Official Laker-Hater Championship thread. Whining encouraged!!

[California Injun]

Leave it to the JailBlazers to tank their game against the lowly Clippers to avoid meeting the San Antonio Spurs in their bracket.

Leave it to the 3-Time Champs to exude class by whomping up on the lowly Warriors to secure the #5 seed and eventually match-up with the Spurs in the next round.

That "whoosh" you hear is from the Cowtown Euros as they get a cakewalk to the Western Finals by playing the Utah Greybeards and then the defenseless Cuban Cigars.

The Staples Crew will EASILY dispatch those toothless T-Cubs before a BIG match-up against the Boot Accessorizors. This will be a huge test for the Champs but they will eventually prevail before the long awaited match-up with the Farmers.

Once past the Spurs, the Lakers will throttle the Kings and send that franchise reeling. Rumor has it that Brittney Spears is already scoping out Mark Madsen for a date to the NBA Finals.

Unlike the Detroit Red Wings complete choke job in this years NHL Finals, the Big Aristolte has his crew all primed for a Quatro.

Long live the Lakers dynasty and their loyal fans.

Long live the venomous hatred of those unfortunate souls who continue to slander this great organization.

As Kobe said tonight in the post game interview;

"It's time to dance, baby!"

[The Bad Guy]

Mark Madsen's most positive moment of any game is to jump off the bench like some tough guy and go nuts after a Kobe drive to the hoop or a Shaq dunk. How he constantly is shown on national TV, making a spectacle of himself... he's just a tall fan wearing a Lakers jersey. Please get rid of him. And he's just one of many problems.

Madsen isn't a problem. While he really has no offensive skills, he plays tough defense and if the Lakers had 3 more guys like him defensively they would be playing game seven.

If you complain about Mark Madsen, surely you would want Mateen Cleeves off your team for the same type antics. Cleaves makes a bigger ass out of himself than Madsen ever could imagine. The only difference is that Madsen actually gets in the games. And I really don't see what is so wrong about standing up and clapping for your teammates. Madsen doesn't ask for the camera attention.

[KCTitus]

Official Laker-Hater Championship thread. Whining encouraged!!

The irony of it all...

[TEX]

Like I predected way back in this thread - SPURS IN 6!

Why can't I be just as right eith the Chiefs?

Okay, here it goes...Chiefs finish 11-5 and WIN THE WEST!
They face Buffalo in the AFC Championship and WIN!
They beat the Packers in the SUPER BOWL!

[KCWolfman]

Unlike the Detroit Red Wings complete choke job in this years NHL Finals, the Big Aristolte has his crew all primed for a Quatro.

Wow, his prediction was right on the mark..............




















If "quatro" means getting stomped in the second round.

[LMO]

YYYYYYEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!
The Lakers lost to the Spurs. Soon to become one of the greatest win for the Spurs.Al Davis

[California Injun]

Originally posted by KCWolfman
GB - No, I don't even normally watch the NBA. I haven't since the early 80s when the officiating started to allow more and more contact.

I just wanted to watch Cal eat some prime sh*t tonight as he has sounded worse than Bronco Rob a few years back.

(sweep, sweep, sweep, sweep) Russ is a Celtics fan (sweep, sweep, sweep, sweep) and a Red Wings fan. Put the above quotation along side Bill Clinton's "I didn't inhale" statement for posterity. As for eating fecal matter, my upcoming post shall do justice.

[California Injun]

Unlike certain canines that post on this board while comfortably residing on the fence, I'm able to offer congratulations to the Spurs for doing the Lakers a GREAT service by beating our asses in Game #6. They actually whipped us in 3 of their 4 wins and it was plain to see they wanted the Ring more than the Lake Show.

Now comes the re-tooling that was badly needed after the 2nd Championship. In 2002, the Lakers added more hardware based upon the other teams FEAR of the Champs. Hence the Spurs and Kings crumbled like the graham cracker crust on your cream cheese pies last season when they porbably had the better overall talent.

This year, the Lakers got to be comedians and slept through the first 30 games going 11-19. They "flipped the switch" and felt that everything was back to normal. The T-Cubs still had that wolf in the headlights look and choked away the series in round One.

Now the Spurs had a score to settle and just about blew chunks in Game #5. Had Horry nailed that 3 it would have been emotionally OVER for them. Their "maturity" came when Duncan decided to honor his MVP status and put the team on his back for Game #6.

No way the Spurs win this clincher unless Duncan goes off. He wanted it and the Lakers did not. Plain and simple. So what happens next to the 3 time Champs? Your greatest fears are about to unfold.

