Letters: Kobe’s done, but Lakers have work to do

And the “Made the 2013 Playoffs” banner goes where?

Steve Morsa

Thousand Oaks

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Random thoughts on Kobe Bryant:

He is talked about too much.

He is written about too much.

He is paid too much.

He dribbles too much.

He shoots too much.

He scores too much.

However, as a basketball fan, too much has not been enough. Here’s hoping for more Kobe in the future.

Dennis Bukovich

North Hills

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Kobe Bryant’s severed Achilles’ tendon is the dividend the Laker Nation received from Jim Buss’ indefensible decision to hire Mike D’Antoni, not Phil Jackson. There would be peace in the Middle East before Big Chief Triangle would allow Kobe to play more than 46 minutes a game for seven games in April.

Buss, whose only notable prior job on an otherwise forgettable resume was horse trainer, must have been sick the day that would-be trainers were taught that even the most dominant and magnificent thoroughbreds will break down from excessive work and inadequate rest.

Tom Lallas

Los Angeles

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As a lifelong Lakers fan I have always admired and respected Kobe Bryant for his incredible basketball talents. He will forever be remembered as one of the greatest NBA players of all time. On the other hand, I also understand that the name on the front of his jersey is and will always be more important than the name on the back. The future success of the Lakers will depend on whether they can do the previously unthinkable by waiving Kobe Bryant. The Lakers simply cannot afford to wager $85 million against Mother Nature and Father Time.

Maury D. Benemie

Corona

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As a Lakers fan, I’ve somehow convinced myself that the No. 7 seed and a probable first-round exit will have been a successful season. Kobe, you can’t let this be my last memory of your Lakers career. Get healthy and finish on your terms.

Chris Gagliano

Rancho Palos Verdes

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Leave it to killjoy Bill Plaschke to throw a bucket of water on the Lakers’ brightest moment in a trying season [April 18]. Sort of like the guy who tells his granddaughter on her Sweet 16 that it isn’t a big deal because it gets much tougher as life goes on.

Bud Chapman

Northridge

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Is it true Kobe was awake during his entire surgery because the doctors could not get him to pass out?

George Sands

Torrance

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It’s nice to see the Lakers put forth the necessary bravado needed to assure fans of their desire to upset the Spurs, but if they’re truly serious about it, they may want to consult members of a certain hockey team to gather true guidance on what it takes to unexpectedly win from an impossible seeding.

Mer Valdez

Long Beach

Business school

College sports as a business was crystallized by new USC Coach Andy Enfield’s self-described appointment as CEO of Trojan basketball. When running a team as a corporation, one must have a balance sheet of assets and liabilities. Assets: Galen Center, alumni support, recruitment potential, a model wife. Liabilities; Poor brand reputation, superior college and professional teams in town, a history of SC sports’ sanctions. Bottom Line: A short honeymoon.

Dan Anzel

Los Angeles

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So the NCAA is zeroing in on Oregon. Ducks fans, your only sin is that you are in the wrong conference; we Trojans feel your pain. If the Ducks were in the SEC, documentation would have been lost, witnesses would have disappeared or the NCAA would have just said, “Keep walking, nothing to see here.” The NCAA and the SEC remind me of the scene in Tombstone when Ike Clanton (SEC) told Wyatt Earp (NCAA), “Listen, law dog, law don’t go down roun’ here.” Scandals seem to stick to other conferences but they just slide down the SEC walls.

Willis Barton

Los Angeles

Masters class

If the belly putter is banned, one wonders, will Adam Scott have an asterisk next to his victory?

Ken Johnson

Pinon Hills

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Who would have thought that, in the aftermath of the tumultuous breakup of Tiger Woods and Steve Williams that Williams would have won the first major (as Adam Scott’s caddie)?

Jack Wolf

Westwood

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Bill Dwyre got it right. Tiger should have DQ’d himself from the Masters for seeking an unfair advantage on a drop. Had he done so, I think his prior Thanksgiving turkey act debt would have been paid. Once again, his ego is his worst enemy.

Bruce N Miller

Playa del Rey

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For those who think Tiger Woods should have been DQ’d from the Masters for knowingly signing an incorrect scorecard, consider this: Would he intentionally cheat on national TV to give himself the paltry advantage of a four-foot-longer shot, risking at best a two-stroke penalty and at worst a DQ? Get real, folks. The rule change was precisely for a situation like this.

Alan Abajian

Alta Loma

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Wouldn’t it be nice if Tiger Woods were to donate his Masters check ($352,000) to his favorite charity, as a sign that he understands the furor surrounding his failure to withdraw from the Masters after he signed an incorrect scorecard. Oh, wait, I forgot, the new rule that allows you to say “Never mind.” Do you think that any other golfer would have received such a dispensation after admitting that he broke the rules?

Dick Van Kirk

Arcadia

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If Masters officials spent less time stalking a 14-year-old boy for slow play, maybe they could’ve helped Tiger with his drop.

Larry Yells

Hermosa Beach

Bad teams, man

Maybe Mike Scioscia and Don Mattingly misunderstood the memo. Spring training was to start two weeks early to accommodate the World Baseball Classic, not extend two weeks after.

Mike Morgan

Las Vegas

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The Angels are like the golfer we’ve all seen before who has the most expensive clubs, most expensive bag and most expensive outfit but can’t break 100.

Tim McLaughlin

Los Angeles

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I never imagined that I would be nostalgic for an Ervin Santana start every fifth day.

David Hawkins

Anaheim Hills

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