I simply have no understanding of this. None. Zip. Zilch. We see it over and over again: A team wins a big championship…and the fans try to burn down the city. To Oklahoma City’s credit, this is the first time I can remember seeing “eight people shot” in the headline of a celebration story, so [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Los Angeles Lakers’
Moment #46: NBA fines Kobe Bryant $100k for using the word ‘faggot’
Part of Outsports’ series on our 100 most important moments in gay sports history. NBA, 2011. We had heard athletes use the words ‘fag’ and ‘faggot’ before. In 2006, Pittsburgh Steeler Joey Porter called Kellen Winslow a ‘fag.’ Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen use the same word that year. Detroit Lions President Matt Millen [...]
Video: Andrew Bynum deserves 20-game suspension, Lakers should cut him tomorrow
I’ve only been watching professional basketball for about 30 years, so I can’t speak about the whole history of basketball. But Los Angeles Laker Andrew Bynum’s flagrant, intentional foul on Dallas Maverick J.J. Barea in the final quarter of Game 4 of their series was, as commentator Mike Tirico said, “one of the biggest bush-league [...]
Celtics and Lakers down, did LeBron’s “decision” signal changing of the guard?
The top two NBA franchises for several years have been the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Now both teams are down, 0-2. While the Celtics had won their first three games against the LeBron James and the Miami Heat this season, they’ve lost their far more important last three games against them. The [...]
Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and other Lakers record PSA to promote understanding
Kobe Bryant said he’d do more to correct for his use of the slur ‘faggot’ last week, and he has started with a PSA encouraging understanding. The PSA, which will be shown during Lakers games, features Bryant’s Lakers teammates and is making the rounds on TV and the Web. It talks about differences of race, [...]
Kobe Bryant says he protected gay kids and will do more soon
The biggest news since we last checked in with Kobe Bryant might be that Bryant allegedly told ESPN reporter Lisa Salters he used to beat up kids for teasing gay students, and that he intends to do more on the issue. From Towleroad: I used to beat up a lot of kids even in high [...]
Lakers and NBA to work with GLAAD
Just like Tim Hardaway’s “I hate gay people” years ago opened the door to opportunities, so has Kobe Bryant’s “fucking faggot” slur. GLAAD today has a joint statement with the Los Angeles Lakers and is announcing a cooperation with the NBA to undermine homophobia. Lakers spokesman John Black said: What happened in Tuesday night’s game [...]
NBA fines Kobe Bryant $100k. Bryant says he will appeal the decision.
The NBA has fined Kobe Bryant $100k for calling referee Bennie Adams a “fucking faggot” during their game last night. NBA commissioner David Stern released this statement: Kobe Bryant’s comment during last night’s game was offensive and inexcusable. While I’m fully aware that basketball is an emotional game, such a distasteful term should never be [...]
Kobe Bryant’s non-apology isn’t enough
The Los Angeles Lakers posted this statement from Kobe Bryant after he called a referee a “faggot” in last night’s game: What I said last night should not be taken literally. My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings towards the gay [...]
Kobe Bryant headed for suspension? Immediate outpouring of reaction to anti-gay slur
According to TMZ, the NBA is reviewing tape of Kobe Bryant’s homophobic tirade at last night’s Spurs-Lakers game. Athletes clearly have not gotten the message that this language is not okay: The only appropriate course of action at this point would be to suspend Bryant for a playoff game. We’ve learned athletes don’t learn from [...]
Video: Kobe Bryant calls referee a faggot
TNT cameras stayed on Kobe Bryant a little too long after a technical foul during last night’s Lakers-Spurs game. They followed Bryant to the bench where he went into a mini tirade, punching a chair (and a teammate in the process), throwing a towel and then yelling out what certainly looks like, “Bennie…fucking faggot.” That’s [...]
The booing is out of control
This trend of crowds booing the home team has started to bug the hell out of me. I’ve been seeing it happen in the first half of games. Last night the spoiled-rotten home crowd at Staples Center actually booed the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers off the court. Two years in a row [...]
NBA Game 7 ticket prices hit $82k
It will be only the second NBA Finals Game 7 in 15 years, and if you want to see the Celtics play the Lakers Thursday night, you’ll be paying for it. Think Super Bowl prices. On StubHub, the lowest ticket available now is $590. And if you want to sit courtside, you have your choice [...]
Will these NBA Finals go down as ‘classic’?
I was going to start this post with the “there’s still lots of basketball to be played,” but that’s not remotely true. With only a few games left to this NBA season, we are potentially on the verge of a classic NBA Finals. Last night was the epitome of this Finals matchup. The quintessential team [...]
NBA Finals: Lakers-Celtics
Most people expected the Los Angeles Lakers to be in the NBA Finals, but few thought the “aging,” “tired”, “banged-up” Boston Celtics would be their opponent. And after knocking off the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference, the men in green are underdogs again to win their series. You’re currently getting 5/2 odds for [...]
NBA Playoffs heat up players and refs
I’ve had trouble getting into the NBA regular season for the last 10 years. But inevitably, around early May, I get hooked on the playoffs. I start planning my evenings around them. The players seem to suddenly come to life. Whereas they slog through March, in May they turn on a switch. Defenses come alive, [...]
Quick hits: Lakers fans, Pens, Phelps, testicles
L.A. Lakers win title. And after 15 titles, Lakers fans still riot in the streets when their team wins. Police arrest 25 scumbags, police officers hurt. Adam Morrison (right) now has more titles than Charles Barkley and Karl Malone. Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup, become first major pro team in 30 years to win [...]
Magic “ties” Lakers, Dewey defeats Truman
Check out the back page of today’s Philadelphia Daily News after the jump — specifically, the bottom left-hand corner of the page (although the “Rockin’ Raul!” stuff is pretty exciting, unless you’re a Mets fan)… Share on Facebook
Quick hits: Tiger, Lakers, Nadal, Pacman
After two months of “Tiger Woods is finished” talk, Woods comes back from 4 shots down to win the Memorial. Welcome to two weeks of “Tiger Woods is immortal” talk. Soon to be followed by “Tiger Woods is finished” talk. L.A. Lakers win NBA championship. Nadal’s coach claims the defending champ is doubtful for Wimbledon. [...]
Quick hits: ‘Shrooms, Pens, Lakers, Big Unit
Pittsburgh Penguins even the Stanley Cup Finals, winning 4-2. L.A. Lakers dominate the Magic in Game 1. What was that about the Magic giving the Lakers ‘fits’? Pro skateboarder Jereme Rogers (right) said mushrooms drove him to strip down, get on his roof and start making a lot of noise. At 6:40 a.m. Oh to [...]