Is O'Neal's presence a distraction for Kobe?

If you're Kobe Bryant, aren't you just a little upset by what happened the other night at Staples Center, the arena you might have thought of as home?
Aren't you ticked off? Embarrassed? Hurt?
All of the above?
I'm floating the question because what happened the other night at Staples Center cannot pass without comment, and because we can only speculate on how Kobe or anybody else involved feels about the whole thing.
I'm wondering if this will be looked back on as another turning point in the rocky relationship of Kobe and the city of L.A.
The Lakers were in the second quarter of a harder-than-expected victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday night when the weirdness unfolded. During a timeout, as the teams huddled, the crowd on the other side of the court emitted a murmur.
A few fans had just seen a huge man in a conservative black suit walk out of the tunnel at one corner of the floor, stride with a bodyguard up the sideline across from the benches, and sit down in one of the choice courtside chairs near the centerline.
By now most fans in the vicinity had spotted Shaquille O'Neal and begun trying to figure out what the heck the Miami Heat center was doing here.
The murmur grew into mild cheers from the lower section of stands.
Within seconds of Shaq's sitting down in the high-rent spectators section, the kind of music that normally accompanies a timeout faded out, and the "Superman" movie theme music was pumped over the loudspeakers.
Shaq's face, grinning mischievously, appeared on the overhead video screen, with "Shaquille" as the unnecessary caption.
The mild cheers exploded into a standing ovation from most of the crowd of 18,506.
Kobe was sitting on the bench at that moment, out of the game for a rest with 8:36 left in the half. He was expressionless.
"No I didn't see him (O'Neal) come in," Bryant was quoted saying after the game. "Yeah, I saw him. Don't really matter to me."
Did Shaq's appearance have any effect on the Lakers, who had to rally to beat the Bobcats, the winning points scoring on free throws by Kobe?
"Zero," said Bryant, who shot 2 for 11 in the first half, many of the misses coming while O'Neal was watching.
Imagine what Kobe really thought and felt. Tell me what Kobe should have thought and felt.
Here was Shaquille O'Neal, his all-but-sworn enemy, taking the night before the Heat's game against the Clippers at Staples to come out and watch 8 minutes of Lakers-Bobcats. To steal the spotlight, to tacitly taunt Kobe and to chuckle to himself as the Lakers bumbled along.
Here was somebody in video production putting Shaq's image on the big screen and playing his theme music, egging on the crowd.
(Reportedly, Tim Harris, the Lakers executive in charge of business operations, had been told half an hour beforehand that O'Neal would appear.)
Here was that Lakers crowd opening its arms to Shaq.
And here were Lakers employees walking over at halftime to say hello to Shaq, who was a guest of season-ticket holder Steve Jackson, a shoe-business partner of O'Neal.
Kobe didn't see that last part. By the time he and the Lakers started the second half, Shaq was gone.
Maybe the crowd and the person at the video controls were innocently celebrating the Lakers' latest good old days by cheering the player most responsible for the 2000-02 NBA championship three-peat.
But Shaq is the man at least 51 percent responsible for the feud with Kobe, the man who hit owner Jerry Buss with an unreasonable contract-extension demand, who talked his way into the trade that broke up the budding dynasty.
Fittingly, Shaq was on the injured list when he showed up at Staples on Sunday, his injury history having been a reason Buss was willing to let him go.
Kobe is the man who faced free agency and chose to stay with the Lakers, signing through 2011.
And Shaq was cheered on Kobe's court?
Kobe could have defused the tension, or at least turned the tables on Shaq, by walking over and offering a handshake. Kobe could have lightened things with a quip in the locker room.
He didn't, so the incident lingers.
The salt in the wound was Phil Jackson criticizing Bryant's shooting right after the Bobcats game, and the Lakers coach saying of O'Neal that it was "great that he came by."
How does all of this look and sound to Kobe?
He has to know that after Shaq's and Jackson's departures in the summer of 2004, and his own fall from grace in a sexual-assault case, he never could enjoy his old citywide popularity. He had to know that with Jackson's return this summer to coach a young roster, he was under pressure to make a difficult situation work. He has to know he hasn't had a perfect season, shooting too much in many games, which his critics see not as leadership by his team's lone star but as selfishness.
Still, it's not Kobe's performance that makes the Lakers mediocre. Without him, they haven't won a game.
And his thanks is a standing ovation for his arch-rival?
It sounded to me like a reminder that Kobe Bryant is a long way from ever again being a hero in L.A. Like a slap in the face.
How did it sound to Kobe?
We can only suppose.


