BASKETBALL 24/48/82 TEAM OF 2010: LOS ANGELES LAKERS

(HAPPY NEW YEAR from us at 'LAKE SHOW VIEW' & 'BASKETBALL 24/48/82' who have named the LOS ANGELES LAKERS as the 2010 team of the year.)



The Lake show are our 'Top Team Of 2010'. They've looked stronger than the rest throughout the year, even capping a mini-slump this week to close the year out. The Los Angeles Lakers once again got acquainted with Larry O'Brien as Phil Jackson's zen controlled an elite group of talent. G.O.C.T, 'Greatest Of Current Time', Kobe Bryant led the way and Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom got tougher in the frontcourt, if only we had more of Bynum. Artest overcame himself and everyone else to have his greatest year. The Lakers were also strong, late in the postseason thanks to their playoff, clutch king, Fisher. The number one team even got better in the Summer re-tooling with Matt Barnes and Steve Blake. Los Angeles is fully deserving of this position, besides they are the champions after all. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

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The second returns for the votes for the 2011 All-Star Game have been announced. The games (which will be played in L.A.) votes are right now led by Laker, Kobe Bryant. The legendary shooting guard has a whopping 1,153,694 votes. Out West Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant is right behind Mamba with 735,521 votes. Filling out the rest of the west Chris Paul (585,690) leads all points, while 602,516 fans want Carmelo Anthony at the other forward spot. Although he probably can't play due to injury, Yao Ming is still the fans (Chinese especially) favourite for the centre position with 637,527. Still however Kobe's Laker teammate Andrew Bynum isn't far behind with 376,283 returns. Lake Show star's Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol are still in contention two. Out East Dwight Howard leads all centres with 988,572 votes, followed by his daddy Shaq with 410,663. Two-time All-Star MVP LeBron James, leads the forwards with 969,459 votes along with Boston's Kevin Garnett (712,555). LeBron's teammate Wade leads all guards in the east with 38,402 votes while Garnett's teammate Rajon Rondo is next with 777,310. I think it's safe to say that all these guys have punched their ticket to STAPLES. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

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LOS ANGELES LAKERS 103-88 NEW ORLEANS HORNETS



(GAME RECOGNISES GAME: '6, 7' hit man Lil' Wanye watches the 6, 7 Bryant do his thing against his New Orleans)

The Lakers where in need of a post new year victory to close out a bad end to 2010. They found resolution in a 103-88 win over the New Orleans Hornets last night. The Lakers where in need of a change and potential All-Star and sixth man of the year, Lamar Odom came off the bench scoring a team high 24. This is the first time since former player's Tierre Brown 27 in 2005 that a bench player has led the Lakers in scoring. After a week of frustration the Lake Show's bench was seen giggling like school children when Odom got fancy in the paint and then missed a finger roll, only to put it back home with a jam. Odom himself was in high spirits two saying, "It's funny that a play like that happens in New Orleans, basketball is almost like jazz, right?" It sure is and L.O. and L.A. made sweet music in N.O. Kobe Bryant also notched 20 while Odom's starter replacement Andrew Bynum had 18. Pau Gasol was yet again double trouble for the opposition with 11 and 12. "We played much better. We executed much better. Our defense did an excellent job," Kobe said, putting the past week, critics and write offs behind him and his whole team. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

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LOS ANGELES LAKERS 82-97 SAN ANTONIO SPURS



Things are getting worse for the Lakers between Christmas and New Year. After hosting Miami in a turkey of a loss on December 25Th, the Lake Show fell to the San Antonio Spurs 97-82 last night. Tony Parker had 23 as the leagues best (27-4) dropped L.A. to a 20-11 record. Kobe dropped 21 but he also missed 13 straight shots en route to a 8-27 night. Bryant told press in his trademark short answers that he was mad at himself and Derek Fisher also had a hot head picking up a technical in the game for getting into it with San An's Richard Jefferson. The Lakers really aren't looking themselves right now. Meanwhile the Spurs have never looked better feeling like their old selves again. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

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(Ebanks (centre) with fellow rookie, Derrick Caracter (left) and defensive player Ron Artest (right) at a pre-early vote campaign rally at Valley High School for U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid in Las Vegas this October)

The Lake Show have assigned talented, rookie Devin Ebanks to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. The team serves the Lakers and affiliate Clippers as the Los Angeles D-Fenders are inactive for this season. The 43rd pick, Ebanks has drawn comparisons to former Laker number 3, Trevor Ariza for his athletic and defensive talents. Still however, the swingman who is averaging 2.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.4 minutes will look to develop more as he makes his NBDL league debut against the New Mexico Thunderbirds tomorrow night. Expect him to impress...a lot. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

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LOS ANGELES LAKERS 80-96 MIAMI HEAT



