OFFICIAL LAKERS 2009/2010 (57-25) 2009-2010 CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!

[th0mas cr0wn]

Originally Posted by Notorious 858

Originally Posted by TH0MAS CR0WN

Originally Posted by Notorious 858




Only 3 teams in the history of the Finals have won all 3 straight middle home games in Finals since the NBA went to this format.

interesting, I didn't know this.  What were the 3 teams?

2004 Pistons
2006 Heat

Trying to look up and find out the other team right now.

There was a thread a couple weeks back about someone saying they thought the 2-3-2 format was not fair and should be changed and someone else said only 3 teams in the history of the Finals had won all 3 middle home games since the league went to the 2-3-2 format.

how could i forget lol




Anyways, I'm trying to go to the finals damn it!  did ANYONE here get tickets?

 

[socluis90]

i know i'm late but #@** ticketmaster!!! even with the $%##+*# codes i couldn't get @$*+. there's some shady @$*+ going on over there!


and where games 6 and 7 ever made available?

 

[notorious 858]

"To me, Kobe is there with Michael [Jordan]," David Stern said Tuesday on an NBA.com podcast. "If you saw that shot he made where he went by and patted Alvin Gentry, I am sitting there thinking, 'How did he make that?' That wasn't possible and he did it with someone hanging on him, and I do mean hanging."
Link:

http://www.latimes.com/sp...0602,0,897991,full.story

 

[dyyhard]

So Tony Gaffney, last Lakers preseason cut, was signed by the Celtics in April?

his game was nice.


http://www.heraldnews.com...ts-just-on-the-sidelines

The fact he’s now with the Celtics – putting him on the other side of the NBA greatest rivalry – Gaffney has been asked if he has disposed of all the Lakers’ gear he left L.A. with, whether he now hates the Lakers.

“How could I,

 

[notorious 858]

Lakers anthem 2010:

Ice Cube kills it.

I like this better than the Lil Wayne Kobe song he did last year after the Laker won the chip.

 

[Truth]

Ice Cube 

 

[hybridsoldier23]

Originally Posted by Notorious 858

"To me, Kobe is there with Michael [Jordan]," David Stern said Tuesday on an NBA.com podcast. "If you saw that shot he made where he went by and patted Alvin Gentry, I am sitting there thinking, 'How did he make that?' That wasn't possible and he did it with someone hanging on him, and I do mean hanging."

Link:

http://www.latimes.com/sp...0602,0,897991,full.story

@ Stern admitting Kobe was fouled.

BTW did anyone score tickets to any games?!?!

 

[darth dnzy]

--Why did Stern have to bring up Kobe's name with MJ's? Stern an NT'er?

 

[cedric ceballos 1995 lakers]

I don't know about you guys but am i the only one who's feeling more and more confident about the Lakers winning this series as we get closer to it starting?

Yes the Celtics are a damn good road team but after seeing what they did to Orlando and Cleveland on the road, i think the Lakers will be more prepared and ready to defend home court then those teams were, i don't think the Celtics will be able to suprise the Lakers like they did Cleveland and Orlando.

Aside from the 2004 Finals against Detroit which was a dyfunctional Lakers team going up against a team that played perfect team ball in Detroit , the Lakers have won every single playoff series they've been in which they had home court advantage in ever since Kobe came to the team in 1997, as long as the Lakers defend home court and not rely on it to get them by, they will win their home games.

The role players on Boston who's defense gave the Lakers headaches back in 2008 are no longer there. Looking back at 2008 PJ Brown, Leon Powe, and James Posey gave the Lakers headaches with their physical defense. Yeah some of the younger guys have stepped up for Boston but I don't see them having the same effect that the vets from the 2008 team had.

Everyone talks about Rondo being the X factor for Boston, well from what I recall Fisher held his own against 3 pretty good point guards in Russell Westbrook, Derron Williams, and Steve Nash. Yes those point guards just like Rondo were all better then Fish but Fish held his own at times and while Rondo will get the better of Fisher, Fish will do his part.

