When the Los Angeles Lakers donated Lamar Odom to the defending champions and the Nets emerged as the frontrunners to acquire Dwight Howard, I wondered:

Are the curtains being brought down on the Kobe Bryant era in L.A.?

In spite of the fact that Byrant had publicly lobbied for both his former teammate Brian Shaw to receive the head coaching job and for keeping the championship nucleus together, the Lakers hired head coach Mike Brown without consulting the Mamba and attempted to blow up the team, twice.

Then, Los Angeles shipped a gift-wrapped Sixth Man of the Year to the Dallas Mavericks, and we all knew Kobe would be furious.

To put Kobe Bryant’s frustration into perspective, he actually joked recently that he’d like to be traded to the Miami Heat and said of the Lakers: “I think we’re terrible … we’re going to be worse [than last year].”

Jokes aside, almost every comment out of Kobe lately is negative. His remarks range from sarcastic to fatalistic and his friend and ESPN insider Stephen A. Smith appeared on SportsCenter and predicted that “Kobe Bryant will demand a trade, and I am not budging from that. He’s livid. I’ve known Kobe too long. He is ticked off.”

Smith added that: “It’s not just because [the Clippers] got Chris Paul, which is a guy that he expected to have. It’s because Jim Buss seems to be doing the inexplicable. … It makes no sense. It’s one thing for the team not to have improved [after losing to the Mavericks], it’s another thing entirely for them to regress. If you know anything about Kobe, that is the last thing that he wants to do.”

Now, it should be noted that in a recent interview with Yahoo’s Marc Spears, Kobe dismissed this notion. When asked if he wanted to stay a Laker, Kobe said: “Of course. No question. Why not? I’ve been here for 16 years. I’m going to up and leave now? … I’ve been with this organization. I like being here. I like playing for the purple and gold. This is where I want to finish up.”

That said, I agree with Stephen A.’s prediction, anyway. I remember back during the Shaq years and even a few years after, Kobe always maintained that he wanted to retire a Laker. Saying that—and even genuinely believing it—didn’t stop a disgruntled Kobe from demanding a trade in 2007, however.

Now, with Pau offended by recent events, Bynum saying he doesn’t really care where he plays and Kobe habitually usurped and disregarded by the Lakers’ front office, I see this situation unfolding similarly.

Unless Los Angeles can trade for Dwight Howard or make other significant moves that make the team a legitimate contender, expect Kobe to demand a trade as soon as he starts feeling helpless again.

More from the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Top 5 Reasons Dwight Howard will join the Los Angeles Lakers

Why Dwyane Wade is better than Kobe Bryant

Top 5 Most Likely Trades for the Los Angeles Lakers

Interview: Shaq threatened to kill Kobe

How the Los Angeles Lakers can land Dwight Howard

Follow Charles on Twitter and visit his Yahoo! Archive here.

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It has certainly been a rollercoaster week for fans of the Los Angeles Lakers. The Chris Paul deal brought a combination of excitement mixed with nervousness after finding out that getting CP3 would cost two talented big men. Then, mixed emotions turned to a unified sense of rage at NBA commissioner David Stern when he killed the trade for reasons that still have not been fully explained. Now, an appeal is moot because Lamar Odom has been moved to the Dallas Mavericks. What could possibly happen next?

Not a great deal

Personally, I didn’t think the Chris Paul deal was necessarily a huge win for the Lakers, so David Stern may have done them a favor. Would Paul and Kobe Bryant have instantly formed the best backcourt in the NBA? Probably. Would their styles have complimented each other and would Kobe routinely defer to the younger Paul? Uncertain. Would the Lakers suddenly be very thin up front? Absolutely. Chris Paul is an amazing talent, and it is a guard’s league. However, giving up Odom and Pau Gasol was not necessarily a good move. Odom can be maddeningly inconsistent, but he is also an incredible talent and he does a lot of things that do not necessarily make the highlight reel. In addition, one bad playoff series does not change the fact that Pau Gasol is a versatile big man that would have been difficult to replace.

