Lakers News

"In the morning, he was in New York, a father in a lonely hospital waiting room, just hoping to see his baby girl wake up from emergency surgery on her left eye for a rare form of cancer. By the end of the day, he was making a game-breaking 3-pointer in overtime to lead the Utah Jazz to victory in Game 2 of its Western Conference semifinal series against Golden State. Today, he returns to the same court as a member of the Lakers for Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Jazz. "

"They don't believe. Oh, they want to. They're trying hard to. You can almost hear the Jazz straining to talk themselves into believing they can beat the Lakers. "A lot of people don't think we can play with this team," said Jazz guard Deron Williams. "We feel like we can. "We feel like we haven't played a good game against them yet. Hopefully we're due for one." This isn't the time of year to hang ambitions on hope. Not that two games make a series, but the Jazz just don't look like a team that deep down in its little heart of hearts, believes it's the better team."

"Lakers coach Phil Jackson probably won't pull a Gene Hackman before the team's shootaround this morning in Salt Lake City. Jackson probably won't take a tape measure from his pocket and demonstrate that the basket is still 10 feet off the floor and that the free-throw line is still 15 feet from the hoop, just as it is on the Lakers' home court at Staples Center. "

"Kobe Bryant's rookie season ended in failure. He missed two key free throws near the end of Game 5 of the 1997 Western Conference semifinals and the upstart Lakers were eliminated by a veteran Utah Jazz team, four games to one. Bryant said that game marked a turning point in his career. What's more, he spoke of it as if it was only yesterday... "Some players when they go through something like that, it breaks them and they can't come back. I just looked at it as a challenge and came back better the next year.""

"The Lakers may have looked unbeatable in taking a 2-0 lead over Utah, but the best-of-seven series is far from over based on NBA playoff history. Just ask Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan or Las Vegas oddsmakers. In 1971, Sloan was a veteran guard playing for the Chicago Bulls, who faced the Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals. With Gail Goodrich leading the way, the Lakers won the first two games in Los Angeles, but when the series moved to Chicago, Sloan helped lead the Bulls to consecutive victories. "

"Chick Hearn has been gone since Aug. 5, 2002, but he certainly isn't forgotten. He was honored by the Lakers on Wednesday night right before Kobe Bryant got his MVP trophy. And Marge Hearn, a spry 90, was there to present the game ball to the referees... Asked what her late husband would have thought of this Lakers team, Marge said: "He would really like it. He would say these kids -- he would call them kids -- love each other. You can see it. He'd say, 'They're doing it together and I think it's great.'"

"Lakers flags are flying again from Southland cars. . . . Can MVP flags be far behind? . . . The MVP is one of a handful of NBA awards sponsored for the first time this year by Kia Motors, which is probably why it was presented to Kobe Bryant in a hotel ballroom Tuesday instead of at the Toyota Center in El Segundo."

"The Utah Jazz has unwillingly been in this situation before, survived and lived to tell about it. Historically, NBA teams down 0-2 in best-of-seven playoff series, as the Jazz is to the Lakers, have won the series only 13 times. But these Jazz performed the Houdini act last year, recoiling from that deficit to beat the Houston Rockets with the capper coming in a Game 7 victory on the road. Of course, Utah also fell 0-2 behind the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals last season and lost that series in five games."

"The league shifted toward fun-to-watch, hard-to-guard, run-and-gun teams, sprinkled -- as has long been the NBA's case -- with a couple of dominant centers. Jerry Sloan's teams were none of those. All along they plodded along. They picked. They popped. They rolled. Oh, did they roll. Through the John Stockton and Karl Malone era and a trying time of transition to now, when one doesn't have to look hard to see Stockton and Malone reincarnated in Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, Sloan's teams are marked by their physical play, diligence and execution. Just like their coach."

"It has been two days now since his coronation, and we remain a city in a twitter. Kobe Bryant is the MVP. One more time, let's chant: MVP. MVP. MVP. Ours is a city that has had Van Brocklin and Koufax, Drysdale and Wilt, Fernando and Shaq. The Great One skated his way into our hearts... Still, none of them got our wings fluttering in the City of Angels like Kobe. If we didn't know better, we'd think he cured cancer. He is everywhere. A radio talk show isn't a radio talk show unless the topic is Kobe. "

"Jackson admitted he used to take one serious measure for a game in Salt Lake City. "I did wear ear plugs there one time," he said, "but the league has done something about the decibel level and I hope they hold true to that." Most coaches believe the best way to quiet a vociferous crowd is to build an early lead, which can dishearten and silence the fans. "I've always felt," said Jackson with a smile, "the best way is to sneak up on them and beat them at the end. I once had a team that had a 25-point lead in the first half and ended up losing the game.""

