June 30th: "Odom's Infant Son Dies in New York" "Farmar Looked Suited for NBA"

[Phil]

Odom's Infant Son Dies in New York
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
June 30, 2006


The infant son of Lakers forward Lamar Odom died Wednesday night in New York, apparently suffocating while sleeping in his crib, a Lakers official said.

Jayden Odom was born last December, the third child of Odom and his longtime girlfriend.

"Obviously, we're very sad," Lakers spokesman John Black said. "Lamar was in New York attending the funeral of his aunt. It's yet another tragedy. Our hearts go out to Lamar and his family. We send out our condolences."

[Phil]

Farmar Looked Suited for NBA
The former UCLA guard caught the Lakers' eye at the pre-draft camp with his solid play, but he also dressed and acted like a professional.
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
June 30, 2006


The flight to Orlando was filled with little kids, their parents, and, closer to the back of the plane, hope.

Many of the passengers were on their way to Disney World, but Jordan Farmar was on a career path.

The UCLA Bruin was headed to the NBA pre-draft camp this month in Florida, and the 6-foot point guard needed to reach new heights in order to guarantee a spot as a first-round selection in the draft.

Which is exactly what he did. No behind-the-back passes. No degree-of-difficulty dunks. He didn't play astoundingly for five-minute stretches and then, just as quickly, disappear.

[Phil]

Pinnock eager for his chance
By Jon Siegel
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
June 30, 2006


Danilo Pinnock had seen enough.
The former George Washington star had watched nearly five hours of the NBA Draft with some 30 family members and friends at his house in McDonough, Ga., Wednesday night and had not heard his name called. As the draft broadcast was drawing to a close, Pinnock was beginning to feel like the evening was a waste.
"It was just nerve-racking," Pinnock said. "I put my head in my hands and my agent taps me on the shoulder and I look up and [the television screen] says 'Dallas Mavericks select Danilo J.R. Pinnock.' I put my head back in my hands and started thinking and the tears started flowing. It is something I dreamed about my whole life."
The explosive 6-foot-5 guard was the third-to-last selection in the draft, late in the second round at No. 58 overall. The emotional night took one more twist shortly after midnight, when the Los Angeles Lakers completed a deal to acquire Pinnock in exchange for a second-round pick in 2007.
Pinnock worked out for the Lakers a second time Tuesday and was highly regarded on that franchise's draft board -- even if he wasn't on anyone else's.

[Phil]

Lakers: Farmar answers the call
Kobe welcomes newest Laker
BY ROSS SILER, Staff Writer



EL SEGUNDO - At the end of what he called "the longest month of my life," working out for NBA teams across the country, Jordan Farmar could have been forgiven for not picking up the phone Thursday morning.
It was good thing he did. The number Farmar didn't recognize belonged to Kobe Bryant, who called at 9:30 a.m. to congratulate the Lakers' first-round draft pick and tell him to get ready to work.

"That was the best way to start my career," Farmar said, "to get a phone call from the best player in the NBA."

A couple of hours later, Farmar found himself going over jersey numbers with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak. They stopped at No. 8, formerly belonging to Bryant, and Kupchak joked later about offering it to his 19-year-old guard.

For Farmar, who once owned a Bryant jersey, it was another in a string of unforgettable moments. He was introduced Thursday, a day after the Lakers took him with the No. 26 pick in the NBA draft, and will start his career wearing No. 5.

"I couldn't have asked for a better outcome," Farmar said. "If I had to draw it up again, I wouldn't take it any other way."

[Phil]

More Backcourt Help on the Way?
Broderick Turner

10:00 PM PDT on Thursday, June 29, 2006
By BRODERICK TURNER
The Press-Enterprise


EL SEGUNDO - The Lakers introduced their first-round draft pick, point guard Jordan Farmar, to the media Thursday. Now they have turned their attention to acquiring a veteran free-agent guard to shore up their inexperienced backcourt.

The courtship period for free agents starts Saturday -- General Manager Mitch Kupchak said he'll start making calls to free agents at 9:01 p.m. today -- and teams can start signing players 11 days later. The Lakers have a $5 million mid-level exception and are interested in spending it.

The Lakers will probably take a good look at Marcus Banks, who played in Minnesota last season, Sam Cassell (Clippers), Bobby Jackson (Memphis) and Speedy Claxton (New Orleans).

The Lakers had Banks for about week during the summer of 2004, but the trade in which they acquired him was rescinded when Gary Payton refused to report to Boston for his physical. Banks went back to the Celtics, and the Lakers ended up getting Jumaine Jones instead.

[Phil]

Free-agent crop drops

snippet;

The Mavs have every intention of re-signing Terry, while the Lakers have discussed bringing in Cassell. The Pacers want to re-sign Stojakovic, while the Hawks are hoping to pull off a sign-and-trade to move Harrington.

