Originally posted by TripletDaddy
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If getting my ass kicked in past hasn't stopped me from the sassy talk, I don't think that Artest has any hope of accomplishing the same."The first thing I learned upon becoming a head coach after fifteen years as an assistant was the enormous difference between making a suggestion and making a decision."
"They talk about the economy this year. Hey, my hairline is in recession, my waistline is in inflation. Altogether, I'm in a depression."
"I like to bike. I could beat Lance Armstrong, only because he couldn't pass me if he was behind me."
-Rick Majerus -
Artest is no Rodman. Not by a mile. He didn't make a peep in Houston. And did he get into any trouble in Sacramento?Originally posted by Jarid in Cedar View Post
Jackson isn't going anywhere. Not with $12M on the table. Why do you think he spent the better part of the day talking to Phil?
I will hold off on the Kobe/Jordan comparisons. We need to give Kobe a chance to fail miserably in baseball and then fail miserably as an general manager of an NBA team. Both of them seem to be on par in the "pay to play" department, though.Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
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Looks like the Lakers traded Ariza for Artest. Maybe Ariza just wanted summers off. If he only signed for the rumored MLE, you have to fire your agent. David Lee lost millions today. Thanks for the run."Nobody listens to Turtle."-TurtlesigpicComment
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I think that my comparision is Jordan was one of the people that kept Rodman in check on the floor(not necessarily in public). Also, I am behind on Jackson then. We receive some LA stations here and a week ago or so there was alot of talk about him wanting to coach at home only, etc. Made me wonder if he was done or not.Originally posted by TripletDaddy View Post"The first thing I learned upon becoming a head coach after fifteen years as an assistant was the enormous difference between making a suggestion and making a decision."
"They talk about the economy this year. Hey, my hairline is in recession, my waistline is in inflation. Altogether, I'm in a depression."
"I like to bike. I could beat Lance Armstrong, only because he couldn't pass me if he was behind me."
-Rick MajerusComment
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Poor Trevor. Seriously, the dude got screwed by a really crappy agent. He deserved better than that. David Lee needs to stop the public negotiations crap. Teams don't like it and it only creates hostility. It was bad news the second Lee told the LALs that Ariza would play somewhere else for the MLE. I think at that point, it was go time for the show of disrespect. The LALs offer him a nice raise, so it wasn't like the offer was an insult. These players always say how they understand that this is a business...then when it comes time for business, they all get insulted and take everything personally. Negotiations are just that....you jump off at a starting point and work towards something. I guess all these agents and players want the max deal faxed to them at 12:01AM.Originally posted by Surfah View Post
I am guessing that CLE also pulled their offer off the table, as well. If you are smoked out of LA, then you at least go to CLE and compete for a title next season.
Unless David Lee's plan all along was to leave the NBA Champs and sign for the exact same money with a team that has both superstars injured and not playing next season. Sweet plan. I guess technically the income tax will be less in Texas, so he actually gets more cash in his pocket than had he stayed in LA, but seriously...David Lee gets the ESPY for "Biggest WTF" of the year. He should be fired asap.
Trevor has to spend a little time on the Lakers s*** list, though. And deservedly so. Suckers get served, and Ariza has a whole plateful for dinner tonight.
Oh, well. That was sad, now I'm over it. Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming....
Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
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[YOUTUBE]Po5jjkZAK9s[/YOUTUBE]Originally posted by Jarid in Cedar View Post"Nobody listens to Turtle."-TurtlesigpicComment
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I didn't particularly understand the Ariza and Cleveland thing. Would LeBron slide to the 2 or would Ariza? Ariza doesn't have much of mid range j to play the 2. Would he come off the bench there? That just seemed like something Lee would say to maybe stoke the fire some. I don't know that the Cavs were ever serious.Originally posted by TripletDaddy View PostPoor Trevor. Seriously, the dude got screwed by a really crappy agent. He deserved better than that. David Lee needs to stop the public negotiations crap. Teams don't like it and it only creates hostility. It was bad news the second Lee told the LALs that Ariza would play somewhere else for the MLE. I think at that point, it was go time for the show of disrespect. The LALs offer him a nice raise, so it wasn't like the offer was an insult. These players always say how they understand that this is a business...then when it comes time for business, they all get insulted and take everything personally. Negotiations are just that....you jump off at a starting point and work towards something. I guess all these agents and players want the max deal faxed to them at 12:01AM.
I am guessing that CLE also pulled their offer off the table, as well. If you are smoked out of LA, then you at least go to CLE and compete for a title next season.
Unless David Lee's plan all along was to leave the NBA Champs and sign for the exact same money with a team that has both superstars injured and not playing next season. Sweet plan. I guess technically the income tax will be less in Texas, so he actually gets more cash in his pocket than had he stayed in LA, but seriously...David Lee gets the ESPY for "Biggest WTF" of the year. He should be fired asap.
Trevor has to spend a little time on the Lakers s*** list, though. And deservedly so. Suckers get served, and Ariza has a whole plateful for dinner tonight.
Oh, well. That was sad, now I'm over it. Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming....