1. Jerry Buss sits down with the Zenmaster and convinces him to stick around for his 10th ring. No way does Jackson walk away after a Game #6 like that. His ego won't tolerate it. Had the Lake Show prevailed, Phil would have retired.

2. Kobe and Shaq get to spend a Summer fielding questions about why they have to carry the Lakers EVERY season. Next thing you know, the Lakers pick up a bonafide power forward (not Karl Malone.....PULLLEEEZZEE!!) along with a legitimate back-up center to spell The Daddy for 10 minutes a game.

3. Say good-bye to; Samaki Walker, Brian Shaw, and possibly Rick Fox. I would say Tracy Murray but we never got to see him shoot the ball for 2003.

4. Robert Horry has too much basketball smarts to get waived. Madsen (despite others opinions) brings energy and hustle onto the court along with frustrating the star forwards by being this lame white guy trying to guard them. Ever watch how pissed the Garnetts and Duncan's get if they miss even ONE shot when he guards them?

5. Derek Fisher and Pargo(rookie) are keepers. Medvedenko just needs to get into the rotation. This guy can spin the twine with his shooting. Problem is, he gets out of position too much in the Triangle.

6. And finally, Cal Injun will continue to post, boast and eventually toast the return of the Lakers to the top in 2004. Boldly predicting Championships (36 straight months of smack) versus a 4 month off-season to eat crow is still a 90% propostion.

The Spurs will no doubt win the Championship as Duncan just elelvated himself to SUPERstar status with that clutch performance in Game #6.

The NEW rivalry for the next 3-4 years will be the Spurs(and their role players) versus the Lakers (and their role players).

The Kings will once again be bridesmaids until they trade off that China doll Webber for someone that resembles a SUPERstar in the clutch.

[AJKCFAN]

Arrogant Lakers brought themselves down
May 16, 2003
By Mike Kahn
SportsLine.com Executive Editor
Tell Mike your opinion!

Arrogance ended the dynasty.

Confidence is one thing, and we know the Los Angeles Lakers had plenty of that. But the "Lake Show" was doomed to failure months before the 2002-2003 season even began.

All the foibles came spilling out as the Spurs annihilated the Lakers in the fourth quarter in front of a hushed Staples Center crowd, ending a 110-82 rout to finish the Western Conference semifinals Thursday night.

We saw Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal, his throbbing left knee barely holding up his enormous body as Tim Duncan looked like a younger, newer model, leaving dust in Shaq Diesel's face.

There was his superstar "little brother," Kobe Bryant, with no gas left in his tank, either, as defensive specialist Bruce Bowen and the rest of defense-oriented Spurs cut him off at every turn.

And finally in the face of defeat, there was the ultimate Zen Master looking so calm and forthright -- coach Phil Jackson -- with 25 consecutive playoff series victories, the best winning percentage and most postseason wins in history and nine NBA titles, a record he shares with Red Auerbach. Was it hard to forget that he was less than a week removed from 90 percent heart blockage that required an angioplasty procedure and a stent inserted?

There is a reason why nobody has won more than three titles in a row the past 37 years, and why the Boston Celtics won eight in a row and nine of out 10. Auerbach had that team intact, made improvements along the way and everyone was on the same page or sent packing.

Not these guys, who very well could have pulled it off if they used the same script.

It began immediately after the Lakers swept the New Jersey Nets for their third consecutive title last June. Rather than bring in immediate help for their weak cast of role players -- led by aging Robert Horry, Rick Fox and Brian Shaw -- they re-signed young Devean George to an inflated contract.

They ignored free agent Charles Oakley and all other big men who might have helped O'Neal and depended on a weak group of Samaki Walker, Slava Medvedenko and Mark Madsen. Only point guard Derek Fisher, erratic at best, is still in his prime but has to work with unpolished rookies Kareem Rush and Jannero Pargo.

Owner Jerry Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak thumbed their noses at everyone else -- heck, with Shaq and Kobe, we don't need much else, they said.

But that was presuming Shaq was all there. Oh, he was there all right, a little too much of him, again. His weight wasn't in the 360-pound range as he had been, but there were other issues. He waited until Sept. 11 to have foot surgery that caused him to miss training camp and the first 12 regular-season games. It also required more time to get in good enough condition to be competitive, and the result was an 11-19 start that left the team's chemistry in shambles. He said all season it was because he wanted three opinions on what to do with his foot.

Since when does it require nearly three months to get three opinions?

He copped out on his teammates.

