Letters: Lakers fans not feeling very patriotic

When one looks back on the Lakers’ season, it can be summarized by saying: “Magic destroyed the team by offering to trade everyone for Anthony Davis.” That, and Rob Pelinka’s inane statement that he thinks the Lakers can be like the New England Patriots. What a total and complete joke, especially for those who have followed them through the championship years and now have to watch this.

R.W. Novotny

Long Beach

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Many Southern California sports fans were still licking their wounds from a Super Bowl loss to the Patriots when the tactless Rob Pelinka said the Lakers are going to turn things around and win a title just like that hated Boston-area team.

Somebody give this man a clue about where he lives, and the history of the franchise he works for.

Michael Coyle

Long Beach

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To Bill Plaschke and all the other so-called experts who think LeBron and the Lakers are way behind expectations this year, please take a chill pill. Yes LeBron is the best player of his generation, but an NBA season isn’t as easy as it looks — even though LeBron’s play makes it look so. In time LeBron and the Lakers will be fine and contending for titles but Rome wasn’t built in a day. Sit back and enjoy the great player LeBron is rather than trying to tear him down at every opportunity.

Bob Sands

La Habra

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Bill Plaschke’s whining (“James’ buildup no match for reality”) about the Lakers misses the point. In a prior column he pushed Magic to sign Davis. I suppose the Lakers could get rid of all their players, except James, then “buy” a title via free agency. I would not be thrilled to see them win this way. Let me remind Plaschke that Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell are each averaging over 19 points a game this year. Kuzma, Ball, Ingram and others are developing nicely. Give them a chance.

Jerry Rosen

Chatsworth

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In response to being asked if New Orleans negotiated in good faith, the ever-articulate Magic Johnson responded, “No. We knew that basically at the end of the day what happened, happened. And we knew that when we first started. In terms of what happened. But hey, it is what is.”

He really should have stopped at no .

Bert Bergen

La Cañada

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So Ben Simmons wants to learn from Magic. Perhaps Magic should learn from Jerry West. As a GM and advisor, West has built championship teams in L.A. and Golden State, and yet we rarely hear a single word from him. He works quietly and lets his product speak for him. Magic talks a lot but has not yet created much except a half-million dollars in fines.

David Waldowski

Laguna Woods

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If Magic and Rob spent as much time focused on the team he has rather than tampering with future perspective players, maybe the Lakers would be looking at the playoff race from inside rather than outside.

Dean Connor

Fontana

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As a lifelong Lakers fan, a couple of observations: Never watched LeBron for many games in a row and now in doing so, he only seems to play when he wants. Couple that with Luke Walton living in fear (of LeBron), his substitution pattern looks like that of an AYSO U-10 coach. They run out to a lead often (run is the key) and then slow down at the end, while playing everyone on the bench, to lose the game. LeBron could be the greatest (uncoachable) player of all time.

Fred Goff

Long Beach

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I think Lonzo Ball is a great point guard. But anyone who doesn’t want to go to New Orleans is crazy.

Randy Newman

Los Angeles

Oh, those Bruins

During a 12-minute period last Saturday, UCLA men’s basketball officially went from disappointing to embarrassing. Watching a 22-point lead disappear and the fear that became panic in the eyes of the players, it was hard to believe it was a UCLA team. Aside from the fact that they are virtually uncoached, it is sad to see that their lack of mental toughness and poor fundamentals allows them to turn to mush at the slightest setback. It is also sad, but understandable, to see how few can stand watching them at Pauley Pavilion anymore.

Alan Abajian

Alta Loma

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I don’t recall John Wooden’s teams playing zone defense against outside-shooting teams. In fact I don’t recall them playing zone at all. But what did he know?

Arthur Cohen

Los Angeles

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With all due respect, if anybody on this UCLA basketball team thinks they’re a legitimate NBA draft pick, then the Rams will trade Jared Goff, Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley for Tom Brady.

Lawrence Kates

Los Angeles　

Money ball

Guggenheim is a money manager and has made it clear that their primary duty will be to the short-term interests of their shareholders/investors and not the fans. So please sell to a Steve Ballmer- or Jeff Bezos-type owner.

Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are the rarely available superstars on the extreme left end of the bell curve and will each be in the majors for another 10 years. Look at the disaster the Dodgers had over the years trying to find a third baseman after Adrian Beltre went to the American League. The writing is on the wall: We’re going to see one Casey Blake-type player after another for years to come if we don’t grab these generational superstars.

James Tierney

Santa Monica

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For those wondering why Manny “I don’t hustle” Machado hasn’t been signed to that mega-deal yet:

His BA (bad attitude) is higher than his BA (batting average).

Eddie Barron

Los Angeles

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Have Harper and Machado considered the possibility that cable subscribers have grown tired of paying a $12.65-per-month-and-rising sports programming surcharge whether they watch sports or not and are now pushing back through their service providers about paying the unsustainable monthly cable rates that make their quarter-of-a-billion-dollar contracts possible? Has anyone noticed that the Dodgers are only available on the one service provider that overpaid for their broadcast rights and then found out that they couldn’t just pass those costs on to subscribers?

David Hawkins

Anaheim Hills

Lame Ducks

I am one of the unfortunate long-term Ducks season-ticket holders that are having our seats converted to a “premium” level. We get to pay 28% more next year and we get “access & invitations” to spend more money while the Ducks put a sub-premium product on the ice. It just doesn’t seem fair.

Ralph Heimann

Brea

Just study, baby

Apparently when Arash Markazi would sneak out of class, it was during history.　

Let’s set the record straight about the Raiders. The Raiders did not desert L.A. The team was lured to Los Angeles with promises that specific upgrades would be made to the Coliseum. Ultimately the Coliseum Commission refused — thus abrogating the agreement — hence it was the City of Los Angeles that deserted the Raiders, not the other way around.

Second, when it comes to Super Bowls, the Raiders have three championship rings, the L.A. Rams and the Chargers, regardless of city, have zero. The Raiders have been there five times and won three. That means the best team in Los Angeles currently resides in Oakland.

Welcome to The Times, Arash; consider yourself baptized.

Michael Solomon

Canoga Park

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