But Houston. Wow (I can't say it enough when I think about the last 24 hours). What a crappy place to end up. That team will be lucky to see the playoffs next year. That is a downgrade in every way imaginable. You were home Trevor. You won a ring. You were offered a raise. You could have had a fistful of bling and signed a huge deal in 3 years as a starter on a team that could win 3 more titles. Now you get to play for Adelman in Houston. Ouch. This has to be one of the worst moves in free agency history.
Now lets get Odom done and on with things."Nobody listens to Turtle."-TurtlesigpicComment
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I wonder if Odom will follow suit....sign a 10 year deal with the Charlotte Bobcats. $500K per year.Originally posted by Surfah View Post
Ariza's misadventures are clearly the worst of this FA class and of recent memory. Maybe his agent should have taken a hint at all these guys that were NOT opting out of their deals...because there wasn't a ton of money flying around this summer.Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
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Plashke blasts Artest deal:
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-....column?page=2
Plaschke loves to throw these jabs. Much like how he put Manny on blast a few months ago. He kills me. Especially on ATH where he usually starts frothing at the mouth. I hope he posts a retraction next summer.
How can you not roll your eyes at these comments?
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-...,7602019.story
Originally posted by Trevor ArizaIt appears he's just as inept at damage control. Why aren't clients dropping him and calling the Bob Sugar's of the world right now? I guess because Lee only has 2 clients in the NBA right now and 4 total that he is working with: Bynum, Ariza, Hassan Adams and Othello Hunter. That should be enough to know not to sign with this guy. He botched the Bynum deal. And now he's killed Ariza but it was never about the money? LOL.Originally posted by David Lee"Nobody listens to Turtle."-TurtlesigpicComment
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Great article by Wojo:
Man, David Lee is getting torched everywhere today. I think Wojo makes a great point here as to why the LA market (and any large market for that reason - but particularly LA) is so unbelievably valuable.general manager Mitch Kupchak barely blinked when Ariza’s agent, David Lee, started talking like a tough guy, parading his client on what one rival GM called “a leverage tour.”
The Lakers don’t believe he’ll leave, Lee kept barking. Surprise, surprise: Lee didn’t think the Lakers would tell him to get lost, sign Artest and leave Ariza to take the five-year, $33 million deal in Houston he could’ve had in L.A.
“I told Mitch that it was never about the money; it was about respect,” Lee told NBA.com.
Well, take your respect and pack your client’s bags for post-Yao lottery land in Houston. Respect? Yes, there are American soldiers and missionaries in faraway lands cheering for David Lee and this noble stand for the neglected and disenfranchised everywhere. It is about respect, and God knows a $33 million offer for Ariza’s eight points and four rebounds a game rates a disgraceful act.
No, this wasn’t about the money, nor his client’s needs. This was a failed power play, an embarrassment of the highest order. Looking back, Ariza will rue the day. He’s a good player, but he’ll never be a star elsewhere. He’ll just be another player on another team.
“He was way too emotional about this,” said a league executive who had talked to Lee in recent days.
Yet, you can be a star without being a star with the Lakers. When L.A. is winning championships, the role players become commodities. They get endorsements. They get television careers. Ask Rick Fox. Or Derek Fisher(notes). Ariza was an L.A. kid living a dream, 24 years old, a gifted, young talent on the defending champion, and his agent’s bluff backfired."Nobody listens to Turtle."-TurtlesigpicComment
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Perhaps the most important blurb from PlAsschke's article:
JaX is Back!Jackson has always admired Artest from afar and believes he can coach Artest despite the player's sometimes irregular behavior.
Artest offered mutual respect on Thursday.
"I had a great talk today with Phil," Artest said. "I'm a huge fan of his and I can't wait to show him what I can do."
Ted Green on the Artest deal
Extended Q&A with AK/BK on the Artest dealI might also add that this has the makings of a brilliant move by the Lakers. Instead of bringing back the championship cast intact, and probably having to fight some ennui and complacency through the long season, Artest figures to infuse his new team with a hunger and enthusiasm borne of both his desire to win HIS first NBA title, and also his own personal excitement playing alongside Kobe, Pauand Lamar, his boyhood buddy from Queens.
Official statement from Mitch
http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/kupch...st_090702.html
94 more days until training camp starts!"We have entered into discussions with Ron Artest and it is our intention to sign him to a contract at the conclusion of the moratorium period
Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
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It is official: Going for XI
http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/090703philjackson.html
It is official, Part 2: Please let this be Jeanie's desk (beanie babies?)
Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
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Timeline of the Ariza debacle from Lakers Nation
After one of the most dramatic Free Agency signings, non-signings in recent Los Angeles Lakers History, we all realize one very important thing happened last night -
Trevor Ariza and his Agent, David Lee, got screwed.
Let's just recap the timeline of this 2 Day negotiations.
June 30, 2009 - David Lee leaks out to his "sources" that his client, Trevor Ariza, is looking to sign for a contract worth $8-9M a year. Not an outrageous request, since Trevor was a huge part of the Lakers title run with his key steals and 3 points shooting.
