Clippers Branded as Up-and-Coming Team

Did I hear this right? The Clippers traded the rights to a high school senior along with a career benchwarmer to the Chicago Bulls for one of the best young players in the league?

Make room on the Clipper bandwagon for one more. I just climbed on board.

Elgin Baylor, I take it all back. Jerry West didn’t corner the market on former-Laker-front-office-savvy after all. You rock, my friend.

Ray Richmond

West Hollywood

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First reaction: “Are you guys nuts? Tyson Chandler is the next Shaquille, a franchise player who will give you the kind of presence in the paint that will eventually win you a championship.”

Upon further reflection: “Wait a minute. Elton Brand is a proven all-star; a big, strong, 20-point, 10-rebound NBA forward whom the Clippers basically acquired for free. Besides, does anyone remember Ralph Sampson?”

Way to go, Clippers.

Eli Eisenberg

Agoura Hills

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Regarding Bill Plaschke’s June 27 article on Prince Esiobu and Tyson Chandler and which one we should applaud, the writer omitted some alternatives. We have four choices. 1) applaud neither, 2) applaud Tyson, 3) applaud Prince, 4) applaud both.

I choose the last, because this is the United States of America, the only country where young people can choose their route in life via maximizing their main God-given skill.

Not everyone has a main skill to be Prince (1,180 SAT score), not everyone can be a Tyson (tall hoopster), and agree with them or not (I usually don’t), not everyone has the writing skills of Plaschke-Simers-Adande, et al.

Applaud the achieving student, applaud the achieving athlete, applaud the achieving pilot, applaud the war heroes who gave their lives so Prince and Tyson can use their particular skills to pursue their dreams. Applaud the achieving auto mechanic, teacher, doctor, pharmacist, lifeguard, coach, taxi driver, etc. Don’t pit them against each other, be proud of their skills and ethic.

Mike R. Giddings

Newport Beach