Not a great deal, Part II

The deal that sent Lamar Odom to Dallas is a bit of a head-scratcher. This deal has the feel of something that was done in order to set up something else, but if Dwight Howard does not appear, was it worth it? Again, Odom could drive people crazy at times, but recent words from Kobe Bryant show that his teammates appreciated him. I have a feeling that this deal might come back to hurt the Lakers in the future unless it leads to an even better transaction.

Something else in the works?

Is Dwight Howard coming to the Lakers? After all the drama in the NBA office, it is really hard to gauge what might happen. As mentioned, David Stern appears to have killed the Chris Paul deal just because he didn’t like it on a philosophical level. Would he also kill a deal for Dwight Howard? Of course, there is always the possibility that Lakers management is thinking about a rebuild rather than a reload. That is something that many Lakers fans do not want to even consider.

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/7341952/los-angeles-lakers-lamar-odom-dealt-dallas-mavericks-asking-trade

The author grew up in Seattle and now lives in Los Angeles, where he waits patiently for the Sonics to return to the Pacific Northwest. In the meantime, he roots for the Clippers to become a winning franchise, and perhaps even the most popular team in their own city.

More from this contributor:

The Best Baseball Catch I Ever Saw In Person

Worst #1 NBA Draft Picks of All Time

The Top 5 Changes Needed in Major League Baseball

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On Wednesday Los Angeles Lakers Star Cleared In Rape Investigation was a top story. Here is the recap: (TMZ) Los Angeles Lakers forward Devin Ebanks — a 2nd round draft pick in 2010 — is off the hook in an LAPD rape investigation … TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ … the alleged victim told police Ebanks took her home from a nightclub on September 13, 2011 … but when she turned down his sexual advances, Ebanks “forcibly penetrated [her] vagina with his penis five to ten times.”

Cops say the woman reported the alleged incident to police later that night. But here’s where it gets crazy — cops say the woman wanted to get Ebanks to admit to the sex, so she sent him a text message FALSELY claiming he had given her a sexually transmitted disease.

But Ebanks didn’t fall for the trap — and replied that he couldn’t have transmitted anything to her … BECAUSE THEY NEVER HAD SEX!!!

We’re told the woman also underwent a sexual assault examination, which revealed no foreign DNA anywhere on her body.

The L.A. County District Attorney eventually decided the woman had no credible evidence to back her story — and rejected the case against Ebanks.

A rep for Ebanks had no comment — but sources close to the Lakers tell TMZ, it’s not the first time the alleged victim has made such accusations against pro ballers … and law enforcement sources confirm that’s the case. – more on this story

TMZ submitted this story.
Copyright TMZ – Excerpted here with permission.

antiMUSIC News featured on RockNews.info and Yahoo News

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Turns out, the Los Angeles Lakers weren’t just blowing smoke.

L.A. got a whole lot better with Thursday’s news that the team was about to acquire point guard Chris Paul in a three-team deal that also involved the New Orleans Hornets and the Houston Rockets.

Early word is that Pau Gasol is headed to Houston, and Lamar Odom is bound for New Orleans, with other players and/or considerations expected to be involved in the deal once it’s finalized and announced.

Sources said on Thursday that those other players included the Rockets’ Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic all going to New Orleans, along with a 2012 first-round pick.

But the Big Three, if you will, are Paul, Gasol and Odom, and on the surface, it looks like the big winner is Los Angeles.

The return of showtime?

With Paul running the point, and Kobe Bryant doing what Kobe Bryant does, the Lakers look more formidable than they have in years. And that’s saying a lot for a team that has won two of the past three NBA championships, and reached the finals three of the past four seasons.

I like Gasol’s game a lot, but if you watched him closely last season, he seemed to disappear for long stretches at a time. I know a lot of Lakers fans were ready for him to move on, but even if you didn’t want to see him go, it’s tough to not be excited about getting Paul in return.