July 1, 2009 - Lakers respond to Lee's contract demands and "sources" say that we refuse to go anything above the Mid-Level Exception for Trevor's services. Considering Ariza'srelatively short time of actual productive minutes since his trade from Orlando, this wasn't an outrageous request either.
It was a contract year and Trevor took full advantage of it except he did the smart thing and saved the best for last, raising his regular season 3pt average from 31.9% to a playoff career high of 39.9%. With that being said, the Lakers have recent experience of a player stepping it up in the playoffs, signing a big contract and then suddenly turned from "The Machine" to "The Don't shoot the damn ball ever again!," so you can understand if the Lakers are a little gun-shy in these economic times.
So, this is where we're at and to be honest, I thought we were going to sign Trevor somewhere at $7M a year so that both parties get what they want. Trevor gets the security of a long term contract and is rewarded for his hard work and dedication to the team. The Lakers get a young, athletic swingman that can knock down 3pt shots and play great defense.
David Lee knows how important Trevor is to the team. The thinking is "there's no way the Lakers let go of a KEY player from a championship winning team!" Well, it's good that this super-agent thought this way for his client. To build him up and make him feel like the most important thing since sliced bread.
In actuality, the Lakers weren't thinking this at all. “If they couldn’t get Trevor [Ariza] cheap,” said a source with knowledge of the Lakers’ free-agent plans, “they had Ron in their back pocket.” (via Yahoo Sports)
The Lakers watched as a motivated Lebron James finally got his Shaquille O'Neal date (after dates with Penny, Kobe, Wade & Amare), Dwight got Vinsanity, the Spurs picking up Richard Jefferson for free (similar to the Lakers theft of Pau) & the Celtics were going after Rashee Wallace. The Lakers had to do something to improve this team and if it took sacrificing the future for the present to re-establish them as the overwhelming favorites next year, then so be it!
July 2, 2009 - A couple of very important things happen on this day
- The LATimes.com reports that Trevor and his agent are in Las Vegas meeting with the owner and general manager of the Houston Rockets. A team full of forwards, but that's about it since news came in the week before that Yao Ming could possibly be out for next season and/or the rest of his career.
Obviously, David Lee is scheduling these meetings and leaking stories to different sources to give off the impression that there is an increasing demand for Trevor's services throughout the league. Build up the demand and drive up the salary.
So guess what happens next.
- CBSSports.com reports that Ron Artest has verbally agreed to a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers for the Mid-Level Exception of $5.6M a year.
David Lee's Brain Bubble - "#$(*&#$@(&$#*$&#(!!!!!"
Artest just set the market price for a player with his skill and size.
Houston says "hey, we're not going to overpay for Trevor if the Lakers can get Ron for that cheap!"
Trevor verbally "OKs" a deal for $5.8 Million a year with Houston hours after Ron makes his announcement.
So basically, Ariza moves on to a rebuilding situation from a championship contending team for only $200,000 a year.
The reaction from the thousands of dedication fans on Lakers Nation through our Facebook and Twitter are overwhelming. There is a mixture of shock that Trevor is gone. Much like the shock that one feels after realizing the end of a relationship has come so suddenly. There was amazement that we got a play of Ron Artest's caliber for such a cheap price. There's hesitation in not knowing if Ron Ron is going to play nice with Kobe and/or how far up the stands he's going to go if someone says the wrong thing.Fitter. Happier. More Productive.
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I guarantee that is jaX' desk with the dream catcher. Unless that was a gift he gave Jeanie.Originally posted by TripletDaddy View PostIt is official: Going for XI
http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/090703philjackson.html
It is official, Part 2: Please let this be Jeanie's desk (beanie babies?)
"Nobody listens to Turtle."-TurtlesigpicComment
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This has been in the works a long time.
Kobe said that after the Lakers lost game six of the '08 NBA Finals in Boston by 39 points, he was alone in the shower, just fuming. He heard somebody walk in and assumed it was one of his teammates, or maybe a staff member. Instead, he looked up, and it was Ron Artest (to this day, Kobe has no idea how Artest got into the locker room).
"I want to come help you," Artest said. "If I can, I'm going to find a way to come to LA and give you the help you need to win a title."
Kobe didn't think much of it, especially since Artest still had a year left on his deal with the Rockets, and that the Lakers were returning an entire team that had just won the Western Conference. Plus, players talk like that a lot, and it's just talk. But it struck Kobe as a nice gesture, especially since he had just been hammered by the Celtics and nobody was saying much of anything. Kobe told me that the perception a lot of people have of Artest is wrong.
"He competes....every night, every play," Kobe said. "I've known him since high school and he's always been like that."
Kobe found it strange that some people in the media were portraying he and Artest as enemies.
"He wants to win as much as I do...and I respect him--a lot."
When you consider that Artest and Lamar Odom grew up playing together in New York, this move makes a ton of sense. Artest gets to play with two good friends, for a coach that has always spoken highly of him."Nobody listens to Turtle."-TurtlesigpicComment
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