Well, I hate to be a cocky or arrogant fan, but this is almost becoming too easy for the Lakers. I know they're far from halfway to reaching their ultimate goal, but it just seems the Lakers, perhaps the only team that can go 10 or 12-deep into their bench on any given night, are having their way these lower seeded teams. Now, I'm pretty sure, as the series heads to Utah for Games 3 and 4, that the Jazz won't make things much easier for the Lakers. Utah had one of the best home records in the league this season, so the Lakers will have to make sure they sustain their intensity of their first six games and not have any letups when they get up to Salt Lake City.
One thing I am interested in is how the Jazz fans greet and treat Derek Fisher. Last season in the playoffs, Derek Fisher was forced to leave the team for a short period to be with his ailing baby daughter, who was battling a rare form of eye cancer. Fisher returned to the team and showed up at half time during one of their games, and received a standing ovation as he made his way from the locker room to the courtside bench. Upon being inserted into the game by Utah coach Jerry Sloan, Fisher made an immediate impact on the game, which the Jazz eventually won. After the Jazz were bounced out of the playoffs, Fisher requested to be released from the remaining years of his contract so he could be closer to his daughter. The Jazz granted his wish and released him. Several weeks later, he signed with the Lakers, returning for his second stint.
Earlier this season, when the Lakers made their first trip to Utah, the Jazz fans were relentless in booing Derek Fisher every time he touched the ball, knowing full well what his situation was. This bothered me, mostly because I had always thought Jazz fans were better than that. So after losing the first game in Utah, the Lakers returned to Salt Lake City later in the season, and the fans booed him AND Kobe, although the second time around, Kobe got the louder jeers. I'm guessing the fans got on Kobe because he was very outspoken about the way they treated Fisher the previous trip. All that did was get the Lakers more fired up, and the end result was a Laker rout.
Now you see why I'm anxious to see how Utah reacts to Derek Fisher everytime he touches the ball starting tomorrow night in Game 3. Stay tuned. It should be an interesting two games this weekend in Utah for the Lakers!
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In my previous post a few days ago, I vented out some frustration over the way some people still perceive Kobe Bryant as a rapist. While it still angers me that people still stereotype him as such, it bothers me more that some people refuse to recognize him for what he has done on the court. Kobe had perhaps his most rewarding season yet, in large part because he accomplished so much after such a tumultuous off-season. But here's something else I overlooked throughout the process: Kobe had been playing the last month or so with a torn ligament in his pinky on his shooting hand. Most players would have opted for surgery and called it quits. But Kobe didn't, and because he understood his teammates needed him in order to win, and vise versa, he was rewarded with the league MVP for the first time in his career. Kobe understands one thing, and only thing: that is to reach the ultimate goal of winning another championship.
The Lakers are two wins away from the halfway point. The Lakers need just 10 more wins to earn their 15th NBA Championship.
One thing I am interested in is how the Jazz fans greet and treat Derek Fisher. Last season in the playoffs, Derek Fisher was forced to leave the team for a short period to be with his ailing baby daughter, who was battling a rare form of eye cancer. Fisher returned to the team and showed up at half time during one of their games, and received a standing ovation as he made his way from the locker room to the courtside bench. Upon being inserted into the game by Utah coach Jerry Sloan, Fisher made an immediate impact on the game, which the Jazz eventually won. After the Jazz were bounced out of the playoffs, Fisher requested to be released from the remaining years of his contract so he could be closer to his daughter. The Jazz granted his wish and released him. Several weeks later, he signed with the Lakers, returning for his second stint.
Earlier this season, when the Lakers made their first trip to Utah, the Jazz fans were relentless in booing Derek Fisher every time he touched the ball, knowing full well what his situation was. This bothered me, mostly because I had always thought Jazz fans were better than that. So after losing the first game in Utah, the Lakers returned to Salt Lake City later in the season, and the fans booed him AND Kobe, although the second time around, Kobe got the louder jeers. I'm guessing the fans got on Kobe because he was very outspoken about the way they treated Fisher the previous trip. All that did was get the Lakers more fired up, and the end result was a Laker rout.
Now you see why I'm anxious to see how Utah reacts to Derek Fisher everytime he touches the ball starting tomorrow night in Game 3. Stay tuned. It should be an interesting two games this weekend in Utah for the Lakers!
**********
In my previous post a few days ago, I vented out some frustration over the way some people still perceive Kobe Bryant as a rapist. While it still angers me that people still stereotype him as such, it bothers me more that some people refuse to recognize him for what he has done on the court. Kobe had perhaps his most rewarding season yet, in large part because he accomplished so much after such a tumultuous off-season. But here's something else I overlooked throughout the process: Kobe had been playing the last month or so with a torn ligament in his pinky on his shooting hand. Most players would have opted for surgery and called it quits. But Kobe didn't, and because he understood his teammates needed him in order to win, and vise versa, he was rewarded with the league MVP for the first time in his career. Kobe understands one thing, and only thing: that is to reach the ultimate goal of winning another championship.
The Lakers are two wins away from the halfway point. The Lakers need just 10 more wins to earn their 15th NBA Championship.
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