[Phil]

Kobe congratulates Farmar

By JOHN NADEL


EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) - When Jordan Farmar's cell phone rang Thursday morning, he wasn't surprised to discover it was another call of congratulations.

But it wasn't just any caller - it was Kobe Bryant. "That was the best way to start my career, to get a phone call from the best player in the NBA," Farmar said at a news conference less than 24 hours after the Los Angeles Lakers took him in the first round of the NBA draft with the 26th overall selection.

"It wasn't long at all - about five minutes," Farmar said of his conversation with Bryant. "It was very meaningful to me. He's the best player in the NBA and we're on the same team."

Farmar, who turns 20 in November, passed up his final two years of eligibility at UCLA to make himself available for the draft. He played at Taft High in nearby Woodland Hills, then started all 66 games in which he played over two seasons with the Bruins, who advanced to the NCAA championship game this spring before losing to Florida.

The six-foot-two point guard averaged 13.2 points and 5.3 assists as a freshman and 13.5 points and 5.1 assists as a sophomore, when he was a first-team All Pac-10 performer.

[Phil]

Alaskan invited to play on Lakers summer team
HOOPS: Former Bartlett player caught the eye of NBA teams while in Japan.

By VAN WILLIAMS
Anchorage Daily News

Published: June 30, 2006
Last Modified: June 30, 2006 at 02:46 AM


After enjoying a solid two-year stint at Santa Clara University and winning MVP honors in his only season in the Japanese Basketball League, Doron Perkins of Anchorage is poised for the next chapter in his career.


Perkins, 23, has accepted an invitation to play for the Los Angles Lakers in the Southern California Summer Pro League in Long Beach, he said Thursday.

Playing for the Lakers summer-league team doesn't guarantee Perkins a spot on the team's NBA roster, he said. But the opportunity will bring him closer to reaching the world's greatest basketball stage and fulfilling a dream of playing in the same backcourt as his favorite player, Kobe Bryant.

"I'm not getting paid, but I am getting a chance to play with the Lakers," Perkins said by cell phone. "It's an opportunity to show I can play at that level."

[Phil]

NBA: Lakers Take UCLA's Jordan Farmar


/noticias.info/ Jordan Farmar

An early entry candidate for the 2006 NBA Draft.

Career Highlights: Earned All-Pac-10 honors as a sophomore. Was also a mid-season nominee for the Naismith and Wooden Awards and was named First Team All-District by the NABC and USBWA. Career total of 97 made three-pointers currently ranks ninth on UCLA’s all-time list.

Sophomore (2005-06): Led the Pac-10 in assists (5.1 apg) while averaging 13.5 points. Season total of 189 assists rank as the ninth best single-season mark in school history. Missed two games with a sprained right ankle. Led the team in scoring 13 times. Posted career-high 28 points, including 23 points in the second half vs. Memphis. Shot 10-for-13 from the field in scoring 24 points vs. Nevada. Scored a team-high 22 points vs. West Virginia. Dished out a career-high 12 assists vs. Washington. Recorded a double-double of 16 points and 10 assists vs. Coppin State. Scored a team-high 19 points in the Pac-10 Tournament finals vs. Cal, on his way to All-Tournament honors. Led team with 18 points vs. Alabama in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Tallied 15 points and six assists, including the game-winning pass, in the comeback win over Gonzaga in the Sweet Sixteen. Scored 18 points in the National Championship game vs. Florida. Named to the Final Four All-Tournament team.

[Phil]

Guarded optimism: Lakers add backcourt help
By Kevin Ding

The Orange County Register

(MCT)

When Jordan Farmar decided to stick around town at UCLA after attending Taft High in Woodland Hills, he did so to enjoy time with his family before leaving the Los Angeles area once he reached the NBA.

On Wednesday night, the local Lakers foiled Farmar's grand plan - to his delight.

"It's a perfect situation," Farmar said.

The Lakers chose Farmar with their first-round pick, 26th overall, after expecting the 19-year-old point guard to be chosen five or six slots earlier. In their ideal scenario, Farmar could contribute immediately as a defender to stay in front of other small, quick guards - an area where Smush Parker and Sasha Vujacic have been shaky.

But Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said he will pursue a veteran guard in free agency to be more of a sure thing in helping Parker. The Lakers also landed 6-foot-5 guard Maurice Evans, 27, in a draft-night trade with the Detroit Pistons for the rights to the 51st overall pick, Senegal's Cheick Samb. Evans, who has two years left on his contract at $1.5million annually, played 80 games for Detroit last season, was assigned by Sacramento two seasons ago to guard Kobe Bryant at times and will be asked to play a defense-first role with the Lakers.

[Phil]

Lakers Blog:Our Thoughts Are With Lamar Odom

In horrible news, Lamar Odom's 6½-month-old son Jayden died in his sleep on Wednesday night. Obviously, our hearts and best wishes go out to Lamar and his entire family during this terrible time.