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The Los Angeles Daily News (Elliot Teaford) reports: The Lakers are pursuing Marcelus Kemp, a shooting guard from the University of Nevada. Kemp’s agent, John Grieg, told a Reno newspaper he expected a deal to be struck soon.
InsideHoops.com says: Why do the Lakers always go after such low-profile free agents? They need James Posey, not Marcelus Kemp.
The Los Angeles Times (Mike Bresnahan and Greg Johnson) reports: His Beverly Hills-based Magic Johnson Enterprises now has AMC Magic Johnson Theatres in four cities, 116 Starbucks in 14 states and Washington, 31 Burger King restaurants in the Southeast, and 13 24-Hour Fitness/Magic Johnson Sport health clubs. He also owns a nearly 5% share of the Lakers. Johnson consistently has declined to release financial data for his privately held businesses or himself. But a business associate, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak by Johnson, estimated the value of the former NBA star’s various holdings at $700 million. This associate estimated Johnson’s personal net worth at nearly $500 million… Canyon-Johnson, formed in 1998, has financed 31 real estate developments in 13 states and Washington. It launched its third and biggest investment fund in April — and in a matter of weeks drew $1 billion from pension funds and others with deep pockets.
The Los Angeles Times (Jonathan Abrams) reports: Kobe Bryant’s response to former teammate Shaquille O’Neal’s lambasting him in an obscenity-laced rap freestyle at a New York nightclub? No response. “I didn’t take it any kind of way whatsoever,” Bryant said Saturday, before declining to take any more questions on the topic. Bryant, however, was more than willing to discuss several other subjects as the U.S. men’s basketball team held a one-day mini-camp in preparation for the Beijing Olympics. He has had a bit more time to reflect on the NBA Finals, labeling Boston as “champions until somebody proves otherwise.”
Shaquille O’Neal’s freestyle rap in NYC the other day which mocked Kobe Bryant and included various profanities, resulted in one police badge being taken away the other day, and now it’s happened again.
The AP reports: Bedford County Sheriff Mike Brown said Wednesday that he has asked the Phoenix Suns center to return a badge he was given for his work with the southwest Virginia county’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force… The decision comes one day after a sheriff in Arizona asked O’Neal to return a special deputy’s badge because of language he used in the rap.
The East Valley Tribune reports: Shaquille O’Neal will lose his special deputy’s badge in Maricopa County because of language he used in a rap video that mocks former teammate Kobe Bryant. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the Phoenix Suns center’s use of a racially derogatory word and other foul language left him no choice. Arpaio made Shaq a special deputy in January and promoted him to colonel of his largely ceremonial posse earlier this month. “I want his two badges back,” Arpaio told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Because if any one of my deputies did something like this, they’re fired. I don’t condone this type of racial conduct.”
InsideHoops.com says: Looks like Shaq, without any help from Kobe, can bring dishonor to police department badges.
Discuss this with other fans here.
Fox Sports (Randy Hill) writes: “Assuming Andrew Bynum’s knee is sound and a happy contract-extension accord can be achieved, Andrew would provide a lot of what the Lakers require. Bynum, who was on the cusp of becoming a dynamic low-post presence when the injury occurred, may turn into an inside beast. Please mind that dunking-with-authority lesson, Pau Gasol. Ah yes, Pau Gasol. The skilled big man, purloined from the Memphis Grizzlies after Bynum was lost, demonstrated little of the ol’ nastiness needed to deal with the Cs. If he spends a hefty portion of the summer working on functional strength with shoulders a priority, Gasol could make next season a campaign of atonement. There’s nothing like adding a bit more muscle to inspire confidence, swagger and a relatively roughhouse maneuver or two. However, Coach Phil Jackson and his basic triangle set may not be the optimum alignment to maximize the potential created by having two 7-footers on the floor simultaneously. While Gasol is a typical European big man who’s defined by — ahem — finesse, he’s not much of a marksman away from the hoop.”
Lakers forward Trevor Ariza exercised a player contract option for the 2008-09 season, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.
Ariza, acquired by the Lakers this past season on November 20 in a trade with the Orlando Magic, posted averages of 6.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.08 steals and 18.0 minutes in 24 games with the Lakers before suffering a fracture of the fourth metatarsal in his right foot January 20 and missing the rest of the regular season and 11 playoff games.
Returning for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, the four-year veteran played in eight total postseason games, recording playoff career-highs in points (6), rebounds (5), steals (1) and blocks (1) in nine minutes during Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Drafted by the New York Knicks with the 43rd overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, Ariza is originally from Los Angeles (Westchester High School) and played one season at UCLA prior to entering the NBA. He averaged 11.6 points and 5.5 rebounds in his one season at UCLA.
The AP reports: Kobe Bryant knew all along the Celtics were going to force someone besides him to beat them, and there was nobody else in purple and gold up for the job. Bryant finished with 22 points, but shot only 7-of-22 from the field and was quiet after a sizzling start for the second straight game. The Lakers needed an MVP performance from Bryant. Bryant needed help… And there was no one else to pick up the slack. Lamar Odom didn’t have a field goal until the fourth quarter, when the Lakers were already down by 29 points. Pau Gasol took only seven shots and finished with 11 points—and he was their second-leading scorer until deep in the fourth quarter, when Odom went to work against the reserves who played the last few minutes while Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were busy celebrating on the sideline.
The AP reports: The Celtics’ 39-point margin in Tuesday night’s championship clinching win is the largest in a decisive NBA finals game. In fact, Boston now has four of the six biggest margins in games that clinched titles… Ray Allen set a record for most 3-pointers made in a finals series with 22. The previous mark of 17 was set by Dan Majerle with Phoenix in 1993 and matched by Derek Harper with New York in 1994. Allen’s seven 3-pointers Tuesday night tied the finals record shared by Houston’s Kenny Smith and Chicago’s Scottie Pippen. And Boston’s 52 baskets from 3-point range erased the finals mark of 51 set by San Antonio in 2005… The Celtics also put on a record-setting defensive performance Tuesday with 18 steals, eclipsing the single-game finals mark set by Golden State against Washington in 1975.
The AP reports: Light up one more for Red. Some fans wore green Celtics jerseys with the name “AUERBACH” in white capital letters on the back. Others puffed victory cigars—an understandable disregard of anti-smoking laws on a special night—just as the team’s late patriarch often did. After all, Boston did more than just win its first NBA championship in 22 years with a 131-92 rout of Los Angeles on Tuesday night. The Game 6 victory kept Lakers coach Phil Jackson from breaking a tie with Auerbach for most titles by an NBA coach. Each has nine. “This win is for Red Auerbach,” owner Wyc Grousbeck said. “Red believed in our ownership group and got it done.” Grousbeck’s group took over the franchise on Dec. 31, 2002. Auerbach, who was president at the time, died on Oct. 28, 2006, at the age of 89.