No One's a Winner in This

L.A. Times Archives

July 17, 2004 12 AM PT

Knock-knock.

Who’s there?

The Lakers.

The Lakers who?

Yeah, that’s right.

LeeAnn Morretino

Laguna Niguel

Pat Riley comes to Los Angeles to “interview” for the head coaching job and leaves with Shaquille O’Neal. No more brilliant subterfuge has transpired since the Trojan horse.

William David Stone

Beverly Hills

This is what Kobe really stands for: King of Big Egos.

John C. Borrego

Temecula

How many more $4-million dollar rings can Kobe buy to apologize to the fans for his latest offense, forcing out Phil and Shaq?

Let’s see: $136 million divided by four equals ... 34. How perfect. That’s the number we need!

R. Price-Williams

Manhattan Beach

The Big Jell-O is jiggling.

Tarik Trad

Glendale

If Kobe Bryant had stepped to the podium with Mitch Kupchak and said, “I thought it would be best to go with a younger player and a new coach and that is what I believe,” he would have at least had my respect for telling the truth.

Randy Jones

Los Angeles

Good news, Lakers’ fans. At least now you won’t have to trade in your Laker Kobe jerseys for Clipper Kobe jerseys.

Michael Lipofsky

Simi Valley

Is it possible to root for the Lakers to win, but at the same time root for Kobe Bryant to lose?

Hector Reyes

Burbank

LOS ANGELES -- The Lakers passed away Wednesday at 12:52 p.m. PDT. The announcement was made by the medical staff, headed by Dr. Jerry Buss. The cause of death was complications from a “Shaqectomy,” which is the removal of a vital organ in the center of a team. The funeral will be held at the end of the coming NBA season in lieu of a playoff appearance.

Denis Feehan

Simi Valley

OK, Kobe, you got what you wanted. Now your “team” will be stocked with ex-druggies and journeymen, and you will get to put up 40 or so shots a game. Of course it is at the expense of the fans, and I feel certain there won’t be many more shouts of “KOBE, KOBE!” by the Laker faithful once they get a view of what you’ve wrought.

Congrats, kid, you’ve become Allen Iverson.

Steve Fogel

Los Alamitos

I think that the current state of the Lakers is best described by this anagram for Lamar Odom: Doom Alarm.

Andy Goodstein

Los Angeles

Nothing lasts forever, but hey, we got three championships out of the O’Neal era, which is more than you can say for Sacramento.

Thanks for the memories, Shaq, and good luck.

Russell Hosaka

Redondo Beach

A big goodbye and a big thanks to the Big Aristotle, the Big Shakespeare, the Big Playmaker, the Big Dominator, the Big Bricklayer, the Big Moody, the Big Competitor, the Big Force, the Big Comedian, the Big Warrior, the Big Queen Killer, the Big MVP, the Big Finals MVP, the Big Headache, the Big Heartbreaker, the Big Champion.

Doug Reeves

San Clemente

When I was a boy, I laughed at the Milwaukee Bucks for being so dumb as to trade the most unstoppable player in the league to the Lakers for a small group of mediocre players (one starter in the bunch). It has been 29 years and the Bucks have still not made it back to the Finals, much less won a championship.

I guarantee you there are quite a few boys with very big grins in Miami these days who can’t believe how dumb the Lakers are. Blasted karma.

Ed Herrera

Fullerton

Jerry Buss’ denial of the linkage between letting go of Phil Jackson and Shaq and the retention of Kobe is the equivalent of a child sheepishly denying he ate the chocolate pudding even though his face is covered in it.

Ralph Guirgis

Tustin

Headline regarding Laker owner’s vacation in Italy:

“Buss Fiddles While Team Burns.”

Jim Mallon

San Luis Obispo

If Jerry Buss really believes the malarkey he spouted about Shaq, Kobe, Phil and the general direction of the Lakers in the most recent Times article, he must also believe all of those 23-year-olds like him for his personality.

Mike Longo

Santa Clarita

Is Jerry Buss losing it? First he makes a comment that “it was better to trade Shaq a year or two early than a year or two late.” Secondly, he is so excited about the new direction of his team (why because of their new 6-9 center with 50-year-old knees) that he just might come out of his luxury suite and watch the team from a seat on the floor ... so he can be booed and ridiculed.

It’s quite possible that the hair dye that Buss uses to try to make himself look younger has in fact affected his brain.

Richard Whorton

Valley Village

So let me get this straight. The Lakers have no center and, assuming Karl Malone returns, will have Malone, Brian Grant, Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Devean George -- five forwards who think they deserve to start. This is in addition to Luke Walton and Brian Cook.

It’s clear Mitch Kupchak will make some trades this summer. He’ll ship off Gary Payton and a forward for Erick Dampier. Then he’ll trade for Tyson Chandler, as well as sign Keon Clark for the veteran’s minimum. This will give the frontcourt the length and shot-blocking to legitimately contend for a title. That’s what you’re doing, Mitch. Right? Please say yes.

