#PoetsCorner THE SWEETEST SIXTEEN

(Look! The Poet himself Dan Stocker of 'Showtime Life' returns. He's been "wrestling" with some new great work that you can check out on ProWrestlingPost.com, but the pro had to make it back on court for Pau. Congratulations number 16 and welcome back Stock).

Look! I know it's been awhile since I spoke about my beloved Lakers. As like most things, life happens, but I never stopped writing. In fact I use that Mamba Mentality to this day and I always will. Sorry...OK so let me to get back to what this is all about. 

I remember the first championship I saw my Lakers win. I had been a Laker since 2003 and then 6 years later we did it! We won and Kobe got his fourth ring and then a year after that he got his fifth ring. But during this time he couldn't do it on his own. He had the help of the whole team yes, but his partner in crime was the big Spanish man number 16. 

Has the ball dropped yet on what this is about? 

Swish! 

Pau Gasol. 

It has just been announced that the Los Angeles Lakers will retire the number 16 and honestly this is a debate me and my brother (Tim) discussed and we both came to the same conclusion. Yes it should be. Why you ask? Well other than the late and trust me when I say great (if not greatest of all time) Kobe said he couldn't have got the TWO-PEAT without Gasol what reason do you need? 

However, the season before the win against the Magic, Gasol was criticised for not being a force in the paint. Why do I know this? Because at the time I was the one saying it! But he didn't let that stop him and by the second championship win he was a completely different player.

It's funny actually how the Lakers bring back these guys destined for redemption (see this offseason). Although they should have done so with Marc's brother for a Hollywood reunion. But they've got his number now. So lets keep this short and sweet. I just want to say, Pau Gasol you will forever be a legend for our franchise...king of the two-peat. Gracias mi hermano. DAN STOCKER. 

#BleedPurpleLiveGold KING SURVIVES WARRIORS IN THE PLAY-IN

King's Ransom.

Let's be clear.

The skin of their behinds.

That's what the Lakers escaped the play-in in LA by.

From now on they just have to do better if the defending champions want to at least look like they could go back-to-back like Magic delivering on a Pat Riley promise ("yeah...YEAH!").

The seventh seed in the 2021 Playoffs faced off like Cage did Travolta against the eighth, Golden State in this classic California clash of champs. There was no chumps in this contest which really does make for a perfect Playoff precursor. Hate the play-in, or love it. But down 13, the Lakers first-half statistics for one of many of their big-three combinations (James, Davis and Dennis Schröder) looked like the percentage of a jock who didn't swot for his test.

14.3%

Meanwhile everyone's favorite for MVP not playing in Philly, New York or Colorado was putting on a clinic.

Forget "Steph Curry with the shot" boy. It was almost more like the forthcoming free agent the Lakers would love with the upset.

Splashing everything like he was back on his side of the Pacific across the Golden Gate, number 30 had everyone believing again in this former dynasty. Rocking those Oakland jerseys like his rookie year and the time Baron Davis dunked on Dirk and gave Oak Town a Playoff preview of the hope to come in contention.

This team knows all about upsets. You could see it on Anthony Davis' enraged face as Draymond Green had the clamps on him. Putting one of Hollywood's Supermen in the phone booth.

If the Warriors had Klay today they would have dubbed this "over". In a Chick Hearn refrigerator. They didn't even need Durant, but when (more like if) this Hollywood team meets a super one of KD, Kyrie, James Harden and more it could all be a closed door.

With 37 points the leagues scoring champion Curry was scorching hot with the shot, but it was Canadian Andrew Wiggins who really stepped up on this big stage with 21 points off many hard fought plays. Even though the Warriors are now going home after Ja Morant and Memphis said "thank you very much" , Stephen is still your MVP and Wig is no one to write off anymore.

This Warriors team is still nice. Even this Laker fan is thinking Steph stays this Summer. Despite hoping for the opposite.

No matter. The King did his best Chef impression in the waning seconds for those who say he isn't clutch. Hitting a rainbow beautiful, 34 foot three over the greatest of all-time from downtown himself to ice the game with 58.2 to go. Squeezing past as 103 to 100 was all she wrote, following a botched inbounds pass from former Laker Kent Bazemore which Bradley Beal we're sure loved to see.

LB with the clutch 3 J from the 'e' of the STAPLES Center logo may have started colder than the ice around Montrezl Harrell's neck (so much hustle and energy. The heart of this team), but he ended up with a triple-double like Westbrook with, 22 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his sixth of the season.

Never underestimate the heart of a champion.

Even AD was on the way in the end. The big-man scoring 13 of his 24 in the fourth and final quarter.

Unlucky for Dray and the Dubs.

Against the Warriors the Lake Show was the walking wounded. Especially 'Bron with a bum ankle and a poked eye. But he out all that to the sky with his dagger that even plunged the clouds for rain.

The bear was poked in the eye and a regal lion roared in return.

This will be in the highlight package of one of the GOAT's greatest moments.

“After the finger to the eye, I was seeing three rims and shot at the middle one. By grace, I was able to knock it down,” the Chosen One told all the Zoomed press microphones post game. That sounds like some Larry Bird stuff. Look it up. This long sword from the King like Arthur was his longest make of the season and any go ahead shot in the final 3 minutes of any game he's ever played.

Not bad for a man that along with his dynamic duo partner Davis went 3 for 19 in the first half.

Three lead changes and five ties marked a thriller of a fourth as Alex Caruso had 14 and Schröder stepped up in the end with 12. With the Lakers now booked into the Western Conference Playoffs they must ensure they are firing on all cylinders in The Valley. They face a scorching hot Phoenix Suns led by Devin Booker, who's Florida Bubble still hasn't burst, big Deandre Ayton and James' old friend Chris Paul.

If the Lakers want to stand this heat they better throw the kitchen sink at them. TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

#PoetsCorner PURPLE & GREEN

(As the Poet himself puts it, "Poet is nice to the Celtics. The world has frozen over. All aboard 'Snowpiercer'. CHOO-CHOO!). 

Long live your rivals. They can never be your idols. Kobe was the God and LeBron is writing the new Basketball Bible. 

Look it’s that time of the year that only happens twice in a regular season, the Lakers vs the dir… (no not this time) Celtics. Going in to this game we are the current champions sitting 3rd in the West vs the Boston Celtics who hold the 4th spot in the East. 

 The historic rivalry has seen Bill Russell vs Wilt Chamberlin, Magic vs Larry and Kobe and Gasol vs the Celtic Big Three over the years. Now the Lakers have tied the Celtics with the most championships of all time, both teams are on 17 each. They are the Joker to our Batman (Tim Quote), the Lex to our Superman, the Thanos to our Avengers the...ok I think you get the point. 

 We go in to this match-up with the better run so far this season, 14-6 over the Celtics 10-7. Closing up one hell of a road trip. But falling short to a hungry Detroit team in our last game showed us that even without AD, a stepped-up Kuzma (who stepped in to score a season high of 22 points to match LeBron's 22) wasn't enough to stop Derrick Rose and the Pistons. 

 Going in tonight's game it's uncertain whether we will have a fully fit Lakers team to face off against Kemba and Tatum. This is the time for the bench to step up and the 6th man and the runner up 6th man of the year from last season, Montrezl and Schroder are more than ready to showcase just like they have been doing all season. They rep that purple and gold so well and let me remind you when Lakers play Celtics the rivalry brings a Game 7 feel. With Frank Vogel looking to make his Laker record 2-1 over the Celtics this is a must watch game for any NBA fan and rest assured every Lakers fan will be wanting nothing less than a W. DAN STOCKER