It really is getting turbulent right now in Los Angeles. Up on the high def jumbo-tron you could see clearly that the Lakers curbed Larry David's enthusiasm. Him, Snoop Dogg, will.i.am, Sly Stallone and the rest of the Hollywood faithful may have felt like they had something better to do this Christmas after the Lake Show gave them a real turkey. Following a big win with his Cleveland Cavs last year, King James again made the defending champions look like paupers and pretenders to the throne as he led his new Miami Heat team to a 96-80 win. Get ready to throw those foam fingers! The Heat cooled off the Lakers behind James tripling up with, 27 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and Bosh's double dose of 24 points and 13 rebounds. The one thing that was hot about the Lakers was Kobe's head a he was whistled for three technicals in as many quarters. Rules or no rules, he had a right to be angry though as the Lakers play was frustrating. Kobe and Gasol mustered 17 points each. Could this be the sign of things to come? A precursor to the finals maybe? Or are the Lakers merely just getting less merry with every Christmas day game? One this for sure the Lakers need to get back on course because the tidings are changing. Time for them to get right and resolute for the new year. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

TAKE 5-TOP LAKER MOMENTS OF 2010

1. MAKING IT A DOUBLE: Nothing quite says 'we did it' like winning the NBA championship after an up and down season, injuries, hard fought series' and an epic 7 game duel with the Boston Celtics. The Lake Show made it a double by successfully defending their 2009 NBA Championship. Trophy two was sweet as the Lakers are now spurred on for a three peat conclusion to the trilogy. Do back to backs make dynasty's? Just like Magic said in the 80's after his "Yeah, YEAH!"



2. THE FISH THAT KEEPS SAVING L.A.: Derek Fishers always been as good as Robert Horry was in the clutch but this year he's been as good as Kobe. Most recently he even switched it up, driving in for a game winning layup against the Clippers away at Staples last month. Still it was Derek's fourth quarter heroics in game 3 of the finals at the Celtics garden that defined his year and kept L.A. in a series they where losing grasp of...fast. This momentum changer steered the course for his team and kept hope alive. It felt like last year in Orlando all over again. Sure this guy isn't as quick as other guards but who in the league is clutch like him. He may not be as big a player as Kobe, Gasol or even Shaq but when it's all said and hung up, one things for sure this number 2 jersey has to be retired.



3. KOBE, KOBE. KOBE: Forget chanting 'M-V-P. M-V-P. M-V-P' saying Kobe's name three times is dominant enough. The guys just goes from strength to strength and ring to ring, all whilst playing through injury after injury. This year Kobe only hit seven buzzer beating, game winners, including one so epic against Miami that even Dywane Wade liked it. Not only that but Kobe became the Lakers all time leading scorer (and where talking about a team that the NBA all time leading scorer played for) and hit 26,000 points. Oh and he just happened to be his dominant, legendary self leading and even at times coaching his team to another championship, and they didn't give him the MVP! It's OK though he took something else.



4. DON'T SHOOT: During the fourth quarter of a pivotal, playoff game against the Phoenix Suns the ball was kicked out to Ron Artest who was at the elbow of the three point line. He spotted and set up but shot an awful shot. It was OK however as Gasol corralled the rebound only to fire it back out to Ron for a 'here buddy try again' moment. What could of been seen as a great moment ended up sounding like brickwork and from there nobody wanted Ron to shoot again. Still believe it or not that shot really counted as a fired up Ron wasn't about to let this affect his mental. In the weening seconds of overtime even the clutch Kobe missed a shot, but in game Ron charging like the Bull he once was to awkwardly but assuredly tip the ball in for the game winner and series clincher. Bet everyone was glad he shot now. Even in L.A.'s crucial Game 7 finals game with Boston Ron stole the show and even had the opportunity to shoot for three yet again. As everybody left him open and Phil Jackson's zen told him not to do it, Ron said "forget it" and shot anyway. "BOP"! In it went, now nobodies going to take this guy lightly again.



4. THE BEAUTIFUL GAME 7: Game 7 of he 2009/2010 finals against Boston was ugly...so ugly, somewhere Sam Cassell could be seen. Still however this hard fought, nail biting, cringe worthy, brick for basket affair had some real beauty to it. Hard work always looks good and the usual, flashy showtime Lake Show, showed that they could get down like the 80's Detroit Pistons. It was a tough, physical game that at times looked poor. Hey, even Artest and Pierce squaring up to each other looked a bit pathetic. Still when it was all said and done basketball's more passionate and battle worthy side was shown and amongst all the flash and YouTube highlight it was refreshing to see. The Lakers didn't win in style, they won with substance. This close shave was rough around the edges but still a good luck and with sweat soaked jerseys mixed with champagne and victory tears of joy, what's more beautiful then that? TIM DAVID HARVEY.