And the Lakers might not be done yet. Paul’s name wasn’t the only one on L.A.’s wish list. The team is known to covet Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, and even with Thursday’s deal for Paul, the Lakers were still trying to pull off something that would net them Howard.

Bryant, Paul and Howard? On the same team?

Watch out NBA.

Source:

Chris Paul to Lakers

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Apparently, the wait is over. New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul has found a new home.

Arguably the best point guard in the NBA, Paul will be headed to California to play with the Los Angeles Lakers in what can only be considered a blockbuster deal of epic proportions.

In a three-way trade between the Hornets, Lakers and Houston Rockets, Paul has landed in Los Angeles to not only help the Lakers battle for another NBA Championship in 2012, but also to prepare for a future without Kobe Bryant.

Although the Lakers got their point guard who will create a dynamic duo alongside Bryant, it came at a rather steep price.

In the trade for Paul, the Lakers will be parting ways with power forwards Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Gasol will head to Houston to join the Rockets and Odom, the 2010-2011 Sixth Man of the Year, will take his talents to New Orleans. Along with Odom, the Hornets will also receive shooting guard Kevin Martin, small forward Luis Scola and point guard Goran Dragic from the Rockets.

The question for the Lakers now becomes whether or not to pursue the remaining piece to the puzzle: Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

The Lakers managed to avoid trading away center Andrew Bynum in acquiring Paul, which is easily the best trade piece that the Magic could ask for in return for Howard. The Magic, however, don’t appear ready to admit defeat just yet with talking Howard into staying in Orlando. If the Lakers want to have a real shot at winning another NBA Championship, they’re going to have to find a way to pry Howard from the Magic’s grasp.

To make the most out of this trade, the Lakers are going to have to get the deal for Howard done. With Gasol and Odom packing their bags and Bynum’s chronic inconsistency, the Lakers will be in desperate need of someone like Howard who can dominant the paint game in and game out.

At this point, it’s not a done deal. There are still “i’s” to dot and “t’s” to cross, which means that there’s still time for this trade to fall apart. The potential for the Lakers to receive more than just Paul as a way of making the deal work out better financially for all parties still exists as well. Rumors have been flying around that the Lakers could also receive Hornets power forward Emeka Okafor, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.

More information will be available as the situation unfolds. Stay tuned as the Lakers’ shift into the Mike Brown era continues in rather dramatic fashion.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Los Angeles native who was born into a family of diehard Lakers fans. For more Lakers coverage, follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV.

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The Los Angeles Lakers needed an upgrade in the three-point shooting department. How does a career 43.7 percent from beyond the arch sound?

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Lakers have reached a handshake deal to sign former Philadelphia 76ers small forward Jason Kapono(notes). Although teams technically won’t be allowed to sign players to new contracts until Friday, the NBA couldn’t have honestly expected teams to not agree to terms prior to the official end to the NBA Lockout.

The Lakers invited Kapono to the team facilities for a workout on Monday. Obviously his performance was impressive enough for them to reward him with one of their coveted roster spots.

Although Kapono’s one-year deal with the Lakers can’t officially be signed until 2 pm. EST on Friday, the two parties have come to an agreement that will have the three-point sharpshooter wearing purple and gold for at least the next half a year.

With Kapono on the roster, the Lakers will have the three-point ace that they desperately needed throughout the 2010-2011 NBA season. At season’s end, the Lakers were in the bottom half of the league in three-point percentage. Despite their impressive offensive talents, their lack of outside shooting was a huge crutch that kept them from being anything more than an above average playoff team.

Now headed back to LA to join the Lakers, Kapono should feel right at home. After growing up in the Los Angeles area, Kapono attended Artesia High School before spending his college hoops days as a UCLA Bruin. Down in Westwood with the Bruins, he made a name for himself as an outside scorer who could strike fear in a defense when he got hot.

The Lakers will be Kapono’s sixth NBA team since he entered the league in 2003 as a second-round pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers. On Friday, he will sign the contract for the NBA veteran’s minimum, which is worth approximately $1 million.

