. Diesel says it best when he said: "You don't get statues by not working hard." Yup. We present the following under the assumption that Kobe meant Shaq would have stayed dominant  longer . That he would have worked on his game in some magical way. In short, Shaq stays Shaq longer is how we are deciphering Kobe's "work harder" statement as it relates to O'Neal. Other assumptions relate to players the Lakers had. Remember that without trading O'Neal, ...

Derek Fisher is known to many as a great former Lakers player and more recently as the coach of the LA Sparks. Before that he left a lasting impression on a youth basketball camper, our own Kyle Graves. It all started at the Wimp Sanderson Basketball Camp at The University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) in the summer of 1995, a day that will forever live in infamy in my eyes. The Arkansas Razorbacks were in their prime, appearing in back to back National Championship games, which is great and all, but I am from Little Rock and my team was then and still is the UALR Trojans. The best player on that UALR team was a little point guard by the name of Derek Fisher, have you heard of him? Before he was the Head Coach of the Sparks, before he won all those rings with the Lakers and wetted up the Spurs with that game winning baseline fadder and before he lost all his hair. Back when he had a high top Bart Simpson, Kid N' Play, House Party box fade, Derek Fisher was the star player of th...

There is nothing like being there live, but, over the years Staples Center has become $taples Center for Lakers fans. Jack Nicholson. Denzel Washington. Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. These are three true, die-hard Lakers fans. You see them at multiple games throughout the year, cheering on the purple and gold. They’re also well-off celebrities, so they have no issues when it comes to the cost of a Lakers ticket. But what about the average fan? The cost of a Lakers ticket has consistently risen year after year, even though the team has failed to make the playoffs for six straight seasons now. That means the casual fan is usually not able to be there in person to cheer on their team. What you normally see on TV is a large contingent of movie stars and musicians that are there not because they are true fans, but simply for show. When you look at median ticket prices over the last few years, the average ticket price for the 2017-2018 season, before LeBron James joined the team, was ...

Lakers Assemble! Now we all know that super heroes are all that matter nowadays. Whether it’s their own movie or just a cameo, it’s the interactions with other heroes that we crave to see in spectacular, special-effects heavy, fashion. That being said, let’s not forget some of our own Los Angeles super heroes, the Lakers. With their new seasoned leader LeBron James down to some of the bench players like Caruso, let’s see how these Lakers stack up to the characters of Marvel’s MCU (including Marvel’s Netflix shows).  But first take let us a moment to recognized not just our first comparison but the loss of this talent who is: DeMarcus Cousins - The Hulk Unfortunately, due to injury, DeMarcus is looking like a non-factor for the first part of the season but in a way that makes his comparison all the more suited for him. Here’s a hint, after every dunk, think “SMASH!”. That’s right, Cousins could easily be The Incredible Hulk. The Hulk is a large, quick, and strong hero whose personal...

The Lakers wanted Ty Lue, until they didn't. Then they added Jason Kidd to Frank Vogel's coaching staff. Interesting decisions all and each worthy of a deeper look. Over the last several months the Lakers front office has been the subject of scrutiny and criticism. Beginning with the resignation of Magic Johnson, the way he handled it, the details of the fallout, to the hiring of Frank Vogel as head coach. Things in tinsel town have been unorthodox.  The Lakers brass is considered inferior to many of the top-flight NBA front offices. From the owner Jeanie Buss, to GM Rob Pelinka, the group has very little experience or success running a professional sports team. Once the team moved on from head coach Luke Walton, who was neither the choice of LeBron or Magic, the search for a new head coach began methodically. Everyone expected that it was the preference of LeBron James to have Ty Lue, his former coach whom he had won a championship with in Cleveland and is also a Lakers alum, ...

So, Kobe said some things. Were they justified? Where they realistic? Did they need to be said? In general, its tough to apply a feeling to a written statement. I would even go as far as to say it's not only tough to apply a feeling to a written statement, its wrong. Think about how many fights could have been avoided if someone wasn't offended by a text that sounded mean.   How can a text "sound" mean?  You know what I'm getting at. So when Kobe said recently that  he would have had 12 rings if  Shaquille O'Neal would have been in shape the correct thing for me to do is avoid the subject, right? I mean, it sounds like an egotistical thing to say. It sounds like a pretty specific disrespectful statement towards one of the greatest centers in the history of the Association. It sounds...bad.  But, who am I to apply a feeling to a statement. I mean, that's wrong. I just finished up explaining why it's wrong. I should walk away. I should let this go....

The Lakers and Dwight Howard get a do-over. How will Superman 2.0 compare to the less than successful 1.0 version? In the aftermath of the devastating injury to DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard is expected to join the Lakers after clearing waivers on a non-guaranteed contract. He recently completed a buyout with the Memphis Grizzlies after being traded to the franchise during the summer. The circumstances that led to this reunion are well documented. Namely, the trade For A.D., the signing of Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers and the injury to Cousins. However, even as the opportunity arose, those with knowledge of the past marriage between Howard and the Lakers could not have foreseen such a reunion. Howard's previous tenure with the Lakers did not go well. Upon being acquired by the Lakers in August of 2012 in a four-team deal that included Andrew Bynum and Andre Iguodala. From the beginning, the Lakers and Howard got off on a rocky start. From back injuries to a clash with Kobe, Ho...