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Kobe Bryant: “I’m a post player.”
Throughout his career, Michael Jordan was known for coming back from the offseason boasting a new trick - turn-around jumper, a new set of post moves, 10 pounds of muscle … whatever. So, in turn, has Kobe Bryant, who this season opted to work on his low post game culminating with a trip to visit Hall of Fame pivot Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, whom Kobe considers the creator of the best post moves in league history (regards, Kevin McHale)....

Ron Artest: Two Practices Deep
Though he’d participated in just two practices with his new teammates and coaches, Ron Artest didn’t seem to have any trouble getting into the mix. Of course, that’s easier when everything else from a championship season retained its (albeit high level) status quo, but nonetheless, Phil Jackson’s mission to integrate Artest seemingly got off to a solid start....

Phil Jackson: All’s Right and Well
After two practices with his squad, Phil Jackson explained that he was fairly pleased with the Lakers from a general standpoint. This is now the seventh time in which Jackson has been charged with defending the NBA title, and a plan is again in place. Jackson explained that while Ron Artest is new, the team for the most part knows what it wants to do, and has the kind of attitude he likes to see. He said that they’ve yet to begin working on the triangle, but feels that Artest will be able to pick things up quickly...

Lamar Odom: Back to the Bread and Butter
After a day in which Lamar Odom spent the majority of his time dealing with questions surrounding his over-the-weekend marriage, the lanky lefty was more than happy to spend five minutes talking about his favorite football team (the NY Giants) and baseball squad (the NY Yankees). Odom, of course, is of the belief that the Yankees will win the World Series, and explained exactly why to anyone who was interested (all of us).

Phil Jackson on Odom's fitness: "Literally he is in better shape than he has been in before (coming into camp)." Odom credits boxing.

The Rifleman, Chuck Person, has joined the Lakers as a special assistant coach for training camp.

Teams of four action: 1)Kobe/Pau/Walton/Fish; 2)Bynum/Odom/Brown/Morrison; 3)Artest/Vujacic/Fey/Monds; 4)Farmar/Powell/Gaffney/Gelebale

Bynum wearing a brace on his right knee, as expected

Ron Artest, via Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times: "None of them know how hungry I am," Artest said. "It's about time to get to business."

Ron Artest sees the commotion caused by newlywed celebrity Lamar Odom and internationally recognized Kobe Bryant, and thinks, "This is a media circus? Really?"
He chuckled when asked whether the goings-on at Lakers training camp are a distraction.
"I'm always trying to be in the media anyway. I'm always trying to do things to stay out in the public, stay relevant," he said. "That's my history, of being a distraction to the team."
Two days into camp, there have been plenty of diversions, none involving Artest.

Odom is followed by paparazzi on a routine basis thanks to his nuptials with reality TV personality Khloe Kardashian. Spaniard Pau Gasol draws plenty of international interest, and Bryant will always be hounded by reporters. (In fact, there were two spats between media members who crowded around Odom and Bryant for interviews Tuesday.) Artest almost seems amused by not being the top draw. He's not even winning the trash-talking battle on the practice court. "Josh Powell's the biggest trash-talker," Artest said. "Kobe's second. I'm trying to get third."

Artest and Bryant are both alpha-types in the locker room, but Artest is deferring to Bryant. There's no doubt which player is the newcomer to the Lakers and which one is starting his 14th season with the franchise. "Everybody's hungry because Kobe comes in here and he leads by example and everybody follows," Artest said. "We all have to be on the same page as Kobe. It doesn't really matter how I feel. It really matters how Kobe feels." Artest, with Bryant, figures to give the Lakers one of the league's top perimeter defenses. "He's getting in there and mixing it up," Coach Phil Jackson said. "I think Ron's going to fit very well." Said Bryant: "He looks good. He's moving extremely well. He looks like Ron."

KB24_ILLMATIC wrote:You think we can get 70 wins this year i saw on nba.com reggie miller talking about it

iamworthy wrote:Hopefully Artest can bring some Fire and Intensity like KG brings to the Celtics

96 Til Infiniti wrote:Seems like every year theres a team or two with talks of winning 70. I know how extremely difficult it is to achieve because of all the factors that could derail it (injuries, bad road trip, etc.) but if this team avoids serious injuries and Ron brings that defensive edge we've all been talking about this summer I think there's a chance this team can do it.