Kapono may not upgrade much else, but at least the Lakers have secured their long-ball threat for the upcoming season.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Los Angeles native who was born into a family of diehard Lakers fans. For more Lakers coverage, follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV.

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There have been some memorable moments in sports to happen on December 6. This was the day that saw the Los Angeles Lakers forge a memorable comeback against the Dallas Mavericks. This was also the day where Jerry Rice established a new record for receiving touchdowns. Here is a look at those and some of the other memorable moments to happen in sports on December 6.

1955 – Honus Wagner dies

On this day in 1955, baseball legend Honus Wagner died in Pennsylvania. Wagner had a long baseball career, most of which was spent with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Wagner led the league batting average eight times and finished his career with a .328 average. He was also an excellent run producer and had great speed on the base paths. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1936 and is regarded as one of the greatest baseball players in history.

1990 – Tampa Bay Lightning begin

On this day in 1990, the NHL granted a conditional franchise to Tampa Bay. A year later, the city was granted a permanent franchise. Former Boston Bruins star Phil Esposito was the man behind starting the Lightning. The team played their first game in 1992. The Lightning made the playoffs just once in their first 10 seasons. However, the team started to climb in the early 2000s. In 2004, the Lightning won the Stanley Cup.

1992 – Jerry Rice sets new record

On this day in 1992, Jerry Rice set a new record for receiving touchdowns in the NFL. Rice caught his 101^st touchdown pass for the San Francisco 49ers to move past Steve Largent for first on the all-time list. He was far from finished. He ended his career with 197 receiving touchdowns and more than 200 total touchdowns. Rice led the league in receiving touchdowns six times.

2002 – Los Angeles Lakers stage comeback

On this day in 2002, the Los Angeles Lakers erased a 27 point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers entered the final period trailing 88-61 and looked dead in front of a nationally televised audience. The Lakers suddenly flipped the switch in the final 12 minutes. The Lakers outscored the Mavericks 44-15 and ended up winning the game 105-103. This was the second largest fourth quarter comeback in the history of the NBA.

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I never thought this day would come.

Since Los Angeles Lakers executive Jim Buss was given any sort of say in personnel decisions, none of his moves have mattered more to him than the drafting of center Andrew Bynum(notes).

His selection of Bynum during the 2005 NBA Draft was his pride and joy. It was his reason to believe that he could take over for his father, Jerry Buss, and lead the Lakers down the same path to victory (and many, many championships).

Today, though, the sun has set on his parading of Bynum as his claim to fame.

According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports, Buss has relented on his firm stance that he isn’t willing to trade Bynum. Although it won’t be an easy sell, Buss has said that he would trade Bynum “for the right deal”. In other words, the Lakers would be willing to send Bynum packing for Orlando Magic’s center Dwight Howard(notes).

There’s no denying that Bynum is a top NBA talent at the center position. Regardless of his talent level, Bynum also comes with a baggage: immaturity and inconsistency. Not only has he suffered from numerous injuries, mainly knee problems, since he was drafted, but you never know what to expect when it’s game time.

One game, you get the dominant Bynum who scores 15 points, hauls in 15 rebounds and rejects five shots. The next game, you get the immature Bynum who lazily runs the court without a care in the world, fouling out before he can get more than 10 of any particular stat. Worst case scenario: he clotheslines J.J. Barea(notes) and flashes the crowd before throwing a temper tantrum all the way to the locker room. At times, the negatives outweigh the positives.

In Howard, you get a whole different beast.

Game in and game out, Howard puts on a clinic no matter the competition. Despite playing in all but four of the Magic’s games during the 2010-2011 regular season, Howard finished only 10 games with less than 10 rebounds. There were only three games throughout the entire regular season that he didn’t score in the double digits. Consistent dominance is the name of the game for Howard.

It’s becoming more and more apparent that the Lakers will need a player of Howard’s caliber if they hope to stay competitive when Kobe Bryant(notes) finally retires. For the last 15 seasons, Bryant has been the driving force for the Lakers’ success. Without him in the lineup, Pau Gasol(notes) will need another elite talent a la Howard to help keep the Lakers at their elite level of play.