This isn't the same happy to be there Laker team from 2008. Yea the Celtics sucked the year before 2008 but with the pickups they made that offseason, it was Finals or bust for them. The 2007-08 Lakers overacheived before getting Pau Gasol and took off when they got him but that year they weren't ready imo, they got lucky and got a worn out Spurs team in the conference finals that was beat and torn up from the Hornets series, remember the Spurs had their chances in game 4 and blew huge leads in games 1 and 5. While that team made the Finals to me looking back now aside from Kobe and Fisher, everyone else on that team seemed in awe and just happy to be there after not having won a playoff series in 4 years. This Laker team has championship expierence, their playing well as a team, and look real strong at the right time.

Also the 2008 series wasn't as one sided as people may suggest. Disregard the game 6 molesting and the Lakers gave the Celtics a run for their money and had their chances in games 1, 2, and 4.

For a young team or a team that isn't mentally tough, the payback factor might work against them, see the Phoenix Suns struggles against the Spurs in 2007 and 2008, but this is a veteran led Laker team that is well coached and went ahead and won a title the year after losing so they know they can win on the big stage. Had the two teams met last year with a healthy Garnett, I might have had my doubts but the Lakers went ahead and looked damn good in winning last year and got back this year and I highly doubt Phil and Kobe are going to lead this team back to the Finals only to lose to the same team they lost to in 2008.

The Celtics are a legit opponent and a team you gotta respect for their titles, history, and their current teams defense but the more and more I think about it, the more confident I feel that the Lakers will win this series. I think its the name, "Boston Celtics" and their mystique has some doubting because if you put the Celtics players in jerseys that said 76ers, Pacers, Hawks or something like that and it was the Lakers vs any of those teams everyone would be much more confident.

 

[gimpystevie87]

Got my tickets for Game 2, but in the upper sections. I am so STOKED! I don't care how high the view is, watching the game is going to be an amazing experience. I went to the Orlando and Lakers Finals last year, and I felt an immense sense of desire and urgency from the Laker fans to win the Championship. But this year, I think the intensity and atmosphere of the building is going to be unreal. Not just because of the rivalry, but the embarrassing beating in Game 6 and harsh treatment from Celtic fans that the Lakers received in 2008. I will make sure to scream every single expletive that exists toward the Celtic players and their fans. No more excuses: both teams have their big men playing (KG and Bynum, respectfully). I hope it's going to be a great series, and hopefully the Lakers win Game 2 so I'll get my money's worth XD

 

[notorious 858]

Originally Posted by Cedric Ceballos 1995 Lakers

I don't know about you guys but am i the only one who's feeling more and more confident about the Lakers winning this series as we get closer to it starting?

Yes the Celtics are a damn good road team but after seeing what they did to Orlando and Cleveland on the road, i think the Lakers will be more prepared and ready to defend home court then those teams were, i don't think the Celtics will be able to suprise the Lakers like they did Cleveland and Orlando.

Aside from the 2004 Finals against Detroit which was a dyfunctional Lakers team going up against a team that played perfect team ball in Detroit , the Lakers have won every single playoff series they've been in which they had home court advantage in ever since Kobe came to the team in 1997, as long as the Lakers defend home court and not rely on it to get them by, they will win their home games.

The role players on Boston who's defense gave the Lakers headaches back in 2008 are no longer there. Looking back at 2008 PJ Brown, Leon Powe, and James Posey gave the Lakers headaches with their physical defense. Yeah some of the younger guys have stepped up for Boston but I don't see them having the same effect that the vets from the 2008 team had.

Everyone talks about Rondo being the X factor for Boston, well from what I recall Fisher held his own against 3 pretty good point guards in Russell Westbrook, Derron Williams, and Steve Nash. Yes those point guards just like Rondo were all better then Fish but Fish held his own at times and while Rondo will get the better of Fisher, Fish will do his part.

