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In terms of winning NBA championships, Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson has had more career success in the city of Chicago, but he could not be a better fit for the bright lights of Hollywood and all the drama it entails. Jackson's laid-back nature and cynical attitude are a perfect fit for his talented team of dysfunctional players, and even better when considering how much he has done for the ...

The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the most storied and successful franchises in the history of the NBA, and have established a legacy which will endure for generations. The list of players who have donned the purple and gold reads like a who's who of NBA royalty, and because Laker ownership is dedicated to excellence, Los Angeles has been able to maintain that through the years. Even more impressive is the ...

There is no question that this NBA season has been disappointing for the Golden State Warriors and their fans, but in the clouds of 2009-10, the Warriors may have found the player capable of leading them into the future. Rookie point guard Stephen Curry has performed well above expectations and in a season marked by turmoil, has proved to be the Warriors' most consistent and talented player. Some may scoff at this notion ...

Pressure is mounting for the eight teams trying to secure home court advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs, and the response in the final few weeks of the regular season will likely impact the postseason. The identity of the final eight teams may be settled, but the race for positioning among some will be fast and fierce with less than a game separating some teams in the standings. In ...

Speed kills, and for the number of times the Los Angeles Lakers have been decimated by opposing point guards they more than qualify to appear in the next public service announcement as the perfect example. The Lakers' 91-75 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night was akin to viewing a horrible movie which is played constantly despite the poor quality. Soul Plane comes to mind. Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant ...

When LeBron James refused to shake friend and fellow Olympian's Dwight Howard's hand after the Cleveland Cavaliers' loss in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals, many observers chalked it up to the pain of his defeat. Even though one of the first things taught when competing in sporting events is the value of sportsmanship and the ability to accept defeat gracefully, "King James" was nonetheless given a pass for his indiscretion. In what ...

If the Los Angeles Lakers are searching for a blueprint for postseason success, a good starting point would be the defensive performance against San Antonio on Wednesday night. Phil Jackson should bookmark the fourth quarter of that game, and when his team fails to display the same type of aggressiveness and tenacity, he can return to that scene as a point of reference. The Lakers defeated the Spurs, 92-83, and held Tim ...

It should come as no surprise the image America holds of itself is very different from the way it is perceived around the globe. Our insistence on being the greatest country on Earth is seen as arrogance by everyone else. One of the hardest perceptions to shed is America as a nation shrouded in hypocrisy, and non-natives use everything from discovering a country which was previously inhabited, to the horrors of slavery to prove ...

I will always remember the epic collapse of the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals, because it is the first time I have openly cheered for another team due to the defection of Shaquille O'Neal to the Miami Heat. To be fair, the Mavericks were the victims of some of the worst playoff officiating I have ever witnessed, but the manner in which the games are called is no excuse for the pitiful ...

San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Houston, New Orleans, and Atlanta represent the final road gauntlet the Los Angeles Lakers must conquer, and how the team performs on this trip will likely have postseason implications. Complicating matters, the Lakers will be without the services of Andrew Bynum, who sprained his left achilles' heel against Sacramento earlier in the week. His return is not expected for another two weeks. Of the five teams the Lakers ...