What’s more important, however, is the impact that Howard will have while Bryant is still playing.

The two could potentially team up to form as deadly a combination, if not deadlier, than the one that Bryant and former Lakers’ center Shaquille O’Neal(notes) formed at the turn of the century. Add in the talents of Gasol, Lamar Odom(notes) and a good point guard to that type of dynamic duo, and it’ll be the early 2000′s all over again.

The first part of this whole equation is the Magic deciding to talk trades with the Lakers. Howard has shown obvious interest in moving to LA, but that will depend heavily on his current team and what they’re willing to trade for him. My biggest concern: do the Magic want to babysit Bynum until he reaches his full potential?

Again, I must reiterate that the most surprising aspect of this whole fiasco is Buss’ willingness to trade Bynum.

So much for the Lakers building around Bynum whenever the post- Bryant era begins.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Los Angeles native who was born into a family of diehard Lakers fans. For more Lakers coverage, follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV.

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For two years I have watched Kevin Durant(notes) lead the NBA in scoring. In 2009-10, he led the Oklahoma City Thunder into the playoffs, only to lose to the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2010-11, he led the Thunder back and made it to the Western Conference Finals, before losing to the Dallas Mavericks. However, despite the two scoring titles and back-to-back playoff appearances, he has yet to win an NBA MVP award.

Here is a look at the best player in the NBA not named Kevin Durant and how he stacks up against the Thunder star.

LeBron James(notes) vs. Kevin Durant

There was a funny moment in the recent movie “Bad Teacher,” where a teacher was arguing with a student about who the better NBA player in history was, Michael Jordan or LeBron James. Of course, it was the kid, who had never seen Jordan play, who chose James. However, this brings up the interesting observation that James is the modern day Jordan. That might make Durant the modern day Magic Johnson. I see James and Durant battling head-to-head for years to come concerning who the best player in the NBA is today.

The Numbers

In 2010-11, Durant was the scoring leader and James ranked second. Only one point a game separated them. James had 7.5 rebounds a game while Durant had 6.8 in 2010-11. Over his four year career, Durant has averaged 25.9 ppg and 6.3 rpg. In eight years, James averaged 27.7 ppg and 7.1 rpg, both higher than Durant.

Once Durant escaped the black hole that was Seattle, he was able to finally taste what is was like to go to the playoffs. James helped take Cleveland to the playoffs before heading to Miami, almost a miracle in itself. In 2010-11, the Thunder lost to Dallas in the Western Conference Finals while the Heat lost to Dallas in the NBA Finals. This is a competition that should entertain audiences for a long time and I see a number of Finals meetings between these two players.

The Personality

There were few athletes in the NBA more beloved than King James over the first few years of his career. The kid came in and tore it up for a horrible Cleveland Cavaliers team. Then something went drastically wrong. James chose to leave Cleveland, a smart move considering the ineptitude in ownership there, and became a notorious icon. He set up a televised special to announce where he would play. He made a mockery of Cleveland and people turned on him in a heartbeat.

Cleveland, because of their owner, did not deserve to keep LeBron James. However, James was becoming an anti-hero in Miami, someone the rest of the world despised. When he tried to help turn the Heat into a super team, everyone outside of his core fan base turned on him.

That is where Durant has the advantage. He remains humble. He remains a normal guy. He spends time with the fans and recently he even played flag football with some local college kids to blow off some steam. Durant is the nice guy that we all thought James used to be. What will happen in the future? No one can tell but Durant signed an extension with Oklahoma City and it looks like he will be staying here.

Watching Kevin Durant and LeBron James play is exciting. What is more exciting is that they will be knocking heads for years to come. This is one pairing of superstars that might actually rival the MJ vs. Magic games from yesteryear.

Author Shawn S. Lealos is an avid sports fan who has lived in Oklahoma for over 40 years. He used to religiously follow the Dallas Mavericks until Oklahoma City found a team to call their own.

