Below are the 7 most recent journal entries recorded in lakersrookies' LiveJournal:

Monday, January 29th, 2007
7:01 pm	Being Jack Nicholson Have you ever imagined what it would be like to watch a Los Angeles Lakers game from Jack Nicholson’s courtside seat at Staples Center? Unless you’re obsessed with the Lakers like I am, the answer is probably no. Well, I have and last Sunday I had an opportunity to get a glimpse of what it’s like when I attended an epic battle between the Los Angeles D-Fenders and the Colorado 14ers. At this point you’re probably thinking to yourself “What in the world are D-Fenders and 14ers?” Actually, before Sunday I had never heard of the 14ers myself. Well it turns out that they are both teams in the National Basketball Development League. The NBDL, or D-League, was set up by the NBA as something of a minor league. Players that aren’t quite ready for the big time can spend a year or two in the D-League seasoning their game in the hope that they will eventually get called up. So now you might be wondering, "Pocho, you attend Laker games regularly, why would you want to go to a D-League game?" That’s where Jack Nicholson comes in. Most NBDL teams are affiliated with two or three NBA teams. The Lakers decided to do things differently and own their team, I would imagine so they might have more control over the development of their players. So they went ahead and bought their own team, the D-Fenders. This year, the D-Fenders are playing their home games at Staples Center before Laker games and anyone with a Laker ticket can get admission. Normally that still wouldn’t be enough to get me to a D-Fenders game. But this week I got a promotional e-mail from the Lakers that the first 75 Laker season ticket holders that arrive would get courtside seats for the D-Fenders game. I asked my friend Vayacondios if he was interested in going and being as obsessed with the Lakers as I am, he was up for it. We arrived at the game a little late but the courtside seats were still available. From years of watching Lakers game I knew exactly were Jack Nicholson sat and made a beeline for his seat next to the opposing team’s bench. It was a whole new world. It actually felt a little surreal being that close to the action. I could actually see the players, when the 14ers’coach wasn’t standing in my way, instead of distant blurs that I see from my regular nosebleed seats. I could hear the coaches complaining about the calls and the players yelling encouragement to each other. I even felt like I was more a part of the game as the players walked by me to substitue into the game and loose balls bounced my way. Sure, instead of Kobe vs. Wade I was watching Von Wafer vs. Devin Green, but it was still a good time. Speaking of Devin and Von, both former Lakers had pretty good games. Devin had an outstanding first quarter in which he scored 13 points and helped guide the D-Fenders to a narrow lead at halftime. Von, playing for the 14ers, had a big second half and ended the game with 29 points to help rally the 14ers past the hometown team. He also had the line of the night as he walked past me and my friend during a timeout and said “They better stop playing that [bleeping] zone.” Of course my friend and I weren’t allowed to stay in those seats for the Lakers/Spurs game. Nicholson actually didn’t even show for the Spurs game, so it’s not like he was going to need the seats. Nevertheless we had to head to the top of the arena to our regular seats. Fortunately the Lakers strong effort helped me forget about how far away I was from the court. It was a big victory to finish off the first quarter of the season in which the Lakers played 16 out of 20 games at Staples Center (including one “road” game against the Clippers). After going 14-6 in that stretch, hopefully the Lakers can carry the momentum as they head out to Texas to face the Rockets and Mavericks. Those two games will probably give us a better picture of how far the Lakers can go this season. But that picture won’t compare to the view I had at the D-Fenders game. Now if only I can figure out a way to sit courtside for a Laker game. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 26th, 2006
5:48 pm	Lakers 132, Utah 102 What a difference a few days make! After sneaking by us a few days ago, the Los Angeles Lakers reminded the Utah team of the hierarchy in the West. Sparked by 52 points from the Incredible KB24, the Lakers cruised to a 30-point win. Lakers (10-5) Season Stats | Roster Starters Name Reb Ast PF Pts K Bryant, G 4 3 5 52 L Odom, F 11 8 0 14 L Walton, F 3 3 4 10 S Parker, G 1 3 3 7 K Brown, C 5 3 3 2 Bench NameRebAstPFPts M Evans 4 1 2 17 R Turiaf 3 2 1 8 J Farmar 0 1 4 8 A Bynum 6 0 2 6 S Vujacic 0 0 1 5 V Radmanovic 5 3 2 3 (Comment on this)
Thursday, November 2nd, 2006
1:26 pm	Red Auerbach - Master Innovator of the NBA "Auerbach was an innovator in almost everything he did," said Jerry West, who played for the rival Los Angeles Lakers and now runs the Memphis Grizzlies. "He not only brought the black athlete to Boston; more importantly, he recognized the greatness of the athletes that he had.” The world knows Red Auerbach as the “greatest coach that ever lived.” NBA.com describes Auerbach as the Patriarch, the boss, an American Original... the man. In his storied career as the coach and the GM of the Boston Celtics, he won a record 16 NBA Championships. Auerbach passed away last weekend at the age of 89. How did Auerbach become the greatest coach of all times? Auerbach created many innovations that practically changed the game of basketball, the NBA and the business of coaching. Auerbach was a creative coach who even created a five-step process for hiring the best athletes on his