June 21st: "Old Lakers never die" Draft rumor: Brandon Roy to the Lakers

[Phil]

East Coast, West Coast, It's in the Stars for Riley
June 21, 2006


DALLAS — Old Lakers never die, they just win titles somewhere else.

Pat Riley, the dreamer of the coaching fraternity, first imagined this moment with Shaquille O'Neal two years ago.

Of course, Riley's original version still had O'Neal as a Laker, alongside Kobe Bryant, with Riley back on the sideline as their coach.

No, really. It was the spring of 2004, the end of an era. The Lakers had just been stunned by the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Finals. Owner Jerry Buss had just let Coach Phil Jackson know he wouldn't be offered a new contract.

Riley, the Heat president but no longer the coach, flew to Los Angeles to meet with Buss. It was obvious Buss was thinking of rehiring Riley and Riley was open to it. No one knew anything more … until Riley told the whole story last week.

"I don't know if I would've taken the job," he told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel's Dave Hyde. "The only way would've been if there was a way to keep Shaq and Kobe together."

Riley even asked Buss for their telephone numbers, hoping to persuade both to stay. However, Riley said they discussed it for only 20 minutes when Buss said, "Let's have dinner."

After that, it was purely social, both sides understanding it wouldn't work.

Said Riley: "They'd already made up their mind. They didn't want to keep them together."

Riley got on his chartered jet and flew back to Miami, the first to have learned O'Neal was available and, ultimately, the one who landed O'Neal in a trade.

After that, everything fell into place, more or less.

[Phil]

Draft Rumor

snippet:

The rumor mill was recently sparked when it became widely reported that the Lakers worked out Brandon Roy, a guard expected to go high in the upcoming draft. Considering the Lakers pick at 26 and Roy is thought to be at least a top-10 pick, speculation has since run wild that the Lakers are trying to move up in the draft.
-- hoopsworld.com

[Phil]

Go Away, Shaq-Kobe
Gregg Patton



10:00 PM PDT on Tuesday, June 20, 2006
By GREGG PATTON
The Press-Enterprise



What an unfortunate turn of events.

Shaquille O'Neal wins another NBA title with Miami, and we have to suffer the consequences all the way across the country. Let the bickering begin, all over again.

The Lakers should have kept Shaq and dumped Kobe Bryant.

Shaq was out of shape and heading south, and Kobe's the best player in the NBA.

Shaq had a few good years left, and they should have made him stay.

Shaq's a role player, and Miami won because Dwyane Wade is a basketball god.

Blah, blah, blah. Back and forth. Same old, same old. I was hoping we could avoid this stuff again, but here we go again, I'm sure.

After the trade of O'Neal to Miami in the summer of 2004, Southern California's favorite debate was Shaq-Kobe.