Source: Yahoo! Sports

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After rumors cropped up Friday, Oct. 21, that the Los Angeles Lakers were looking to add former NBA player and D-League coach Darvin Ham to the coaching staff, the deal has finally come to fruition.

On Monday, Oct. 24, the Lakers officially hired Ham to join the team as one of the pawns in head coach Mike Brown’s army of assistants.

Despite the questionable future of a 2011-2012 NBA season that may never begin, the Lakers and Brown have already added five assistant coaches to the roster. Ham will now join the likes of John Kuester, Ettore Messina, Chuck Person and Quin Synder as Lakers assistants who will work as Brown’s wingmen on the sidelines.

With this latest move, Brown has already surpassed the number of assistants that former Lakers head coach Phil Jackson had during his reign.

“I’m very happy to have Darvin join our coaching staff,” Brown said. “I’ve known Darvin since his rookie year in Denver and have watched him make the transition from player to coach. He has put in the hard work that is necessary to have success at this level and I look forward to having him on our staff.”

As Brown mentioned, him and Ham go way back to the new assistant’s 1996 NBA rookie season. After going undrafted out of Texas Tech, he was picked up as an undrafted free agent by the Denver Nuggets. At the same time, Brown was working on Denver’s basketball operations staff.

To go along with his ties to Brown, Ham also has numerous connections with other Lakers staff members. He played under Kuester when he was a member of the Detroit Pistons from 2003 to 2005. As a member of the D-League Austin Toros in 2008, he played under Synder. Although it doesn’t have as much meaning, he did also compete against Person a few times during the three years that they were both playing in the NBA.

“I’m truly honored and grateful for Mike Brown, Mitch Kupchak and the entire Lakers organization for presenting me with this amazing opportunity,” Ham said. “I look forward to making my contribution in sustaining the championship tradition that the Lakers have established throughout their history in the NBA. I’m very excited about our staff and players, and am ready to get to work to help bring another championship to this prestigious franchise.”

Whether there will be a 2011-2012 NBA season has yet to be seen. If and when it does begin, though, the Los Angeles Lakers will be more than ready to bring the best out in each and every one of their players with the tremendous versatility that this coaching staff possesses.

For a more in-depth look at Ham’s NBA background, read my previous article on the Lakers’ newest assistant coach.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Los Angeles native who was born into a family of diehard Lakers fans. For more Lakers coverage, follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV.

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In the midst of a greedy NBA Lockout that is bent on consuming the entire season, the Los Angeles Lakers are still hard at work preparing for something that may never happen.

Despite a busy offseason that has already involved the signings of assistant coaches John Kuester, Chuck Person, Ettore Mesina and Quin Synder, the coaching carousel keeps spinning. Head coach Mike Brown has decided to add another head to his coaching staff in the form of Darvin Ham. Although nothing is official, Ham is expected to be added in the near future as a Lakers assistant.

“We’ve interviewed and talked to him,” Lakers’ team spokesman John Black said of Ham. “But he’s on a small, small list of assistant coaches Coach Brown is considering.”

Name doesn’t ring a bell? Well let me fill you in.

A former NBA player and D-League coach, Ham has been around the block in the NBA. After attending Texas Tech, he went undrafted in the 1996 NBA Draft and was subsequently signed to the Denver Nuggets. He then became an NBA journeyman, bouncing around between eight different teams between the years of 1996 and 2007. Included in his basketball tour were two international trips, one to Spain and one to the Philippines.

Ham’s final NBA stint came with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2007 preseason. His talents weren’t enough, though, as he was waived before the regular season began. He was then drafted third overall in the 2007 NBA D-League Draft by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds, a then-affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers. In 2008, he was traded to the Austin Toros right before his playing days came to an end.

Once he had hung up his sneakers, he began coaching. His first stint as a coach came with the Thunderbirds, where he started as an assistant coach before becoming the head coach in 2010. In his first and only season as the team’s head honcho, he led them to a 20-30 record.