This isn't the same happy to be there Laker team from 2008. Yea the Celtics sucked the year before 2008 but with the pickups they made that offseason, it was Finals or bust for them. The 2007-08 Lakers overacheived before getting Pau Gasol and took off when they got him but that year they weren't ready imo, they got lucky and got a worn out Spurs team in the conference finals that was beat and torn up from the Hornets series, remember the Spurs had their chances in game 4 and blew huge leads in games 1 and 5. While that team made the Finals to me looking back now aside from Kobe and Fisher, everyone else on that team seemed in awe and just happy to be there after not having won a playoff series in 4 years. This Laker team has championship expierence, their playing well as a team, and look real strong at the right time.

Also the 2008 series wasn't as one sided as people may suggest. Disregard the game 6 molesting and the Lakers gave the Celtics a run for their money and had their chances in games 1, 2, and 4.

For a young team or a team that isn't mentally tough, the payback factor might work against them, see the Phoenix Suns struggles against the Spurs in 2007 and 2008, but this is a veteran led Laker team that is well coached and went ahead and won a title the year after losing so they know they can win on the big stage. Had the two teams met last year with a healthy Garnett, I might have had my doubts but the Lakers went ahead and looked damn good in winning last year and got back this year and I highly doubt Phil and Kobe are going to lead this team back to the Finals only to lose to the same team they lost to in 2008.

The Celtics are a legit opponent and a team you gotta respect for their titles, history, and their current teams defense but the more and more I think about it, the more confident I feel that the Lakers will win this series. I think its the name, "Boston Celtics" and their mystique has some doubting because if you put the Celtics players in jerseys that said 76ers, Pacers, Hawks or something like that and it was the Lakers vs any of those teams everyone would be much more confident.

Co sign man.

Could not have said it better on how I feel going into the Finals.

Also like always ever since Odom has been in the purple & gold he's going to be the x factor again. When he plays to his potential looking to be aggressive & involved in the offense and is cleaning up on the glass the Lakers are nearly impossible to beat.

Just 1 more day and we can finally get this started.

 

[notorious 858]

[h1][/h1]

[h1]All That's Left is the Coronation[/h1]May 30, 2010

Maybe everyone had it all wrong. Back in 2008, when Kobe led the Lakers back to the Finals for the first time since 2004, all the talk surrounded how important it was for Bryant to get a championship without Shaquille O’Neal. That winning a ring as the leader of a team and not a sidekick, would somehow solidify his legacy as one of the all-time greats. Maybe even put him in the conversation as player of the decade or player of his generation and render the Michael Jordan comparisons borderline worthwhile.

It was universally accepted that Kobe needed to win one on his own. But things didn’t go so well and the Celtics not only got the better of the Lakers in the Finals, but they really got over on Bryant. Kobe, the regular season’s MVP, shot just 40% in the series, and in the process, the Celtics humiliated the team he led into the Finals, rekindling all the hatred the Lakers' fan base directs at that franchise.
 
While typically viewed as a fun-loving guy, Shaq is well aware his legacy takes a tiny hit with everything Bryant accomplishes since the two parted ways. Understandably he didn’t hesitate to pile on that summer of 2008, screaming into a microphone from a New York City stage. “Last week you know how he be. Last week Kobe couldn’t do without me.

 

[notorious 858]

 

[darth dnzy]

--That aint really alot coming from Stern.
--He is basically saying stuff we already know but try not to say too much. And stuff haters cringe at.

 

[CP1708]

Originally Posted by 23ska909red02

CP: this entire response is in response to different things u have said (and pardon the annoying 'text talk', but I'm on my phone).

First off, have u tried basketball-reference.com? I am POSITIVE that I have looked at box scores for games on there.

Second, yeah, there's no Powe or House, but if I told you b4 the Finals that year that those 2 were gonna do wrk, u would have told me 2 calm the hell down.

Looking at their roster this year, I'm looking at Finley's ol' g-pa self, and the ****** on the team, Nate.

