Los Angeles Lakers Blog – Page 134 – NBA Blog

Cavaliers to hire Byron Scott as coach

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

When Byron Scott went to bed Tuesday night he was convinced he was not going to be the Cavaliers head coach. About 24 hours later he was agreeing to take the job. It will become official today.

After an overnight negotiating session, sources said, Scott reached an agreement in principle on a three-year contract to take over the Cavs on the same day that LeBron James became a free agent. The deal is expected to be finalized and announced by the Cavs today.

Scott took the job while on a trip with family to Arkansas and limited cell phone range actually slowed down the process late Wednesday.

Cavs like Brian Shaw, Byron Scott

Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reports:

While the Cavaliers await a decision on LeBron James’ future, their coaching search appears to be nearing the final stages.

Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw arrived in town Monday and will continue meetings with owner Dan Gilbert and General Manager Chris Grant today, the team confirmed. The Cavs would like to make a decision on their next coach today, according to a source with knowledge of their plans, although a ”decision” does not necessarily mean a contract offer today.

By the conclusion of the interviews with Shaw, however, the team will probably choose between him and Byron Scott.

Shaw, who is represented by CAA Sports, the same firm that represents James, is the second known candidate, after Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, to be brought to Cleveland for an interview. Team executives met with Scott in Michigan on Father’s Day, according to his agent, Brian McInerney, but no offer was made.

Brian Shaw visits Cavaliers to discuss head coaching job

The AP reports:

Los Angeles Lakers assistant Brian Shaw is meeting with the Cleveland Cavaliers about their coaching vacancy.

Shaw arrived in Cleveland on Monday to visit with owner Dan Gilbert and front-office members, the Cavs said. It is not yet known if the club has offered him the job.

The 43-year-old Shaw has spent five seasons on Phil Jackson’s staff in Los Angeles. A 14-year NBA veteran, Shaw is also considered a candidate to replace Jackson if the 11-time champion retires. Jackson is expected to announce his plans later this week.

The Cavaliers have been looking for a coach since firing Mike Brown after their second-round playoff loss to Boston. The team was previously turned down by Tom Izzo, who rejected a reported $30 million offer to stay at Michigan State.

Kobe Bryant attends World Cup

Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times reports:

Now that Lakers star Kobe Bryant has a little free time, he has decided to spend it in South Africa, with the sport he grew up loving.

On his first trip to Africa, Bryant took in the U.S. loss to Ghana on Saturday — former President Bill Clinton and Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger were there too — then spent Sunday visiting young soccer players at a training center in Soweto, where he answered questions.

His favorite player? Didier Drogba, the powerful forward of now-eliminated Ivory Coast.

The team he admires? Brazil, which he hopes to watch against Chile on Monday.

InsideHoops.com says: It would be cool to see Kobe meet the Brazil team, just to see the reactions on the Brazil players’ faces. I assume that every single one of them knows who Bryant is, but I wonder if they would mostly treat him like a celebrity, or just a star of a sport that most of them aren’t that into. Obviously they’d all be polite to each other, but I wonder how many of these soccer legends really know and like basketball.

Knicks planning big LeBron James meeting July 1

Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:

LeBron James has closely guarded his plans once his much-celebrated free agency starts next week. But the New York Knicks are making preparations like they are expecting to host his first stop.

According to a source, the Knicks are making plans to host an elaborate meal and meeting with James in a high-end location in Manhattan during the afternoon and evening of July 1, which is next Thursday. The tentative plan is for Knicks management and officials to host James and his various agents and friends for a large dinner party catered by a celebrity chef.

The Knicks are currently scouring the city for an available high-rise condo or apartment with a great view to rent for the event, the source said.

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Lamar Odom concerned about left shoulder

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports:

Lamar Odom played the postseason with a light brace on his right knee but said Tuesday his greater concern in the offseason is his left shoulder that also has been bothering him.

Odom hurt the shoulder on a dunk in a Feb. 18 game against Boston. He has had trouble with the shoulder before — including a torn labrum — but said he’ll take some time off before getting it checked out.

Odom had a vacation planned soon to Mexico with his wife but has more immediate plans to rest.

Lamar Odom gets Rolls-Royce from wife

As editor of InsideHoops.com, I am known for giving cars away as gifts. I toss them around like candy. But I can’t say I’ve given away more than 10 or 20 Rolls-Royces in the last year, so this story was a nice surprise:

WENN.com reports:

Khloe Kardashian gave her basketball player husband Lamar Odom a handsome reward for winning the NBA championship.

She bought him a brand-new Rolls Royce.

Odom helped the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Boston Celtics in the NBA Final last week, and his reality TV star partner purchased the $400,000 US luxury car to congratulate him.

President Obama salutes Lakers

The Boston Herald reports:

President Barack Obama yesterday congratulated Lakers coach Phil Jackson and his team on winning the NBA championship for the second year in a row.

Obama also congratulated Jackson on winning his 11th championship as a head coach.

The White House said Obama told Jackson in a telephone call that the series between the Lakers and the Celtics was great and worthy of the rivalry between the two teams. Obama said he looked forward to congratulating the players in person at the White House.

Key NBA Finals Game 7 statistic was offensive rebounds

Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times reports:

The most telling statistic in Game 7 was offensive rebounds.

Boston was simply overwhelmed in that category. The Lakers held a 23-8 edge, overall, and it was 15-2 after the first half.

“I thought our guys battled down there, but 23-8, you know, on offensive rebounds, and then the 37-17 discrepancy in free throws, that makes it almost impossible to overcome,” Rivers said.

In fact, the Lakers’ Pau Gasol had more offensive rebounds (nine) than the Celtics. Boston point guard Rajon Rondo had four offensive rebounds and Rasheed Wallace had two.

Obviously, the loss of a big body, in the form of center Kendrick Perkins, was a massive one for the Celtics. Perkins suffered two torn ligaments in his right knee early in Game 6, and Wallace did an admirable job in filling in.

Rasheed Wallace could retire

The AP reports:

Former Piston Rasheed Wallace, another old guy who was forced to start and play 36 minutes because of Kendrick Perkins’ knee injury, had to throw his hand up to ask out of the game when he became winded in the second half.

“He was just trying to figure out a way to stay on the floor,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who called the 35-year-old Wallace a “warrior” who was considering retirement.

Rivers said Wallace was battling cramps and strains, which kept him from going inside as he did early in the game.

“We had to keep subbing him for one minute and two minutes, and I thought the reason we got up early was because of Rasheed Wallace,” Rivers said. “We got it low in the post, he started scoring, and I thought what happened was late in the game he got tired and had the injuries and we couldn’t go down anymore, and I think that had a huge impact on how we were playing. We had to go away from the post almost because of fatigue.”