His travels from one corner of the basketball world to another weren’t what made his name recognizable around the NBA community, though. The pride and joy of his basketball career came in 1996 when he was pictured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. In the shot, he was seen tearing down the backboard, glass shattering behind him, in a game against the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Lakers’ star Kobe Bryant(notes) and Ham also competed against each other during the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, but that connection doesn’t appear to have much influence in this latest addition to the Lakers family.

His travels seem to have landed him in Los Angeles, where he will hopefully have a chance to help the Lakers turn in a successful 2011-2012 season.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Los Angeles native who was born into a family of diehard Lakers fans. For more Lakers coverage, follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV.

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Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson recently roasted LeBron James(notes) during a talk at the University of Albany. If you read some of Magic’s zingers about the Miami Heat superstar out of context, you might think that Magic was ripping LeBron apart. That’s simply not the case.

In fact I’m going to show you a really easy way to figure out how basketball writers covering this topic feel about LeBron James, personally. Type in “Magic Johnson rips LeBron” in Google and I’d bet that 8 out of 10 writers who used the word rip in their headline dislike LeBron James. If you don’t like the King, now you’ve got more reading options. If you’re tired of the witch-hunt, you’ll know who to avoid.

Why, you ask? Because Magic definitely wasn’t ripping LeBron. Rip is a strong word. Skip Bayless rips LeBron. Ric Bucher rips LeBron. Magic Johnson was in roast master mode.

Check out the video for yourself. Listen to Magic’s tone and observe his body language.

It looks like he’s about to break out the Hulk Hogan crazy ear-cupping thing after every joke he makes.

But even if it was just a stand-up comedy routine, of which I have little doubt, we all know that roasts live off of the half-joke. The fact there’s usually some grain of truth behind what’s said is exactly what makes the roast so delicious.

So here are the two bombs Magic dropped during his routine:

1. LeBron will never be a champion

“There’s going to always be great players in basketball. There’s going to always be guys who win championships in the NBA, except LeBron…”

I mean you have to watch the video, if only for this part. Magic was discussing minority scholarships and responding to a question about HIV survival when he randomly just busts out with this grenade in the middle of the sermon, takes two thrilled steps forward, a few more to the side and looks like he’s about to howl at the Hulkamaniacs. It’s awesome, but definitely a joke.

2. Kobe is better than LeBron

“Everybody’s always asking, ‘Who is better between Kobe and LeBron?’ I’m like, Are you kidding me? I’m like, you’re kidding me… Kobe, five championships; LeBron, zero.”

Here’s the half-truth part. Told like a joke, but the double “are you kidding mes” and the fact that he’s worked with Kobe Bryant(notes) his entire career leads me to believe that there’s a chance Magic might actually believe this.

Before I point out the hypocrisy here, I just want to say that Magic is my favorite baller, ever. His Topps rookie card hangs proudly on a plaque in my house, I consider him a top five player in history and his infectious personality makes him one the most likeable athletes in all of sports. When he made his comeback in 1996, every nationally televised Lakers game was basically the Super Bowl for me.

Respect and admiration aside, what the heck is the magic man thinking?

Did he use this same logic in the late 80s to convince himself that he was better than Michael Jordan? Back then, Magic had five rings and Jordan had zero, just like Kobe and LeBron. And yet, Magic’s greatest rival, Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Larry Bird, was already calling MJ the most awesome player in the world in only his second year and added the memorable: “I think it’s just God disguised as Michael Jordan.”

Reality is that I don’t even need to ask Magic that question. I clearly remember when Bob Costas interviewed Johnson during the 1993 Finals between the Chicago Bulls and the Phoenix Suns. Magic was already proclaiming that His Airness was the best of all time.

High praise, considering the 2 to 5 drawback.

It seems that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird both had a sense that individual player greatness could exist outside of team victories. That winning six titles put an appropriate cherry on top MJ’s career, but that he didn’t need any to be best -he was that good.