And on the excitement about us getting HCA this time around, that's awesome. We have homecourt this time... against the first team in NBA Finals history to reach the Finals w/ a better road record than home record, and they clinched against LeBron in CLE and against D12 in 'Lando.

I think I've got all that right.

Yeah, I been on reference, no dice. 

  Nothing.  I can at least get the scores of each and every game, but game stats, not happenin. 

Finley is dead, I don't sweat that tool at all.  Nate Rob, yeah, he could cause us some harm.  I am careful for that guy, but to me at least, if he is on the floor, Rondo isn't, I'll deal with that hoping that overall, he won't cause as much damage as Rondo does. 

Certainly Boston can win on the road, I know that.  BUT, LA can too.  And now we have to prove it.  08, wins in Denver, Utah, and San Antonio.  09, wins in Utah, Houston, Denver, and Orlando.  10, wins in OKC, Utah, and Phoenix. 

THE ONLY series we have not won a game on the road in 3 years, is vs Boston. 

  But we have a chance to fix that now.  We will have 3 games to take one from them in their house.  We do that, we are going to be in good shape.  I am well aware they could get one on us.  I am also aware that they look like God damn predator right now with Wade, Bron, and D12 all under their belts, with Kobe dead in their sights, but never ever underestimate the revenge factors.  We were hoping for a title and return to glory in 08.  Now we want blood.  Now we want to settle a score.  See the trophy presentation in Phoenix?  No one was smilin at that garbage, we had bigger things in mind. 

I been in here all damn year askin ya'll to hang in there, we'll get right.  I'm askin for 3 more weeks fellas.  We are LA, we will do this.  Sasha gettin that back to back ring he deserves.  (KB8 faints) 

 

  

 

[westcoastsfinest]

Originally Posted by DoubleJs07

thought yall would appreciate this....if posted, my bad

    thanks doublej...this is a win!

CP is that you?

 

[CP1708]

I wish, I don't have the swag that guy does. 

 

You KNOW dude rollin an 85 vette thru town after games. 

 

[illvine]

 

[liquor poker]

^Yo! put that in a spoiler or something... you stretching the page, mayne

 

[notorious 858]

[h1][/h1]

[h1]Finals: Three questions on C's-Lakers[/h1]

Here we go again. For the 12th time, it's the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers for the gold ring.

In 2008, the Celtics trounced the Lakers in six games, winning their ninth title in 11 tries against the Lakers, and their 17th championship banner in all.

But things might be different now, as the Lakers have the homecourt advantage this time, and a stopper in Ron Artest. Meanwhile, Rajon Rondo has emerged as the leader of the Celtics, who once again hope to stymie Kobe Bryant.

We asked our expert panel to compare 2008 to 2010, and to forecast the outcome:
[h3]1. How will this year's Finals be similar to the 2008 series between the Celtics and Lakers?[/h3]

Henry Abbott, ESPN TrueHoop: The main storylines remain: Boston's defense, Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum's trick knee, Phil Jackson's mastery, the age of Boston's Big 3, questions about Pau Gasol's toughness.

J.A. Adande, ESPN.com The Celtics will once again keep Kobe Bryant from dominating as he did against the Western Conference. With Ray Allen bolstered by support from the entire front line, Bryant will face obstacles with every dribble and spin. Expect Kevin Garnett to average the same 18 points per game against the Lakers as he did in 2008.

Kevin Arnovitz, ESPN TrueHoop: The overarching goals of each team will be the same. The Celtics will try to keep the rock out of Kobe Bryant's possession. When he does get the ball, the Celtics will wall off the paint to induce jump shots or kickouts.

On offense, the C's will use rotating pick-and-rolls and lots of off-ball stuff to get their scorers their favorite shots. The Lakers will be aggressive on both ends of the floor. When Boston is in the half court, the Lakers' help defenders will send hard double teams to the ball.

When the Lakers want to score, they'll run the offense through the high post where Bryant and Pau Gasol can use the entire floor to score and/or make plays.

