Letters: What’s happening with the Lakers?

If Magic Johnson thinks Jim Buss should talk to Kobe, then why doesn’t he call Jim Buss and say so and not the L.A. Times. He’s a VP of the Lakers and if Jim won’t listen to him, the guy who owns the team will certainly accept a call when someone says “Dr. Buss, Magic Johnson’s on the line.”

We love you, Magic. You are still the best who ever laced them up, in a Lakers uniform or any other, but if this is the way you think it’s best to run a team, I hope you don’t buy the Dodgers.

Mitch Engel

Los Angeles

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Four for 15 from the field, two missed free throws in the clutch and seven more turnovers (after 10 earlier in the week) against the Mavericks? Perhaps Pau Gasol should complain to Lakers management that all this trade talk is affecting Kobe Bryant.

Andy Schwich

Santa Monica

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Kobe’s latest rant against the handling of Pau Gasol by Lakers’ management is classic double-speak. His “frustration” with the failure of the Lakers to pull the trigger on a Gasol trade needs translation. What it really means is Bryant, ever the “it’s all about me” athlete, is disgusted that Gasol (responsible for winning two rings) has not been sent packing for a competent point guard! Shut up and suck it up Kobe — you have never won a thing as the man (zero rings without Shaq and Pau).

Mark S. Roth

Los Angeles

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I am a Lakers fan. I love everything Lakers — the coach, Kobe, the management, and certainly the owner. Therefore, I am dismayed by the casual fan who berates the current record, the place where we are in the playoff run, or where we may be four months from now. Have faith, ye faint of heart, for history says that we will ultimately be just fine thanks to the owner, the management, Kobe, and indeed the coach ...

Theron Lewis

Corona

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As I surveyed the wreckage from the Sunday night Lakers meltdown in Phoenix, I formulated a five-point plan to put them on track to contend for the world title.

1. Hire Derek Fisher as head coach under the condition that he retires as a player. He’s intelligent, experienced, competitive and a true leader. He played under some of the best basketball minds in the game. He is respected by all NBA players, something that Mike Brown can only dream about. Besides, I am tired of seeing people blow by him like he was a greeter at Walmart. Derek, think legacy.

2. Annul the Lamar Odom trade. Everyone knows that Kardashian arrangements last only 72 days and we just passed that number since this ill-conceived trade. Lamar, just tell the Mavericks that you are vastly different people and that you want different things in life. Or have Khloe tell them.

3. Hire Mike Brown as your video coordinator. That way he and Ron Peace can sit around and discuss stats before every game.

4. Trade Jimmy Buss to the Warriors for Jerry West or any other person from West Virginia that has actually played in or coached a basketball game.

5. Trade Stu Lantz to another NBA team. There must be someone out there that hasn’t heard Stu’s clichés … over and over again. “The goal is to win the game” … really Stu?

It’s just my opinion, but the status quo “won’t get it done.”

Scott Grieve

Carpinteria

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Jim Buss is doing more for the popularity of the Clippers than Chris Paul and Blake Griffin combined!

Steve Hageman

Seal Beach

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If the Lakers’ story is compared to “The Godfather,” you could say Don Corleone chose Fredo to be in charge of the family business instead of Michael.

Bill Consolo

El Segundo

Bruin blame

I never thought I’d see the day I dreaded watching UCLA basketball on national TV. I have been a fan since the early ‘60s, and even the weakest Bruins teams since that time always gave the fans a hope on every game. Watching this clueless coach lose to one of the worst teams in the Big East, St John’s, was simply painful. It’s long overdue for the L.A. sports media to hold Ben Howland accountable. He has stocked the NBA, UNLV, New Mexico and BYU with offensive star players while his current team can’t find the basket with a GPS.

Alan Segal

San Diego

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As a Bruins fan for over 40 years I have never understood the fierce allegiance Ben Howland has with many UCLA fans. In truth, Ben has had three great seasons along with six mediocre-to-poor ones. UCLA has had three losing basketball seasons since 1949, the Howland era has produced two of them.

Think about it: Not even Walt Hazzard suffered a losing year.

I believe Howland should get one more year with the coming recruiting class, and the new Pauley. If his team falls short next season he should be sent packing.

Daniel Michael

Naperville, Ill.

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In a few weeks, the Mountain West Conference will announce the league’s player of the year and the winner will be either Mike Moser of UNLV or Drew Gordon of New Mexico. Is it true the conference is thinking of changing the award’s name to the Ben Howland Memorial?

Fred Wallin

Westlake Village

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If Steve Lavin can beat the Bruins from the bleacher seats, isn’t it time he came home to Westwood?