Yes, they pulled it back together to finish 50-32, but by the time the playoffs rolled around, they were already tempting fate. O'Neal struggled, and with his foot and knee aching, he suddenly realized that at 31 and carrying too much weight, kryptonite wasn't required to break his body down. And despite being just 24, Bryant was clearly weary from carrying the team much of the season. George had been a bust, and nobody was helping O'Neal inside at all.

They looked very beatable before coming together to eliminate Timberwolves in the first round. They lost Fox to a torn tendon in his left foot and George subsequently sprained an ankle. And yet the Lakers still believed they could beat the Spurs.

The bigger question was whether the Spurs actually believed they could beat the Lakers. Yes, the Spurs were fabulous down the stretch of the regular season, finishing 41-9 and even sweeping the Lakers in four regular-season games.

They had added a lot of athleticism in Manu Ginobili and Speedy Claxton, with upgraded roles for Tony Parker and Stephen Jackson to complement Duncan. Malik Rose, in his bull-in-a-china-shop manner, was a terror inside subbing for Duncan and David Robinson, in the final season of his fabulous career.

And yet, the Lakers' arrogance (they had won eight of the past nine playoff games between the teams) still had the Spurs' confidence a little shaky. But by virtue of having the best regular-season record, the series opened in San Antonio, and the Spurs won Games 1 and 2 without much of an issue. The Lakers stung them badly in Game 3 in Los Angeles, but it was Game 4 that raised eyebrows. The Spurs opened up a 16-point lead and looked to be taking control of the series, only to fall apart in the third quarter, miss free throws down the stretch and give the Lakers life.

It was even worse in Game 5, when they blew virtually all of a 25-point lead they held late in the third quarter. But Horry's 3-pointer at the buzzer seemingly had the hand of the "Basketball Gods" push it out of the basket after it was two-thirds of the way down. Shell-shocked but victorious, the Spurs took a 3-2 lead to Los Angeles on Thursday night.

When that shot came out, the dreams of four consecutive titles ended. Even Horry, the quiet assassin with five titles (including two in Houston) who seemingly always hit the game-winning 3-pointer, was foiled. In fact, by the end Thursday night, he had missed 26 in a row and was 2-for-38 in the playoffs.

That was just a small part of the problem. The Lakers couldn't deal with Duncan, a magnificent technician inside. And even Robinson, dealing with back problems and sore knees as he approaches his 38th birthday, still had the savvy and skills to create some problems for O'Neal.

But that's not what caused them to lose when all was said and done. It began with not tweaking the roster up front and O'Neal's delayed surgery. They were just too arrogant to believe anyone was capable of derailing the Shaq Diesel Express on their way to setting new standards for excellence.

In some way, they believed they were taking their best shot at making history.

What they were left with Thursday night was an errant swing and a myth.

[AJKCFAN]

Originally posted by California Injun


4. Robert Horry has too much basketball smarts to get waived.

Trying to find a source online, but SportsCenter this morning definitely said the Lakers will NOT pick up the option on Horry.

Cal, you're making a mistake by not giving Dallas any respect. Win or lose tonight, they have definitely made great progress and clearly belong in the class of Championship-contending NBA Elite.

[The Bad Guy]

Cal,

The LA Times reported that the Lakers wouldn't pick up Horry's 5 million dollar option.

He could come back at a lesser salary, but LA can't shell out 5 million to a guy who doesn't show up for the regular season and then only has 1 good playoff game.

His defense is awful. They need a better player at that position.

[KCWolfman]

Nice Article AJK - You may have to help some people with the definitions contained therein.

[KCWolfman]

As for eating fecal matter, my upcoming post shall do justice.

Your past posts speak many more volumes than anything you post today (a few days after yours and Bryant's crying jag started, I might add).

You are eating turd sandwiches.

[AJKCFAN]

Originally posted by California Injun


3. I would say Tracy Murray but we never got to see him shoot the ball for 2003.

Why was that anyway? That was always on my mind. What happened to Murray? Did he get hurt? The guy has always been able to shoot

Originally posted by California Injun


Medvedenko just needs to get into the rotation. This guy can spin the twine with his shooting.

