On Friday night the Lakers pounded the Jazz in their fourth straight victory, giving them an impressive 19-10 record. The final score was 123-109, making it the Lakers 8th victory in the last 10 games, and it seemed they were ready for the challenge that they got last night. But, the the Celtics came to the Staples Center and showed the Lakers how a championship NBA squad should play.
The rivalry between the two teams had not been talked about much since the days of Magic and Bird. The Celtics have not yet recovered from losing the greatest player they’ll ever see, while the Lakers have rebuilt, peaked, bottomed, and struggled to contend with the best. The star power of the Celtics with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett, already makes an interesting match as they face Kobe Bryant who has been compared to both Pierce and Garnett for his entire career. He and Allen have exchanged words over the years as one could imagine.
Not only did Isiah Thomas embarrass the NBA and all of New York with the sex scandal, but he also gave us this gem that solidified his status as a mildly retarded mental patient in waiting.
If you listen to sports talk radio here in Los Angeles you knew that at one point the Lakers would struggle to make the playoffs, that the Lakers will now contend for the Pacific Division against the Suns, and that Andrew Bynum is the next Wilt Chamberlain. Really? Sports talk radio is giving political talk radio a run for its money in terms of absurdity. It’s laughable. My radio dial accidentally landed on some kind of Lakers talk show whereby I listened to the hosts and listeners compare Andrew Bynum to Shaquille O’Neal…favorably.
There are some Christmas traditions that never get old. Presents will be opened, I will go see a movie, and the Lakers will be on national television. The last couple of years, the Lakers faced the Heat on Christmas. But now that the hype between Shaq and Kobe has died to a realistic level, the league matched us with not only actual contender and but superior team, the Phoenix Suns. Now the Lakers will be truly tested against one of the league’s best.
The la.cityzine sports report begins with the Dodgers. Big news for the blue crew, they sign right hander Hiroki Kuroda for 3 years at $35.3 million. It was another big pay day for Frank McCourt, who just paid $36.2 million for Andruw Jones. Kuroda comes out of Hiroshima with a 12-8 record and a 3.56 earned run average. He is expected to be the 3rd or 4th starter, behind Brad Penny, Derrick Lowe, and perhaps Chad Billingsly. This move allows the Dodgers to keep their young talent, who are very valuable in terms of trade possibilities and the future of the roster. With plenty of time before the season, you can bet Ned Colletti will make another big move to improve the line up
I hate to say it, but Los Angeles is not a sports town. Sure, we sell out the stadiums and watch the games on television, but fans? I think not. It’s entertainment. We go to Dodger Stadium and the Staples Center like it’s a movie. I’m not saying there are no fans. Hell, I like to consider myself one of the true Dodger and Laker fans of L.A. But as far as sticking with a team through thick and thin, you can count most of these fair weather fans out. 
On the NBA’s opening night, the Lakers played the Rockets in Los Angeles. In a tough game, both teams played hard until the final seconds, the Lakers losing by just 2 points. Kobe Bryant scored 45, then, was booed off the court.