Todd Hoskins

Los Angeles

After back-to-back seasons without a championship, the Lakers chose to build their team around the guy who wants to be the greatest player to ever play the game over the myopic one who thinks he still is. Can you really blame them, Shaq?

When the Lakers decided to trade you I knew that two things were certain: Laker fans wouldn’t be happy with what they got back and that whatever team got you would live to regret it. It will be fun to watch you add your name to the list of accomplished athletes who fell apart once they changed teams late in their careers. Make sure that Broadway Joe, Emmitt Smith, Johnny Unitas, Hakeem, Dikembe and Mitch Richmond save some space for you.

Good luck in Miami. Just remember that if Mickey Arison decides to name a Carnival cruise ship after you it won’t be because he wants to honor you. It’ll be because you’ve started to resemble one.

Andrew Ungvari

Los Angeles

I think Shaq’s a great player. I think if he did the little things (like lose weight, stay in shape in the off-season, work on his free throws, defend the pick-and-roll) he’d be the greatest player to ever play the game.

Alan Yamashiro

San Juan Capistrano

I realize that your sports staff is in hysterics over the trade between the Lakers and Heat, but a more sober analysis leads to a conclusion quite the opposite.

The past two years, team cohesion has started to slip, as Kobe prepared to enter free agency, while the Lakers did not win the title in the two seasons. With the possible loss of Kobe, the future wasn’t about to start looking brighter, especially with other rivals in the West loading up and fine-tuning their rosters.

Why risk losing Kobe and give Shaq $20 million a year for another three seasons of good clubs but non-title winners? And, at the end of that, Shaq retires and then what do you do? And all of this only if Shaq stays healthy, and he’s looking shakier every year.

I’d go with Kobe, and Buss is doing the right thing. Remember the Chicago Bulls? They didn’t have a dominant big man, and revolved around Jordan and Pippen. Lamar Odom is better than Pippen, and he and Kobe will make an awesome tandem. Caron Butler is only going to get better.

So, we have a Lakers’ trade that seems crazy, but it’s not.

Jim Donnelly

Newport Beach

You sportswriters are amazing. First, you spend all year (rightfully) complaining about how uninspired the Lakers, Shaq especially, were playing. Then, you (rightfully) praise the Detroit Pistons for their inspired play in beating the Lakers in the Finals. Now, you’re (wrongly) complaining that the Lakers are making a huge mistake in trading their single, most uninspired player on the team.

Love Kobe or hate him, his work ethic is above reproach, as is his effort. And, if in trading Shaq, the Lakers can surround Kobe with more effort and inspiration, then I guarantee you the fans will respond. And last I checked, it was effort and inspiration that hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy just a few short weeks ago.

Brad Kern

Pacific Palisades

I wonder how Laker fans will react if the referees continue to let Shaq get away with blatant fouls, when the lack of calls goes against them.

Ed Noreika

Simi Valley

Although I was not against trading Shaq, I cannot believe the trade the Lakers have made. We could’ve sent Shaq back to Orlando and had a chance at getting Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill and the ’04 first-round draft choice (Okafor) in return. Instead we get Mr. Chronic, an aging power forward, a second-year guard, and a late first-round draft choice. I wonder what Jerry West would have done.

Gary Sanders

Redlands

I just received my invoice for the Lakers’ upcoming season. My tickets went up to $95 a seat. But now that I will be mainly watching the Miami Heat in Laker uniforms, shouldn’t I be paying $52 -- the price of the equivalent season ticket in Miami?

Ron Wolotzky

Los Angeles

I nominate Dr. Jerry Buss for the 26th annual Donald Sterling Award. Mr. Sterling won the first 25 awards by avoiding greatness like the plague. Dr. Buss wins the 26th by finding greatness and then consciously dismantling it.

Marc Bozeman

Beverly Hills

Jerry Buss and Mitch Kupchak, you ought to be ashamed of yourselves. You take a guy who successfully battled cancer, hasn’t smoked or drank for three years, and hire him to coach Kobe? Even if he’s not wearing an orange jumpsuit by training camp, how long do you think it’ll take for Rudy to smoke and drink again?

Max Reyes

Walnut

Here’s a thought. Why not send Bill Plaschke to Miami too, giving the basketball world a new slogan: Shaq-and-Hack.

Gloria Mathys

Rancho Palos Verdes

After throwing all of that money at Kobe, I guess the Lakers had nothing left to buy a portable, wireless microphone, so that we could hear the questions asked by the reporters at the news conference announcing his signing.

Bob Fugler

Fullerton

For all those people who choose to keep their silly Laker flags on their cars, I request that you cut a big circle out of the middle of it to represent the huge hole that Mitch Kupchak left us.

Bryan Wiedeman

San Clemente

Who is happiest about the trade of Shaquille O’Neal?

(a) Jerry Buss.

(b) Every center in the Western Conference.

(d) Pat Riley and everyone else associated with the Heat.

(e) Shaq.

(f) All of the above.

From all indications, the correct answer is (f).

Jon White

Monrovia

Only the Clippers can find a way to lose in July.