Jeff Black

Beverly Hills

Linsanity

Bill Plaschke’s article on Jeremy Lin has merit, however it does not speak for all Americans. I, for one, have always viewed Asian Americans as intelligent, industrious and self-sufficient people. The latter cannot be said about many in our society today. Shame on “Saturday Night Live,” which ceased to be cleverly funny a long time ago.

Robert Dourian

Northridge

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What a surprise! Plaschke takes a great story like Jeremy Lin and finds the way to ruin it with his gross overgeneralizations about how racist we all are. Plaschke’s politically correct schtick is growing old. The sports page, for many of us, is an escape, but there’s always Plaschke to throw a wet towel on the party and remind us all how crappy the world is. Wouldn’t it be Linfinitely better, Bill, to focus on the positive aspects of this incredible story?

Stephen Beck

Glendora

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The Jeremy Lin phenomena is noteworthy not only as an inspirational sports story, but for how it has opened dialogues on so many subjects that need to be discussed. It is a good thing that Bill Plaschke was able to take time from his budding acting career to shed light on some of them.

John Chang

Torrance

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I agree that some in the media have shown racial insensitivity regarding the remarkable Jeremy Lin story, including the offensive ESPN headline. But it pales in comparison to the name of the NFL team in our nation’s capital, where the name itself is derogatory and is nonetheless splashed across newspaper headlines (including the L.A. Times) every NFL season.

Lee Dresie

Culver City

A lot of McCourt

MLB allows McCourt to buy the Dodgers with borrowed money: strike one.

MLB allows McCourt to put the parking lot into a separate corporation: strike two.

MLB may allow the sale without the parking lot: strike three.

If there’s a buyer dumb enough to pay $1.5 billion or more without the parking lot, I can’t imagine the decisions they will make in running the team.

Three strikes and I’m out!

Larry Frank

Sherman Oaks

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With Rick Caruso and Joe Torre the latest to drop out of the bidding process for the Dodgers, wouldn’t it be nice if all the rest of the groups would also drop out until after Frank McCourt is forced to cough up the millions he owes his ex-wife, or until Frank puts the parking lots back on the table? It would serve him right if his own greed was his total downfall.

Ellie Doud

Sherman Oaks

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As a near lifetime Angels fan, I must disagree with the contradictory results of the Marketing Arm survey in favor of my own contradictory opinion. The Angels are not more popular than the Dodgers. Never have been, never will be. Better in virtually every way? Obviously.

Having said that, the only explanation I can find for the internally locked down Dodger Stadium winning out over the open and accessible Angel Stadium in popularity is that an inordinate number of police officers responded to the survey. It’s either that or the palm trees.

Ron Reeve

Glendora

Way to go, Joe

Having gone to high school and graduated with Joe Gibbs in Santa Fe Springs, I remember getting pumped up for football games from the rallies on campus prior to game time where Joe was, of course, the quarterback. Flash to present where Joe apparently just gave Joey Logano, one of his three drivers, a pep talk prior to the start of the NASCAR season. Said Joe to Joey, “We got to pick it up,” so I’m guessing that Logano should have a fairly successful NASCAR start for this season. Hey, how can you disappoint your boss who has won three Super Bowls, was quarterback of his high school football team, was voted most popular in his senior year and, oh yeah, and married the cheerleader?

Bill Spitalnick

Newport Beach

Life on Riviera

There is a lot of love for Phil Mickelson, some coming for those who felt jilted from the love affair with Tiger. Great family man, Phil. But those of us in medicine are especially proud of this great golfer. He is the poster guy for rheumatology, where his responsiveness to biologic agents in the management of his psoriatic arthritis should offer great encouragement and hope for others with inflammatory arthritis. In view of this, and the stresses inherent with his wife’s breast cancer, his accomplishments are truly remarkable.

Stan Alexander, M.D., FACR

Director, Arthritis Medical Clinic of San Gabriel Valley

Arcadia

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A playoff participant in last weekend’s tournament at Riviera spits, cocks his head, comically sizes up his lie with his left eye, then addresses and walks away from his ball a dozen times. Keegan Bradley? No, it had to be his identical twin Rowan Atkinson, better known as “Mr. Bean.”

Charles L. Zetterberg

Claremont

Last words on Kings

The way the local hockey teams have been playing, the Kings better buy Aflac, because they are going to be behind the ducks again.

Bruce N. Miller

Playa del Rey

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I want to believe. I really do. But why is it that, at this time of year each and every year, the only thing left to say about the Los Angeles Kings is, “It’s time for Dodger Baseball?”

Mel Powell

Sherman Oaks

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The Kings are proclaiming, “The Time Is Now!” in their ads. I agree as long as the question is, “When do fans want AEG to sell the team?”

Demitra Macmin

El Segundo

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It appears that the Kings are doing their part to conserve energy at Staples Center. I attended two of their games last week, and they didn’t turn on the red light directly behind their opponent’s goal even once.

Don Kennard

Fontana

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