[::2009 Champion LAKERS OFF-SEASON THREAD Vol. Boring Non-News Days Causing In-Thread Tension::]

[h2]Kobe: Odom makes us stronger[/h2]

SINGAPORE -- Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is optimistic the NBA champions will re-sign key free agent Lamar Odom.

"I'm optimistic that he'll be back," Bryant said Wednesday at a news conference in Singapore as part of a six-country Asian tour. "Hemakes us a much, much stronger team."

Negotiations broke down last week and the Lakers retracted a contract offer to Odom. The MiamiHeat are also wooing the 6-foot-10 forward.

Odom played a key role off the bench in the Lakers' championship run, averaging 12.3 points and 9.1 rebounds during the playoffs.

Bryant said forward Ron Artest, who signed as a free agent with the Lakers earlierthis month, will help bolster the team's chances to repeat as champions.

"I think Ron's going to be a great addition to us," Bryant said. "It's about how well we play together. No matter how much talent youhave, it's about how you put those pieces of the puzzle together."

Bryant downplayed speculation that Lakers coach Phil Jackson may take some games off next season because of health problems.

"Who said he's coaching less?" Bryant said. "Phil likes messing with you guys. He'll be there all the time, unless he has adoctor's appointment to get to."

Bryant also said he was more likely to agree to play for Team USA at the world championships in 2010 and the 2012 London Olympics now that Duke coach MikeKrzyzewski has committed to lead the team.

Bryant and Krzyzewski won the gold medal as part of the U.S. men's team at the Beijing Olympics last year.

"I'm very excited to see that he signed on," Bryant said. "It influences all the guys just because we've been through that experiencebefore and it becomes like a family."

"It definitely influences me."

Bryant, an 11-time All-Star, said a possible showdown against LeBron James, formerLakers teammate Shaquille O'Neal and the Cleveland Cavaliers in next season's Finals would be "crazy."

"Just the hoopla that surrounds it and all the stories that would come out of it," Bryant said. "If that match up is to happen, we have totake it one day at a time, we can't get caught up in it being a given that we're going to be in the Finals.

"We have to take care of our business, but that being said, it would be a heck of a show."
 
Helene Elliott

[h1]Derek Fisher takes a shot at keeping Lamar Odom as a Lakers teammate
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Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times

Lamar Odom remains a free agent a week after Lakers owner Jerry Buss withdrew an offer of as much as $36 million over four seasons.

Guard says other Lakers also have contacted the free-agent forward to urge him to re-sign with the team.

Helene Elliott
July 22, 2009

It seemed like a clever gimmick when Lakers guard Derek Fisher, actor David Arquette and fast-food icon Ronald McDonald heaved 33-foot shots from a third-story balcony at L.A. Live on Tuesday to publicize the Lakers 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament to be held Aug. 14-16 and benefit Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California.

Under difficult circumstances, Fisher gave it his all. He tried flinging. He tried finessing. He shot from a running start. He shot from a standing start.

Though known for his clutch long-range shooting, he couldn't get anything to fall and had to watch avid Lakers fan Arquette make the only shot while TV cameras were rolling.

In an ideal world, Lamar Odom would have come off the bench to hit a big shot and restore the Lakers' supremacy, as he did so often during their last title run.

"We want him back badly," Fisher said, "and I hope we can accomplish that in the next couple days."

For now Odom remains an unsigned free agent, a week after owner Jerry Buss withdrew an offer that would have been worth $9 million per season over four seasons (three of them guaranteed) or $10 million per season over three seasons.

Miami, which can offer Odom up to $34 million over five seasons and potential state income tax benefits, supposedly has been flirting with Odom. Nothing seems imminent on that front, and a Lakers spokesman said Tuesday nothing had changed regarding Odom from the club's end.

Nothing has changed from Fisher's perspective, either.

"There's no question that we need him back. We want him back," Fisher said. "If those things are in place, hopefully we can just go and get this done and put this behind us and start working on 2009-10."

According to Fisher, Odom's value goes well beyond the impressive 12.3 points, 9.1 rebounds and 1.8 assists Odom averaged while playing 32 minutes per game in 23 playoff games, five of them starts.

Fisher looks past Odom's occasional frustrating, not-all-there performances and sees Odom's easygoing manner adding levity to the locker room.

He saw Odom adjust to playing a reserve role and applauded Odom's ability to move into the power forward slot and become a rebounding machine during Andrew Bynum's frequent postseason bouts with foul trouble.

Asked about the impact new acquisition Ron Artest will have on the Lakers, Fisher framed his response in reference to Odom's absence, saying Artest would provide strength and size up front "for the untimely lack of re-signing of Lamar."