"A year ago, Derek Fisher's life changed, or would have if it ever did, which it never really has. A year ago to the day, Fisher made his dramatic return from New York City, where his 10-month-old daughter had undergone eye surgery that morning to face his former teammates, the Golden State Warriors, in a playoff game. Tonight on the same court, Fisher will make yet another return against another set of former teammates, the Jazz, in another playoff game."

" The ex-Jazz combo guard, now back with his old club, has made himself an integral part of the best-of-seven series, and after its first two games — both Laker victories — he is a primary part of the lead. Fisher had six steals in last Sunday's Game 1, and frustrated Jazz point guard Deron Williams to no end. He picked up where he left off in Wednesday night's Game 2, scoring 22 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3-point range, and nabbing three assists. Moreover, he continued to fluster Williams, helping hold the Jazz guard to just three first-half points."

"Telling the story of the emotion-filled day when he agonized about losing his infant daughter and winning a basketball game, Derek Fisher remembered everything about the feelings, fears and satisfaction he experienced. He completely forgot the date: May 9. Only when someone pointed out how today would be the anniversary of the events that began with Tatum Fisher's initial, successful cancer treatment in a New York hospital and ended with her father's triumph at EnergySolutions Arena did the convergence hit home. "

"The flags are back flapping from car windows. The jerseys and T-shirts are flying off store shelves. But there is one difference this season from the Los Angeles Lakers' recent glory years. "Even when we were winning three championships, we didn't have as big a following on the road as we do now," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said. "There are a lot of Laker fans out there and I think there is a renewed energy from us not being successful the last few years, and our fans are really excited about it." "

"When Kobe Bryant formally accepted his first NBA MVP trophy from league commissioner David Stern on Wednesday night, the Staples Center venue awash in Hollywood glitz and glamor, the Los Angeles Lakers' superstar did so as a changed, perhaps even humbled, man. Deron Williams sees as much on the court. Luke Walton sees it on, and off. "It's just little things — taking guys out to dinner, spending more time with people, talking and explaining," said Walton, the son of NBA legend Bill Walton and a teammate of the particularly private Bryant for five seasons in Los Angeles. "You know, he's such a great talent that for him, sometimes, I think it's frustrating when people don't understand what he's trying to explain, or what other teams are doing out there," Walton added."

" By the time the celebration was complete late Wednesday night, and Bryant's Lakers had finished beating the Jazz 120-110 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, L.A. indeed was halfway done with Utah and well down to the road to its first Western Conference finals since 2004. The Jazz? They were left wondering what in the world it will take, when the series resumes with Game 3 on Friday night at EnergySolutions Arena, to overcome Bryant and the club he carries."

"In his first year with the Jazz, guard Jason Hart is back in his hometown for the playoffs, a member of a team playing in the Western Conference semifinals. There's just one problem. "My whole family is Laker fans," acknowledged Hart, who grew up 15 minutes south of Staples Center and played at Inglewood High. "They root for me, but the rest of the time they want to see the Lakers." "

"If they were listening as Pau Gasol stepped to the foul line with 37.4 seconds left in Wednesday night's game, the Jazz would have heard the Staples Center crowd having moved on from chants of "MVP" for Kobe Bryant to cries for a sweep. For the second consecutive game in these Western Conference semifinals, the Jazz played from behind against the Los Angeles Lakers and paid the price. They trailed by 15 at the end of a disastrous first quarter on the way to falling 120-110 in Game 2. "

"It's a common practice at sporting events to spotlight any celebrities in attendance on the videoboard during timeouts. But one break in the action isn't enough at Staples Center, where the star power in the crowd often rivals the star power on the court. Playing just a short drive from Hollywood, the Los Angeles Lakers attract more celebrities than a movie premiere. Staples is the place to be and be seen, especially during the playoffs. The most well-known Lakers fan - Jack Nicholson - was back in his normal seat for Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals between the Lakers and Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. "