I just caught myself from fainitng. Cal thinks highly of a "Euro"? Has the world gone mad? Since we're complementing Euros, you can put an entire 12 man roster of Euros with 3 more on the injured list before we reach your Euro (Dirk, Tony Parker, Peja, Vlade, Hedo, Gasol, Kukoc, Giricek, Kirilenko, Nesterovic, Okur, Illgauskus with #2 or #3 overall pick this year Darko Milicic, Radmonovic, Tsakalidis, Drobnjak and Knicks PG draftee Milos Vujanic sporting the Mateen Cleaves style throwback warmup jerseys)

Originally posted by California Injun


6. And finally, Cal Injun will continue to post, boast and eventually toast the return of the Lakers to the top in 2004. Boldly predicting Championships (36 straight months of smack) versus a 4 month off-season to eat crow is still a 90% propostion.

When it comes to the Lakers, grace just isn't your style. They lost. I may as well use that logic and call for the Islanders to win the Stanley Cup next year, since by boldly predicting Stanley Cups since 1980 that the Islanders would win the Cup, I would be right 16% of the time, even though I'd have been right 0% of the time over the last 20 years. Your signature remarkably chnaged from "The Quatro" to something else while the playoffs were still going on. Gee, I wonder why?

I refuse to knock the Lakers. They were great champions and it's impossible to imagine Shaq and Kobe being through collecting rings. But even they knew when to quit dishing out the trash....

Now, my boys could very well be joining you later tonight on the beach, on the fishing boat, on the golf course, in the strip clubs... or we could be doing that in 2 weeks after the Spurs get through with us if we advance tonight. But I know you well enough to know you're hoping beyond hope Dallas or San Antonio gets rid of the Kings. In which case, you're no different from me in that we both take pleasure in rooting for another team to defeat the team we love... but that's cool.

As for tonight's game, I won't be by a computer in all likelihood, so my lone commentary. I hope the Kings win, but if my life depended on predicting tonight's winner, I'd say the Mavs have a 7 in 10 chance of winning this game. They have impressed me a lot with their awesome offensive display (BTW, not to knock any Lakers fan here, but how could you let Van Exel go? And what did you get for him?) and really have become beasts at home. This is a very tough spot for the Kings, without Webber.

To win, the Kings must become Laker-like in terms of tempo and poise. Slow the game down, make it the 1st team to 100 wins. Be patient on offense. Absolutely never shoot the 3 early or in transition, even if wide open.... use the clock and shoot the 3 with crisp ball movement that the Kings are great at doing. Go to the FT line and shoot 80% or above for the game and 85-90% in the 4th quarter. Divac must stay out of foul trouble, since he causes problems offensively for Dallas. Chrstie and Peja must also avoid foul problems (can't believe how much better Christie has played sicne Webber's injury... as a matter of fact, I'll take a seaweed bath in tribute to him if the Kings win tonight's game). Bibby doesn't need to be 2002 Bibby but he MUST hold his own vs Nash, for I expect Bobby Jackson to be playing another solid and efficient game. From there, the rest of the Kings cast (Hedo, Clark, Jim Jackson) must all contribute.

The Kings have taken all the learning steps and have suffered all the heartache a team can have before becoming champions. There's no more nice tries. There's no more we''ll get 'em next year, for if they lose tonight's game... I expect Petrie to look at making some tough decisions and do a bit of roster shakeup of his own. Teams have won Game 7's on the road (boy do I know that) before and it's more than the Lakers over Kings last year. See the Knicks over the Heat in 2000 or the Rockets over the Suns in 1995. It doesn't happen a lot, but it can happen.

Poise and tempo. If the Kings have these 2 things, tonight won't be the last game of the Kings season. If they miss either or both, Dallas will deservedly advance to face the Spurs.

And oh yeah, it couldn't hurt to hold Van Exel to under 25 points tonight... (and any of the other Big 4 to under 30)

[Chiefs Pantalones]

I don't know why I keep seeing on TV that this is the "end of an era", and that this is the end of the Lakers. I laugh. I really don't see it. If they improve their talent (preferably powerforward), they will win the Championship next year. Shaq and Kobe aren't going anywhere. They can't do it by themselves like they used to because the league has caught up with them because of the lack of talent around them. If they keep improving the talent...this off-season, and so on, they'll probably win it every year.

All I'm saying is that it isn't over. Not by a long shot. The Lakers losing this series was probably the best thing to happen to them, and the worst thing to happen for the rest of the league.

[KcMizzou]

Originally posted by Oprah

All I'm saying is that it isn't over. Not by a long shot. The Lakers losing this series was probably the best thing to happen to them, and the worst thing to happen for the rest of the league.

spin spin spin.


and "if they improve their talent" they'll be back? Yeah... and if they'd scored more point than the Spurs they'd still be playing.

I'd venture to say if the Clippers were to "improve their talent" they'd be a better team than they are as well....