Yes, Fisher wants Odom back, and he said he's not alone. He said several other Lakers have called, texted, tweeted and otherwise technologically urged Odom to come back to the fold.

The question is whether Buss, angry that Odom was slow to respond to the club's last offer, will make another one. If he does, Odom should grab it.

That can't happen fast enough for Fisher, whose character and leadership make his opinion count for a lot.

"As much credit as sometimes I get -- probably more than I should -- as far as my importance to the team from a spiritual perspective in our locker room and whatnot, I think Lamar is equally important," Fisher said.

"His personality and the way he carries himself. . . . Lamar is a very caring person and a lot of times he cares more about other people than himself. To have a guy like that in the locker room, a lot of times he's an example for a lot of other guys on our team.

"And what he went through this past year, going to the bench -- and I mean he's an all-star caliber player -- and in a contract year to come off the bench and he'd never done it before in his career, he did it as well as anybody could ever do it and his team won a championship at the same time."

But that doesn't guarantee anything, as Fisher knows after his adventures with free agency after the 2003-04 season. The promise of a starting job with Golden State lured him north, but it didn't work out and he was traded to Utah before returning to the Lakers in 2007.

"Nothing really surprises you in this business," he said. "I was at my basketball camp today and like three kids ran up to me and told me they heard I got traded to Miami. I was like, 'I don't know. I could have got traded to Miami.' "

He didn't. And he hopes Odom won't end up there, either, and will soon be back in purple and gold.

"I don't think anybody on our team, or any of our coaches or even management has any desire to see Lamar not back as a Laker next year," Fisher said, "but the NBA is a business and contract negotiations are a huge part of it. Sometimes they take longer than others but you have to accept it for what it is.

"I'm hopeful that fans understand that from Lamar and his agent's perspective in terms of whatever they're going through.

"But I think it will be done sooner rather than later, hopefully. I've very rarely seen a free agent of Lamar's caliber slide into August without having a contract done, so hopefully it will be done soon."

[email protected]
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Fisher&
Kobe&
Artest&
Odom&
Gasol

Will all be on the court at the same time on the same team next season. We just gotta believe guys..

Is the Nate Rob to LA dream over?

Who you guys think we gonna play in the home opener? I say Portland or Clips.
 
Home opener will not be the Clips, sorry, even though they have the #1 pick, that's not sexy enough.

Houston
San Antonio
Denver
Portland are all better canidates then the Clips.

We opened with Port last year though, so I think that rules them out.
 
so who are we playin this christmas, hopefully the squad finally gets a christmas off to spend with the fam but im sure we'll be playing cleveland orboston..on the road
 
Originally Posted by enrique23

^we never play on the road on christmas
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They played the Heat in Miami 2 out of 3 straight Christmases after they traded Shaq.
 
Originally Posted by enrique23

^we never play on the road on christmas
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We played in Miami a couple years back didn't we? I might be wrong on that tho.
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TLN is not a reliable source to me after they said LO was going to come out and say something the other day.
 
[h1]BSO Exclusive: Lamar Odom To Resign With Lakers 4 years/40 Million[/h1]
By BonaFide Sports Expert Robert Littal on July 22, 2009 3:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (21) | TrackBacks (0)

kobe-bryant-lamar-odom-r4187481000.jpg



Sources close to Lamar Odom have told BSO that Odom will resign with the Lakers.

Odom will sign a 4 year 40 million dollar contract to stay with the champs.

The change of heart came after Lamar reached out to Dr. Jerry Buss. The two of them had a close door meeting in Las Vegas yesterday where they were able to reach an agreement.

Remember where you heard it first.

As more details come in, we will update you

http://blacksportsonline.com/index/2009/07/bso-exclusive-lamar-odom-to-re.html

Never EVER heard of this website so let's see....
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Somebody needs to cut out that pic of Kobe there and throw a you mad? under it.
laugh.gif


That's damn near Tiger worthy for when people post pics of hot white women. Kobe loves that @#$%
roll.gif
 
JOHN IRELAND OF Espn 710 is saying that he spoke to people closest to Lamar


and he says Buss is not putting the offer back on the table.


The lakers organization feel his market value only worth 6 Million and Buss was willing to surpass his market value.


But Lamar passed on it


He also said that his agent advised him to take the offer, but Odom himself wanted more.


He believes the previous 10 mill offer will not come back to the table!


Ireland is calling that bsports website as BS. Buss is in Hawaii with his family.
 
indifferent.gif





God damn it Lamar.

How the hell is the market 6 mill? Glad Buss went over and above that, but 6 mil? That ain't right.
 
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