"All right, so it's too little too late, but here goes anyway: CP3 for MVP! Chris Paul didn't win the NBA's MVP award, but, as these playoffs have proven, he should have. Nothing against Kobe Bryant, your basic player for the ages, but he hasn't had the kind of season Paul has. Bryant, thanks in part to the acquisition of Pao Gasol, has put the Lakers in position to win the West and perhaps the NBA championship. Paul? He has changed the culture in New Orleans, transforming a have-not franchise into a legitimate contender. Along the way, he has revitalized a city and impacted careers across the league. "

" It turns out that breaking bread brought NBA Most Valuable Player Kobe Bryant closer to his teammates this season, and his teammates closer to Bryant. The Lakers forged a tighter bond with Bryant over breakfast, lunch and dinner during training camp last October in Honolulu, according to Lamar Odom. "I won't take the credit," Odom said, "but in training camp we became tighter. I made sure we had a chef. We ate dinner, lunch and breakfast together every day at training camp. I think that was special. I think that's when the bond started." "

"Another day, another doctor, another opinion for Lakers center Andrew Bynum, but still no closer to a resolution or even a clear timetable on his rehabilitation from a dislocated knee that has kept him out since Jan. 13. According to a Lakers spokesman, Bynum saw Dr. Steven Gecha, an orthopedic specialist in Princeton, N.J., on Wednesday and was told that there has "been some improvement" in the knee, but the plan going forward is to re-examine him in 3-4 weeks and then determine the next step, which could be exploratory arthroscopic surgery. "

"Derek Fisher swished a 3-pointer from the top of the arc and backpedaled to the other end of the court. You couldn't miss the grin on his face even if you were sitting in the Staples Center rafters. Fisher was a happy man, and why shouldn't he be? This was a joyous occasion - his breakout party in the playoffs. Fisher scored 22 points and had two assists and three steals in the Lakers' 120-110 win over the Jazz in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Wednesday."

"One cursory look, one quick scan of Staples Center on Wednesday and you knew. L.A.'s sports fans always arrive late. It's in their too-cool DNA. Just not this night. The arena was packed well before tipoff. People standing, chanting, holding signs, wearing giveaway gold T-shirts that read: "Our team. Our time. Our MVP."... Stern presented the MVP trophy and Kobe held it overhead, the crowd - light years removed from when it booed him on opening night - roared. They were all in love again. His teammates approached for a round of high-fives."

"This was Kobe Bryant's night, his party and, ultimately, his game. Bryant picked up the MVP trophy for the first time in front of adoring Lakers fans Wednesday night and held it high for everyone in Staples Center to see. He smiled broadly, nervously thanked the fans and told them he loved them. "Let's get this party started," he said. Bryant then teamed with the Lakers to defeat the Utah Jazz 120-110 in Game 2 of their Western Conference semifinal playoff series. The Lakers stopped smiling, set their jaws and went to work building a two-games-to none lead."

"When do the playoffs start? Oh, this is them? Utah's bus hasn't caught on fire yet and none of the Jazz players has said the players and coaches have quit. Aside from that, their first two games against the Lakers haven't gone much better than those of the Denver Nuggets. Once again, the Jazz got behind early -- 15 points after trailing by 17 in Game 1 -- and once again, it was too much to make up in a 120-110 loss to the Lakers, who are now 6-0 this postseason and 2-0 in this second-round series."

"Andrew Bynum might go from a breakout season to under the knife. If the 20-year-old center doesn't feel better in three to four weeks, he might have exploratory surgery on a sore left knee that has kept him sidelined since Jan. 13. Bynum had a medical consultation with Steven Gecha on Wednesday in Princeton, N.J., his second trip in the last few weeks to see an East Coast doctor. "

"The questions came fast and furious at Kyle Korver and his Utah Jazz teammates in their locker room Wednesday night after the team fell to the Lakers, 120-110, at Staples Center. Really, it was the same question, asked by various media members in various ways. To boil it down to two words: What happened?... Korver pointed to another factor beyond the score sheet, the man who has catapulted the Lakers in just three months from playoff hopeful to championship favorite, Pau Gasol."

"Kobe Bryant stared down the crowd as if he were staring down his teammates. He shouted into the cavernous arena as if he were shouting into a huddle. "I love you," he screamed. "Now let's get this party started!" And so they did, the Lakers, the fans, everybody following their leader these days into this growing notion of greatness. Wednesday was supposed to be Bryant's MVP celebration but, typical of his MVP season, he shared it with everyone else."

"NBA Commissioner David Stern stopped by the press room before the game and said he had just met with the referees, I presume to remind them how excited he is about the upcoming Boston-L.A. Finals. For some reason when this game started, the refs called four fouls on Utah, none on the Lakers, and then tagged Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan with a technical foul. No need to make it so obvious, guys. If Stern is worried about a Lakers-Celtics matchup, he ought to be spending most of his time with Boston."

