http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8278338/The-best-of-Shaq-vs.-Kobe

Lakers select guard Joe Crawford from Kentucky

Wow, another guard.

Crawford attended Renaissance High School in Detroit, where he led his team to a perfect 27-0 record and a state title. He was named a McDonald’s All-American in 2004. Crawford originally committed to play for the University of Michigan, but reopened his recruitment and chose to attend the University of Kentucky as part of a freshman class that also featured All-Americans Rajon Rondo and Randolph Morris.

Seeing minimal playing time behind Western Kentucky University transfer Patrick Sparks and fellow freshman Ramel Bradley, Crawford asked to be released from his scholarship mid-way through his freshman year. After meeting with Wildcat coach Tubby Smith, however, Crawford did an about-face and returned to the team.

Crawford became a bigger part of the team’s rotation in his sophomore season, averaging 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game.

During his junior year Crawford continued to improve. He started 32 of 34 games and averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. He was the leading scorer in 8 games and set a new career high in an overtime loss against Georgia with 29 points.

Crawford became the 54th Wildcat to score 1,000 points in his career on December 1, 2007, against North Carolina. As of March 20, he is the 19th all-time leading scorer at Kentucky, with 1,448 points.

On March 20, 2008, Crawford closed his career with a loss to Marquette in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. Crawford was the game’s high scorer, matching a career best with 35 points.

SOURCE

The Phoenix Suns center can be seen rapping that “Kobe couldn’t do without me” in a video posted online at celebrity news and gossip site TMZ.com

During the two-minute video, a grinning O’Neal lurches through an improvised rap in which he skewers the Lakers’ star, with whom he won three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002 while with Los Angeles.

“I was freestyling. That’s all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever,” O’Neal told ESPN.com Monday. “That is what MC’s do. They freestyle when called upon. I’m totally cool with Kobe. No issue at all.”

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Forward Trevor Ariza, acquired in a November trade with Orlando, has exercised his player contract option to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Lakers.com – Just two days after being eliminated in the NBA Finals by the Boston Celtics, Lakers players were back at the team’s training facility in El Segundo to meet with management and talk to the media about the past season, what needs to be worked on in the offseason, and what is expected of them heading into the 2008-09 campaign that starts in October.

http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/08exitinterviews.html

They’ll remember this one. We’re young and talented — can’t wait till tipoff next season…

On to boston…..

I saw this in the clublakers.com forums and I thought this was absolutely great. Some great jabs at Boston BTW.

If the Lakers will take it to Game 7 and win…

1.Kobe name will be in the level of Jordan.
2.Boston will not recover from that,next season,probably a first round exit.
3.Teams will have more fear,because we win,without Bynum a true center and guy with a lot of future.
4.We gonne have no a three peat,we gonne win a fourth championships in a row.
5.Garnett will receive a trophy from Bill Rusell.
6.Next season we gonne see,that all the bandwagon fans will not be there.
7.Boston will not win the number one seed,next season.
8.Doc Rivers,will be fired.
9.Garnett will be crying in the face of Kobe.
10.The boston fans will be booing, and says Boston sucks.
11.Kobe will be named MVP,BY THE BOSTON FANS.
12.Casell and Brown will gonne retire.
13.Boston will add for nest season,the player that needs money to give food to their family,Latrell Sprewell.
14.Phil jackson will have all the 10 fingers with a ring,the Lord of the Rings.
15.Paul Pierce will not be loved in his hometown and also in Boston.
16.Paul Pierce traded to Denver for Carmelo Anthony.
17.Kobe will receive the MVP finals in front of the Big Three.
18.Garnett will sell his house thet he have in Malibu,LOS angeles.
19.Ray Allen will do a another movie,with Denzel Washington,
20.Paul Pierce we will have a wheelchair for the rest of the offseason,because he gonne fell to the floor when he lost a 3-1 lead in the series,and he knees will gonne be hard to the floor.
21.But most important,will gonne make a NBA DYNASTY AGAIN.

Wow this is scary yet cool at the same time. This picture is a fan submitted pic part of the NBA ‘There can only be one‘ campaign. Fans create there own player/self split images and submit to be the winner. This one of Kobe and Pau is crazy.

Dagger #1

Dagger #2