Now, Lakers Can Spell Chaos With a K

In the baseball world, a “K” is a strikeout. In the world of the Lakers, a “K” is also a strikeout.

Fred E. Stemrich

Claremont

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What a slap in the face. First, the Lakers offer their head coaching job to Pat Riley, Mike Krzyzewski and Roy Williams, all of whom spurn the offer. Then, the Lakers finally decide to give the job to Rudy Tomjanovich, their No. 4 choice. Secondly, after tempting Coach K with an $8-million salary, the Lakers offer Tomjanovich $2 million less.

But I guess they figure Tomjanovich is used to being hit in the face.

Joe Lyou

Santa Paula

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Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski turned down the Lakers’ reported offer of $8 million a year, in spite of his present salary of $1.3 million. Said Joe Alleva, Duke athletic director: “It’s a great day for college basketball.”

With the ridiculous salaries in pro sports today, it’s a great day for those of us who believe that money isn’t everything.

Wayne Muramatsu

Cerritos

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Coach Mike Krzyzewski’s decision not to join the Lakers, in the long run, is the better decision for himself, Duke, college basketball and the NBA. The NBA is already biting the hand that feeds it by circumventing the college system with its choice of undeveloped high school kids. To have done otherwise, Krzyzewski would have augmented the NBA’s idiocy.

Robert L. Covington

Fontana

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Are the Lakers trying to rebuild a winning team, satisfy their fans or massage their own egos by trying to re-sign the megalomaniacs earning $20 million to $30 million per year to play basketball? I do not believe that Mr. Bryant will leave the team any more than I believe that he practices 1,000 jump shots per day in the off-season or is fluent in Italian. Mr. O’Neal has such a poor attitude that he taints the entire team. Trade him to another city where they can appreciate profanity-laced interviews, poor preparation and condescending teamwork. Maybe Oliver Miller or Stanley Roberts is available.

Kevin H. Park

North Hollywood

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There can’t be more than two people on Earth who believe that Kobe will jump ship from the Lakers to the Clippers and leave $30 million on the table. Fortunately for Kobe, those two people are Mitch (Jerry West I’m not) Kupchak and Jerry (Jerry Buss I’m not anymore) Buss.

Mark S. Roth

Los Angeles

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Kobe, as you ponder your basketball future, please consider the following from a longtime Los Angeles NBA fan:

1. It’s obvious that the Lakers have chosen to support you, and amid all of the recent fallout within the organization, you should support them in return.

2. Even though I don’t blame you for “looking at your options,” take some advice from a good source (Clipper season-ticket holder for more years than I want to remember): It was nice of you to talk to the Clipper organization, but do yourself a favor, stay as far away from them as you can.

I assume you are waiting to see what transpires with No. 34, and I hope he ends up on the East Coast, but check out the Clippers and their history and go with your heart.

Steve LaRochelle

Chatsworth

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Despite the chants of “Ko-be!” by Laker fans, and the desire of Dr. Buss to want to keep Kobe a Laker no matter what the cost, Kobe Bryant’s credibility and loyalty to his teammates and to the fans must be questioned.

It is now Kobe’s team. He and his agent have made it so by engineering the firing of Phil Jackson and setting the path toward trading Shaq.

It is no longer my team.

Alan Elliott

Hollywood

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Does anybody really think we’re going to see the Lakers implode, that we’ll witness Seattle South, where Gary Payton averages 20 for a .500 team?

Get real! As soon as he’s over his snit, the Big Thespian will make some kind of magnanimous gesture to return. Kobe, wonder of wonders, will decide he doesn’t really want to play for Donald Sterling after all. And Karl Malone will haul his aching body onto the court for one more shot at a title.

Think back to what Shaq has said in the past about his sniping, sulking team: “It’s just a soap opera. It’s Hollywood.”

It’s great theater. The fires will be stoked in October and we can enjoy more of this foolishness all season long.

John Willson

Ventura

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First there was “Lakers Loaded” when they signed J.R. Rider and Jelani McCoy.

Then, with the signing of Payton and Malone, there was “Lakers Reloaded.”

From the looks of things, the next phase will be “Lakers Unloaded.”

We miss you, Jerry West.

Todd Bennett

Los Angeles

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If Shaq’s gardener had shouted “Pay me!” during the filming of MTV’s “Cribs,” would he still be gainfully employed by the O’Neal family?

David Courtemanche

Santa Barbara