"Just another night at Staples Center, where the Lakers ran over another playoff opponent, continued to march further into May, and celebrated the eighth MVP award in team history. The Lakers won for the sixth time in as many playoff games with a 120-110 victory Wednesday over the Utah Jazz, a night in which Lakers fans were exuberant from beginning to end as the newest most valuable player played like one."

"Chris Paul's bid for this season's MVP award ended Tuesday, when the NBA announced Los Angles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant as the recipient of the honor. Bryant won the award for the first time, receiving 82 of a possible 126 first-place votes and 1,100 total points. Paul, the Hornets' third-year point guard, finished second with 28 first-place votes and 894 points, and the Boston Celtics' Kevin Garnett finished third with 670. "It's a great honor," Paul said Tuesday about Bryant's win. "He deserves it. He had an outstanding year." "

"Kobe Bryant, the Lakers' star who will be awarded the NBA's MVP trophy by commissioner David Stern Wednesday night at Game 2 of the second-round playoff game against the Utah Jazz at Staples Center, is known for his remarkable offense. Jazz center Mehmet Okur said Tuesday the Jazz have to worry about his defense, too. "He was active on the defensive end and (would) come behind us, try to steal the ball," Okur remembered of Sunday's Game 1 Utah loss in which the Jazz had seven second-quarter turnovers. Bryant had one steal."

"Game 2 of the Jazz-Los Angeles Lakers NBA Western Conference semifinal series hasn't even been played yet — it comes tonight — and already Lakers coach Phil Jackson is dreading the atmosphere for Friday's Game 3 in Utah. Blame the refs. Blame Bear. Asked Tuesday what makes it so difficult to play in Salt Lake City, Jackson said, "I enumerated some of the things a couple years ago; I was fined $50,000. So that's some of it.""

"Not too long ago, Hollywood produced a movie about wedding crashers. Tonight, the Utah Jazz hope to help inspire a sequel of sorts. They could call it "The Coronation Crashers." While publicly they agree Kobe Bryant deserves the NBA's MVP trophy he will receive from commissioner David Stern before Game 2 tonight, the Jazz would love nothing more than to crash his award party. That, however, probably isn't a script moviemakers attending the 8:30 p.m. Jazz-Los Angeles Lakers game would like."

"Now he's a good teammate. Now he's happy. Now he talks nice about his teammates and shares the ball with them. Now he wants to be a Laker for life. Now he's an MVP. With his official coronation as the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Tuesday, Kobe Bryant finally has everything he wanted, except a world championship when he was Da Man and not somebody's sidekick. Bryant has transformed himself into the perfect basketball player. Just brace yourself if things ever go awry again. We've seen Bryant at such times, and it's not a pretty sight."

"It was only a couple of hours before they handed out the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award on Tuesday, but there he was, all by his lonesome at the Lakers' practice gym. Not another reporter even close. So naturally I seized the opportunity. I had Coby all to myself. That would be Coby Karl, last man in the Los Angeles Lakers' roster, not MVP Kobe Bryant. Hey, you take your Kobes, er, Cobys where you can get 'em. When the Jazz and Lakers meet tonight in Game 2 of the playoffs, you probably won't notice Coby Karl. He'll be the guy who doesn't dress. The guy who is is behind Jordan Farmar, behind Didier Ilunga-Mbenga, behind Ira Newbie and behind Chris Mihm. Behind everyone who is anyone with the Lakers except maybe the guy selling peanuts."

"Even after spending just one season in Utah, Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher knows how Jazz coach Jerry Sloan thinks. Knows how he'd react. Knows what he'll say. Which is why Fisher did not hesitate when asked what Sloan, having had time to digest the Lakers' Game 1 victory over the Jazz in the NBA Western Conference semifinal series, will do to help his club adjust for tonight's Game 2. "He'll continue," Fisher said, "to impress upon to them to throw the first punch, so to speak — continue to be the team that is physical and is gonna play hard, not giving up an easy shot, continuing to pound the offensive glass."

"If tonight's game is destined to be a coronation for Kobe Bryant, with the Lakers guard presented with his MVP award by NBA commissioner David Stern, the Jazz would like nothing better than to be party crashers. They will have the chance once the pregame ceremony ends and Game 2 begins. Trying to downplay the occasion, Deron Williams said the Jazz knew Bryant had won the award before this playoff series started. "We don't have to play against the award," Jazz coach Jerry Sloan added."