Kevin Modesti- Daily News

Lakers News

Jumaine Jones swears there was nothing personal about his career night against the Los Angeles Lakers. If there was any doubt, he erased it by taking a bag of gear into his former team's locker room for Kobe Bryant to sign for him.
Jones, traded from Los Angeles to Charlotte in late October, scored a career-high 31 points to help the Bobcats snap their franchise-record, 13-game losing streak on Friday night with a 112-102 shocker over the Lakers.

"The Shot"

I came across an article from the Laker's homepage on the NBA.com family of sites, telling the story of the reactions from various people inside the Staples Center when Kobe's shot went in at the buzzer. So named, "The Shot".


Here's Lamar's:
If you are looking for pure elation, check out Lamar's reaction. I've never seen a 6-10 man jump for pure joy the way No. 7 did. When the shot went in, Lamar leaped in the air like a 10-year-old boy taking his first steps into Disneyland: arms and legs flailing in the air in sheer disbelief. He is the first to catch Kobe and provides him with a two-arm hug around Bryant's head. Seemed like he would never let go as Sasha and the bench swarmed around them.
And here are the others:
http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/kobedvr_060501.html

The 2006 NBA Mock Draft

Random note: this is the 666th post on Sports Matters. Let’s hope it’s not an omen of any sort. (If it is, Oil fans should be happy that I chose to put a post about potential Chris Pronger trade destinations on the backburner for this morning).

The NBA Draft happens tonight. This year has provided more intrigue than normal, not because it promises to be a strong draft year (it doesn’t), but because the lack of can’t miss prospects has left it open. With that in mind, I’m going to do my best to project how things are going to shake out. I’ve incorporated my biases in some cases, but have done my best to project how I think teams will pick.

For info on some of my favorite prospects, scroll down to the bottom of yesterday’s post.

If things were to go my way, Randy Foye would fall to the Celtics, and the rumors of a trade for Sebastian Telfair or Allen Iverson would turn out to be a cruel joke. But in case they’re not, and actually come to fruition today, I may break down and cry, then drink my sorrows away. Anyone who’s interested in seeing this happen is invited to come over to my house in southwest Edmonton to watch the draft.


With that out of the way, here is my full, 2 round mock draft.

1st Round
1 – Toronto – Andrea Bargnani, F, Italy
Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo says they’ve finally settled on a pick. I think Bargnani’s been his guy all along, and he finally convinced the rest of the staff to go along with him. His ideal spot is at the 4, where Chris Bosh is established, but the Raps should be more concerned with bringing in young talent than with filling ‘needs’ at this point.

As an aside on Bosh, he’s been lobbying hard for his buddy LaMarcus Aldridge (who would also be a good pick), but if CB is really concerned with winning, don’t you think that it’s a good idea to give the benefit of the doubt to the guy who built a contender in Phoenix? With a track record of acquiring guys like Nash, Marion, Stoudamire, and Barbosa, don’t you think that he might know a little more than you do about building a winner?

2 – Chicago – LaMarcus Aldridge, F, Texas
I still think they should package their picks to go after a big man like Kevin Garnett or Pau Gasol, but if they keep this pick, Aldridge should be the choice, with Brandon Roy the only other guy who merits consideration. The big man from Texas fills a major need – low-post scoring, and can play either the 4 or 5, which is important, since the Bulls are shopping Tyson Chandler, their only true center.

3 – Charlotte – Rudy Gay, F, UConn
I think he’s a major gamble, but Coach/GM Bernie Bickerstaff loves him. After Brandon Roy cancelled his workout, I think MJ has no other choice here. If someone can motivate Gay, he’ll be a good pick, I’m just not sure that it will happen. He’ll be playing with high-character guys like Okafor and Felton, so if it’s going to happen anywhere, Charlotte’s as good a bet as you can find.



4 – Portland – Adam Morrison, F, Gonzaga
He’s the obvious choice, especially from a marketing standpoint. My only concern is that he’ll be expected to be the savior of the franchise, which might be too much to hope for. He’ll probably end up as a borderline all-star (at best), or reliable 2nd or 3rd option on offense (at worst).

