Video: Harrison Barnes Walks Right Into Kendall Marshall's Kanye Joke

Tried for about 10 minutes to try to understand the context of of why Kanye West said those same words, but Kendall Marshall's version in messing with fellow Tar Heel, Harrison Barnes, was funny enough that I stopped caring about the origin of those words.

Pretty lawls that Harrison Barnes thought that Marshall was being serious when asking him about his cardigan although something should have looked awry when Kendall pulled out his cell phone. Never trust a man asking you about your sweater if he's already got a cellphone pointed at you.  Thats a pro-tip from me to you, Harrison.

*for audio, go to the top right of the video and click the "speaker".

A Nick Young Inspirational Quote Poster

Shoutout to the guy down the hall freshmen year of college who had the JFK quote poster that came to my mind and inspired the photoshop picture.

With the Lakers going 1 and 10 in the last 11 games, there hasn't been much in Laker land to be inspired by.  But leave it to Swaggy P to put things in perspective in the most run-on type of slightly poetic way.  Couple more commas and maybe some more consistency with that jumper and I'm totally with you, P.

Two Tall Lakers In One Chair

Pau, Rob, Santa Chair, everybody.

via @Lakers

5 more days until Christmas, hooray!

Video: Jordan Hill Talkin' About What He Does

About 99 seconds worth or a little bit less than that of Jordan Hill's favorite catchphrase.  Also great to see the different variations of Jordan's hairlocks.  My personal faves are at 44 and 58 seconds.

Justin Timberlake and A Summary of His NBA Fanhood

It's pretty confusing to figure out Mr Timberlake's allegiances when it comes to nba teams, so I figure I'd do an outline for all of our education.

1) Being from Memphis and also a part owner, I was pretty sure he'd only beeen repping the Grizz. 

2) Then again, I remembered he was on team Sixers squad that made it to the finals of the NBA "Hoop-it-up" competition at the 2002 All-Star weekend.

Harry How - Getty Images

3) He also seems to be a Lakers fan.  Or at least a very enthusiastic Kobe hand-shaker.

4) Then last night, Rasual Butler showed off a picture  of Justin Timberlake chilling with some Pacers and their coaches before their game against the Miami Heat.

Sidenote, I cannot believe that Paul George is wearing socks and sandals like I do when I go to fresh-and-easy on the weekend to pick up a snack or that Rasual Butler still wears cargo pants.

4) Then found out via Dwyane Wade's Instagram that he, Mario Chalmers and Lebron James also took really chummy-lookin' photos with Timberlake.

Justin Timberlake must have made his way over to the Heat guys after the game, cause he was busy hanging out with the Pacers before the game (as you can see from the previous picture).

Really tight line that Timberlake is teetering on of being a big fat band wagoner.  No one likes a one-man bandwagon of random NBA teams; I won't mention names but I will offer up this link.

Overall, it looks like Mr. Timberlake is just a really big fan of the NBA and taking photos with his thumbs in his pocket.  Which, I suppose, you could say is something I could have surmised just by seeing that generic NBA logo cap he was wearing last night.

Really political cap choice by the way.  It's basically what used to happen to me when I was little and I would be wearing my 'in-n-out' shirt to get a burger with my moms.  Oftentimes, the nice server lady would come over and compliment me on my shirt and then give me a free pack of stickers after delivering my double-double.

Jay Timberlake and that hat must have the same effect as his cap basically says,"hey you guys I really appreciate the company you work for.  Would you mind posing with me for some instagram pictures."

About Kobe's Return

Kobe is back, you guys.

As a Laker fan growing up, the last 25 games have been hard to watch; not because the Lakers are bad (they've been playing .500 ball, so at the very least, you'd have to say they are decent), or because Kobe would push them over the top if he was playing (the Lakers have been a mix and match of guys playing well together but they would still need more than a healthy Kobe to even be a playoff team).  What has been hard is that for the first time I've had to not only consider what my favorite team would look like without Kobe Bryant but I've also gotten a preview of it.

I mean I always knew that the Lakers would be without Kobe someday. That even before he retired, sooner or later, Kobe's skills would have to adjust with his age and the mileage he had put on himself all these years.  I knew and have been prepared emotionally that Kobe would not be the "Black Mamba" forever.

Even as he transitioned from the bald-headed-oober-athletic Slam Dunk contest winner to the afro-wearing-more-refined running mate of Shaq on those early 2000 championship teams, Kobe never seemed to stay the same ball player from season to season.  For example, some seasons he'd beef up (2004), other times add some serious post moves (2006) or sip from the fountain of youth and dunk like he had his teenage legs again (2012).



