LAKERS DIE-NASTY

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

The Lakers made MANY questionable decisions. They were unhappy with last year's team that recorded a franchise sixth best 61-21 (.744). Little made sense in their decisions in striving for PERFECTION. The teams 31-19 (.620) regular season record this year proved far from perfect.

Tuesday May 25, 1999

Not to be an, I TOLD YOU SO, but excuse me…I TOLD YOU SO. The Los Angeles Lakers made me a profit by biting the dust and being swept by the San Antonio Spurs 4-0 in the Western Conference semi finals. Now let us bow our heads… and pray.

It was fitting that Jerry "Who Loves-Ya Baby" Buss' BOY TOYS went down with a whimper. After being knocked out by the Spurs, the cheerleading Los Angeles press made noise that THEIR LAKERS had let them down. Of course this was after the scribes and the team claimed earlier in the year that they were the best in the NBA (please pass the barf bag). It was a sad day for the Lakers dynasty when they died nasty.

Many of those Lakers-fan-scribes had to find other teams to champion since their Golden Boys will have to do something else with their new founded FREE TIME. While the remaining playoff teams are at WORK for the right to become NBA champions, the Lakers are on HOLIDAY.

HERE'S WHAT we TOLD YOU that can be found on our Lakers Sub Page:

1. The Lakers and Rodman relationship would never work. See "Rodman Sacrificed" Filed February, 26 1999
2. Lakers were a team in turmoil and about to explode. See "Lakers Time Bomb" Filed March 10
3. The Lakers DO EXPLODE with the trade of Eddie Jones and Elden Campbell to the Charlotte Hornets for Glen Rice and JR Reid. See "Lakers Bombs Away" Filed March 12.
4. The Lakers won't win the NBA Championship without Rodman. See "Dennis Rodman Released". filed March 23.

Their fall from grace was nasty. They went out looking like an aimless team. When the curtain fell, the pretty boys left without taking a bow. There was NO mugging for the camera.

The first bump in the Lakers dusty road was when they signed wild-child DENNIS RODMAN, February 23rd; that conflicted with their squeaky clean image. It made sense to very few in the basketball world. It was a relationship that was doomed from the start. They and Rodman were in for the ride of their lives as noted in "Rodman Sacrificed".

Within hours of Rodman's signing, Lakers coach DEL HARRIS was fired February 24th. It was his fifth year with the team. Harris was replaced by, his then assistant-coach, KURT RAMBIS. Harris' departure wasn't a surprise. Like other Lakers, it was rumored for over a year that he would be given his walking papers. The fact that he helped improve the team's won-loss record for four consecutive seasons didn't save him. It was a feat that only eight other coaches in NBA history have accomplished. It was a feat that wasn't appreciated. It was a decision that many of the LA press championed.

The fact that Harris' Lakers' teams averaged 54.5 wins a season while he was coach, couldn't save him. The fact that he was one of only three Lakers coaches to be named Coach of the Year, couldn't save him. Pat Riley, 1990 and Bill Sharman, 1972 were the others.

After the Harris dismissal, the Lakers went on a 10-game winning streak. Rodman started his rebellious act missing practices, games and then he took a sabbatical to Las Vegas. The LA media started calling for his head to be SEVERED and SERVED on a platter.

As the cyclone atmosphere started to swell, owner Buss headed for Europe. Executive Vice President JERRY WEST and General Manager MITCH KUPCHAK vamoosed to Arizona. That left Rambis with a world of trouble to get under control. It was like trying to restrain a Bronco in a rodeo competition with a wet noodle for reigns. It was a case of, giddy-up cowboy hang in there.

Then came the long rumored trade. EDDIE JONES, a crowd favorite and ELDEN CAMPBELL were dealt to the Charlotte Hornets for GLEN RICE and JR REID on March 10th. Laker brass tried to put a positive spin on the deal that was questioned form the start. It later proved the Lakers weren't dealing from the bottom of the deck. It showed they didn't have a full one. It showed they had NO FACE cards. Management did not smell like a rose.

Continue - THE EDDIE JONES TRADE AND MORE