If he does land here, and the Telfair trade happens, I might be able to get some enjoyment out of the Gonzaga reunion with Morrison and Dan Dickau. In fact, I think the Blazers should go all out and get as many former ‘Zags as they can (draft JP Batista, trade for Ronny Turiaf, sign Blake Stepp). They could even bring in Gonzaga alum John Stockton to coach the team. Don’t tell me this wouldn’t be a fun team to watch.

5 – Atlanta – Brandon Roy, G, Washington
This pick’s going to Houston. He’s the best player on the board at this point, and will thrive playing with Yao and T-Mac.

6 – Minnesota – Randy Foye, G, Villanova
I’m praying that he falls to the Celtics, but Kevin McHale seems enamored with him. The Wolves could use help everywhere, so he’s a great pickup. I think they should be dumping salary and rebuilding around guys like Foye and whoever else they can get, but if they’re going to go ahead and try and compete, Randy’s going to help this season as much as anyone else in the draft.

7 – Boston – Tyrus Thomas, F, LSU
I hope the rumors of this pick being traded for Sebastian Telfair aren’t true. If they’re picking for Portland, the Celts will probably go for a true big man (Shelden Williams, or Patrick O’Bryant). If not, they’ll add Thomas, who projects to be a combo forward who can provide defense and energy. As long as they don’t expect a big offensive contribution, he’s not a bad pick; this is about as high as I would go for him if I were a GM.

8 – Houston – Shelden Williams, F, Duke
The Hawks seem enamored with him. I think he’ll be Danny Fortson-like, and feel bad for Atlanta fans that they’re getting stuck with him. Oh well, Luther Head will be a good pickup in the sign and trade.

Speaking of…

Atlanta trades the rights to G Brandon Roy to Houston for G Luther Head and the rights to F Shelden Williams.

9 – Golden State – Patrick O’Bryant, C, Bradley
They could go for a small forward like Rodney Carney, but given that the overpaid, overrated Adonal Foyle is the only true center on their roster, this isn’t a bad way to go either.

10 – Seattle – Rodney Carney, F, Memphis
They’re probably losing Rashard Lewis next summer, so it’s a good move for them to grab an understudy here. Assuming they resign Chris Wilcox, there aren’t any other major needs to address, so this is a good pick for them.

11 – Orlando – Ronnie Brewer, G, Arkansas
This is the perfect scenario for the Magic. They have needs at the 2 and 3, so landing Brewer (a big 2, who can also play the point) works out for them. He could be a steal, especially if you like the analysis done by 82games.com.

12 – New Orleans – Cedric Simmons, F/C, NC State
They were hoping for O’Bryant, but Simmons is a good project. He’ll be solid on defense, and in time, could contribute on offense as well (he’s further along than most of the other projects at his position).

Philadelphia trades the 13th pick in the draft to Phoenix for the 21st and 27th picks.

The Suns are after Saer Sene, and probably need to get ahead of the Jazz to have a shot at him. The Sixers need bodies, and moving down to pick up an extra first rounder allows them to add depth.

13 – Phoenix (from Philadelphia) – Mouhamed Saer Sene, C, Senegal
He’s a project who has been compared to Dikembe Mutombo (though I doubt he will ever be responsible for a story as funny as this). If he pans out, he’ll be a steal; if not, the Suns just wasted a great opportunity to add another piece to their championship-caliber team.

Utah trades the 14th, 46th, and 47th picks in the draft to New Jersey for the 22nd, 23rd, and 54th picks.

New Jersey is targeting either a point guard to spell Jason Kidd, or a big man to play next to Nenad Kristic. They can probably get a project to fill one of those spots in the second round, so it makes sense to move up and grab a better prospect at the other. Meanwhile, Utah was hoping for either Sene or one of the 2-guards, so after missing out, they can trade back and take 2 players in the first round. Unless they’re set on Redick, there’s no one here worth gambling on.

14 – New Jersey (from Utah) – Rajon Rondo, G, Kentucky
He’s a good fit for the up-tempo game that the Nets like to play, and will contribute immediately as Jason Kidd’s backup.

15 – New Orleans – Marcus Vinicius, F, Brazil
I hear that they’re high on him, and with needs everywhere but at the point, he’s as good a bet as anyone.