The unofficial moment in which I was prepared for the Black Mamba to transform once again was when Lebron outdueled Kobe on Christmas Day in 2010.  It was clear Lebron was going to take his current place as the undisputed best player in the NBA, but as the cliche goes, "Kobe is so competitive" and the expectation that followed was that what Kobe lacked in matching up with Lebron, he would gain by once again evolving as a ballplayer.

Personally, I was hoping that as Kobe advanced in age and the Lakers added younger players or top-flight free agents, Kobe would become more of a playmaker rather than a shotmaker.  That perhaps he would become the "David Robinson" to a "Tim Duncan" that the Lakeshow would draft or somehow add to their roster.  I was especially expectant that this would happen this past season because the Lakers had added former-MVP, Steve Nash, and man-child, Dwight Howard, but Kobe threw me for a loop in not yet smoothly morphing into the next phase as a basketball player.

That's what made his achilles tear last year so devastating to watch as a fan. Kobe was having a ridiculous 17th season as a pro; having throwback Kobe games and doing throwback Kobe moves.  Even though the team was struggling with chemistry as they limped to the final playoff position, it looked Kobe had paused the aging process and we would get that nasty Black Mamba for at least a couple more years. That the final evolution of Kobe as a ballplayer would not have to happen just yet.

As much as Kobe always gained a new move or skill from season to season, he never had to directly change his playing style because he physically lost something.  His competitive spirit and unquenchable desire to be great always pushed him to get even better, but his previous transitions as a ballplayer always were in the pursuit of becoming even greater as a player; not to recover from a crippling injury. This fall, I didn't have any expectations of Kobe coming back with any new tricks. Simply, a hope that Kobe would have enough left in that surgically repaired left leg to play in 2013-2014 or perhaps just once more before he called it quits.

Thus when pundits and journalists talked about how unwise it was for the Laker organization to re-sign Kobe early in the season and for such a high amount considering his age and the recently ruptured achilles, I wrestled with what words I would want to write about what is perhaps the last years of Kobe's career.

I totally agree with those that are incredulous about the two-year contract that Kobe got before he was even ready to play another game.  I get how much Kobe's deal will handicap the Lakers options for signing free agents.

Kobe has done it all as a basketball player and has elevated the Laker brand to heights unfathomable in the 21st century.  That's probably the explanation for the huge contract he got from the Lakers; to offer Kobe such a contract so that the man who has made the Lakers the most popular franchise in the the world, never puts on the jersey of a different NBA team.

I've debated/discussed/tearfully pleaded to the plentiful Kobe-haters that the Lakers could contend in the next couple years even with Kobe's contract on the books.  Yes I'm aware that teams like the Rockets, Thunder, Clippers, Pacers and their young superstars keeping getting better.  Not to mention that if the Miami Heat model of assembling a team continues, the trend of creative GM's structuring their teams so that young superstars will be able to ally together, will make it really hard for the Lakers to build a team that can win another championship against such dynamic young talent and teams built with a depth of superstars.

However, to me, Kobe's value and impact as a ball player have always been much  more than just statistical figures.  Specifically, Kobe's consistent discipline in preparing himself year to year has become the model of excellence and perseverance which has inspired not only young ball players but also been a refreshing reminder to everyone else about what it takes to be great.

Think about the huge PR hit that the 3-time defensive player of the year took when playing with Kobe last year.  Only Kobe and his almost maniacal work ethic could make one of the top centers in the league look like he was loafing around after just one season playing next to him.  Kobe's greatest contribution to the Lakers, to the NBA, and to his own personal legacy has always been how he has modeled the single-minded pursuit of greatness that we now come to expect from every young talented athlete.

That is why with all the controversy that comes with how much Kobe is signed for at least the next two years, I quote my friend, Ryan, for what he said to me when I texted him about Kobe resigning with the Lakers.

"Kobe is worth it.  I just wish [the Lakers] would have gotten a better discount though"

This blog has been and still exists as a way for me to express myself about the sport and the players and those involved in the NBA I enjoy so much.  Seeing Kobe tonight struggle to hit a jumper and turn the ball over 8 times and look as rusty as I've ever seen him, it may be was hard to remember these truths about what Mr. Bryant has brought to the table over the last two decades.

Kobe's return to the hardwood is the same pursuit of greatness that you and I  undertake everyday of our lives.  Kobe is worth it not only because he is the greatest Laker of all time and has a list of endless achievements on the hardwood, but also because he models and inspires us in the innate human desire we each have to be the very best at whatever we do.  