Chris Broussard, ESPN The Magazine: This series will resemble '08 in that the Celtics' physical play will still be a factor (though not as much of one), and Paul Pierce will be huge offensively.

Chris Sheridan, ESPN.com: The Lakers are going to be caught off-guard, to a degree, by the Celtics' intensity on the defensive end, and the Celtics are again going to design their game strategy around not letting Kobe beat them while still trying to keep the Lakers' longs in check.

Like it was in 2008, the desire factor is going to be in play. In other words, who wants it more? Going into '08, both teams were hungry. Since then, both have won titles. This time around, it's about which team is going to go harder for the next one.

Marc Stein, ESPN.com Boston's physicality and doubts about L.A.'s toughness will look and sound very familiar. Ditto for the genuine venom this rivalry generates, which flows not only between the two teams but between the two fan bases.

The Celtics' team D, for all the talk about Kevin Garnett's supposed limitations, also has to be in the '08 ballpark after it snuffed out Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Dwight Howard. But I have to confess that I see more differences than similarities.

---

[h3]2. How will this series be different from the 2008 Finals?[/h3]

Abbott: In 2008, if you could rank teams by defensive ferocity, Boston would have been about a 60 on a scale of 1 to 10, which was really shocking to behold. This year, the Celtics still lead the league, but thanks to age, and the rest of the league having time to adjust, they're more of an 11. The Lakers are simply not going to be psyched out this time around.

Boston now has Rajon Rondo playing at a whole new level. The Lakers famously struggle with fast point guards, making Rondo a potential nightmare.

The Lakers start Ron Artest at a position where they were weak in 2008. Life will be harder for Paul Pierce. Kevin Garnett can not be counted on to dominate for long stretches like he did two years ago. Leon Powe and Eddie House were both huge for the Celtics in that series, but they're both gone.

Adande: Kobe Bryant will have to devote his full defensive attention to Rajon Rondo, instead of leaving him to help elsewhere. Can't give Rondo open 18-footers anymore. But at least Bryant won't have to worry about guarding Paul Pierce now that Ron Artest is around to handle that duty.

Arnovitz: In Ron Artest, the Lakers have a far more dependable defender for Paul Pierce. The addition of Andrew Bynum, so long as he's healthy and mobile, gives the Lakers a true defensive center who can protect the rim and a lot more depth up front.

It's also clear that Bryant trusts his teammates more than he did two season ago. For Boston, Rajon Rondo is all grown up and no longer someone the Lakers can comfortably leave to work defensively on Pierce, Ray Allen or Kevin Garnett. In addition, Rondo's decision-making and confidence make the Celtics a more dangerous transition team.

Can Tony Allen, Nate Robinson, Glen Davis and Rasheed Wallace replicate what James Posey, Eddie House, P.J. Brown and Leon Powe gave the Celtics in 2008?

Broussard: It'll differ from '08 in that Rajon Rondo will be the Celtics' catalyst. Also, Kobe Bryant will get more help, both offensively and defensively, than he got two years ago.

Sheridan: The Celtics are getting more out of Rajon Rondo than they were two years ago, but let's also not forget that Ray Allen was in such a miserable slump throughout the '08 postseason that it impacted the way the Lakers defended them.

This time, Ray has been as sharp as anyone, and Paul Pierce has not lost a step in the past two years. He is my pick for MVP of the series. Let us also remember that the Tim Donaghy scandal was a major competing storyline two years ago, pulling a lot of focus away from the games themselves. This time, we should be able to stay focused on the teams instead of the refs.

Stein: We don't know yet if Rondo's body will cooperate fully, but he was the Celtic of the postseason until Game 4 of the Orlando series, which certainly wasn't the case two years ago.

Artest banging on Pierce and Bynum actually playing on a bad knee this time as opposed to sitting out are two more huge differences. And while I generally agree with the claim that no defense troubles Kobe like Boston's, I'm not sure these Celts can work him over in the same fashion.