16 – Chicago – Hilton Armstrong, C, UConn
He probably won’t amount to much more than a shot-blocker and rebounder, but that skill set should make Tyson Chandler even more expendable once he develops a bit more. Adding Armstrong will give the Bulls two young big men to build around. They can add the big guard they’re looking for via a trade or free agency.

17 – Indiana – Marcus Williams, G, UConn
They’re probably content to sit here and see who slides down the board. Williams was thought to be a top 10 pick at one point, but conditioning and off-the-court issues push him down. He’s the best pure point, and with Tinsley constantly getting hurt, and Jasikevicius disappointing in his first NBA season, they could use a young point guard to build around. He’s worth the gamble at 17 in a draft year like this one.

18 – Washington – Sergio Rodriguez, G, Spain
Neither Arenas nor Daniels is a true point. Rodriguez fits in well with their offense, and will let the Wiz move the former two players to the 2 at times and play smallball.

19 – Sacramento – Alexander Johnson, F, Florida State
They could use depth in the frontcourt, and he’s as good as anyone left on the board.

20 – New York – Olexsiy Pecherov, F, Ukraine
Regardless of who the Knicks pick here, there’s no room on the roster or in the rotation to have him contribute. Given that, despite the ultimatum that Isaiah faces, he’s best served adding a player who is a year or two away from contributing, but has a higher ceiling. Even if he gets canned, Isaiah should look at this as a parting gift to Knick fans. It’s the least he could do given that he’s killed their cap room and roster flexibility for the next 5 years.

21 – Philadelphia (from Phoenix) – Shawne Williams, F, Memphis
He can play multiple positions, but has a lot of developing to do since he’s coming out after his freshman year. The Sixers should be waiting to rebuild once they shed the albatrosses that are Iverson’s and Webber’s contracts in a couple of years time, so they can afford to wait on him.

22 – Utah (from New Jersey) – Shannon Brown, G, Michigan State
They need a 2-guard, and with JJ Redick’s personal, and back injury problems, decide to go with this workout warrior ahead of him.

23 – Utah (from New Jersey) – Thabo Sefolosha, G/F, Switzerland
With an additional pick, they take this European star and can afford to sit on him for a couple of years while he develops overseas.

24 – Memphis – Kyle Lowry, G, Villanova
They have needs at the point and at center; with no big men left worth taking a shot on here, it’s a choice between Lowry and Jordan Farmar. I like Lowry better, and since Farmar cancelled his workout with the Grizz, the choice is obvious.

25 – Cleveland – Jordan Farmar, G, UCLA
They need a point guard in the worst way, and he’s a good prospect to let develop. Playing with LeBron will help him succeed within the next couple of years.

He Should Expect Similar Treatment From The New York Crowd

26 – LA Lakers – JJ Redick, G, Duke
The slide finally ends. The Lakers don’t need a true point guard in their system, so Redick could line up next to Kobe and knock down the open looks that he’ll get.

27 – Philadelphia (from Phoenix) – Guillermo Diaz, G, Miami-FL
This pick will be flipped to Miami, since Pat Riley is a big fan. The Sixers should be looking to contend 3-4 years down the road, so they trade Diaz to Miami for a Future First Round Pick.

28 – Dallas – Maurice Ager, G, Michigan State
Assuming they resign their key free agents (Terry, Mbenga), they don’t have many needs. Ager is a good fit as the best player left on the board. If they trade Marquis Daniels, or let Stackhouse walk after next year, they’ll have a bit of a need at the 2, so he’ll come in handy then.

29 – New York – Quincy Douby, G, Rutgers
He’s a local kid, can play both guard positions, and is a great shooter. Given the Knicks’ aversion to true point guards, he’s a good fit.

30 – Portland – Josh Boone, F/C, UConn
They’re looking to move both Ratliff and Randolph, so some depth in the frontcourt is necessary. He comes from a good UConn program, which is a selling point to a team trying to shed its Jail Blazers image.

2nd Round
31 – Portland – Joel Freeland, F, England
They have enough youth on the roster, so adding a guy who can play in Europe and come over a few years from now is a good move.

32 – Houston – PJ Tucker, F, Texas
He’s an undersized combo forward, but has a lot of potential. At best, he grows into an Anthony Mason-type player; at worst, he’s a wasted pick, like the majority of second-rounders are. Not a lot to lose, here.