Whether that is on the hardwood, while working your regular 9 to 5 job or even in raising your child, the common goal we all share with Kobe is wanting to achieve a certain level of excellence in all that we do, despite what oftentimes seems like the most hopeless of situations.

Thanks Kobe, for being the face of the Lakers all these years and tonight for once more representing and reminding me of that unwavering pursuit of greatness.

Video: Byron Scott and James Worthy Doing Really Good Impressions of Swaggy P

So my recollection of the history of "Swaggy P" is that Nick Young just began calling himself that one day, started wearing some fan-made clothes with the nickname on it and then eventually teammates and coaches just caught the bug and began addressing him as Swaggy.

The title has taken a life of its own so that it seems that whenever he does something uniquely awesome, like wear a really large plaid shirt or make the most ridiculous of reverse layups, people refer to him by the nickname he gave himself and not by the name his parents gave him.  It's almost like Swaggy P is reserved for describing the most memorable of things that Young does on and off the court.

Since Nick Young joined the Lakers this off-season, the nickname is getting the typical Hollywood treatment including even Rihanna addressing him as Swaggy P.  With Laker legends, Byron Scott and James Worthy now imitating him, I wanna say that Young's nickname is now up there with other laker role player titles such as Sam Perkins' nickname of "the Big Smooth" and Nick "the Quick" Van Exel.  If we keep getting more Swaggy P moments (preferably on the court as much as off the court), then we could be seeing another additional to the great list of "also known as's" that have suited up for the Purple and Gold.

video via twc sportsnet

Video: Metta World Peace, Danilo Gallinari, Cory Brewer to the tune ofYakety Yak

Not a easy loss for laker fans last night.  Hope this one eases the pain.

Kobe Gets A Twitter

If you enjoyed Kobe's trial run with twitter using the handle @nikebasketball, he's now got one of his own.  If his tweets are as dry as that "Kobe Doin Work" snorer, you can count me out as a follower.  However, based on his first tweet, this could be a promising start.

Dwight Howard is Basically Kosta Koufos Right Now

OC Register writer Kevin Ding wrote a painfully accurate article this morning analyzing Dwight Howard's transition as a Laker.

Among the many insightful statements made in that article, was the claim that some anonymous NBA insiders are comparing D12 to the Nuggets 5th year center for how mediocre his impact is on the team. 

"Hey, hey now, but Koof is averaging career highs across the board" say some Nugget fans.

Read this excerpt from Ding's article for context:

"Dwight Howard is basically Kosta Koufos" was the message I got from one NBA insider midway through the Lakers' loss Wednesday night in Denver, referring to the Nuggets' largely anonymous center.

Not long after, someone else who works in league personnel offered: "If you dropped in from another planet and had no idea who the players were, you would never know that Dwight Howard was one of the best players."

I mean I personally am a huge fan of Kosta from back in his Ohio State days and the shenanigans Mark Titus used to write about the big guy, but even this claim has me shaking my head.  As well as Kosta has been outletting passes, he should not be in the same breath with Dwight, even if it is just a hyperbolic statement commenting on the disappointing season Howard is having.

Also in the article is the scathing comparison that Dwight Howard, who has made it clear that he does not want to be compared to Shaq, is now duplicating the most undesirable qualities that #34 used to bring to the Lakers.

However, to borrow from Spiderman's uncle Ben, Dwight has inherited great power in being a Laker center and with that power comes great responsibility. The benefits that come with being in the league's largest market and the prestige and fame of of being the premier big man on argubaly the league's most famous team means that Dwight needs to welcome unfair and ridiculous comparisons.

He is going to be heavily scrutinized and in this case unfairly compared in statistical numbers such as PER and +-, but also in the trivial ways for how he carries himself in post-game interviews such as explaining his mistakes (see last night's interview about his foul on Kenneth Faried and subsequent ejection).  Anyone who has played myplayer in NBA 2k knows that you gotta handle those interview mo' gracefully, Dwight.

Really trying to make it clear that Dwight is not the victim here and not make too a big deal out of some NBA insider's silly exaggerated comparison.

However, the only solution for Dwight now if he wants to save his legacy is to not only outplay guys like Koufos but entirely eclipse the rest of the centers in the League with his statistical performance, and overall impact on the Laker organization. 

Tweet: Steve Nash Makes Pretty Witty Comparisons

"Proud to share the @SInow cover with @DwightHoward. In related news: We're 0-6 this preseason. #covergirls"