Bryant and O’Neal Do Not Own the Lakers

“With a Great Divide, Laker Season Hasn’t Really Come Together” (May 8) asks whether the Lakers are Kobe Bryant’s team or Shaquille O’Neal’s team. I thought the Lakers, aside from the reality of being Jerry Buss’ team, are Los Angeles’ team. Not to be overly naive, but when highly talented basketball players feel they “own” the team, there is no team.

This year’s Lakers are dysfunctional. Whether they are a dysfunctional team or just a dysfunctional group of people pretending to be a team remains to be debated. However, there is little, if any, teamwork and team movement, and there won’t be any until the concept of “team” is preeminent among each and every member, and/or there are members who embrace the concept of teamwork and don’t obsess on whose team it is.

Neither Kobe nor Shaq possesses the on- and off-floor leadership to claim “ownership.” And from appearances, it’s not the team of Coach Phil Jackson, who has lost control and respect.

Dan Gersten

Agoura Hills

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Let’s see, according to The Times, one of the most important stories in the world is about a dysfunctional basketball team. (It wouldn’t have been placed above the fold on Page A1 if that weren’t so.) Sure, there’s a lot of interest in the Lakers. But such prime space should be devoted to the many real issues here at home and abroad, not to something as trivial as a game. Isn’t the Sports section the place for sports-related stuff?

Murray Rudomin

Northridge