team. Here are a few Auerbach original innovations that shaped and changed the game of basketball in his time. Innovations that have since become integral to the way the game is played today: In 1954, the NBA initiated the 24-second clock, in order to eliminate the tactic and speed up the game in general. The "Celtic fast break" engineered by Bob Cousy, and invented by Auerbach was born, and it went on to became one of the NBA legends of the era. Bill Russell, a basketball legend recruited by Auerbach, was such a shot-blocking genius that he would often block them to a teammate in order to trigger a Celtic fast break that would culminate in two easy points at the other end of the court. The modern concept of Transition Basketball, meaning offense predicated by opportunities provided by effective defense, was a Celtic invention.Auerbach also invented the concept of the "6th Man." Players like Frank Ramsey, followed by Sam Jones and John Havlicek, were as important as any of the starting five, and all went on to become Hall of Famers. Auerbach was the first coach to recognize the importance of the bench, and recruited solid players who would play well when the starters rest.Auerbach drafted the NBA's first black player, hired its first black coach and fielded its first all-black starting five, and he did it in racially combustible Boston. "Red did all that, but he wasn't doing that because he was trying to break ground," Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics head coach said. "His response was always: 'I'm trying to win a game and that's who I think gives us the best chance.' I think his example spread throughout the league."Auerbach did not rest his players during the off-season. His teams would barnstorm throughout the six New England states and play as many pre-season games as they could each year in preparation for the new season. Off-season rigor and preparation. Another Auerbach original. Auerbach appointed Bill Russell as the player-coach, making him the first African American to head a major professional sports team in the history of the United States. Russell led the Celtics to two NBA titles in his three years of coaching, becoming the first African American to lead a major league team to a championship. The distinction of being the only coach to get thrown out of an All-Star Game and an Old Timers Game showed Auerbach's intense competitive spirit to win any game, every game. That’s Red Auerbach. "The Celtics aren't a team," Red Auerbach once said. "They're a way of life." In honor of Red Auerbach who passed away last weekend leaving behind a legacy of coaching, leadership, and innovations in the game of basketball. References: Haaretz Boston Herald Monsters and Critics Mercury News NBA (Comment on this)
Friday, August 18th, 2006
11:49 am	Farmar to his Hometown Lakers This seriously is unbelievable. I really don’t think even Hollywood could script such a story. Not only does Jordan Farmar live out his childhood dream of playing for his hometown UCLA Bruins, but now he get’s drafted in the first round by his hometown Los Angeles Lakers. I’ve known Jordan since he was an infant, and seriously, I know his family has to be incredibly happy right now. I know I’m excited for him. My neighborhood has only had one guy have a brush with the NBA (Marlon Garnett…he was Steve Nash’s back court partner at Santa Clara), but to see Jordan become successful the way he has makes me extremely happy. While we’re at it, here are some good Farmar stories: When we were younger he played in a “two ball” tournament that the Lakers hosted at the Forum for members of their Laker YMCA teams. Jordan and his friend were so good, that they made it won the entire tournament and got an opportunity to shoot during halftime of a Laker game. Their strategy was flawless: Have Jordan shoot all of the shots, and have the other kid just chase the rebounds and shoot layups. He was so much better than the rest of the kids his age back then it was almost unfair. This year, I had a chance to go check out the NCAA West Regionals in Oakland in March. I was extra stoked to go up there for a couple of reasons. First: I was getting to see Adam Morrison play live for the first time all year. I mean, I attempted to check him out in L.A. while he was here playing Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount, but tickets were sold out to both games. But even more, I was excited to see my childhood friend Jordan Farmar play. After an incredible game, in which UCLA made a miraculous comeback, I headed over to the hotel where I was staying to meet a couple of friends. The hotel just happened to be the same hotel where Memphis and UCLA were staying, and considering that both teams had just won their respective games, you can guess how crazy the atmosphere was that night. Anyhow, eventually UCLA would show up and Farmar and the rest of his UCLA teammates started to celebrate a bit with the rest of the UCLA faithful in the lobby. After a while you could tell that Jordan just wanted everyone to go away so he could hang out with his family a bit. Finally most of the fans would clear out of the lobby. Jordan looked relieved that he would finally get a chance to just relax and take everything in, and as soon as he does just that, this rabid drunk UCLA fan comes in ranting about how much money he spent on tickets to the game and how much money UCLA just made him. The guy just happened to be an Asian guy with a slight accent (which made the conversation even funnier). UCLA Fan: “Fucking Faaaaahmaaah! Where is fucking Faaaahmaaah?!?!” Jordan, sitting in a lounge chair in the hotel lobby has this look on his face like he just wants to run away, but at this point, I think he’s just