And you know what? I’m certain that Magic realizes that it’s not as easy as five to zero. He realizes that for a while Jordan’s best teammate was either Charles Oakley or Bill Cartwright. That LeBron James’ was Mo Williams(notes). That even Kobe didn’t win the first year the Lakers got Pau.

And that not everyone is lucky enough to play for nearly a decade with either Kareem or James Worthy, or Shaq in his prime.

In fact I’m sure that deep down inside Magic knows that LeBron is the best in the NBA right now, late-game and playoffs woes or not.

He’ll just never say it out loud.

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Kobe Bryant(notes) of the Los Angeles Lakers is taking his talents on the road to faraway and exotic locations. Just like a rock band with a worldwide following, Bryant is reportedly putting together some world-class NBA talent for a “barnstorming” 10-day tour of the world. According to reports, the tour could include stops in Puerto Rico, London, Australia and China. Kobe and Friends could have a roster that includes Kevin Durant(notes), Chris Paul(notes), LeBron James(notes) and Blake Griffin(notes).

Just want to play some ball

I’m sure some will see this as an injury risk, but it does show that some of these guys just want to ball. If you have played basketball at a high level your whole life, and now you have to sit at home and not compete, you might be itching to get out on the court. Durant has already been playing pickup ball and others are heading overseas. Kobe obviously has a global following, and it is quite possible that he could turn a short tour into a popular entrepreneurial venture.

An indicator of attitude?

Does this show that NBA stars don’t think a deal is going to get done anytime soon? NBA talks with a Federal mediator continue, but it is hard to gauge progress. It still feels like David Stern and the owners are going through the motions of negotiations but are ultimately going to be unwilling to budge from their financial position.

Nothing to lose?

Do these players have something to lose? Certainly. I probably worry the most about Blake Griffin, who is young and has already missed a season due to major injury. These exhibition-type games are typically laid-back and lacking in defense like the NBA All-Star game, but players can still tear an ACL in a casual pick-up game. It will certainly be interesting to see if this tour comes together and if Kobe and Friends becomes a duplicated model over the next few months.

Sources:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AgBCmkswYrf96newEHIWPIS8vLYF?slug=aw-wojnarowski_nba_barnstorming_tour_101911

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=An09c0ysRoVt2WSOz9DaVsU5nYcB?slug=ap-nbalabor

The author grew up in Seattle and now lives in Los Angeles, where he waits patiently for the Sonics to return to the Pacific Northwest. In the meantime, he roots for the Clippers to become a winning franchise, and perhaps even the most popular team in their own city.

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MANILA, Philippines – Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant is asking critics to “back off” from Miami Heat forward LeBron James.

In an interview with ESPN’s George Smith, Bryant addressed the media and fan backlash on James, whose team lost in 6 games to the Dallas Mavericks.

“I think people need to lay off that kid,” Bryant said, adding that he had gotten to know James well through the Olympic team.

The 2-time NBA Most Valuable Player was criticized for his failure in the NBA Finals, specially during the 4th quarter.

“They need to let him play, let him live his life, let him make his decisions and let him mature as a player,” Bryant added.

Bryant, who is a 5-time NBA champion, said that it was tough to be under the microscope all the time.

James and the Miami Heat were subject to intense media scrutiny throughout the 2010-2011 NBA season, after he and fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh came together to play in South Beach.

“I would like everybody to just back off him and just let him play,” Bryant said.

Kelly Dwyer of Yahoo! Sports basketball blog Ball Don’t Lie praised Bryant’s words, saying that it was “incredibly cool” of Bryant to defend James, especially as the 2 players were supposed to be big rivals.

But other sports bloggers say that Bryant’s words will have little effect.

The Lakers Blog on the Los Angeles Times says that James invited the media attention after announcing his free agency decision on a 1-hour special on ESPN, as well as claiming that the Heat will win multiple championships.

Matt Moore of CBS, meanwhile, says that Bryant’s comment was a nice sentiment, but it will not affect sports fans’ feelings towards James.