"Jeff Hornacek spent much of two NBA Finals try to harass Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan and prevent him from single-handedly beating the Jazz. That's why Hornacek can empathize with Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, Andrei Kirilenko and whoever else draws the defensive assignment on Kobe Bryant in the Utah-L.A. Lakers playoff series. Been there, done that. Even if it's an almost impossible task. "

"Statistically, LeBron James just finished the best regular season of his career. He led the NBA in scoring at 30 points per game and had career highs in rebounds (7.9), assists (7.2) and blocks (1.1) per game. The Cavaliers were 0-7 when he didn't play, and he carried them to numerous victories with clutch fourth-quarter play. In all, it was quite a Most Valuable Player resume."

"LeBron James received one first-place vote and finished fourth in the NBA's 2007-08 MVP voting. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant won the award, his first, with 82 first-place votes. James, who finished second in MVP voting in 2006, was not surprised Bryant won. "I've always stated, since two or three years ago, that Kobe Bryant's the best player in this league," James said. "And he's been the best player in this league for five or six years. It's good he won it. His team played well and he's part of the reason why they finished No. 1 in the West." "

" Forgive the Lakers if they sounded greedy over the past few days. But they said they want all the rebounds. They want all the fouls called their way. They want to play better defense. They went to be more efficient on offense. Above all, they want to win Game 2 tonight and take a 2-0lead in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Utah Jazz. If they have to win a second consecutive game in ugly fashion, then that's OK, too. "

"Derek Fisher is a good defensive player. A smart defensive player. But in this playoff series against the Utah Jazz, he has got an extra advantage. You see, last season Fisher was a member of the Jazz, and it's not like they asked him to turn in a playbook before leaving the training facility. "He knows them," Lakers forward Luke Walton said of Fisher. "The coaches have a pretty detailed scouting report of what they like to do, but (Fisher's) helping us out a lot in practice or by clearing up any questions we might have on it." Asked if sharing the inside information was against some informal code of conduct, Walton scoffed. "

"A year ago, Kobe Bryant was ready to bolt. Now, he's prepared to stick with the Lakers for the rest of his NBA career. "I would like to, absolutely," Kobe Bryant said during a formal news conference Tuesday afternoon to announce his selection as the NBA's MVP...Bryant had made it clear he did not wish to leave the Lakers, ending a 12-month melodrama he initiated by asking for a trade after demanding the team upgrade its roster following its second consecutive first-round playoff ouster. "

"Calm yourself. This breathless routine is not only premature, it's less than insightful. The Lakers' sweep of Denver was a fairly impressive accomplishment, but it did not herald the next NBA champion. It did not announce the new playoff bully was in town. All those worried about which team the Lakers would best match up against in the next round had best take one humongous step backward and focus on the very real problem at hand: The Utah Jazz."

"We have the stars, baby. The glitz, the glamour, the Hollywood sign, the premiers, Jack sitting courtside, and one other little thing - most sports MVPs in the country. No city has captured more of the top professional awards in the four major sports than Los Angeles. We are just so cool. Compared to L.A., New York is the city that sleeps. Chicago is a second city. Boston the cradle of almost. Philadelphia the city of brotherly runner-ups. That's right, Kobe Bryant's MVP award today only will increase Los Angeles' lead as the sporting MVP capital of all America. This comes with a semi-convenient qualifier, heavy on the semi. "

"The plan for the Utah Jazz? Split in Los Angeles. Then split from Los Angeles. Down, 1-0, in the best-of-seven series with the Lakers, the Jazz has not lost consecutive games since December. In Utah, where Games 3 and 4 will be played, the Jazz enjoyed the best home record in the regular season, 37-4. "We need to try and win one on the road," Jazz guard Ronnie Brewer said at Tuesday's practice before the Jazz was set to return to Los Angeles for Game 2 on Wednesday. "It's a lot of pressure coming back home 0-2. If we can go there and steal one, it would be a great opportunity and help us in this series."

"The wait is finally over for Kobe Bryant, officially the NBA's most valuable player as of Tuesday's announcement, but it never ended for Jerry West. . . . Four times West finished second in the MVP balloting -- to WiltChamberlain in 1966, Willis Reed in 1970, Lew Alcindor in 1971 and, after the former UCLA center changed his name, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972. . . . "