33 – Atlanta – Dee Brown, G, Illinois
They added Luther Head in an earlier trade, now Brown can come in and provide a spark off the bench. He’s not a pass-first point guard, but he brings in a lot of energy to the team; he could be a Spud Webb/Nate Robinson-type, but with a little more height (he’s 5’10)

34 – LA Clippers – Yotam Halperin, G, Israel
The Clip don’t have any immediate needs, so a project like this makes sense.

35 – Toronto – Mike Gansey, G, West Virginia
He’s a great shooter, and fills a potential need at the 2. This could be the steal of the draft.

36 – Minnesota – Damir Markota, F, Croatia

37 – Minnesota – Mardy Collins, G, Temple
Collins traded to Chicago for conditional draft pick.

38 – Golden State – James White, G, Cincinnati

39 – Milwaukee – Darius Washington, G, Memphis
TJ Ford looks to be a keeper, but they need insurance in case Mo Williams walks next summer.

40 – Seattle – Kevin Pittsnogle, F, West Virginia
He can fill the hole that Vladimir Radmanovic left.

41 – Orlando – Renaldo Balkman, F, South Carolina

42 – Cleveland – James Augustine, F, Illinois

43 – New Orleans – Paul Davis, C, Michigan State

44 – Orlando – Lior Eliyahu, F, Israel

45 – Indiana – Leon Powe, F, California

46 – New Jersey (from Utah) – Taj Gray, F, Oklahoma

47 – New Jersey (from Utah) – Vladimir Veremeenko, F, Russia

48 – Washington – Solomon Jones, C, South Florida

49 – Denver – Bobby Jones, F, Washington
He’s a great defender, and could be another Bruce Bowen/Quinton Ross type. He’s an absolute steal here.

50 – Charlotte – Daniel Gibson, G, Texas

51 – LA Lakers – Paul Millsap, F, Louisiana Tech

52 – LA Clippers – Ryan Hollins, C, UCLA
Good player to take a flier on; he could be valuable if Chris Kaman walks in the next couple of years.

53 – Seattle – Allan Ray, G, Villanova

54 – Utah (from New Jersey) – Louis Amundson, F, UNLV

55 – Cleveland – Pops Mensah-Bonsu, F, George Washington

56 – Toronto – Cheik Samb, C, Senegal

57 – Minnesota – Kenny Adeleke, F, Hartford

58 – Dallas – Nik Caner-Medley, F, Maryland

59 – San Antonio – Rashad Anderson, G, UConn

60 – Detroit – Terence Dials, F, Ohio State

A few closing comments:
Most Likely Steals: Randy Foye to Minnesota, Bobby Jones to Denver, Kyle Lowry to Memphis, JJ Redick to the Lakers (sigh), Mike Gansey to Toronto (Sportzilla has a good piece on him, though I don’t agree with their call on Redick)

Most Likely Busts: Shelden Williams to Atlanta via Houston, Shannon Brown to Utah, Mouhamed Saer Sene to Phoenix (he’s got the upside of DeSagana Diop)

Pick That Will Draw The Largest Jeer from the Crowd: When the hometown Knicks pick Olexsiy Pecherov. I just hope that it’s preceded and/or followed by a ‘Fire Isaiah!’ chant. That’s always fun. Runner-up to JJ Redick, since people don't seem to like the guy.

That’s all. Enjoy the draft tonight. As always, it should bring length, tremendous upside, and nuclear athleticism to your television for two solid hours of entertainment.

Soo Locks photo by Michigan in Pictures

michpics writes: Herbert C. Jackson, photo by Jowo

Joel Didna tells stories about the past and present with his photos and also with the words he writes about them. Some, like the above pictures of a freighter in Sault Ste. Marie or Borucki's Lakers, are about Michigan. Others, such as Life Along the Rail and Thursdays: Vietnam 1971 cross state and national borders.

Read about the Herbert C. Jackson

Farmar to his Hometown Lakers

This seriously is unbelievable. I really don’t think even Hollywood could script such a story. Not only does Jordan Farmar live out his childhood dream of playing for his hometown UCLA Bruins, but now he get’s drafted in the first round by his hometown Los Angeles Lakers.