Not with Kobe in the zone he's in right now ... and with the help he'll get from the most tuned-in Artest we've ever seen in dealing with Pierce ... and with Boston no longer employing one of its better Kobe-chasers in James Posey. (One more strange-but-true difference: It's possible that both Phil Jackson and Doc Rivers will be walking away from their jobs when the series is over.)
[h3]3. How will this series play out?[/h3]
Abbott: Nobody really knows, which is what makes it so fun. Assuming the post-knee draining Kobe Bryant is the one who will show up, his transcendent play -- and L.A.'s homecourt advantage -- ought to tip the scales in the Lakers' favor. Which is why I pick them in seven. But I've been picking against the Celtics since the first round, and they keep making me look foolish.
Adande: The pace and score will be closer to Boston's preference. I think the Celtics, as rested as they'll be for the remainder of the season, steal Game 1 in L.A. The Lakers even it before they head back to Boston, where the Celtics take two of three before grabbing Game 6 in L.A.

Arnovitz: Lakers in seven. This is the hardest NBA Finals in recent memory to project. June is normally a culmination of everything we've seen from two teams over a nine-month period, but this summer it seems more like a departure.

The Celtics' defense is humming at 2008 efficiency and the C's are getting solid offensive performances all around. Meanwhile, Kobe Bryant shook off injuries and a mortal regular season (by his standards) to play the best basketball of his career over the past month.

With Game 7 at Staples Center, Bryant's transcendence will prevail by a whisker.

Broussard: The clubs split Games 1 and 2 in L.A., with Boston taking the opener. Boston returns to L.A. up 3-2, but the Lakers win Game 6 fairly handily. Boston takes Game 7 on the Lakers' floor.

Sheridan: I expect Boston to win at least one of the first two games in L.A., putting the onus on the Lakers to respond strongly in Game 3 and/or 4 to regain homecourt and make sure the series heads back to L.A. The future of Phil Jackson will be a storyline, too, and that can't help but be a distraction.

The Lakers seem to have a thing this postseason for getting the final bounce to go their way at the end of close games, but that well has to run dry at some point, even if the Lakers tap it once or twice more.

In the end, defense wins championships. And Boston is the better defensive team. So Celtics in 7.

Stein: No wheelchairs for Pierce, no David Stern press conferences to address Donaghy allegations ... and Lakers in six. Homecourt advantage will be decisive, as will Bryant's determination to avoid falling to 0-2 against the hated Celtics in the Finals, which would be an undeniable legacy hit for the modern-day face of Hollywood's team.

The Lakers are also a touch healthier and that much hungrier after the way their big men got punked in '08. Boston, meanwhile, obviously needed this extended break for health reasons -- because Rondo and 'Sheed have to be reasonably spry for the Celtics to win again -- but getting revved up again after nearly a week off is bound to be harder for the older team than L.A.
You also have to figure that Kendrick Perkins, just one more technical foul away from suspension, is going to miss a game, which the Celts can't afford.


Link:

http://sports.espn.go.com...age=CelticsLakers-100602

Wow almost every expert there except Marc Stein thinks Lakers are going to drop game 1 or 2.

 

[notorious 858]

Check it out.

New special collector issue of SLAM dedicated to Kobe:

 

[CP1708]

^
Oh @#$%. 

 

Those are both NICE. 

 

[kb8sandiego]

 

[cedric ceballos 1995 lakers]

Originally Posted by Notorious 858

[h1][/h1]Link:

http://sports.espn.go.com...age=CelticsLakers-100602

Wow almost every expert there except Marc Stein thinks Lakers are going to drop game 1 or 2.

and I just don't see it happening, the Celtics aren't going to take the Lakers by suprise like the Cavs and Magic did. When the Celtics were playing crappy earlier this year, Orlando and Cleveland were probably underestimating them but I think the Lakers are going to be ready for them and take care of home court on thursday and sunday.

 

[westcoastsfinest]

i think the celts might take game 2 but not both games...if anything we need to take game 1 cause history on our side phil is undefeated in a series when hes up 1-0



man thursday cannot come soon enough