You had to know it would happen with 66 games in 120 days. Someone was going to fall off. Surprises are a double-edged sword; Somebody has to fall. Besides Miami – who despite the loss last night look like the runaway best team in the NBA – who else can you say has really been dominating? I’ll give you Chicago. But after that Portland has been blown out at home and on the road to two dysfunctional teams with superstars on the edge of town (Phoenix, Orlando). Denver is feasting on the weak but struggling against talent. Atlanta, who knows what’s going on with them? Read More »

So what did Otis Smith say? Or what did he do? Something happened. Something weird, because just hours after Dwight Howard basically came out and said “Look man, trade me. I’m not feeling like we can work things out. You and I don’t have a good relationship,” the big man is now saying he loves Orlando and doesn’t want to leave. Whereas Chris Paul had made it pretty clear he’s not trying to stay in New Orleans, Howard has been going back and forth for the past few weeks on whether he wants to stay or not. Read More »

Remember Jan Vesely’s Notebook-worthy kiss of his girlfriend last night? Her name is Eva Koudouskova and she’s taller than half of Minnesota’s roster. There are some hilarious YouTube videos of her and Jan where the reporters ask her all about her game (she hoops), with Vesely standing to the side like a sick puppy, only getting questions like “Where did you meet her?” or “How do you pronounce her last name?” Read More »

Chances are you tuned in to the NBA Finals this June. Other than it being the most-watched Finals in nine seasons, and the series going seven games, the Lakers and Celtics also have two of the strongest (if not the strongest) fan bases in the League. So for all you fans out there in Laker Nation, here’s your chance to take home a personal all-access, behind-the-scenes pass for the archives. Read More »

As the Lakers begin their quest to three-peat, they first must solve a big problem: They currently have no point guards on their roster. Starting PG Derek Fisher is an unrestricted free agent. His backup, Jordan Farmar, is going to be a restricted free agent. And the third-stringer, Shannon Brown, is going to opt out of his contract and also be a free agent as well.

Midnight tonight is when the free-agent frenzy will begin, and for Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, that means sorting through about 200 available players to find which pieces fit L.A.’s roster. And for a championship squad, it’s not as simple as picking the best talent; you also have to consider chemistry and whether one can perform in the pressure-cooker of the NBA Finals. Read More »

Kobe Bryant played the majority of the last few years with finger problems. Two years ago, he suffered ligament damage in his right pinkie. Last year, it was more major: multiple fractures in his right index finger.

There was no real cause for concern, however — he just played through the pain and would presumably get it fixed in the offseason. Read More »

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak had two main goals going into this season: signing Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to contract extensions. After today, he has achieved both of them. Kobe has signed a three-year contract extension with Los Angeles, the team announced today. The deal will keep him in a Laker uniform through the 2013-14 season. Read More »