for those of you who haven’t seen this yet. Kobe doin’ REAL work. Can’t wait for the season (IF there’s a season)

(Source: lakernation.com)

This is always my favorite time of the year, has always been, but as I’ve gotten older it’s shifted to other reasons than just my birthday. Since my love and knowledge of basketball has grown, it means a lot when my male friends actually respect and ask for my opinion regarding basketball, more so, when it comes to my team, the Los Angeles Lakers. It always my Lakers, our Lakers, THE team, it’s ride or die if we’re speaking in “hood”/Matt Barnes terms (please reference last nights game against the Dallas Mavs for example).

Let me rewind a bit. The reason I say it means a lot when my male friends actually respect my opinions re: bball is not because I’m surprised by my intelligence and knowledge of the game, I know my worth. It’s more so I’m generalizing most of the male fans I have met at bars or on the street that do not respect the opinion of women’s sports IQ. I have Mike to thank for my knowledge, I will not deny that. I was fortunate enough to walk into a relationship that showed me what team work really is, the will to win and be victorious. I would watch games with Mike, usually annoyed at how much dedication he put into a team when he received nothing from it in return, and boy was I WRONG. One day things just clicked and I specifically remember telling Mike, “Okay, there’s no way around this sport, teach me,” and that’s exactly what he did. I get frustrated with him when he tries to teach me other things, I say he and I are a bad team teacher/student combo, but like I said, It’s always me just being frustrated. Back to me being wrong. I was oh-so-very wrong when it came to basketball not giving you anything in return. It has taught me dedication, patience, loyalty, friendship, how to remove myself emotionally and analyze a situation for what it is not for what I wish for it to be or what I hope for it to become. 

Another person that drew me to the Lakers was Jeanie Buss. A woman, taking control of a mans team, she earned it. In my eyes Dr.Buss just saw a lot of his spirit in his daughter, he taught her well and I respect her because she embraced it with open and willing arms. I just finished reading her book today and after last months performance and execution of the Lakers organization I am beyond thrilled at the thought of the playoffs. She fascinates me, as most strong women who have the desire to instill or teach that same strength to other women do. Next I’m going to finish reading “The Show” by Roland Lazenby. Then I want to pick up the Phil Jackson books to try to get into the mind of teh Guru. If he stays true to his “last stand” season then it’s just getting in as much of the coach I’ve grown to respect and love before he becomes a memory in my heart. 

This post is obviously full of my biased fandom, doesn’t really have a point, and is more like me talking out loud. It’s responding to the suspense in the air, the butterflies in my stomach and the joy in my heart to have been injected with this Purple and Gold loyalty. It’s a reminder that summer is coming and it’s time to do something other than stay in my apartment where I’ve dedicated so many nights to a team I’ve come to love and respect so much. It gives me a chance to miss them, learn how the NBA organization works as a whole, not just the franchise I love. It makes me look forward to my anniversary, not that I make him celebrate pointless things like anniversaries that are out of wedlock, but it’s another milestone and is right as the playoffs begin. My birthday, the warm summer wind, beautiful sunsets and dresses I will buy, visits home (Los Angeles); I embrace and look forward to it all. 

This is how I feel about the Carmelo Anthony trade: FINALLY. Is the Eastern conference full of idiots? The Knicks pretty much gave up their team for him. Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, the Knicks 2014 first-round draft pick, the Warriors’ 2012 second-round pick, the Warriors’ 2013 second-round pick and $3 million in cash for Melo … who has been playing great, but doesn’t everyone when they know their contracts up or a team is interested?? yes. Another reason I call the EC a bag ‘o’ idiots is because it seems as if all the Lakers have to do to get out of the West to enter the Finals is beat the Spurs (and of course OKC will give us some trouble if they can) as opposed to the East where they have all of these supposed “power houses” such as “the HEATles” “The big 3” plus  ”The Big Shamrock” (or sell out, in my book). Don’t get me wrong, It makes for interesting basketball (in the East) but what’s up with all of these dudes banding together like a group of mean girls in an attempt to take down the Lakers? It seems so girly and these are some GROWN ASS MEN. Then Jerry Sloan quitting over the fact that the company he worked for would not stand behind him in an argument with Deron “I have a really bad fade” Williams. That saddened me. He was a passionate and sometimes overly dramatic coach, but he knew and LOVED the game. Isn’t that what it’s about? Not some fucking pay check, not purposefully plotting a scheme to play with your boys in an attempt to take down the best. That’s why I love the Lakers. I feel as if the Lakers organization  and Phil Jackson show this game the respect that it deserves and by doing that, I see the game through his (Phils) eyes and my love is the same. Well that and the fact that I was born and raised in Los Angeles (not a sub-city). Tonight we play the Hawks and they are a top team in the East and they play well against us. I don’t want to make predictions only because of what happened before the All-Star break. Although I will say that when we lose to teams such as the Cavs or in a shameful manner (and losing to the Cavs at this point is shameful) Kobe comes back with a vengeance … but we need the whole team out there tonight, not just the Mamba. EMBRACE THE BLACK SWAN PAU, let him fly! GO Lakers

If you disagree I would love to hear your thoughts, anyone?