too tired to attempt to move. UCLA Fan: “Dair he is. Right dair! Fucking Fahmaaaaah! Do you know how much money I paid to see you guys play? I pay two thousand Dollah to see you guys play today. And you know what?!?!?!?! I would have paid ten thousand if I would have known the game would have been this fucking crazy. Fuck! I’m next Jordan fucking Faaaahmaaaaah. You my hero Fahamah." (Looks to his friend.) "Take picture of me and Fucking Fahmaaah." Anyhow, In terms of the pick for the Lakers, I think he is a great fit. Farmar is an intelligent player with both great defensive and playmaking mentalities. The knock on him has been his lack of a consistent three-point shot. But I’ve been watching this kid play all through high school and college and can tell you that his shot is better than what most people think. He is better at catching and shooting than he is at pulling up off of the dribble. Most teams want a point guard that can stop and pop. But in the Lakers system, a guy that is more comfortable spotting up and hitting open jumpers is much more valuable to them. I know his shooting percentages were off this year, but people forget that he played almost the entire season on two bad ankles. Farmar will certainly play on the Lakers’ Long Beach Summer Pro League team. He should use that time to pick up the triangle offense and hone his NBA three. One scout told me he did not like Farmar because he didn’t think he was a nice guy because he always was yelling at his teammates. I don’t really see that as a negative. Basically it just tells me that Farmar (at only 19) has the balls to walk into a locker room and be a leader. As well, the kid is a relentless gym rat. He loves basketball, and probably will be up there with Kobe Bryant in terms of off-season work regimen. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the one calling Kobe up at 5AM to go running. Smush, I love you dogg, but it’s time for you to give up your starting spot and your jersey number to its rightful owner, because the real #1 will be coming to the Staple Center this season. And I have a feeling he’s going to be really good. (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 3rd, 2006
6:07 pm	LA Lakers The Lakers never lost a Game 7 like this — their worst Game 7 defeat had been a 113-99 loss to New York in the 1970 NBA Finals — and the Suns became only the eighth team in league history to win a series after trailing, 3-1. (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 29th, 2006
4:58 pm	Bozeman and Fey To Play For Lakers SPL Team By Bruin Basketball Report The 37th Annual Summer Pro League (SPL), the country’s premier summer professional basketball league, is ready to kick off another season at the Pyramid on the campus of the Long Beach State University from July 8th through July 22nd. To date, participating NBA teams include the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards, and Memphis Grizzlies. NBA teams usually have rookies, second-year players, and prospective free-agents play on their respective summer league teams. The Lakers' first round draft pick, UCLA's Jordan Farmar, is expected to play in the SPL, and according to DraftExpress, he will be joined by two former Bruin teammates - Cedric Bozeman and Michael Fey. Both free-agents, Bozeman and Fey were invited by the Lakers to play on a team which will include; Andrew Bynum, Sasha Vujacic, Devin Green, Von Wafer, Marcus Douthit, and Danilo Pinnock (Laker's 2006 2nd round pick). Along with other Lakers SPL invitees, Bozeman and Fey will be vying for coveted spots on the Lakers Preseason Camp roster which convenes later in October at Maui. A former point-guard who played primarily small forward last season, Bozeman has the size and ball-handling skills to play the role of the "initiator" on the Lakers triangle offense, a position which big guards, Ron Harper and Brian Shaw, played similarly for the Lakers during their championship years. Fey will back-up Andrew Bynum at center during SPL. The former Bruin center is not expected to go beyond summer league play for the Lakers, but the SPL will certainly give Fey an opportunity to gain experience at the next level. One player notably missing from the Lakers' SPL roster is Smush Parker, a player who will likely be competing with both Vujacic and Farmar for minutes at the point-guard position next season. Although Parker is not required by his contract to play in a summer league since he is a third-year player, one would think it would be beneficial for him to play in front of Laker coaches at SPL rather than be elsewhere. It was at last year's SPL where Parker shined during summer play and earned a roster spot at the Lakers' Preseason Camp. For more information on the SPL , visit the Southern California Summer Pro League site for game schedules and scores/results. (BruinBasketballReport.com) (Comment on this)
Thursday, July 27th, 2006
10:58 am	Lakers Pick Farmar The Los Angeles Lakers drafted former UCLA Bruin Jordan Farmar with the 26th overall pick. Looks like Farmar made the right choice of going pro and getting drafted in the first round. Even if he played another year, I don't think his draft stock would have gotten too much higher. I do wish him the best of luck. I do not really follow the NBA too much so I really don't have a favorite team. However, I do not like the Lakers the most! Former UCLA center Ryan Hollins was chosen by the Orlando Magic with the 20th pick of the second round. Congratulations to him for turning his game around in his senior year. He was not even a starter in the beginning of the season, but he came on strong in the end, especially in the NCAA tournament. Technorati Tags: UCLA Basketball, NBA Draft (Comment on this)