I’ve known Jordan since he was an infant, and seriously, I know his family has to be incredibly happy right now. I know I’m excited for him. My neighborhood has only had one guy have a brush with the NBA (Marlon Garnett…he was Steve Nash’s back court partner at Santa Clara), but to see Jordan become successful the way he has makes me extremely happy.

While we’re at it, here are some good Farmar stories:

When we were younger he played in a “two ball” tournament that the Lakers hosted at the Forum for members of their Laker YMCA teams. Jordan and his friend were so good, that they made it won the entire tournament and got an opportunity to shoot during halftime of a Laker game. Their strategy was flawless: Have Jordan shoot all of the shots, and have the other kid just chase the rebounds and shoot layups. He was so much better than the rest of the kids his age back then it was almost unfair.

This year, I had a chance to go check out the NCAA West Regionals in Oakland in March. I was extra stoked to go up there for a couple of reasons. First: I was getting to see Adam Morrison play live for the first time all year. I mean, I attempted to check him out in L.A. while he was here playing Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount, but tickets were sold out to both games. But even more, I was excited to see my childhood friend Jordan Farmar play. After an incredible game, in which UCLA made a miraculous comeback, I headed over to the hotel where I was staying to meet a couple of friends. The hotel just happened to be the same hotel where Memphis and UCLA were staying, and considering that both teams had just won their respective games, you can guess how crazy the atmosphere was that night. Anyhow, eventually UCLA would show up and Farmar and the rest of his UCLA teammates started to celebrate a bit with the rest of the UCLA faithful in the lobby. After a while you could tell that Jordan just wanted everyone to go away so he could hang out with his family a bit. Finally most of the fans would clear out of the lobby. Jordan looked relieved that he would finally get a chance to just relax and take everything in, and as soon as he does just that, this rabid drunk UCLA fan comes in ranting about how much money he spent on tickets to the game and how much money UCLA just made him. The guy just happened to be an Asian guy with a slight accent (which made the conversation even funnier).

UCLA Fan: “Fucking Faaaaahmaaah! Where is fucking Faaaahmaaah?!?!”

Jordan, sitting in a lounge chair in the hotel lobby has this look on his face like he just wants to run away, but at this point, I think he’s just too tired to attempt to move.

UCLA Fan: “Dair he is. Right dair! Fucking Fahmaaaaah! Do you know how much money I paid to see you guys play? I pay two thousand Dollah to see you guys play today. And you know what?!?!?!?! I would have paid ten thousand if I would have known the game would have been this fucking crazy. Fuck! I’m next Jordan fucking Faaaahmaaaaah. You my hero Fahamah."

(Looks to his friend.)

"Take picture of me and Fucking Fahmaaah."

Anyhow, In terms of the pick for the Lakers, I think he is a great fit. Farmar is an intelligent player with both great defensive and playmaking mentalities. The knock on him has been his lack of a consistent three-point shot. But I’ve been watching this kid play all through high school and college and can tell you that his shot is better than what most people think. He is better at catching and shooting than he is at pulling up off of the dribble. Most teams want a point guard that can stop and pop. But in the Lakers system, a guy that is more comfortable spotting up and hitting open jumpers is much more valuable to them. I know his shooting percentages were off this year, but people forget that he played almost the entire season on two bad ankles.

Farmar will certainly play on the Lakers’ Long Beach Summer Pro League team. He should use that time to pick up the triangle offense and hone his NBA three.

One scout told me he did not like Farmar because he didn’t think he was a nice guy because he always was yelling at his teammates. I don’t really see that as a negative. Basically it just tells me that Farmar (at only 19) has the balls to walk into a locker room and be a leader. As well, the kid is a relentless gym rat. He loves basketball, and probably will be up there with Kobe Bryant in terms of off-season work regimen. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s the one calling Kobe up at 5AM to go running.

Smush, I love you dogg, but it’s time for you to give up your starting spot and your jersey number to its rightful owner, because the real #1 will be coming to the Staple Center this season. And I have a feeling he’s going to be really good.

LA Lakers

The team is renowned for the fanbase of celebrities, such as musicians and movie stars who attend its games. Without question, many are present only during successful times for the team. During such times, near-court seats at an important Laker game are a desirable place for entertainment figures to "be seen". Each network broadcast, and many local broadcasts, of Laker home games invariably includes a few moments taken out to show on camera the various celebrities present at that particular game, and clearly many attendees are more interested in this aspect of their attendance than in the team or the game itself.